View Articles

Since Assad's regime fell in early December, clashes have intensified in northern Syria between the US-backed Kurdish fighters and the Turkish proxy force Syrian National Army (SNA). Following the regime change in Syria, Turkey has become the most important regional actor in the country. By providing support for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Syrian National Army Ankara has been consolidating its power over Syria. Turks think that this is the right time to get rid of the small statelet of Syrian Kurds often referred to as Rojava sitting next to its borders.

TORONTO: Three weeks after the abrupt resignation of his Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, and amid a growing chorus of Liberal Party MPs and regional party caucuses calling for him to move aside, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on January 6 that he will step down as Liberal leader and head of the government.

Voting is on February 5. Results will be declared on February 8. The BJP put out a poster within minutes of the announcement that Delhi will have a BJP Chief Minister by mid-February. But the BJP was beaten to the claim by AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar who asserted, even before the Election Commission announced the dates, that Delhi’s voters will vote to make Arvind Kejriwal Chief Minister for the fourth time, no worries.

Is the Canadian Prime Minister and the ruling Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau's resignation marks the first success of the Donald Trump-Elon Musk duo in organising regime change as a part of far right agenda in 2025? Apparently, many might argue that this was not so as the developments in the Liberal Party and the Canadian Government in the last few weeks indicated that Trudeau was getting isolated and his Party was going to lose in the coming elections on October 20 this year.

The Draft UGC (Minimum Qualifications of Appointment & Promotion of Teachers and Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations, 2025 released by Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan paves the way for greater control of the Centre on Higher Education. It undermines not only the supremacy of the academicians as vice-chancellors of universities, but also worsen the service conditions of teachers by allowing their appointments on contracts in large numbers. Autonomous functioning of universities will be casualty and thereby the quality of higher education in the country.

LONDON: Around the world, we have been witnessing the rise of new right-wing and neofascist political forces at the same time as we have experienced the demise or marginalisation of strong left-wing forces.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) the organization of the leading global heads of the companies will be meeting in Davos Switzerland from January 20 to 24 this year to discuss the issues of development in an era of conflict. The World Economic Forum’s Global Cooperation Barometer offers a critical assessment of the state of global cooperation, showing a world grappling with heightened competition and conflict, while also identifying various areas where leaders can drive progress through innovative collaboration. Released amid geopolitical, technological and socio-political upheaval, the Forum’s flagship annual report underscores the urgency of addressing shared challenges and offers leaders guidance on what cooperation can look like in a shifting world.

Physical media has been up against decline for years, as manufacturers and retailers drop DVDs, Blu-rays, and video games on disc in favor of their digital alternatives, including streaming and downloaded copies of films, television programs, and games. The lure of the digital is real — instant to obtain, easy to store. No waiting. No cluttered shelves. And you can shop around from the comfort of your home, in your pajamas.

The slump in India’s GDP growth rate is understandable. Contrary to the government claims, the job market is down. The income growth, in general, is shrinking. A vast section of consumers are not spending enough, except for wage goods or daily dire necessities, as their real income is not growing. The FMCG sector is struggling to raise turnover and profitability. For instance, the highest selling bathing soap segment has maintained a near constant price level for years at around Rs.10 each. Hindustan Unilever's (HUL) total income has increased linearly over the years. In the third quarter of 2024, HUL reported an Underlying Sales Growth (USG) of two percent and Underlying Volume Growth (UVG) of three percent.

As the US President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office on January 20, he faces a unique challenge. The issue of immigration and the H-1B visa has become a contentious point among the two key groups. He is trying to satisfy the conflicting interests of the billionaire tech community, who heavily fund his campaigns, and his 'America First' base.