Recently, international organisations, bilateral donors, and philanthropies have been increasingly using green microfinance to fund climate-related initiatives in rural areas of developing countries. These programmes provide individuals, mostly low-income agricultural workers, loans with conditions that require them to adopt less pollutive agricultural practices. Examples include Grameen Bank in Bangladesh and Asian Development Bank's trust fund in Cambodia.

Rio Tinto and Winning Consortium Simandou (WCS) are currently developing the Simandou Iron Ore project in Guinea. It involves the development of a large open-pit mine, a railway line and a deep-water port in the country. Simandou is expected to be one of the largest iron ore mines in the world with large exceptionally high-grade iron reserves. The project is still under construction, and is expected to begin later in 2025.

With the current trend of declining investment in the Southeast Asian service and technology sectors, investors have started reallocating their funds to traditional sectors, such as manufacturing, agriculture, extraction, and retail.

For the purpose of this debate, the "test of god" refers to the narrative in which religious followers are taught that their difficulties in life (which may include but are not limited to personal struggles, relationship woes, economic difficulties, natural disasters) are tests of God through which their spiritual and emotional strengths are tested. 

Rastafari religion is a spiritual and cultural movement that emerged in Jamaica in the 1930s, combining elements of Afrocentrism and Christianity. Marijuana plays an important role for the believers (also known as "Rastas"), used for meditation, prayer, and purification. As a result, Rastas in countries that prohibit drug use have faced persecution and legal consequences.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is a 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 countries (U.S., UK, France, China, Russia, and Germany). Its goal was to limit Iran's nuclear capabilities—like reducing uranium enrichment and allowing international inspections—in exchange for lifting economic sanctions.

It was signed after years of negotiations between Iran and world powers. In 2018, the U.S. withdrew from the deal under President Trump, who criticized it as non-permanent and insufficient for eliminating Iran’s nuclear potential. Following the withdrawal, Iran began easing its compliance with the agreement’s terms. Trump later expressed interest in renewed talks with stricter preconditions (getting rid of all nuclear plants, having a permanently binding agreement, limiting Iran’s cooperation with proxy groups etc). Iran rejected these conditions but are still considering diplomatic talks with the US.

The Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham has formed the de facto national government in Syria after the defeat of Bashar al-Assad. In the drafting of the new constitution, the Kurds, an ethnically distinct group in Syria with a unique culture and history, have called for greater federalism, including local legislative councils, executive bodies, and internal security forces for areas controlled by the Kurds. 

On 11th April, Kenya announced the halt and cancellation of a 1.3 billion USD highway deal with France's Vinci JV for the construction of a road connecting Nairobi to Nakuru. The contract will likely be reassigned to a Chinese contractor. Kenya's reason for the cancellation involved alleged unfavorable terms, including a clause which stipulated that Kenya would be liable to bear the risk and losses in case of low traffic on the highway.

Recently, international organisations, bilateral donors, and philanthropies have been increasingly using green microfinance to fund climate-related initiatives in rural areas of developing countries. These programmes provide individuals, mostly low-income agricultural workers, loans with conditions that require them to adopt less pollutive agricultural practices. Examples include Grameen Bank in Bangladesh and Asian Development Bank's trust fund in Cambodia.

Rio Tinto and Winning Consortium Simandou (WCS) are currently developing the Simandou Iron Ore project in Guinea. It involves the development of a large open-pit mine, a railway line and a deep-water port in the country. Simandou is expected to be one of the largest iron ore mines in the world with large exceptionally high-grade iron reserves. The project is still under construction, and is expected to begin later in 2025.

With the current trend of declining investment in the Southeast Asian service and technology sectors, investors have started reallocating their funds to traditional sectors, such as manufacturing, agriculture, extraction, and retail.

For the purpose of this debate, the "test of god" refers to the narrative in which religious followers are taught that their difficulties in life (which may include but are not limited to personal struggles, relationship woes, economic difficulties, natural disasters) are tests of God through which their spiritual and emotional strengths are tested. 

Rastafari religion is a spiritual and cultural movement that emerged in Jamaica in the 1930s, combining elements of Afrocentrism and Christianity. Marijuana plays an important role for the believers (also known as "Rastas"), used for meditation, prayer, and purification. As a result, Rastas in countries that prohibit drug use have faced persecution and legal consequences.

A closed community intentionally limits links with outsiders and outside communities. This look like members of the community exclusively interacting in their own language, having explicit expectation of dating standards for their families, etc.

Sanctuary cities are cities or municipalities that adopt policies designed to limit their cooperation with national immigration authorities. In these cities, local law enforcement may choose not to report undocumented immigrants to federal immigration agencies or not to inquire about a person’s immigration status during routine interactions (e.g., traffic stops or reporting crimes).San Francisco and New York City in the United States are well-known sanctuary cities.

The securitization of cities refers to the process by which urban challenges, spaces, and populations are increasingly interpreted and managed through the lens of security. It includes but is not limited to expanding surveillance and strengthening security agencies.

Gram Kachcheris are local dispute resolution forums which can hear cases involving bailable offences and can impose fines of up to Rs 1,000 and decide civil disputes upto Rs. 10,000. They are different from Khap Panchayats since they interpret civil and criminal laws of the country and are a part of the Indian judicial system and their decisions can be usually appealled. Gram Kachcheris mainly try to settle disputes in a consensual and amiable way.

In recent years, the South Korean government introduced a series of measures to curb the reliance on private education, such as tutoring and cram schools. The measures range from prohibiting "killer questions" (i.e., questions not taught in public schools) from college entrance exams to launching investigations into academies that have connections with schools and committing to providing extension classes in public schools.

The Agnipath Scheme is a recruitment initiative launched by the Indian government to enlist young individuals into the Armed Forces for a short-term service of four years. The scheme allows selecting candidates aged 17.5 to 21, who serve as "Agniveers." During their tenure, they receive a monthly salary with gradual increases, risk allowances, and a life insurance cover. Upon completion, they receive a tax-free Seva Nidhi of about ₹11.71 lakh, built through joint monthly contribution While there is no pension, up to 25% of Agniveers may be retained for longer permanent service based on performance while the rest 75% return back to civilian life. The scheme also provides skill certificates to aid in post-service employment opportunities. This scheme is specifically for the enlistment of general soldiers and not officer level ranks which are enlisted traditionally as a part of the National Defence Academy.

You are a parent of a child who has just gotten into school, you have worked your way up the ladder and now have considerable wealth and resources. For the purpose of this debate 'shielding from privilege' includes but is not limited to choosing to not put your child in a posh school, living a simple life, not going on international holidays etc.

Micro-retirement is a trend where individuals, particularly younger professionals, take intentional, extended breaks from their careers for personal pursuits, travel, or rest, rather than waiting for traditional retirement.