"The situation in Syria is nothing short of catastrophic," says the International Committee of the Red Cross, after a four-day visit to the country.

As the humanitarian crisis in eastern Congo worsens, with thousands of people fleeing new fighting, Oxfam is stepping up its supply of aid.

Afghanistan's war enters its second decade with the Taliban emboldened and the United States enfeebled, says Professor Paul Rogers. But the power-play between Pakistan, India and China is also now central to an assessment of what comes next. Afghanistan's future will be decided in Islamabad, New Delhi and Beijing as much as, if not more, than in Kabul and Washington.