10 world events to watch in 2019
From Brexit to the Afghan presidential elections, 2019 is expected to be a year of new beginnings.
Stefan Labbé / @StefanLabbe
Freelance journalist
Stefan Labbé is an independent journalist and storyteller. His writing, photography and documentary work have been featured in such outlets as the Guardian, the Globe and Mail and PBS NewsHour, among others.
Most Recent Posts
War of Ideas: Inside the fight to prevent an ISIS resurgence
As ISIS goes underground, attention has turned to
shattering its insurgent blueprint and, as Stefan Labbé reports, Jordan finds
itself on the frontlines of de-radicalization.
Nine books to help you dive a bit deeper this summer
Stefan Labbé puts together our annual recommended summer reading list,
featuring books on Trudeau’s foreign policy, women and the internet, climate
change, migration, and more.
Once seen as edging out US dominance, do BRICS still hold weight?
This year marks a decade since the BRICS — once heralded as the biggest challenge to US global hegemony — first came together in the ashes of the economic crisis. But today, expectations have been tempered. Is the group still relevant?
After the storm
As extreme, catastrophic
climate events become the new norm, Dominica — a Caribbean nation devastated by
Hurricane Maria three months ago — has become a testing ground for resilience.
End of a royal era
A new governor general. An aging Queen. A government trying to reconcile
with its Indigenous communities. Is Canada headed for its fiercest debate yet over the monarchy?
‘What many are calling the end of the world’: The latest on the crisis in Venezuela
As pro-government forces prepare to re-write
Venezuela’s constitution, the opposition faces an existential threat — and a desperate
nation hangs in the balance.
Why the UN’s declaration on Indigenous rights has been slow to implement in Canada
While a decision on Indigenous participation at the United Nations
General Assembly was postponed last week in Geneva, some groups in Canada point
to a number of ways to move forward on the issue at home.
What you need to know about this year’s G20
This year, G20-host Germany is
pushing for a consensus on climate policy, the refugee crisis and corruption.
Can Merkel build enough support to sideline Trump?
Humanitarians under fire
The recent murder of two UN investigators and multiple bombings of MSF hospitals have contributed to a rising sense that the mantle of
humanitarian neutrality is slipping. Stefan Labbé shares stories from Afghanistan and Sierra
Leone in this exploration of the changing threats to aid work around the world.
Seven human rights violators buying Canadian military goods
Saudi Arabia may have received the biggest arms contract Canada has ever signed, but it’s not the only country with human rights concerns that Canada is doing business with.
Is this the next UN Secretary General?
While the U.S. election steals the media spotlight,
Stefan Labbé updates on another important leadership campaign — that for Secretary General of the United Nations.