Author: The Chief Editor

Freedom of expression is crucial. It helps express opinions and hold those in power accountable — leading to improved governance — in different countries. But there is limited freedom of expression in many countries in Asia, Africa and other continents, leading to concerns. While around forty countries provide unrestricted freedom of expression, others provide restricted freedom of expression. But the freedom of expression is at the crisis level in around forty countries, mostly in Asia and Africa. Consequently, most people of the world have some form of restricted freedom of expression that leads to the suppression of their diverse concerns and a…

Protests were carried out in Kashmir last week against the soaring flour and energy prices. But, according to the BBC and several other newspapers, protests that were initiated by the Joint Awami Action Committee, an activist group, with several demands including subsidized flour and the provision of electricity at its production cost led to violent clashes between protesters and paramilitary forces called rangers in Muzaffarabad — the capital city of the region bordering India — and resulted in four deaths, including one police officer, many injuries and the suspension of schools, public transportation and businesses. Many have rendered the level of the…

Gold smuggling —  a lucrative illegal activity due to high demand and a source of huge profit — is a crucial problem. It is often associated with organized crime groups, has severe economic consequences and takes place in many countries in Asia, Africa and other regions through maritime, air and land routes. But gold smugglers use different countries including, but not limited to, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Singapore and DR Congo as major international transit routes for smuggling gold. The illegal transportation of gold worth hundreds of billions of US dollars across borders every year avoids taxes, leading to…

Peace is vital for every society. It is crucial for fostering harmony, stability and cooperation among nations. But there are conflicts in different countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and other regions, including the Ukraine war, the Gaza war and the Sundanese civil war, leading to a lack of peace. Peace steps are definitely made to resolve conflicts and bring peace. However, efforts often go in vain because of geopolitical and other causes. The lack of political will is one of the important causes of continuing conflicts. Without a political will and genuine commitment from all parties involved, conflicts continue to escalate…

The wages of workers have improved — leading to better living conditions— across the world. But increased wages are not alright many times in different countries because of diverse factors including the rising cost of living and inflation rates, affecting the lives of workers. The wages of workers in developed countries tend to be higher than those in developing and less developed countries because of various economic and other factors such as higher productivity, advanced technology and stronger labor unions. According to multiple sources, millions of workers find it difficult to bear the cost of their living in many countries in Asia,…

The Gaza war has been going on for more than six months without any possibility of ending. According to multiple sources including the BBC and CNN, the Gaza war, which started in October last year, has by this time led to around 35 thousand deaths, the displacement of around two million Gazans and many other negative consequences. Given that the war does not end soon, there will be more casualties with a potential for famine in Gaza affecting more than a million — as is often warned by different international organizations including the United Nations — and other impacts. But ceasefire talks…

Cultural exchanges are definitely crucial. Cultural exchanges including, but not limited to, the arrangement of joint artistic collaborations, music festivals, international food festivals and traditional dance performances and the exhibition of movies play a crucial role in promoting understanding and empathy between different countries, bridging cultural divides and promoting cultural diversity, improving relations and tolerance between different conflicting countries and reducing tensions, ultimately leading to a more peaceful world. Many countries — having conflicting or troubled relations — including India and Pakistan, South Korea and Japan and Cuba and the United States have seen improved relations through diverse cultural exchanges. According to…

Tensions have increased between Israel and Iran — two powerful and crucial geopolitical actors in the Middle East — leading to growing concerns. Tensions escalated amidst the Gaza war, which has been going on for around six months. According to multiple sources including the BBC and CNN, tensions increased after the Israeli strikes on an Iranian consulate building in Syria last week that killed seven officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including two generals and six Syrians. While Iran has vowed to take revenge against the latest attack, Israel has said it will respond if it is attacked, raising the possibility…

The killing of humanitarian aid workers in Gaza has raised concerns. Humanitarian aid workers are being repeatedly killed in Gaza. According to multiple sources including the BBC and CNN, while seven humanitarian aid workers were killed by an Israeli strike last week, at least 196 humanitarian workers have so far been killed in the West Bank and Gaza since the beginning of the Gaza war in October last year. The international food charity World Central Kitchen — responsible for around 60 percent of non-governmental aid deliveries to the Gazans — has by this time suspended its operations in response to the killing…

The accidental collapse of road and railway bridges often takes place in many countries. Accidental bridge collapse often leads to the loss of lives, property damage and the disruption of transportation systems. The 2001 Hintze Ribeiro Bridge collapse in northern Portugal, the 2007 I-35W Mississippi River Bridge collapse in Minnesota of the United States and the 2018 Morandi Bridge collapse in Genoa in Italy are some examples of the accidental collapse of bridges in the world in the 2000s. Very recently, according to multiple sources including the BBC and CNN, the Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland of the United…