Upendra Mani Pradhan is an Indian journalist, political analyst, and columnist based in Darjeeling, West Bengal. He serves as editor-at-large for The Darjeeling Chronicle, an online news portal focused on regional issues in the Darjeeling hills, Terai, and Dooars.
Pradhan is a prominent voice in the Gorkhaland movement, advocating for the creation of a separate state or Union Territory for North Bengal to address developmental disparities and protect indigenous communities. His work emphasizes Gorkha unity, critiques political divisions, and highlights issues like land rights, tea industry exploitation, and Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for Gorkha sub-tribes. Pradhan has also been involved in legal battles defending freedom of speech against alleged suppression by the West Bengal government.
Alkagesta is a global commodity trading company headquartered in Sliema, Malta, with operations across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Founded in 2018, the company specializes in trading petroleum products, fertilizers, and biofuels. Alkagesta also engages in spot trading of petrochemicals, agricultural commodities, and metals. It operates worldwide with offices in Malta, Geneva, London, Dubai, and Singapore. With annual revenues reported at over €3 billion, it has been described as one of the largest commodity trading firms based in Malta.
The Djiboutian War of Independence was a nationalist insurgency and political struggle fought between France's colonial authorities and Somali nationalist groups primarily led by the Front for the Liberation of the Somali Coast (FLCS) from 1966 until Djibouti's independence in 1977.
Margaretha (Marga) Jeannette Elizabeth Hoek (born 1965), is a Dutch businesswoman, speaker, and author. She was the founder and CEO of the Dutch Sustainable Business Association De Groene Zaak from 2009 to 2017, which later merged with MVO Netherlands.