Bapi Mondal’s morning routine in Bangalore is a world away from his ancestral village, Pakhiralay, in the Sundarbans, West Bengal. He wakes before dawn, navigates heavy traffic, and spends eight long hours molding plastic battery casings. It’s not the life his honey-gathering forefathers knew, but factors like extreme storms, rising seas, and deadly soil salinity […]
Stärke des US-Passes sinkt auf historischen Tiefstand
LONDON, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zum ersten Mal seit der Einführung des Henley Passport Index vor 20 Jahren rangiert der US–Pass nicht mehr unter den zehn stärksten Pässen der Welt. Nachdem er 2014 noch unangefochten auf Platz 1 stand, ist der US–Pass nun auf Platz 12 abgerutscht und liegt damit gleichauf mit Malaysia. Er ermöglicht die visumfreie Einreise in nur 180 von 227 Ländern weltweit. Das asiatische Trio Singapur (visumfreier Zugang zu 193 Reisezielen), Südkorea (190 Reiseziele) und Japan (189) belegt inzwischen die ersten drei Plätze des Index, der auf exklusiven Daten der International Air Transport Association (IATA) basiert.
Der Rückgang des US–Passes und sein jüngster Abstieg vom 10. auf den 12. Platz im Index sind auf eine Reihe von Änderungen bei den Einreisebestimmungen zurückzuführen. Der Verlust der visumfreien Einreise nach Brasilien im April aufgrund mangelnder Gegenseitigkeit sowie die Nichtaufnahme der USA in Chinas schnell wachsende Liste visumfreier Länder markierten den Beginn des Abstiegs. Es folgten Anpassungen seitens Papua–Neuguineas und Myanmars, wodurch sich die Punktzahl der USA weiter verschlechterte, während andere Pässe davon profitierten. Zuletzt führten die Einführung eines neuen eVisa–Systems in Somalia und Vietnams Entscheidung, die USA aus seiner aktuellen Liste visumfreier Länder auszuschließen, zum endgültigen Absturz des US–Passes und verdrängten ihn aus den Top 10.
Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Vorsitzender von Henley & Partners, erklärt: „Der Rückgang der Stärke des US–Reisepasses in den letzten zehn Jahren ist mehr als nur eine Umgestaltung der Rangliste – er signalisiert eine grundlegende Veränderung der globalen Mobilität und der Soft–Power–Dynamik. Staaten, die auf Offenheit und Kooperation setzen, schreiten voran, während jene, die sich auf vergangenen Privilegien ausruhen, zurückbleiben.“
In ähnlicher Weise ist der britische Pass auf den niedrigsten Stand seit Bestehen des Index gefallen und ist seit Juli um zwei Plätze vom 6. auf den 8. Platz zurückgefallen, obwohl er ebenfalls einmal (im Jahr 2015) den ersten Platz innehatte.
Visa–Reziprozität gewinnt an Bedeutung
Während Inhaberinnen und Inhaber eines US–Reisepasses derzeit visumfrei in 180 Länder einreisen können, gewähren die USA selbst nur 46 anderen Nationalitäten die visumfreie Einreise. Damit liegen sie auf Platz 77 des Henley Openness Index, der alle 199 Länder und Gebiete weltweit nach der Anzahl der Staatsangehörigkeiten bewertet, denen sie die visumfreie Einreise gestatten.
Diese Diskrepanz zwischen visumfreiem Zugang und Offenheit ist eine der größten weltweit – nur Australien weist eine größere Diskrepanz auf, gefolgt von Kanada, Neuseeland und Japan. Annie Pforzheimer, Senior Associate am Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, stellt fest, dass der Rückzug Amerikas politische Ursachen hat. „Schon vor der zweiten Amtszeit von Trump hatte sich die US–Politik nach innen gewandt. Diese isolationistische Haltung spiegelt sich nun im Verlust der Passmacht Amerikas wider.“
Chinas Aufstieg: ein Jahrzehnt des Fortschritts
Im krassen Gegensatz dazu gehört China zu den größten Aufsteigern im Henley Passport Index der letzten zehn Jahre und sprang von Platz 94 im Jahr 2015 auf Platz 64 im Jahr 2025, wobei sich seine Punktzahl für visumfreien Zugang in diesem Zeitraum um 37 Reiseziele erhöhte.
Auch im Henley Openness Index hat China einen dramatischen Aufstieg erlebt und allein im letzten Jahr 30 weiteren Ländern visumfreien Zugang gewährt. Es liegt nun auf Platz 65 und gewährt 76 Nationen die visumfreie Einreise – 30 mehr als die USA.
Jüngste Entwicklungen, darunter die Gewährung visumfreier Einreise für russische Staatsangehörige, unterstreichen die anhaltende Strategie Pekings, sich weiter zu öffnen. Chinas Schritte – zusammen mit neuen Abkommen mit den Golfstaaten, Südamerika und mehreren europäischen Ländern – festigen seine Rolle als globale Mobilitätsmacht und stärken die Dominanz der asiatisch–pazifischen Region im Hinblick auf Reisefreiheit.
Dr. Tim Klatte, Partner bei Grant Thornton China, hebt die geopolitischen Auswirkungen hervor: „Trumps Rückkehr an die Macht hat neue Handelskonflikte mit sich gebracht, die die Mobilität Amerikas schwächen, während Chinas strategische Öffnung seinen globalen Einfluss stärkt. Diese gegensätzlichen Wege werden die Wirtschafts– und Reisedynamik weltweit neu gestalten.“
Amerikanerinnen und Amerikaner führen den weltweiten Ansturm auf eine zweite Staatsbürgerschaft an
Der Rückgang der Stärke des US–Passes führt zu einem beispiellosen Anstieg der Nachfrage nach alternativen Möglichkeiten hinsichtlich Wohnsitz und Staatsbürgerschaft. Daten von Henley & Partners zeigen, dass US–Staatsangehörige im Jahr 2025 die mit Abstand größte Gruppe von Antragstellenden für Staatsbürgerschaftsprogramme durch Investitionen sind. Bis zum Ende des dritten Quartals lagen die Anträge von US–Bürgerinnen und –Bürgern bereits um 67 % über dem Gesamtwert für 2024, der selbst einen Anstieg von 60 % gegenüber dem Vorjahr verzeichnete.
Laut Prof. Peter J. Spiro von der Temple University Law School in Philadelphia hat die US–Staatsbürgerschaft zwar nach wie vor einen hohen Stellenwert, reicht aber allein nicht mehr aus. „In den kommenden Jahren werden immer mehr Amerikanerinnen und Amerikaner auf jede erdenkliche Weise zusätzliche Staatsbürgerschaften erwerben. Die Mehrfachstaatsbürgerschaft wird in der amerikanischen Gesellschaft zur Normalität. Auch wenn es vielleicht etwas übertrieben ist, so hat es kürzlich jemand in den sozialen Medien formuliert: ‚Die doppelte Staatsbürgerschaft ist der neue amerikanische Traum‘.“
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Poder do passaporte dos EUA despenca para nível histórico
LONDRES, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pela primeira vez desde que o Henley Passport Index foi criado há 20 anos, o passaporte dos Estados Unidos não figura mais entre os 10 mais poderosos do mundo. Antes imbatível na 1ª posição em 2014, o passaporte americano agora caiu para o 12o lugar, empatado com a Malásia, oferecendo acesso sem visto a apenas 180 dos 227 destinos no mundo. O trio asiático formado por Singapura (acesso sem visto a 193 destinos), Coreia do Sul (190 destinos) e Japão (189) agora ocupa as três primeiras posições do índice, impulsionado por dados exclusivos da Associação Internacional de Transporte Aéreo (IATA).
O declínio do passaporte dos EUA e sua recente queda do 10o para o 12o lugar no índice foram provocados por uma série de mudanças de acesso. A perda do acesso sem visto ao Brasil em abril, devido à falta de reciprocidade, e a exclusão dos EUA da lista de isenção de vistos em rápida expansão da China marcaram o início de sua queda. Em seguida, ajustes feitos por Papua–Nova Guiné e Mianmar reduziram ainda mais a pontuação dos EUA, enquanto fortaleceram outros passaportes. Mais recentemente, o lançamento do novo sistema de eVisa da Somália e a decisão do Vietnã de excluir os EUA de suas novas adições de isenção de visto deram o golpe final, tirando–o do Top 10.
Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, presidente da Henley & Partners, declarou: “O enfraquecimento do passaporte dos EUA na última década é mais do que uma simples mudança no ranking – representa um rearranjo fundamental na mobilidade global e na dinâmica do poder brando. As nações que adotam a abertura e a cooperação estão avançando, enquanto aquelas que se apoiam em privilégios do passado estão ficando para trás.”
Da mesma forma, o passaporte do Reino Unido caiu para sua posição mais baixa da história no índice, caindo duas posições desde julho, do 6o para 8o lugar, apesar de já ter ocupado o topo (em 2015).
Reciprocidade de vistos é o que mais importa
Embora os portadores de passaporte americano possam atualmente acessar 180 destinos sem visto, os EUA permitem a entrada sem visto de apenas 46 outras nacionalidades. Isso o coloca bem abaixo, na 77a posição do Henley Openness Index, que classifica 199 países e territórios do mundo de acordo com o número de nacionalidades que eles permitem entrar sem visto prévio.
Essa disparidade entre acesso sem visto e abertura é uma das maiores do mundo, perdendo apenas para a Austrália e ficando logo à frente do Canadá, Nova Zelândia e Japão. Annie Pforzheimer, associada sênior do Centro de Estudos Estratégicos e Internacionais em Washington, observa que o retrocesso dos EUA tem raízes políticas. “Mesmo antes de uma possível segunda presidência de Trump, a política dos EUA já havia se voltado para dentro. Essa mentalidade isolacionista agora se reflete na perda de poder do passaporte americano.”
A ascensão da China: uma década de avanços
Em forte contraste, a China tem sido um dos países que mais subiram no Henley Passport Index na última década, saltando da 94a posição em 2015 para a 64a em 2025, com seu número de destinos com acesso sem visto aumentando em 37 nesse período.
No Henley Openness Index, a China também subiu de forma significativa, concedendo acesso sem visto a mais 30 países apenas no último ano. Ela atualmente ocupa a 65a posição, permitindo a entrada em 76 nações – 30 a mais que os EUA.
Desenvolvimentos recentes, como a concessão de acesso sem visto à Rússia, destacam a estratégia contínua de Pequim de ampliar a abertura. As ações da China – juntamente com novos acordos com os estados do Golfo, a América do Sul e vários países europeus – estão consolidando seu papel como uma potência global de mobilidade, fortalecendo o domínio da região Ásia–Pacífico em liberdade de viagem.
Dr. Tim Klatte, sócio da Grant Thornton China, destaca as implicações geopolíticas: “O retorno de Trump ao poder trouxe novos conflitos comerciais que enfraquecem a mobilidade dos Estados Unidos, enquanto a abertura estratégica da China fortalece sua influência global. Esses caminhos divergentes remodelarão as dinâmicas econômicas e de viagens em todo o mundo.”
Americanos lideram corrida global por segundas cidadanias
O declínio do poder do passaporte dos EUA está alimentando um aumento sem precedentes na demanda por opções alternativas de residência e cidadania. Dados da Henley & Partners revelam que os americanos se tornaram, de longe, o maior grupo de solicitantes de programas de migração por investimento em 2025. Até o final do terceiro trimestre, os pedidos de cidadãos americanos já eram 67% maiores do que o total de 2024, que, por sua vez, havia registrado um aumento anual de 60%.
Prof. Peter J. Spiro, da Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Temple, na Filadélfia, afirma que, embora a cidadania americana continue sendo um status valioso, ela já não é suficiente por si só. “Nos próximos anos, mais americanos buscarão adquirir cidadanias adicionais da maneira que puderem. A múltipla cidadania está se tornando algo normal na sociedade americana. Embora possa soar um pouco exagerado, como afirmou recentemente um usuário nas redes sociais, ‘a dupla cidadania é o novo sonho americano’.”
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La puissance du passeport américain s’effondre à un niveau historiquement bas
LONDRES, 15 oct. 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pour la première fois depuis la création du Henley Passport Index il y a vingt ans, les États–Unis ne figurent plus parmi les dix passeports les plus puissants au monde. Autrefois inégalé à la première place en 2014, le passeport américain a désormais chuté au 12e rang, à égalité avec la Malaisie, offrant un accès sans visa à seulement 180 destinations sur 227 à travers le monde. Le trio asiatique composé de Singapour (193 destinations sans visa), la Corée du Sud (190) et le Japon (189) occupe désormais les trois premières places du classement, basé sur les données exclusives de la International Air Transport Association (IATA ou Association internationale du transport aérien).
Le déclin du passeport américain et sa récente chute de la 10e à la 12e place de l’indice résulte d’une série de changements en matière d’accès. La perte de l’exemption de visa pour le Brésil en avril, due à un manque de réciprocité, ainsi que l’exclusion des États–Unis de la nouvelle liste chinoise d’exemptions de visa, ont marqué le début de cette dégringolade. Cette baisse a été suivie par des ajustements de la Papouasie–Nouvelle–Guinée et du Myanmar, qui ont encore érodé le score des États–Unis tout en renforçant celui d’autres passeports. Plus récemment, le lancement par la Somalie d’un nouveau système de visa électronique et la décision du Vietnam d’exclure les États–Unis de sa dernière liste de pays exemptés de visa ont porté le coup de grâce, évinçant le pays du top 10.
Selon le Dr Christian H. Kaelin, président de Henley & Partners : « Le déclin du passeport américain au cours de la dernière décennie est plus qu’un simple remaniement du classement : il signale un changement fondamental dans la mobilité mondiale et la dynamique du soft power. Les nations qui misent sur l’ouverture et la coopération progressent rapidement, tandis que celles qui se reposent sur leurs privilèges passés sont à la traîne. »
De même, le passeport britannique a atteint son niveau le plus bas de l’histoire de l’indice, reculant de la 6e à la 8e place depuis juillet, alors qu’il occupait autrefois la première place (en 2015).
La réciprocité des visas compte plus que jamais
Bien que les détenteurs d’un passeport américain puissent actuellement accéder sans visa à 180 destinations, les États–Unis n’autorisent que 46 nationalités à entrer sur leur territoire sans visa. Cela les place au 77e rang de l’Henley Openness Index, qui classe 199 pays et territoires selon le nombre de nationalités qu’ils admettent sans visa préalable.
Cette disparité entre accès sans visa et ouverture est l’une des plus importantes au monde, juste derrière l’Australie et devant le Canada, la Nouvelle–Zélande et le Japon. Annie Pforzheimer, associée principale au Center for Strategic and International Studies à Washington, note que le recul des États–Unis est d’origine politique. « Même avant le second mandat de Trump, la politique américaine s’était repliée sur elle–même. Cet état d’esprit isolationniste se reflète désormais dans la perte d’influence du passeport américain. »
L’ascension de la Chine : une décennie de progrès
À l’inverse, la Chine fait partie des plus grands progressistes du Henley Passport Index sur la dernière décennie, passant de la 94e place en 2015 à la 64e en 2025, avec 37 destinations supplémentaires accessibles sans visa.
Sur l’Henley Openness Index, la Chine a également connu une forte progression, accordant l’accès sans visa à 30 pays supplémentaires rien que l’année dernière. Elle occupe désormais la 65e position, offrant l’entrée à 76 pays — soit 30 de plus que les États–Unis.
Parmi les développements récents figurent notamment l’exemption de visa accordée à la Russie, illustrant la stratégie d’ouverture continue de Pékin. Les initiatives de la Chine, parallèlement aux nouveaux accords conclus avec les États du Golfe, l’Amérique du Sud et plusieurs pays européens, renforcent le rôle de la Chine comme puissance mondiale de la mobilité, consolidant la domination de la région Asie–Pacifique en matière de liberté de voyage.
Le Dr Tim Klatte, associé chez Grant Thornton China met en exergue ces implications géopolitiques : « Le retour de Trump au pouvoir a ravivé les tensions commerciales, affaiblissant la mobilité des Américains, tandis que l’ouverture stratégique de la Chine renforce son influence mondiale. Ces trajectoires divergentes redessineront les dynamiques économiques et de voyage à l’échelle planétaire. »
Les Américains en tête de la ruée mondiale vers la double nationalité
Le déclin du pouvoir du passeport américain alimente une hausse sans précédent de la demande de résidences et citoyennetés alternatives. Selon les données de Henley & Partners, les Américains constituent de loin le plus grand groupe de candidats aux programmes de migration par investissement en 2025. À la fin du troisième trimestre, le nombre de demandes déposées par des citoyens américains était déjà 67 % supérieur à celui de 2024, une année qui avait elle–même enregistré une hausse de 60 % par rapport à l’année précédente.
Le Professeur Peter J. Spiro, de la Temple University Law School à Philadelphie, commente : « La citoyenneté américaine reste précieuse, mais elle ne suffit plus à elle seule. Dans les années à venir, de plus en plus d’Américains chercheront à acquérir une seconde nationalité, par tous les moyens possibles. La double citoyenneté se banalise dans la société américaine. Comme l’a résumé un internaute récemment : “la double nationalité est le nouveau rêve américain”. »
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It’s Time to Unbury the IMF’s Hidden Gold
The World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings for 2025 are taking place in Washington, D.C., October 13–18, at the World Bank Group and IMF headquarters. The meetings bring together the international community to discuss global economic challenges and opportunities, with a focus on creating jobs and driving sustainable growth, according to the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and World Bank.
Meanwhile, with prices at record highs, the IMF should use its gold reserves to fund much-needed support for developing countries.
By Michael Galant and Ivana Vasic-Lalovic
WASHINGTON DC, Oct 15 2025 – Countries across the Global South face an accelerating climate crisis, tepid growth, and unsustainable levels of debt. Yet hopes of finding support at the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Annual Meetings in Washington are dim. The IMF is tightening its purse strings — even as it leaves untouched a vast treasure of more than 3,000 tons of gold that offers a prime opportunity to stabilize the global economy.
While IMF lending yielded record income in FY2024, fears that Trump will cut off funding — combined with the organization’s exposure on an ill-advised,
US-directed mega-loan to Argentina — have prompted the Fund to reassess its assistance to those most in need.
At last year’s meetings, the IMF implemented a system of tiered interest rates on loans made through the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) — a formerly interest-free lending facility for low-income countries.
The Fund also elected to maintain (if slightly modify) its controversial “surcharge” policy, which generates revenue for the IMF by charging onerous fees to highly indebted middle-income countries. Income from surcharges is now effectively being used to fund the PRGT, forcing these distressed countries to
subsidize the Fund’s concessional lending.
Yet while the IMF squeezes financing from the very countries it is meant to support, it is, in fact, sitting on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of idle firepower.
When the Fund was founded in 1944, members were required to pay at least a quarter of their initial contribution in gold, which at the time was the foundation of the global monetary order. The gold standard is long gone, but the IMF still holds 90.5 million ounces — or over 3,000 tons — of the precious metal, historically held at the central banks of major shareholders.
Critically, this gold is still on the IMF’s books at a price determined in 1944: roughly $48 per ounce. This year, amid geopolitical uncertainty and increased demand from central banks, prices soared to all-time highs; for the first time ever, gold prices now exceed $4,000 per ounce.
In other words, the IMF’s gold reserves are worth over 85 times more than its accounting would suggest.
Selling just 1.5 percent of these holdings would cover the income generated from all surcharge payments through 2030. Selling 10 percent would cover the PRGT’s entire current lending envelope for a decade.
There’s precedent for such a move. In 1999, when gold was $282 per ounce, the IMF sold about 444 tons of gold directly to IMF members, who immediately returned it at the same price in fulfillment of outstanding debts.
The IMF was thus left with the same quantity of gold holdings, but with about $3 billion in profit to provide debt relief for low-income countries as a part of the celebrated Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative.
In 2009, with gold prices still less than a third of today’s, the IMF board agreed to sell an eighth of its holdings outright, generating $15 billion in proceeds, a portion of which was transferred to the PRGT.
So, what’s stopping the IMF from doing the same today?
An agreement to sell gold reserves requires an 85 percent vote of the IMF board. As the proceeds from gold sales are, by default, distributed to IMF members in proportion to their quotas, a sale to bolster IMF lending power would require prior commitment from members to return their share of the windfall. But these political hurdles have been cleared before, in both 1999 and 2009.
While the US, which alone holds an effective veto over major IMF decisions, would have to agree to any arrangement, it’s difficult to see a cause for objection. Strengthening global economic stability — and therefore demand for US exports — at no new cost to the United States should hardly run afoul of an “America First” agenda.
Moreover, common concerns about the impacts of a sale on the gold market mean little in today’s context. With prices at record highs, the market can easily weather any price drops from an IMF sell-off, which can in any case be mitigated through the use of phased sales and off-market transactions.
And while some have historically fretted over the prudence of selling off a portion of the institution’s “rainy day” fund, selling while prices are sky-high makes good financial sense, and would easily leave plenty for future need.
Even if the political challenges to a gold sale prove insurmountable, there may still be a way to unlock its benefits; the IMF can simply revalue its gold holdings to match the market price, thus increasing the assets on its books without conducting even a single transaction.
Germany, Italy, and South Africa have all recently taken similar actions with their national gold holdings, and there is some speculation that the United States might follow suit. In fact, the IMF’s own accounting guidelines recommend countries value gold holdings at the market rate.
Awareness of the need to tap the IMF’s undervalued gold reserves is growing. In the past year, leading experts, top officials from Brazil and South Africa, and the G-24, which represents developing country interests at the Fund, all called on the organization to consider a gold sale.
Seeing that call through would take additional political will. But if the alternative is letting developing countries founder in the current crisis — or worse, bleeding them dry in order to protect the IMF’s balance sheets — then the choice couldn’t be clearer.
Michael Galant is a Senior Research and Outreach Associate, and Ivana Vasic-Lalovic is a Senior Research Associate, at the Center for Economic and Policy Research (cepr.net) in Washington, DC
IPS UN Bureau
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With Ceasefire in Effect, Tonnes of Aid Expected to be Delivered into Gaza
On 10 October 2025, thousands of Palestinian families moved along the coastal road back to northern Gaza, amid the extreme devastation of infrastructure. Credit: UNICEF/Mohammed Nateel
By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 15 2025 – After two years of conflict with Israel, Hamas has released the remaining 20 living hostages, while Israel has freed 250 Palestinian prisoners and over 1,700 detainees who have since returned to Gaza. Following a ceasefire agreement that took effect on October 10, Israeli forces are set to withdraw from designated areas within the Gaza Strip as humanitarian organizations mobilize to assist Palestinians in urgent need.
For the past two years, Gaza has endured relentless bombardment, while aid deliveries have been largely obstructed throughout the course of the war. Over the past three days, the United Nations (UN) and its partners have been operating on the ground to provide lifesaving assistance to displaced civilians—many of whom are finally returning home and receiving access to basic services for the first time in months.
“After so much horror and suffering, there is finally relief at last,” said Olga Cherevko, the Spokesperson in Gaza for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). “Since the ceasefire took effect, the UN and our humanitarian partners have moved swiftly to scale up the delivery of humanitarian assistance across Gaza. The bombs have stopped falling and with that silence came an opportunity and the responsibility to act. The ceasefire has allowed those who are suffering during the two years of war, Palestinian and Israeli families, a breath of fresh air and a light of hope after many dark months.”
On October 13, OCHA confirmed that Israeli authorities had approved the delivery of more than 190,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid—roughly 20,000 tonnes above the previous agreement—including food, medicine, and shelter materials. According to Cherevko, 817 aid trucks have successfully entered Gaza without obstruction, offering a moment of relief for Palestinian families devastated by the conflict.
UNICEF trucks bring life-saving supplies into Gaza for children and their families. Credit: UNICEF/Mohammed Nateel
For the first time since March, cooking gas has been delivered to households in Gaza, while many residents have also gained access to frozen meat, fresh fruits and vegetables, and flour—essentials that had been out of reach for months. “All these items, we’ve been needing for so long,” Cherevko told reporters on Tuesday. “This is going to make a massive difference in people’s lives because we’ve been seeing families and kids collecting garbage to cook with. This will be a huge breakthrough.”
As a result of improved security conditions within the enclave, humanitarian agencies have gained greater mobility, allowing them to reach several previously inaccessible areas—including the north, where access had been most restricted and needs are most severe. OCHA has fully mobilized to deliver aid across all regions of Gaza as part of its 60-day scale-up plan for the ceasefire, which has so far proven effective.
“We’re offloading and collecting critical supplies and reaching areas we haven’t been able to access for months,” said Cherevko. “With the commercial sector reinforcing our response and bilateral assistance alongside us, we’re working to restore access to clean water and ensure people receive bread and hot meals.”
The UN and its partners have been working to resupply hospitals and field clinics that have been left without fuel or medical supplies for months, many of which were left only partially operational during the war. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), within 24 hours of the ceasefire taking effect, an emergency medical team was deployed to Al-Ahli Hospital.
Additionally, eight aid trucks carrying critical medical supplies, including insulin, cancer medicines, incubators, ventilators, patient monitors, and solar panels for desalination units, have reached the European Gaza and Nasser hospitals. Additional deployments are planned for Gaza City as displaced civilians begin returning to their areas of origin.
“Improving access to health facilities and expanding our operational missions are vital first steps toward delivering urgent health assistance to Palestinians throughout Gaza,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. “Gaza’s health system must be rehabilitated and rebuilt. This crisis gives us the opportunity to rebuild it better: stronger, fairer and centered on people’s needs.”
Rubble and unexploded ordnance pose a significant threat to Palestinians returning home and remain one of OCHA’s top priorities during its sixty-day scale-up plan. Specialized OCHA teams are currently conducting assessments along key roads and crossings, making sure explosive ordnance is clearly marked and that communities know to stay away. The full extent of unexploded ordnance across the enclave has yet to be determined.
Despite marked improvements over the past several days, the scale of needs remains immense and additional funding is urgently required to support lifesaving services and ensure a sustained path for recovery. In addition to unexploded ordnance, displacement, destroyed infrastructure, lawlessness, damaged roads, and the collapse of basic services stand as significant challenges for humanitarian organizations.
“The ceasefire has ended the fighting, but it has not ended the crisis,” noted Cherevko. “Scaling up responses is not just about logistics and more trucks. It is about restoring humanity and dignity to a shattered population. We’re working around the clock with all parties to ensure predictable safe and sustained access.”
On October 14, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced that an estimated USD 20 billion will be required over the next three years to initiate Gaza’s reconstruction efforts—part of a broader recovery plan that could span decades and ultimately cost more than USD 70 billion. UNDP Representative Jaco Cillers told reporters in Geneva that while there are “good indicators” of support from potential donors in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, no commitments have yet been confirmed.
Numerous humanitarian experts have affirmed that lasting peace is the only viable solution to the crisis, warning that conditions in Gaza are extremely fragile and could deteriorate further—especially with the onset of the winter season. “Let me be clear, humanitarian aid alone will not be a substitute for peace,” said Cherevko. “The ceasefire must hold. It must become the basis for broader political efforts that bring the end of cycles of violence and despair.
“The ceasefire has opened the door to a future in which children can go to schools safely, hospitals are places of healing and not suffering, and aid convoys are ultimately replaced by commerce and opportunity.”
IPS UN Bureau Report
Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
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With Ceasefire in Effect, Tonnes of Aid will be Delivered into Gaza
On 10 October 2025, thousands of Palestinian families moved along the coastal road back to northern Gaza, amid the extreme devastation of infrastructure. Credit: UNICEF/Mohammed Nateel
By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 15 2025 – After two years of conflict with Israel, Hamas has released the remaining 20 living hostages, while Israel has freed 250 Palestinian prisoners and over 1,700 detainees who have since returned to Gaza. Following a ceasefire agreement which took effect on October 10, Israeli forces are set to withdraw from designated areas within the Gaza Strip as humanitarian organizations mobilize to assist Palestinians in urgent need.
For the past two years, Gaza has endured relentless bombardment, while aid deliveries have been largely obstructed throughout the course of the war. Over the past three days, the United Nations (UN) and its partners have been operating on the ground to provide lifesaving assistance to displaced civilians—many of whom are finally returning home and receiving access to basic services for the first time in months.
“After so much horror and suffering there is finally relief at last,” said Olga Cherevko, the Spokesperson in Gaza for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). “Since the ceasefire took effect, the UN and our humanitarian partners have moved swiftly to scale up the delivery of humanitarian assistance across Gaza. The bombs have stopped falling and with that silence, came an opportunity and the responsibility to act. The ceasefire has allowed those who are suffering during the two years of war, Palestinian and Israeli families, a breath of fresh air and a light of hope after many dark months.”
On October 13, OCHA confirmed that Israeli authorities had approved the delivery of more than 190,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid—roughly 20,000 tonnes above the previous agreement—including food, medicine, and shelter materials. According to Cherevko, 817 aid trucks have successfully entered Gaza without obstruction, offering a moment of relief for Palestinian families devastated by the conflict.
UNICEF trucks bring life-saving supplies into Gaza for children and their families. Credit: UNICEF/Mohammed Nateel
For the first time since March, cooking gas has been delivered to households in Gaza, while many residents have also gained access to frozen meat, fresh fruits and vegetables, and flour—essentials that had been out of reach for months. “All these items, we’ve been needing for so long,” Cherevko told reporters on Tuesday. “This is going to make a massive difference in people’s lives because we’ve been seeing families and kids collecting garbage to cook with. This will be a huge breakthrough.”
As a result of improved security conditions within the enclave, humanitarian agencies have gained greater mobility, allowing them to reach several previously inaccessible areas—including the north, where access had been most restricted and needs are most severe. OCHA has fully mobilized to deliver aid across all regions of Gaza as part of its 60-day scale-up plan for the ceasefire, which has so far proven effective.
“We’re offloading and collecting critical supplies and reaching areas we haven’t been able to access for months,” said Cherevko. “With the commercial sector reinforcing our response and bilateral assistance alongside us, we’re working to restore access to clean water and ensure people receive bread and hot meals.”
The UN and its partners have been working to resupply hospitals and field clinics that have been left without fuel or medical supplies for months, many of which were left only partially operational during the war. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), within 24 hours of the ceasefire taking effect, an emergency medical team was deployed to Al-Ahli Hospital.
Additionally, eight aid trucks carrying critical medical supplies, including insulin, cancer medicines, incubators, ventilators, patient monitors, and solar panels for desalination units, have reached the European Gaza and Nasser hospitals. Additional deployments are planned for Gaza City as displaced civilians begin returning to their areas of origin.
“Improving access to health facilities and expanding our operational missions are vital first steps toward delivering urgent health assistance to Palestinians throughout Gaza,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. “Gaza’s health system must be rehabilitated and rebuilt. This crisis gives us the opportunity to rebuild it better: stronger, fairer and centered on people’s needs.”
Rubble and unexploded ordnance pose a significant threat to Palestinians returning home and remain one of OCHA’s top priorities during its sixty-day scale-up plan. Specialized OCHA teams are currently conducting assessments along key roads and crossings, making sure explosive ordnance is clearly marked and that communities know to stay away. The full extent of unexploded ordnance across the enclave has yet to be determined.
Despite marked improvements over the past several days, the scale of needs remains immense and additional funding is urgently required to support lifesaving services and ensure a sustained path for recovery. In addition to unexploded ordnance, displacement, destroyed infrastructure, lawlessness, damaged roads, and the collapse of basic services stand as significant challenges for humanitarian organizations.
“The ceasefire has ended the fighting but it has not ended the crisis,” noted Cherevko. “Scaling up responses is not just about logistics, and more trucks. It is about restoring humanity and dignity to a shattered population. We’re working around the clock with all parties to ensure predictable safe and sustained access.”
On October 14, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced that an estimated USD 20 billion will be required over the next three years to initiate Gaza’s reconstruction efforts—part of a broader recovery plan that could span decades and ultimately cost more than USD 70 billion. UNDP Representative Jaco Cillers told reporters in Geneva that while there are “good indicators” of support from potential donors in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, no commitments have yet been confirmed.
Numerous humanitarian experts have affirmed that lasting peace is the only viable solution to the crisis, warning that conditions in Gaza are extremely fragile and could deteriorate further—especially with the onset of the winter season. “Let me be clear, humanitarian aid alone will not be a substitute for peace,” said Cherevko. “The ceasefire must hold. It must become the basis for broader political efforts that bring the end of cycles of violence and despair.
“The ceasefire has opened the door to a future in which children can go to schools safely, hospitals are places of healing and not suffering, and aid convoys are ultimately replaced by commerce and opportunity.”
IPS UN Bureau Report
Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
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Digital 2026: Internet users pass 6 billion, social media users become a ‘supermajority’, and AI use tops 1 billion
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meltwater, a global leader in media, social and consumer intelligence and We Are Social, the socially–led creative agency, have released Digital 2026, their latest annual report on social media and digital trends worldwide.
Digital 2026 reveals major milestones in internet and social media adoption, with more than two–thirds of the world's total population now using social media. The report also points to a significant evolution in online behaviour, as the battle for attention intensifies on established platforms.
A social media ‘supermajority’
According to Digital 2026, global social media user identities now stand at 5.66 billion, equivalent to 68.7 percent of the global population. This figure represents a ‘supermajority’, with social media users outnumbering non–users two to one. The global total increased by 4.8 percent over the past year, thanks to the addition of 259 million new user identities.
The battle for attention
While user numbers continue to climb, how people spend their time is changing. The typical internet user spends more than 2.5 hours per day on social and video platforms, with ‘filling spare time’ now ranking as the second–biggest motivation for using social media, behind ‘keeping in touch with friends and family’.
When it comes to which platforms are winning this battle for attention, Similarweb data shows YouTube has the largest number of active app users, almost 50 percent more than fifth–placed TikTok. However, the typical TikTok user spends an average of 1 hour and 37 minutes per day using the platform’s Android app, significantly more than any other social platform.
Social media now the top channel for brand discovery
Digital 2026 highlights fundamental differences in how different generations discover brands, with social media ads now the dominant channel for younger consumers.
The report finds that for internet users aged 16 to 34, social media ads are the number one source of brand discovery, with 34.2 percent of 16 to 24–year–olds and 32.1 percent of 25 to 34–year–olds using them to learn about new products and services. Social media ads also rank a strong second behind search engines for those aged 35 to 44, underlining a clear generational divide where older audiences still rely on more traditional channels.
AI adoption surges past 1 billion
Digital 2026 provides compelling evidence that more than 1 billion people now use standalone generative AI tools every month. OpenAI’s CEO reported that ChatGPT alone had 800 million weekly users in early October 2025. This rapid adoption is reshaping online behaviours, particularly search, with GWI data showing a steady decline in the number of people who use a conventional search engine each month.
Digital ad spend continues to climb
Marketers are on track to spend US$1.16 trillion on advertising in 2025, with digital channels accounting for nearly three–quarters (74.4 percent) of that total. Social media advertising continues to enjoy strong growth, with global spend projected to increase by 13.6 percent year–on–year to reach US$277 billion in 2025.
Digital 2026 is a 700–page report covering data from across the entire online ecosystem. Other key social media highlights include:
- Social media ads are now the number one source of brand discovery for internet users aged 16 to 34, ahead of search engines and TV ads.
- Women aged 16 to 24 now spend an average of 3 hours and 40 minutes per day on social and video platforms, the most of any demographic.
- The typical social media user now uses an average of 6.75 different social platforms each month.
And from the wider digital ecosystem:
- Online retail advertising is surging, with marketers on track to spend a combined US$204 billion on ads on these platforms in 2025.
- Streaming services now account for more than half (50.4 percent) of all time spent watching TV content globally.
- The number of people using a conventional search engine each month has seen a steady decline, with only 80 percent of online adults now using one.
- Globally, YouTube’s advertising formats on connected TVs now reach more than four in ten of its users each month.
- Nearly half of the world’s online adults say that they are excited about the potential of artificial intelligence.
- There are 5.78 billion unique mobile users globally, equating to 70.1% of the world’s population
“We’re seeing a profound shift in how people discover brands, with more people turning to social media and AI platforms than ever before. Among younger audiences, social media ads now carry more weight than traditional search in shaping awareness and perception, while the rise of GenAI, now used by more than a billion people each month, is transforming how people find and trust information. For marketers and communicators, this is an exciting opportunity to build strategies that connect with audiences in new ways and meet them where they are today,” said Alexandra Bjertnæs, Chief Strategy Officer at Meltwater.
Toby Southgate, Global Group CEO at We Are Social said: “This year's report confirms the game keeps changing, creating both huge opportunities and a new challenge for marketers. A 'supermajority' of the world is now active on social media – this is where brands win or lose. That means we have moved from a race for reach to a battle for relevance. Success in this new landscape will be defined by a deep, cultural understanding of platforms and behaviours, and the ability to earn attention with ideas that are truly worth talking about.”
Read the full report now: https://www.meltwater.com/en/global–digital–trends
About Meltwater
Meltwater empowers companies with solutions that span media, social and consumer intelligence. By analyzing ~1 billion pieces of content daily and transforming them into vital insights, Meltwater unlocks the competitive edge to drive results. With 27,000 global customers, 50 offices across six continents, and 2,200 employees, Meltwater is the industry partner for global brands making an impact. Learn more at meltwater.com.
About We Are Social
We are a global socially–led creative agency, with unrivalled social media and influencer marketing expertise. With 1,200 people in four continents, we deliver a global perspective to our clients in a time when social media is shaping culture.We make ideas worth talking about. We understand social behaviours within online communities, cultures and subcultures, spanning the social and gaming landscape. We build influencer partnerships with impact.
We work with the world’s biggest brands, including adidas, Samsung, Google and Amazon, to reach the right people in a strategic, relevant and effective way.
We Are Social is part of Plus Company.
To learn more, visit www.wearesocial.com
For more information, please contact:
Stacy Slayden
[email protected]
GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9545716)
From Burundi to Washington: Recognizing the Warning Signs
The forced deportations of immigrants without due process, violent crackdowns against protesters in Los Angeles, ICE raids, and the deployment of military forces in Washington, D.C. are chilling reminders of the authoritarian playbook.
For those of us who have lived through repression, these are unmistakable warning signs. Credit: Shutterstock
By Carine Kaneza Nantulya
WASHINGTON DC, Oct 15 2025 – I moved to the United States in 2012 with great reluctance. I wasn’t sure why I should uproot myself to a country thousands of miles away from my hometown. The move reminded me of a childhood I hadn’t fully embraced—growing up in faraway countries like Russia and China, making constant adjustments, encountering racism, forging and losing friendships along the way. I had promised myself I would not impose the same cycle on my children.
This is the moment for the continent to claim leadership, to strengthen multilateralism, and to shape a global order rooted not in interventionism, self-centeredness but in Ubuntu — a vision of shared humanity, community, and interdependence
But the U.S. turned out to be different. It wasn’t China, and it wasn’t Russia. It was, and still is, a mosaic of cultures, languages, and nationalities unlike anywhere else. Most important, it was a country rooted in the fierce belief that people are free to speak, dissent, and live as they choose.
That bedrock principle, however, is eroding. The US is changing in ways eerily reminiscent of my home country, Burundi. In 2015, when President Pierre Nkurunziza defied the constitution to seek a third term, peaceful protesters were met with bullets, political opponents were silenced, and journalists fled. Many of those journalists found refuge in the US—at Voice of America, for instance—only to lose their livelihoods recently when the government shuttered most of VOA’s Africa department.
The dismantling of USAID has left social workers and health experts reeling, their efforts to uplift millions crushed overnight. Yes, the US has long had a complicated role abroad. I grew up hearing about its support for abusive leaders like Mobutu in what was then Zaire and its meddling in countries’ internal affairs in the name of fighting communism.
But those contradictions always existed alongside a powerful counterforce: freedom in journalism and academia, and activism that relentlessly exposed America’s own wrongs. Writers like Alfred McCoy and critics like Noam Chomsky built careers by holding the U.S. government accountable—something unthinkable in today’s Burundi, Moscow or Beijing.
That commitment to truth and liberty was precisely why, when Burundian security forces fired live bullets into protesters, students instinctively ran to the US embassy—not the Russian or Chinese one. For decades, US soft power was rooted in the promise of human rights and democracy.
Carine Kaneza Nantulya, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch
Today, that promise is faltering. The forced deportations of immigrants without due process, violent crackdowns against protesters in Los Angeles, ICE raids, and the deployment of military forces in Washington, D.C. are chilling reminders of the authoritarian playbook.
For those of us who have lived through repression, these are unmistakable warning signs. Dictatorships do not emerge overnight; they take root when fear replaces voice, when courts surrender independence, when social movements fracture. Above all, they thrive on apathy and isolation.
Defending human rights and democratic principles is never easy—as my organization, Human Rights Watch, knows too well. But it is the only way to safeguard the dignity of the vulnerable and the cohesion of our shared humanity. So if Washington retreats from that responsibility, who will step up?
The answer lies, in part, with African governments. This is the moment for the continent to claim leadership, to strengthen multilateralism, and to shape a global order rooted not in interventionism, self-centeredness but in Ubuntu — a vision of shared humanity, community, and interdependence. Many Africans applauded when South Africa took Israel to the International Court of Justice saying Israel violated the Genocide Convention in Gaza. That same courage is needed in Sudan, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Sahel, where civilians face atrocities while the U.S. limits itself to mineral deals or silence.
“African solutions to African problems” cannot remain a slogan. It needs to become a policy agenda with concrete commitments. That means building stronger regional institutions with the authority and resources to act, supporting accountability mechanisms like the African Court and the International Criminal Court, and investing in early warning systems that can prevent crises before they spiral into atrocities.
It means protecting independent media and civil society so that governments are held accountable at home as well as abroad. And it means engaging at the United Nations and other multilateral forums not just as individual states but as coordinated blocks capable of shaping outcomes.
The US retreat is not simply a void; it is a test. If African leaders want to claim greater influence in the global order, they need to demonstrate it through pragmatic policies that protect civilians, strengthen the rule of law, and prioritize human dignity over mineral contracts and short-term business deals. This is less about replacing America and more about safeguarding Africa’s future on its own terms.
Excerpt:
Carine Kaneza Nantulya is deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch