By Paolo Maggiolini* MILAN, Italy | 10 January 2025 (IDN) — Water security will be a key test of the new Syrian government’s credibility. Since 2011, water scarcity has been a central factor in the country’s prolonged conflict, manipulated for political and economic gain. In a region already vulnerable to climate change, prolonged drought and […]
UN Report Stresses the Significance of Critical Minerals for Developing Countries
By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN | 9 January 2025 (IDN) — The United Nations flagship report, World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2025, has stressed the need of harnessing the potential of critical minerals for sustainable development. It argues that rapidly reducing dependence on fossil fuels and accelerating the transition to renewable energy remains the most […]
Why 2024 Was the Deadliest Year on Record for Reporters
By Kristin Skare Orgeret* OSLO, Norway | 9 January 2025 (IDN) — The past year has been the deadliest for journalists since the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) began tracking fatalities in 1992. Since 7 October 2023, at least 146 journalists have been killed in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, and Lebanon, though the actual numbers […]
India: Farmers Intensify Battle Against Big Corporates in Agriculture
Since 2020, Indian farmers have been agitating against repeated attempts by the ultra-right-wing BJP-led government to open the country’s agricultural sector to big corporations. By Abdul Rahman DHAKA, Bangladesh | 8 January 2025 (IDN) — Thousands of farmers participated in the Kisan Mahapanchayat, or farmers gathering, in Tohana, Haryana province, on January 4. The gathering […]
The Next UN Secretary-General — Must be the Turn of a Woman
By Dr Palitha Kohona Former Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN and Former Ambassador to China COLOMBO, Sri Lanka | 8 January 2025 (IDN) — With Antonio Guterres’s term of office tapering off, there is increasing chatter in the corridors of the United Nations in New York regarding his potential successor. The interest in […]
Is the World Ending War — Despite Ukraine?
By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden | 7 January 2025 (IDN) — An ugly cloud of pessimism hands over many parts of the world. War that seemed to be in retreat, has returned with a vengeance with the second largest military in world, Russia’s, battling a very under-resourced neighbour, Ukraine. It’s getting a lot of people […]
Robots to the Rescue: Can AI Clean up Household Labour Gaps?
By Jessica Henn & Channe Lindstrom Oguzhan, ESCAP* BANGKOK, Thailand | 7 January 2025 (IDN) — Imagine a world where cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping are no longer all-consuming recurrent chores. This vision is fast becoming a reality as the rapid evolution of automation and artificial intelligence transforms households across the Asia-Pacific region. These advancements […]
In War-Ravaged South Sudan, Conservation Is Being Used to Bring Peace
By Ngala Killian Chimtom YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon | 7 January 2025 (IDN) — Conflict in South Sudan has historically had a negative impact on wildlife, but the conservation of the area’s wildlife is now being used to catalyze the move towards reconciliation and peace. Michelle Moeller, South Sudan Country Manager of conservation charity, Fauna & Flora […]
A Renewed Ukrainian Kursk Offensive as Talk of Negotiations Swirls
By Stephen Bryen* This article was issued by Weapons and Strategy and is being republished with their permission. WASHINGTON, D.C. | 6 January 2025 (IDN) — A so-called Ramstein Format Meeting will take place in Germany on January 9. The meeting format addresses Ukraine’s defense needs. Ukrainian President Zelensky will attend, and the US side […]
US Fails to Block South American Countries’ Economic Partnerships with China
By Vijay Prashad* NORTHAMPTON, Massachusetts, USA | 6 January 2024 (IDN) — In November, Álvaro Noboa, the father of Ecuador’s president Daniel Noboa, had a heart attack. He was hastily taken to a clinic in Guayaquil, his hometown, and then after he was stabilized, flown to a hospital in New York. Álvaro Noboa unsuccessfully ran […]