IFAD ROME | 20 December 2024 (IDN) —The steep mountainsides of Yunnan province are green with orchards that supply sweet mangoes to eager shoppers across China. But getting the fruit to markets in the valleys is not a straightforward matter. Most farm vehicles can’t navigate the terrain, leaving farmers to carry heavy baskets down steep […]
Will Malaysia Help Resuscitate ASEAN in 2025?
By Simone Galimberti* KATHMANDU, Nepal | 20 December 2024 (IDN) — What should we expect from the Malaysia’s Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2025? After several years of hibernation in which the regional bloc did not certainly sparkle in terms of vitality and creativity, will Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia be able to resuscitate an […]
Internet Governance Forum Weighs Pros and Cons of AI
By Bernhard Schell RIYADH, Saudi Arabia | 19 December (IDN) — More than 11,000 participants gathered at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Riyadh from 15 to 19 December 2024 and addressed the transformative opportunities and risks posed by rapid advancements of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other digital technologies. They agreed that while AI presents […]
Sudan: Funding Women-Led Organizations Is Critical Amid Surging Gender-Based Violence
By UN Women NEW YORK | 18 December 2024 (IDN) — As the crisis in Sudan continues to deepen, UN Women has just published a new Gender Alert on the impact of the conflict on women and girls. More than 11 million people have been displaced as of October 2024, with more than half (54 per […]
U.S. Defense Official Outlines Continued Support for Ukraine
By Joseph Clark, DOD News WASHINGTON, D.C. | 18 December 2024 (IDN) — The Defense Department is committed to helping Ukraine prevail amid Russia’s ongoing war of aggression and will continue sending key capabilities to meet Ukraine’s battlefield needs in the weeks to come, a senior defense official said Monday (16 December). The department is […]
Interview: Developments in Syria Can Give Opportunity to ISIS to Bounce Back
By Manish Rai ERBIL, Iraq | 17 December 2024 (IDN) — Mr Shoresh Ismail Abdulla is the Minister of Peshmerga affairs in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The Peshmerga are the military forces of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and one of the most capable forces in the region, which pushed back ISIS from its […]
Cuba: Lights and Shadows of Tourism
By José Luis Perelló Cabrera HAVANA, Cuba | 17 December 2024 (IDN) — Over the past 60 years business relations between the United States and Cuba have travelled on a road plagued by obstacles, restrictions, convergence and divergence, where tourism, as the principal symbol of mobility and trade among persons, has been a mirror, marking […]
Syria: A Non-Interventionist Approach Is Extremely Dangerous
By Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK 17 December 2024 (IDN) — Given its geostrategic interest and the security of its allies in the Middle East, the US has no choice but to intervene constructively in Syria by extending a helping hand to the new regime to stabilize the country. The question is, will Trump change his […]
Was South Korea’s Coup an Attempt to Restart the Korean War?
By Ju-Hyun Park* SEOUL | 16 December 2024 (IDN) — As South Korea’s political crisis continues following President Yoon’s failed attempt to declare martial law on December 3, new details are emerging in the country’s legislature that suggest the full scope of Yoon’s coup plot may have included plans to trigger a “limited war” with […]
UN Forum Sets Out Vision for Inclusive, Equitable Digital Future
By Bernhard Schell RIYADH, Saudi Arabia |16 December 2024 (IDN) — As the world navigates rapid digital transformation, the 19th United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) has convened in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, under the theme “Building Our Multistakeholder Digital Future.“ The programme will feature over 300 sessions, with four sub-themes: (1) Harnessing innovation and balancing […]