New Delhi, Dec. 25 -- 2025 ends on a bleak note. Many global challenges loom large and pose a serious threat to human security, particularly in developing nations, aka the Global South, whose less privileged citizens are the most vulnerable when a challenge becomes an imminent threat. The bleakness is compounded by the fact that the major powers have shown little inclination to acknowledge the severity of the cross-domain challenges that can soon morph into catastrophes, thereby endangering life on the planet. Effective, empathetic and resolute global governance is missing and this was triggered to a considerable extent by the assumption of office for a second (non-consecutive term) by US President Donald Trump in January 2025.

Until rec...