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    Accountability

    Nepal and Bhutan Push for Mountain Climate Agenda at COP31 After Deadly Himalayan Floods

    Nepal has already linked recovery needs to loss-and-damage mechanisms, submitting claims related to the disaster. Bhutan, which has long prioritised environmental conservation, brings complementary experience in balancing development with ecological limits.
    Civil society

    Pakistani Journalists and Civil Society Form Committee to Defend Freedom of Expression

    Participants stressed that a broad-based alliance supported by strong journalists’ unions was essential to protect independent journalism and expand the space for free expression.
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    IPR and patent regime

    US Startup Claims Breakthrough in Turning Mercury into Gold Using Nuclear Fusion

    Whether the process ever supplies meaningful quantities of gold will depend on breakthroughs still to come in fusion engineering and materials science.
    Civil society

    South Asia Democracy Conference Opens in Colombo Amid Regional Democratic Challenges

    As the three-day programme continues, participants will explore practical questions of democratic renewal.
    Bangladesh

    Bangladesh Garment Workers Win December Pay Scale Timeline Amid Wage Protests

    For Bangladesh’s RMG sector, the stakes are high. The RMG sector remains central to employment, poverty reduction and foreign-exchange earnings at a moment when the country is navigating LDC graduation timelines and broader economic pressures.
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    Afghanistan

    Afghanistan’s Opium Cultivation Surges 325% in 2026 Despite Taliban Ban, UN Reports

    Sustained monitoring will be essential to determine whether 2026 marks a temporary adjustment or the start of a broader recovery of Afghanistan’s opium economy.
    Accountability

    Sri Lanka Under FATF Scrutiny as NGO Oversight Measures Draw Global Attention

    The balance struck in Colombo will be watched as a test case for risk-based implementation of FATF Recommendation 8 across the region.
    Democracy

    Nepal Approves 94 FDI Projects Worth Rs 5.11 Billion Amid Shift to Smaller Ventures

    Beyond new project approvals, the department cleared 10 share purchase or subscription agreements worth Rs 1.69 billion and 20 technology transfer agreements during the month.
    Clean tech

    Sri Lanka Weighs Nuclear Option for Reliable Low-Carbon Power

    The desire for energy security and cleaner power is clear, yet the institutional, financial and technical thresholds for nuclear energy remain high.
    Accreditation

    UN Extends LDC Graduation Deadline for Nepal and Bangladesh to 2029

    The decision, adopted without a vote during the 81st session in New York, gives both countries three additional years beyond the previous November 2026 deadline to strengthen their economies before losing key international support measures.
    Accountability

    Secret Australian Inquiry Exposes SAS Command Failures and Toxic Culture in Afghanistan War

    The report underscores persistent questions about accountability for civilian harm. Related reporting on the region has highlighted ongoing challenges in post-conflict justice and the human costs of prolonged international military engagement.

    Views

    Disaster Management

    Bridging Ethnic Knowledge and Institutions: India’s Missing Link in Disaster Risk Reduction

    India's next leap in disaster management should not simply be to predict disasters better. It should be to connect knowledge better, strengthen institutions and act earlier.

    Features

    Gender

    Most popular life news you must read today

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    Agriculture

    Civil Society

    Nepal and Bhutan Push for Mountain Climate Agenda at COP31 After Deadly Himalayan Floods

    Nepal has already linked recovery needs to loss-and-damage mechanisms, submitting claims related to the disaster. Bhutan, which has long prioritised environmental conservation, brings complementary experience in balancing development with ecological limits.
    OWSA Contributor -

    Pakistani Journalists and Civil Society Form Committee to Defend Freedom of Expression

    Participants stressed that a broad-based alliance supported by strong journalists’ unions was essential to protect independent journalism and expand the space for free expression.
    OWSA Contributor -

    Climate Off the Charts: UN Warns ‘Supersized’ El Niño Will Propel Record Global Heating and Disasters Into 2027

    The complete and peer-reviewed State of the Global Climate 2026 report will be officially presented in March 2027, incorporating verified input from dozens of national meteorological and hydrological agencies worldwide.
    OWSA Contributor -

    Global South Communities Demand Fossil Fuel Giants Pay for Climate Damage Ahead of COP31

    The statement crystallises a simple principle: climate justice is not charity. It is accountability. Communities in Sri Lanka still recovering from Ditwah, Pacific Island nations facing existential sea-level rise, African farmers confronting prolonged droughts and South Asian workers enduring extreme heat are not asking for handouts.
    OWSA -

    Education

    Afghanistan

    Afghanistan’s Opium Cultivation Surges 325% in 2026 Despite Taliban Ban, UN Reports

    Sustained monitoring will be essential to determine whether 2026 marks a temporary adjustment or the start of a broader recovery of Afghanistan’s opium economy.

    Nepal Off Track to End Child Marriage by 2030 Despite Decade of Progress, UNICEF Warns

    Nepal’s experience illustrates both what is possible when policies, education and community programmes align, and how easily gains can bypass those who need them most.

    Afghan Male University Enrolment Plunges One-Third as Women Vanish from Higher Education

    UNICEF and UNESCO acknowledge that Afghanistan’s education system retains substantial capacity and strong public demand for learning.

    Livelihood

    Civil society

    Pakistani Journalists and Civil Society Form Committee to Defend Freedom of Expression

    Participants stressed that a broad-based alliance supported by strong journalists’ unions was essential to protect independent journalism and expand the space for free expression.
    Artificial Intelligence

    Sri Lanka Moves to Speed Up Police Clearances for ICT Talent Seeking Global Contracts

    Sri Lanka’s technology professionals operate in a global marketplace where speed and reliability of supporting documentation can decide outcomes.
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    Science

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    Women

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    Health

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    Environment

    Climate Off the Charts: UN Warns ‘Supersized’ El Niño Will Propel Record Global Heating and Disasters Into 2027

    The complete and peer-reviewed State of the Global Climate 2026 report will be officially presented in March 2027, incorporating verified input from dozens of national meteorological and hydrological agencies worldwide.

    Nepal and Bhutan Push for Mountain Climate Agenda at COP31 After Deadly Himalayan Floods

    Nepal has already linked recovery needs to loss-and-damage mechanisms, submitting claims related to the disaster. Bhutan, which has long prioritised environmental conservation, brings complementary experience in balancing development with ecological limits.

    Global South Communities Demand Fossil Fuel Giants Pay for Climate Damage Ahead of COP31

    The statement crystallises a simple principle: climate justice is not charity. It is accountability. Communities in Sri Lanka still recovering from Ditwah, Pacific Island nations facing existential sea-level rise, African farmers confronting prolonged droughts and South Asian workers enduring extreme heat are not asking for handouts.

    Policy AnalysisPOPULAR

    Afghanistan

    Afghanistan’s Opium Cultivation Surges 325% in 2026 Despite Taliban Ban, UN Reports

    Sustained monitoring will be essential to determine whether 2026 marks a temporary adjustment or the start of a broader recovery of Afghanistan’s opium economy.
    Climate change

    Climate Off the Charts: UN Warns ‘Supersized’ El Niño Will Propel Record Global Heating and Disasters Into 2027

    The complete and peer-reviewed State of the Global Climate 2026 report will be officially presented in March 2027, incorporating verified input from dozens of national meteorological and hydrological agencies worldwide.
    Accountability

    Sri Lanka Under FATF Scrutiny as NGO Oversight Measures Draw Global Attention

    The balance struck in Colombo will be watched as a test case for risk-based implementation of FATF Recommendation 8 across the region.

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    Climate Change

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