Victoria Rojas
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Syrian President al-Sharaa on Iran war: ‘Syria will remain outside this conflict’
Syria is deliberately positioning itself outside the war involving Iran, signaling a cautious but significant shift in its regional posture. President Ahmed al-Sharaa emphasizes that the country does not intend…
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Iraqi civilians are paying the price of the Iran war
The war involving Iran is unfolding far beyond its immediate battlefield, and Iraq has become one of its most exposed fronts. While the conflict is driven by larger geopolitical actors,…
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Trump’s Iran climbdown wasn’t an offramp
Trump’s decision to step back from immediate escalation with Iran has been presented as a form of restraint, but it does not represent a real exit from the conflict. Rather…
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Late-breaking shocks and shifting goalposts: Takaichi’s highwire Washington visit
Sanae Takaichi’s visit to Washington unfolds in a moment where international politics feels unstable and constantly shifting. Global crises, changing U.S. priorities and unexpected developments shape the context of the…
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Takaichi takes on Trump
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is navigating a complex relationship with Donald Trump’s second administration. Although both leaders share nationalist tendencies, their interaction is shaped more by pressure than alignment.…
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Tinubu’s UK state visit: diplomacy alone won’t fix Nigeria’s problems
President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to the United Kingdom highlights Nigeria’s growing international visibility, but it also raises a deeper question: whether high-profile diplomacy is actually improving conditions at home.…
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Should the Gulf Arab states join the war against Iran?
Gulf Arab states are being pushed into a difficult position as tensions with Iran escalate, but joining a war is not in their best interest. Most of these countries prefer…
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To secure critical minerals supply governments need to take a stake in industry
Securing access to critical minerals has become a central geopolitical priority, especially as demand grows for technologies tied to energy transition, defense, and digital industries. Relying solely on global markets…
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The Iran war should boost security cooperation by US Pacific allies like Japan, the Philippines and South Korea
The war with Iran is not just reshaping the Middle East, but also exposing the limits of the U.S.-led security order. For allies like Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines,…
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Building together: Why co-financing matters more than ever
Co-financing is becoming increasingly important as the world faces overlapping global challenges like climate change, economic recovery and persistent poverty. Traditional sources of development finance are no longer sufficient on…
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What works for work: High-impact employment solutions
Many countries are struggling with unemployment, underemployment and job insecurity, especially among young people and women. Traditional approaches to creating jobs are no longer enough on their own, and policymakers…
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Building Drought Resilience Across Southern Africa: A Regional Imperative
Southern Africa stands on the front line of the climate crisis. Drought is no longer an occasional shock, it is becoming a defining feature of the region’s future. These droughts…
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Hope on the front lines: What we saw during our return to Sudan
After years of crisis and conflict in Sudan, recent visits to communities on the front lines reveal both immense suffering and surprising resilience among ordinary people. Despite widespread destruction of…
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Educators shaping futures: What we know, still need to learn, and can do
Global education leaders recently met in Addis Ababa to focus on a central challenge: how to prepare and support teachers so that every child can learn effectively. Educators, policymakers and…
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5 days in Indonesia: How people, not pipes, keep water flowing
Across Indonesia, access to safe and reliable water depends less on pipes and infrastructure and more on the resilience and adaptive capacity of the people who manage, distribute, and safeguard…
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A drier future? Strengthening drought resilience in Latin America
Drought in Latin America is exposing structural weaknesses that long predate climate change. Water scarcity is colliding with inequality, fragile institutions, informal labor markets, and uneven infrastructure investment. The result…
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Morocco to fuel global shipping’s energy transition
Morocco is positioning itself as a key player in the global transition to cleaner energy for shipping, a sector long reliant on heavy fuels that drive pollution and climate change.…
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How AI and machine learning can predict and explain social risks for more effective development operations
AI and machine learning are transforming how development agencies understand and respond to social risks. By analyzing large and complex datasets, these technologies can detect patterns and trends that humans…
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Adaptation for utility transformation: Lessons from Latin America and the Caribbean
Across Latin America and the Caribbean, water utilities sit at the center of a quiet but consequential crisis. Climate change is intensifying droughts and floods, cities are expanding rapidly, and…
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Youth leading the future of health in Africa: Conversation with Manuel Ntumba
Young people in Africa are emerging as powerful agents of change in the health sector, using innovation, leadership and community engagement to tackle some of the continent’s toughest health challenges.…
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The hidden cost of water in Europe and Central Asia
Across Europe and Central Asia, water may appear readily available, but the full cost of providing safe, reliable water and sanitation services is often hidden from view. Aging infrastructure, underinvestment,…
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ABAC Launches 2026 Work Program Under Theme “Openness, Connectivity, Synergy”
En: APEC/PECCThe APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) introduced its 2026 work program under the theme “Openness, Connectivity, Synergy,” highlighting the importance of cooperation in a changing global economy. The program reflects…
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Postcard from Dhaka: The women battling the scrap heap
En: Think TanksIn Dhaka, Bangladesh, thousands of women work in informal textile-waste sorting centers, known locally as jhut yards, where they sift through discarded cloth scraps brought from across the country. These…
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What is Hamas?
En: Think TanksHamas is a Palestinian Islamist political and militant organization founded in the late 1980s during the First Intifada. It grew out of the Muslim Brotherhood movement and combines religious ideology…
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Venezuela’s Democratic Transition Needs Women, Including Machado
En: Think TanksVenezuela’s democratic future depends on recognizing women as central political actors, not merely witnesses to the country’s future. Women have played a decisive role in resisting authoritarianism, organizing communities and…
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Timeline: U.S.-Russia Nuclear Arms Control
En: Think TanksThe history of U.S.–Russia nuclear arms control reflects decades of cooperation and rivalry shaped by shifting geopolitical tensions. During the early Cold War, both countries raced to build up large…
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The Danger of Renewed U.S. Interest in the GERD
En: Think TanksThe Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has become one of the most sensitive geopolitical disputes in Africa, reshaping relations between Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan. Built on the Blue Nile, the…
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The AI Divide
How U.S.-Chinese Competition Could Leave Most Countries Behind As artificial intelligence becomes central to global economic and strategic power, a divide is emerging that could leave many countries behind. Its…
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The world is far off meeting its growing water needs. Can the UN still lead the response?
En: Think TanksWater scarcity is becoming increasingly severe worldwide, driven by rising demand, declining aquifers and worsening droughts in many regions. The global economy’s thirst for water, especially in water-intensive sectors like…
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APEC Lifts Growth Outlook as Trade Holds, AI Investment Surges
En: APEC/PECCAPEC has upgraded its growth outlook for the Asia-Pacific, projecting regional GDP (=PIB) to expand by around 3.2 percent in 2025 and remain steady in 2026. The improved forecast reflects…