Author: The Editorial Team

Armed conflicts in Somalia are a concern. According to multiple sources including the British Broadcasting Corporation and Cable News Network, many armed attacks have been carried out by several rebel groups including Al-Shabaab, which has been waging an insurgency for almost two decades, leading to thousands of deaths and displacements in Somalia. To end the conflict, former Somali President Hassan Sheikh declared total war against al-Shabaab after the group staged a deadly hotel siege in Mogadishu in 2022 that killed at least 21 people and wounded more than 100. Though this step initially raised hope for the ending of conflicts in…

Turkey and the PKK reached a ceasefire deal. According to multiple sources including the British Broadcasting Corporation and Cable News Network, the government of Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party reached a ceasefire last month after its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan — who established it in 1978 — called on the movement to lay down its arms and dissolve. This is a good step and has prospects for ending the conflicts that have so far killed over forty thousand people and reaching peace. But it remains unclear whether there will be lasting peace between the parties and how much there will be…

Drastic cuts in foreign aid by the United States have led to criticisms. According to multiple sources including the British Broadcasting Corporation, the United States temporarily paused its foreign aid especially which is given through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to more than one hundred countries last month to review it and — after the completion of its review —  terminated around 5,800 USAID awards in February, though it issued a waiver for many of its foreign aid programs. But given that the US foreign aid provided through the USAID is drastically cut permanently, there will be various impacts…

Elections observers — both local and international — play a crucial role in elections in many countries. Without election observers, who oversee elections and help ensure transparency and fairness in the electoral process help deter electoral fraud and provide an independent assessment of the election’s integrity in different countries, it is often difficult to ensure free, fair and credible elections. According to multiple sources including the British Broadcasting Corporation and Cable News Network, along with local election observers, international observers oversaw elections in many democratic and less democratic countries including Venezuela, Germany, the Philippines, Ecuador and Ivory Coast in the past. But…

Guatemala — an upper-middle income country with a GDP per capita of more than 4500 US dollars — has huge development potentials. Guatemala has improved its income opportunities, educational facilities and other aspects that improved the living standards of its people. Because of its rich natural resources, growing industries including the coffee industry and a large domestic market, it has development potentials in economic and other terms that can facilitate human development further. Among others, its favorable strategic locations and diverse biodiversity and cultural heritage can also help attract foreign direct investment and enrich tourism. With proper investment in sustainable tourism and…

The leaving of the three member states from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) — a regional alliance that promotes economic integration among 15 West African countries and plays a vital role in bringing peace to the region, along with addressing various political problems — has led to concerns. According to multiple sources including the British Broadcasting Corporation and Cable News Network, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso formally left the vital alliance in January this year after a yearlong process. This is surely a huge blow to the ECOWAS, which was established in 1975 and is considered Africa’s…

Rebel conflicts have raised concerns in Colombia. According to multiple sources including the British Broadcasting Corporation and Cable News Netwerk, conflicts between the two rebel groups such as the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) Frente 33 have been going on in the northern Colombian region of Catatumbo — a key cocaine production hub and criminal hotspot along the Venezuelan border —for several days. The conflicts have in the meantime led to more than 80 deaths and the displacement of more than 32000 people. But it remains unclear whether the rebel conflict…

Drowning is a concern in many countries. According to multiple sources including the British Broadcasting Corporation and Cable News Network, more than 40 people drowned during a festival in September 2024 in several states in India, where thousands of people drown every year. But drowning also takes place in many other countries including — but not limited to —Guyana, Micronesia, Thailand, Mozambique and Vietnam, leading to thousands of deaths every year across the world, many of which are avoidable. Drowning is also increasing in different countries including the United States. Despite the rising awareness of drowning, which mostly takes place…

Several reform commissions submitted reform reports to the chief advisor of the interim government of Bangladesh — Noble Laureate Muhammad Yunus — last week. According to multiple sources including the Deccan Herald and Daily Star, the constitutional reform commission, led by Ali Riaz, proposed an interim government for elections that is comprised of a chief advisor and several advisors (not more than 15) for free, fair and credible elections, which are held by the Election Commission. This is a better option for free, fair and credible elections, a vital political problem for several decades, in Bangladesh. But it remains unclear whether and…

Bhutan — a tiny and remote kingdom and a lower-middle income country with a GDP per capita of about $3,718 — has various development potentials. It has improved its educational opportunities, access to income opportunities and many other aspects, improving living standards. There is a potential for diversifying its economy by developing the ICT and private sectors, sustainable tourism and promoting hydropower and organic agriculture further that will help generate revenue, create income opportunities and contribute to economic growth, increasing the chance of providing better opportunities for its people. Among others, Bhutan has the potential to promote environmental sustainability and the scope…