Novaya Urada, a village in the North Caucasus republic of Dagestan, has deep roots in livestock farming and each year draws tourists hoping to photograph a vibrant poppy field nearby. However, responding to an escalating rubbish crisis, the authorities have started work on a landfill site near the village, expected to receive 300 tons of non-recyclable rubbish a year - even though there will also be three new waste-processing facilities in the republic this year. Despite initial assurances that they had nothing to worry about, residents are fighting determinedly against the dump, citing lack of consultation and environmental impact assessment. They say that construction has already destroyed the beloved poppy field and is threatening the nearby Sarykum Dune, home to rare flora and fauna.

On 7 February Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Hamas's proposed ceasefire deal, describing their demands as ‘bizarre’. Talks persist, but Israeli officials are vehemently opposed to Hamas's attempt to end the conflict on their terms. The proposed deal aimed for a 45-day ceasefire, followed by exchanges of prisoners and hostages and an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu claimed that achieving ‘total victory’ in Gaza within months is possible, and announced preparations for potential Israeli operations in Rafah. His comments are a blow to a sustained push by the US to reach a deal which its top diplomat, Antony Blinken, described as ‘the best path forward’. They also highlighted the fundamental mismatch between the US and Israel's plans for Gaza's future. The immediate challenge now is salvaging talks to facilitate hostage exchanges and a desperately needed humanitarian pause, to allow more aid into Gaza.

Wildfires have been ravaging Chile's Valparaíso region, leaving hundreds missing and over 120 dead. President Gabriel Boric has described them as the worst disaster since the 2010 earthquake. The fires erupted during a heatwave, engulfing seaside towns normally cooled by sea breezes. Strong winds fuelled the blaze, quickly engulfing hillside communities. Drone footage reveals widespread destruction, with many unable to escape. Authorities are prioritising rescue efforts, with volunteers assisting those displaced. Nearly 15,000 homes have been damaged, and entire neighbourhoods razed. Boric has declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew. Investigations are under way to determine if the fires were intentional.

Sixty-two death row inmates in Zimbabwe could have their sentences commuted to life in prison when the government abolishes the death penalty in 2024. This was revealed after a cabinet meeting chaired by president Emmerson Mnangagwa on 6 February. The abolition is due to come into effect through a private member's bill. At present, the constitution states that the death penalty may be imposed only for murder committed under aggravating circumstances, and only on men aged between 21 to 70. The last inmates to be hanged were two notorious criminals in 2005. Zimbabwe at present does not even have a hangman, despite interest in the job by applicants in 2022, two of whom were women. As of last year, the death sentence was still used in thirty countries on the continent - but the death penalty has only been used regularly in fourteen of those. Capital punishment has now been abolished in 26 African countries.