A car bomb which destroyed a convoy of military vehicles last Wednesday during Ankara's evening rush hour killed 28 and wounded over sixty. This act of terrorism was blamed on three assailants but claimed by none. Complicating the situation is the Russian attempt to draw Turkey further into the Syrian military conflict; some see it as payback for the Turkish downing of a Russian bomber several months ago. Russia's bombing of rebel groups fighting the Assad regime has angered and frustrated the Western allies; they feel that Daesh is the target, and consider the Kurdish YPG militia in Syria (which Turkey and Russia are attacking) an important partner in the war. The many separate rebel and militia groups appear to be controlled by more powerful regimes, such as Russia and Iran. The recent attack in Ankara only complicates what is already a clandestine proxy war.

A popular early learning TV programme, Play School, plans to feature a child with two fathers in a segment which profiles different types of blended families. Executive producer of the beloved preschool show, Jan Stradling, confirmed that the programme will feature an adopted family, an extended family, a blended family, an indigenous nuclear family and a family with two dads in its ‘Through the Windows’ segment to be screened later this year. A similar segment in 2004 featuring two gay mothers was attacked by the conservative press and the then Prime Minister John Howard, who described the ABC's decision to broadcast as foolish. But since then public support for same-sex marriage has grown, and the Turnbull government plans to develop a plebiscite on same-sex marriage after the next federal election.

The world’s deadliest terrorist group is not in the Middle East, but in Nigeria, where the Islamist insurgency Boko Haram and other forces killed more than 4,000 Christians in 2015 - a 62% increase from 2014. In response, Nigeria's largest confederation of Christian churches is, for the first time, jointly endorsing a commitment to revive the Church in the country's north, before it collapses from a decade of violence that has killed thousands of Christians and driven away more than a million. Christians in the northern region have for long been abandoned to their own fate by the Nigerian authorities. ‘This is the first time we’re going public to sign a declaration which gives the true picture of the persecution Christians are going through in this country,’ said Rev Musa Asake.

The Canadian parliament passed a historic motion on Monday which formally condemned the anti-Israel BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement. The motion stated, ‘Given that Canada and Israel share a long history of friendship as well as economic and diplomatic relations, the House rejects the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which promotes the demonisation and de-legitimisation of the State of Israel. We call upon the government to condemn any and all attempts by Canadian organisations, groups or individuals to promote the BDS movement, both at home and abroad.’ Foreign affairs minister Stéphane Dion noted that the world will win nothing for boycotting Israel but deprive itself of the talents of its inventiveness. ‘We must fight anti-Semitism in all its forms,’ he added.