In a world where the fight for land rights often pits the powerful against the marginalized, Indigenous communities stand as resilient defenders of their ancestral lands. These communities, rich in culture and tradition, face numerous challenges, from encroachment and exploitation to climate change. Empowering Indigenous communities is not just a matter of justice; it is […]

When Dr Gamani Corea, a former Secretary-General of the Geneva-based UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was holding court in the delegate’s lounge, I asked him what he thought of the bitter dispute between then Secretary-General (SG) Boutros Boutros-Ghali (1992-1996) and the United States over the Egyptian’s determination to win re-election for a second […]

In the coming decades, the Asia-Pacific region faces a series of challenges that threaten to exacerbate poverty. Among these, climate change, demographic shifts, particularly population ageing and the rise of digital technologies stand out as three interconnected global megatrends. A recent technical paper supporting the Social Outlook for Asia and the Pacific 2024 explores various […]

Africa has had a terrible record dealing with extreme poverty. The late Adebayo Adedeji, the legendary head of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), campaigned vigorously but unsuccessfully in the 1980s against the IMF and World Bank-imposed structural adjustment programmes, contending that these contributed to poverty’s increase. The continent’s economic growth plummeted rapidly […]

With an average of only one in five voters participating in local elections, voting results are easily swayed by just one vote. Voting in local elections has never been more critical.

Americans live under the assumption that water is cheap, pure, and plentiful. But how true is that?

Donald Trump promises 'deportation force' to remove 11 million undocumented immigrants

Why don't the rich pay their fair share in taxes?

Donald Trump has claimed he doesn't believe in climate change, but that didn't stop him from citing it as a reason to build a sea wall to protect one of his golf courses.

Not a second goes by without pundits and the media scrutinizing the U.S. election polls and tracking the candidates' performances. But polls aren't votes. What if the polls are all wrong?

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) on Wednesday said the government is ready to respond to the effects of typhoons in the coming days and weeks of the year. OCD head Ariel Nepomuceno, however, admitted that the consecutive storms/typhoons in the past few weeks are unprecedented, even in the current system the government has for disaster response. “Nakalatag naman ‘yung sistema natin, although admittedly itong sistema natin hindi na-assume ‘yung ganitong scenario, bago rin sa’tin ito,” said Nepomuceno during a Kapihan sa Manila Hotel briefing. (Our system is in place, although admittedly our system did not […]...

Keep on reading: Gov't ready for calamity response; staff fatigue a big concern - OCD

TOKYO, Japan — Japan’s Seven & i Holdings 3382.T is considering launching a management buyout that would see the retailer go private in a deal that could be worth up to $58 billion, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday. The Nikkei newspaper also reported that the owner of the 7-Eleven convenience store chain was looking at […]...

Keep on reading: Japan's 7-Eleven reportedly considering management buyout of up to $58B

Police and electricity authorities have raided buildings in Chachoengsao and Surat Thani provinces, arrested suspects and seized cryptocurrency mining machines that stole tens of millions of baht worth of electricity.

A Polish priest has created a small chapel in the city of Poznan, which besides an altar, lectern, chairs and crucifix, offers an AI-powered program allowing visitors to ask questions about Catholicism and faith. - REUTERS

[Shabelle] Mogadishu -- In a strategic move to bolster Somalia's defense apparatus, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has made key changes in the military hierarchy, appointing General Sahal Abdullahi Omar as the new Commander of Land Forces and elevating Lt. Colonel Hassan Salah Abdi to the position of Commander of Special Forces.

[Shabelle] Germany and Somalia are to cooperate on stepping up the deportation of migrants from the East African country.

[Shabelle] Mogadishu -- In a move signaling deepening political discord, Somalia's Deputy Minister of Ports and Maritime Transport, MP Saddam Mohamud Abdi, resigned on Tuesday, accusing the federal government of constitutional violations and politicizing development projects in his home region of Puntland.

[Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Somaliland has announced progress in preparing for the upcoming presidential and party elections scheduled to take place on 13 November this year.

[Radio Dalsan] Somalia is prepared to welcome back its nationals from Germany, particularly those without legal residency, following a meeting between Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday.

[ISS] Somalia's upcoming seat on the UN Security Council should allow it to shape international maritime security policies.

[VOA] The U.S. military says it is investigating what caused an army drone to crash in southern Somalia this week.

[Shabelle] Mogadishu, Somalia -- In a decisive move to strengthen national security, Somalia's Cabinet of Ministers has officially endorsed General Odowa Yusuf Raage as the Commander of the Somali National Army, according to a statement released after an emergency meeting held on Sunday night.

[Radio Dalsan] The Somali Council of Ministers has reappointed General Odowa Yusuf Raage as Commander of the Somali Armed Forces, replacing General Ibrahim Muhyiddin, during an emergency meeting held in Mogadishu on Sunday night.

[Radio Dalsan] Somaliland's Vice President, Abdirahman Abdillahi Ismail Saylici, made headlines on Sunday by publicly endorsing the opposition Waddani Party just days before the November 13 presidential election.

[VOA] Washington -- According to the Somaliland National Electoral Commission, more than 1 million registered and eligible voters head to the polls Wednesday to elect their president for the next five years.

[Shabelle] Mogadishu -- Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) conducted a targeted operation in the Dharaarweyn area near Galcad city, within the Galgaduud region.

The materials were recovered by IDF soldiers during operations in the Gaza Strip.

The IDF reiterated that it seeks to operate against Hezbollah's infrastructure and capabilities to push the group away from southern Lebanon.

While operating in the area, soldiers from the Shaldag Unit identified several tunnel shafts leading to the compound, which led to the exposure of the full tunnel. 

While reports in Israel assess that Hezbollah may have lost 80 percent of its rocket arsenal and also lost 2,000 fighters, Hezbollah is putting on a brave face, claiming Israel is far from its goals.

IDF intelligence had been tracking these underground facilities for years, and over recent weeks, the air force focused on destroying them.

Lt. Col. Peter Lerner speaks to TML about the state of war after 400 days, including the UN Security Council 1701 Resolution and additions that would allow Israel to secure its borders.

Police detain dozens in Amsterdam after demonstrations banned

Kremlin denies Putin spoke with Trump over de-escalation in Ukraine

Trump to appoint hardliners Rubio and Waltz as foreign policy chiefs, reports claim

Dutch police disperse people from streets after Amsterdam tram set on fire

Russian warship armed with hypersonic missiles trains in English Channel, state media reports

German opposition welcome snap-election news after ruling coalition's collapse

On November 6, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the second round of polio vaccinations in the Gaza Strip has been completed. A total of 556,744 children under ten years of age received the mOPV2 vaccine along with a dose of vitamin A to ensure immunization. However, due to rampant hostilities from the Israeli […]

Christ’s parables were never delivered in a vacuum. They were always provoked by the circumstances, discussions, and debates that surrounded Him. That kind of contextual background information is especially critical concerning the parable of the vineyard.

Jesus made a regular habit of upending established social conventions. The Lord spent much of His earthly ministry illustrating the sharp contrast between the world and His heavenly kingdom. One of those key teaching moments is found in the preface and epilogue to Christ’s parable of the vineyard.

Someone has said that God plus one equals a majority. The truth is that God alone makes a majority. If every creature in the material and immaterial universe combined to oppose God together, still He would not be defeated. He is infinitely greater, and holier, and wiser, and more powerful than the aggregate of all His creation.

I remember listening to a Christian radio station when a caller asked, “What should I look for in a church?” The host responded by saying, “The thing I look for is fellowship. That’s the most important thing in choosing a church.” That may be a good feature of a church—but that is not the right answer.

“Preach the word!” (2 Timothy 4:2, NKJV). To the church today, those words may sound unusual as a pastor’s primary job description. We are used to all kinds of other “ministry” endeavors fighting for position in a long list of pastoral responsibilities. Even for those who affirm the primacy of preaching, the kind of preaching they want is purely practical—thus, doctrine (which is presumed to be utterly impractical) is the mortal enemy.

Amid unprecedented global challenges and a growing list of countries in crisis, there is an existential threat to decades of development gains—with the global community marked by intensified armed conflict, forced displacements, and the debilitating effects of climate crises. One in five children worldwide lives in or flees from conflict. The number of crisis-affected children […]

Reem Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, calls prostitution a “system of violence” that does not benefit society at all, especially the women and girls forced into this system. Alsalem spoke at the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute in New York on Wednesday, October 2, to discuss her special report […]

  Our world has witnessed unprecedented levels of economic development. The advance of our technological capabilities continues unabated. Our financial resources continue to grow. Yet, as of last year, an estimated 750 million people live in extreme poverty. Extreme poverty is defined as living on less than $2.15 per day. Roughly 60% of the world’s […]

Social development in a global context shows the risk of trending downwards and not recovering if countries do not minimize the long-term impacts of multiple crises and work towards building up their resilience. As much as this will require national political will, it will also need global cooperation for it to be possible. The United […]

At a rally to mark International Youth Day on August 12 in Tanzania’s southern Mbeya region, John Mnyika stood with a determined expression, addressing his supporters. The air was charged with anticipation. Mnyika, the Secretary-General of Tanzania’s opposition party, Chadema, was preparing to speak about the upcoming elections when the chaos erupted. Without warning, heavily […]