BLOGOSPHERE

They call it ’blue gold.’ Around the world, demand for water is exploding. By 2050, at least one in four will live in a country suffering from water shortages - creating ideal conditions for a new market... Banks, investment funds and hedge funds are all rushing to invest billions of euros in anything related to water. A real monopoly of water has begun. The financialization of water is a battle taking place on many fronts: ideological, political, environmental, and of course, economic.  The fate of nearly 10 billion inhabitants around the world depends on its outcome. Freshwater is limited is no longer a resource anymore, it has become a commodity. And it this commodity is limited that today many people are seeking after. Its natural distribution on earth is not equal in all nations and in many regions of the world it is considered as precious as gold. Water covers 70 per cent of our planet, and it is easy to think that it will always be plentiful. But, freshwater-the one we drink...

As the year-end with the world fixated on the US presidential elections in late October, it was worth mentioning the decision by Malawi's Constitutional Court to annul last year's election and  called for a new ballot within 150 days.   In a landmark judgement that most experts hailed as a step forward for democracy, Malawi's Constitutional Court found that evidence of fraud and malpractice meant the result of the poll could not be allowed to stand. A decision that came as a surprise to many, sparked celebrations in the streets and gave a fillip to democracy on a continent where the political process is too often abused. Gary Van Staden, an analyst at NKC African Economics based in Paarl, said in an emailed note to clients, 'The days of politicians playing fast and loose with electoral law are clearly numbered.' 'That is encouraging for the consolidation of democracy on the continent.' At a time when standards of leadership and democracy are under threat eve...

  The International Crisis Group has just published a report called  All That Glitters is Not Gold: Turmoil in Zimbabwe’s Mining Sector  that delves into illicit mines of the country and particularly those toiling for gold and what the government should do to ensure the mineral wealth stays in Zimbabwe while its miners are cared for.  As the country’s economy continues to weaken, especially following the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the majority of those of working age can be found in the artisanal mines, scrimping out a living, especially with the hopes of finding gold.  A surge of attacks linked to Zimbabwe's growing artisanal mining sector has killed hundreds of miners.  Zimbabwe’s economy has been in desperate straits for a long time now; this is evident in any of the small towns dotted around the country which have been hit by endemic unemployment, the chronic cash and fuel shortages and the ever-rising inflation rate which hit 838% in July 2020...

George Blake, the former British intelligence officer, who served as a double agent and went down in history as the most well-known agent of the Cold War era, died. George Blake, who informed the Soviet Union while working for the British secret service, has lived in Moscow for more than 50 years. Former British intelligence officer George Blake, one of the best-known double agents of the Cold War era, died in Russia. Blake died at the age of 98 and managed to escape from prison in 1966 and go to Russia. With the information which was given by Blake, who worked as a Soviet agent, 40 MI6 agents who were on duty in Eastern Europe were exposed. Blake was convicted and imprisoned in 1960 and managed to escape six years later. Russia's foreign intelligence service released a statement regarding Blake's death, stating that "he had a sincere love for our country". Born in 1922 in Rotterdam, Holland under t...

The insurgency in Cabo Delgado  is an ongoing conflict in Cabo Delgado Province, Mozambique , mainly fought between Islamist  militants attempting to establish an Islamic state in the region , and Mozambican security forces. Civilians have been the main targets of attacks by Islamist militants.  The main insurgent faction is Ansar al-Sunna , a native extremist faction with tenuous international connections. From mid-2018, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has allegedly become active in northern Mozambique as well  and claimed its first attack against Mozambican security forces in June 2019.  In addition, bandits have exploited the rebellion to carry out raids.  Northern Mozambique needs a Marshall Plan to generate mass employment for local young people and prevent them from turning to the region’s extremist Islamic insurgency. Attempts at development  in northern Mozambique, which has been grappling with the insurgency since 2017, need to...

The long-awaited deal was finally agreed on by both sides, the UK and the European Union on Thursday. 'The clock is no longer ticking' were the few words that came out of the mouth EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, as he announced the sealed UK-EU trade and security deal on Thursday.  The European Union (EU) and the UK have finally reached a happy ending on the Brexit deal. According to a last-minute statement from officials, an agreement was reached on a trade agreement between the EU and the UK. The European Commission has published the draft of the "Trade and Cooperation Agreement". According to this; Trade with the EU will continue without customs duties and quotas. As a result of today's talks between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, it was announced that the trade agreement was reached. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, the executive body of the European Union, said, ...

    US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, with Abdel-Fattah Burhan, head of Sudan's ruling sovereign council, in Khartoum in this August 25, 2020 photo [Sudanese Cabinet via AP] The move comes 18 months after President Omar al-Bashir was toppled and weeks after Sudan recognized Israel. Khartoum once dubbed part of the "axis of evil," also agreed to compensate those bereaved by terror attacks. The United States has formally removed Sudan’s designation as a “state sponsor of terrorism”, 27 years after putting the country on its blacklist. The announcement was made by the US embassy in Khartoum and comes into effect on Monday. The US has removed Sudan from its blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism after nearly three decades. In a Facebook post on Monday, the US Embassy in Khartoum said the decision would be formally published by the government later. "The congressional notification period of 45 days has lapsed and   the Secretary of State   has...

In parallel with the increase in the use of digital technologies during the pandemic period, the possibilities and the risks posed by the digital environment have become more and more clear. Most of these possibilities and risks are related to the protection of our personal data and the safe use of digital technologies in education and business life. Also, during the isolation process, people used social networks extensively for so as to socialize and reduce boredom. Contrary to our life before, people started to make their work and information about themselves more visible on social platforms. It can be said that this situation has brought with it the possibility of an increase in unwanted online communication and digital harassment. Digital harassment can be defined as repeatedly sending offensive or sexually explicit messages to a specific targeted person. It should also be considered that harassment can be seen when anybody persistently invites someone to communicate with them or...