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2020 Global Terrorism Index: Deaths from terrorism reach five-year low, but new risks emerge

LONDON, Nov. 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ —

  • Globally deaths from terrorism fell for the fifth consecutive year in 2019 to 13,826, a 15 per cent decrease from the prior year
  • In North America, Western Europe and Oceania, far-right attacks have increased by 250 per cent since 2014 – they are higher now than at any time in the last 50 years
  • 63 countries recorded at least one death from terrorism, the lowest number since 2013
  • The global economic impact of terrorism was US$16.4 billion in 2019, a decrease of 25 per cent from the previous year
  • ISIL’s centre of gravity moves to sub-Saharan Africa with total deaths by ISIL in the region increasing by 67%
  • ISIL and their affiliates were also responsible for attacks in 27 countries in 2019

The 2020 Global Terrorism Index (GTI) has found that deaths from terrorism fell for the fifth consecutive year since peaking in 2014. The number of deaths has now decreased by 59 per cent since 2014 to 13,826. Conflict remains the primary driver of terrorism, with over 96 per cent of deaths from terrorism in 2019 occurring in countries already in conflict.

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The annual Global Terrorism Index, now in its eighth year, is developed by leading think tank the Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP) and provides the most comprehensive resource on global terrorism trends.

The largest decreases in deaths occurred in Afghanistan and Nigeria, however they are still the only two countries to have experienced more than 1,000 deaths from terrorism. The fall in deaths was also reflected in country scores, with 103 improving compared to 35 that deteriorated. This is the highest number of countries to record a year-on-year improvement since the inception of the index.

Despite the overall fall in the global impact of terrorism, it remains a significant and serious threat in many countries. There were 63 countries in 2019 that recorded at least one death from a terrorist attack, and the largest increase in terrorism occurred in Burkina Faso – where deaths rose by 590 per cent. Other countries to deteriorate substantially are Sri Lanka, Mozambique, Mali and Niger.

Some of the other key findings:

  • The ten countries with the highest impact from terrorism are: Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan, India, Democratic Republic of Congo and the Philippines
  • For the second year in a row South Asia is the region most impacted by terrorism, while Central America and the Caribbean region recorded the lowest impact
  • MENA recorded the largest regional improvement in terrorism for the second consecutive year, recording the lowest number of deaths since 2003

Steve Killelea, Executive Chairman of IEP: “As we enter a new decade we are seeing new threats of terrorism emerge. The rise of the far-right in the West and the deteriorations in the Sahel are prime examples. Additionally, as seen in the recent attacks in France and Austria, many smaller groups sympathetic to ISIL philosophies are still active. To break these influences three major initiatives are needed – to break their media coverage and online social networks, disrupt their funding and lessen the number of sympathisers.”

The GTI uses a number of factors to calculate its score, including the number of incidences, fatalities, injuries and property damage. The Taliban remained the world’s deadliest terrorist group in 2019; however, terrorist deaths attributed to the group declined by 18 per cent. ISIL’s strength and influence also continued to decline, for the first time since the group became active it was responsible for less than a thousand deaths in any one year. 

Despite the decrease in activity from ISIL in the Middle East and North Africa, ISIL’s affiliate groups remain active across the world, with 27 countries recording an attack by ISIL or its affiliates. Sub-Saharan Africa has been hit the hardest, with seven of the ten countries with the largest increases in terrorism deaths residing in the region. ISIL affiliates are mainly responsible for the increase with 41 per cent of all ISIL related deaths occurring in sub-Saharan Africa.

For North America, Western Europe, and Oceania, the threat of far-right political terrorism has been rising over the past five years. In these regions far-right incidents increased by 250 per cent between 2014 and 2019. There were 89 deaths attributed to far-right terrorists in 2019. Over the past decade measures of societal resilience have been falling in many of the economically advanced economies. This trend is likely to continue because of the extended economic downturn caused by COVID-19, which is likely to increase political instability and violence. 

Since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020, preliminary data suggests a decline in both incidents and deaths from terrorism in most regions in the world. However, the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to present new and distinct counter-terrorism challenges. It is important that counter-terrorism initiatives are not curtailed because of decreases in government expenditure due to the economic downturn. Reductions in international assistance for counter-terrorism operations in MENA and sub-Saharan Africa could prove to be counter-productive.

Thomas Morgan, Senior Research Fellow at IEP, explains the findings: “Between 2011 and 2019, riots and violent demonstrations in the West increased by 277 per cent. There are serious concerns that the deteriorating economic conditions will lead to more people becoming alienated and susceptible to extremist propaganda.”

The fall in terrorism has also been accompanied by a reduction in the global economic impact of terrorism, decreasing by 25 per cent to US$16.4 billion in 2019. Compared to other forms of violence such as homicide, armed conflict, and military expenditure, terrorism is a small percentage of the total global cost of violence, which was equal to US$14.5 trillion in 2019. However, the true economic impact of terrorism is much higher as these figures do not account for the indirect impact on business, investment, and the costs associated with security agencies in countering terrorism.

Notes to Editors

The full GTI 2020 report and interactive map are available at: visionofhumanity.org or economicsandpeace.org  

Follow: @GlobPeaceIndex

Like: facebook.com/globalpeaceindex

Global Terrorism Index (GTI)

The GTI by the Institute for Economics & Peace provides a comprehensive summary of the key global trends and patterns in terrorism over the last 18 years. The report ranks 163 countries (99.7 per cent of the world’s population) according to how impacted they are by terrorism. The indicators include the number of terrorist incidents, fatalities, injuries and property damage.

Global Terrorism Database

The GTI uses data from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) datasets on terrorism by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), a Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence led by the University of Maryland. It provides the most comprehensive resource on global terrorist trends.

Institute for Economics & Peace

The Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) is the world’s leading think tank dedicated to developing metrics to analyse peace and to quantify its economic value. It does this by developing global and national indices, including the annual Global Peace Index, calculating the economic cost of violence and understanding Positive Peace which is the attitudes, institutions and structures that create and sustain peaceful societies.

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INFIDIGIT SECURES DUAL WINS AT BW MERIT AWARDS 2025, REINFORCING ITS LEADERSHIP IN INDIA’S SEO AND DIGITAL MARKETING LANDSCAPE

MUMBAI, India, May 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Infidigit, one of India’s foremost SEO agencies, continues its award-winning streak with two prestigious wins at the BW Merit Awards 2025. The agency secured top honours for Superbalist in the Retail & Ecommerce category and HDFC Life in the Best SEO Campaign category.

Since its inception, Infidigit has maintained a clear focus by delivering measurable results that help brands realise their full potential in an increasingly competitive digital landscape. By combining data-driven strategies with deep industry insights, Infidigit tailors every campaign to address unique client challenges and market dynamics.

The agency’s proprietary platform, Infigrowth, is a critical enabler in this process, offering brands a robust, data-backed approach to digital growth, customer acquisition, and ROI optimisation. The tool empowers clients to identify growth opportunities faster via the SEO Audit and AI overviews and rank tracking feature, optimise campaigns in real time, and stay ahead of shifting consumer behaviours.

“We believe success stems from truly understanding our clients’ challenges and crafting tailored solutions that drive real impact,” said Kaushal Thakkar, CEO, Infidigit. “Our wins at the BW Merit Awards 2025 reflect the hard work, expertise, and innovative spirit of our team. We remain dedicated to delivering sustainable growth and helping brands lead their categories through strategic digital marketing.”

Neil Berrow, Engineer Manager, Superbalist said “Working with Infidigit has been valuable for our online presence. Their strategic insights, consistent communication, and measurable results speak volumes about their expertise. Truly a partner in growth.”

By prioritising quality over quantity and leveraging proprietary tools like Infigrowth, the agency continues to redefine how brands engage with customers online. Infidigit is committed to maintaining this momentum in their growth story as they drive meaningful change and deliver innovative solutions for a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

About Infidigit

Founded in 2017, Infidigit is an AI-enabled digital growth partner that empowers top brands to achieve impactful results across SEO, Content, PPC, ASO, CRO, Website Development, and data-driven marketing strategies. As a pioneer in AI innovation within marketing, Infidigit has developed Infigrowth — a SaaS platform designed to simplify SEO for businesses of all sizes. Over the years, Infidigit has partnered with startups, MSMEs, and enterprises across diverse industries, helping them thrive in the fast-evolving digital economy. The company’s commitment to excellence is demonstrated through over 65+ award-winning campaigns, recognised by prestigious platforms including SMX, APAC Search Awards, ET BrandEquity Shark Awards, Sparkies, and E4M IDMA.

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OTM recognised as the Leading Travel Trade Show in India and Asia, for the Second Year in a Row, in a custom study commissioned by Fairfest Media and conducted by NielsenIQ

The customised study, commissioned by Fairfest Media and conducted by NielsenIQ, the leader in consumer intelligence, indicated that travel industry professionals who attended multiple trade shows in the region once again identified OTM as a leading travel trade show in India and Asia.

MUMBAI, India, May 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — OTM has once again been recognized as the leading travel trade show in both India and Asia, according to a comprehensive custom market research study commissioned by Fairfest Media and conducted by NielsenIQ, the leader in consumer intelligence. This recognition, for the second consecutive year, underscores OTM’s continued leadership in the travel exhibition landscape. The latest study, conducted among travel industry professionals who attended multiple travel shows in 2025, revealed even higher satisfaction scores and stronger performance metrics compared to the previous year, with OTM decisively outperforming other major shows across the region.

The comprehensive custom survey, commissioned by Fairfest Media, evaluated 15 international travel trade shows across Asia and 19 regional shows in India. The study found a ‘significantly higher quantum of respondents stating OTM to be the leading show at a National & Asia level’, outperforming other major shows, including ITB Asia and SATTE.

Overwhelming Industry Recognition

The extensive 2025 study revealed:

  • Among professionals who participated in or visited 2 or more shows in India, 55% recognised OTM as the leading national show
  • Among those who attended multiple shows in Asia, 52% ranked OTM as the top show across Asia

OTM has played a crucial role in major business transactions, with the majority of the attendees saying they made purchase decisions within 3 months of attending the event.

Mr. Sanjiv Agarwal, Chairman & CEO of Fairfest Media, commented: “At Fairfest Media, we’re deeply committed to delivering measurable ROI for our exhibitors and visitors, which is why we commissioned this comprehensive custom study conducted by NielsenIQ. The consecutive recognition of OTM in the study confirms that OTM continues to set the standard for the industry, in India and globally. As we prepare for OTM 2026, we remain focused on further enhancing the experience and business outcomes for all participants.”

Future Growth Opportunities

The study also identified expansion opportunities that will guide OTM’s future development:

  • Travel professionals expressed interest in seeing increased representation from the Americas (particularly USA and Brazil), Europe (with emphasis on Switzerland and the Nordic countries), and Asia (especially Singapore and Turkey).
  • Enhanced conference programming has been identified as an opportunity area for future development.

The comprehensive custom survey evaluated travel trade shows across Asia and regional shows in India. Countries covered in the customized study (conducted by NielsenIQ and commissioned by Fairfest Media) included India, Singapore, Egypt, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, Maldives, Tanzania, Greece, Philippines, Russia, Netherlands, Vietnam & Republic of Korea.

The population covered in the study includes exhibitors and visitors of travel trade shows. The total usable database of visitors shared with NielsenIQ by Fairfest Media was over 32,000, and of exhibitors was over 2,832. The sample size was overall (N=211); exhibitors (N=56), and visitors (N=155). The sampling method was online, purposive sampling.

The next edition of OTM is scheduled for 5, 6 & 7 February 2026 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. Based on current projections and the strong satisfaction metrics from the 2025 event, OTM 2026 is expected to further strengthen its lead in both the country and the region.

About OTM and Fairfest Media Limited

OTM, organised by Fairfest Media Limited, is the leading travel trade show in Asia and India. Each year, it brings together a global network of exhibitors, buyers, and travel industry professionals to connect, showcase innovations, and generate business opportunities. Fairfest Media also organises TTF-branded travel shows in 7 Indian cities, making it the largest travel trade show organiser in India. As the leading travel show organiser in the region, Fairfest continues to shape the future of travel in the world’s fastest-growing market.

About NIQ

NielsenIQ (NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behaviour and revealing new pathways to growth. NIQ combined with GfK in 2023, bringing together two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. Our global reach spans over 90 countries, covering approximately 85% of the world’s population and more than $7.2 trillion in global consumer spend. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™. For more information, please visit www.niq.com

Media Contact

Sandrine Clarac 

Director – Marketing and International Sales 

Fairfest Media Limited

Phone: +91-2245558555

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Firstsource Launches Gigsourcing Platform to Transform the Future of Work

MUMBAI, India, May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Firstsource Solutions Limited (NSE: FSL) (BSE: 532809), a leading global provider of transformational solutions and services and an RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group company, has announced the launch of the Firstsource Gigsourcing Platform, a next-generation crowdsourcing solution designed to revolutionize how enterprises leverage the gig economy.

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Part of the Firstsource relAI™ suite of AI-powered solutions, the Gigsourcing Platform connects businesses with skilled, on-demand global talent. It enables cost-effective, flexible, and scalable workforce models—helping organizations streamline talent management, boost operational efficiency, and stay competitive by addressing challenges in gig worker acquisition, management, and coordination.

Ritesh Idnani, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer at Firstsource, shared, “The Firstsource Gigsourcing Platform marks a pivotal milestone in our UnBPO™ journey, reimagining how enterprises operate and scale. As work becomes more decentralized and digital, our ability to blend AI-powered virtual agents, domain expertise, and a global freelance talent pool, empowers clients to move faster and smarter. This isn’t just about workforce flexibility—it’s about creating an entirely new operating model. We’re committed to driving non-linear growth and measurable transformation for our clients, and this platform is a core enabler of that mission.”

The platform offers an intuitive experience for both, enterprises and independent professionals:

  • For businesses, the platform streamlines project creation, gig worker onboarding, and performance tracking, ensuring scalable execution and superior outcomes.
  • For gig workers, it offers seamless registration, project discovery, and automated payments, delivering a frictionless and rewarding work experience.

Hasit Trivedi, Chief Digital & AI Officer at Firstsource, added, “The Firstsource Gigsourcing Platform represents the convergence of AI, digital platforms, and workforce innovation. It goes beyond just connecting businesses with gig workers – we are building a digitally intelligent, hyper-agile ecosystem. AI-led matching, workflow orchestration, and secure integrations make it a robust sourcing engine. This platform will fundamentally reshape how work is disaggregated, how sourcing is diversified, and how scale and precision are delivered. We see gig sourcing becoming a critical pillar of enterprise transformation – redefining workforce agility in the AI era and building the future of work.”

The Firstsource Gigsourcing Platform delivers unparalleled benefits with functionalities like:

  • Compliance-first onboarding: alignment with regional regulations and standards.
  • Comprehensive Control: efficient management of user groups roles, access, and notifications.
  • Qualification Tests: qualified freelancers selected with pre-requisite tests.
  • Gig worker Onboarding: simplified freelancer integration, including from external partners.
  • Third-Party Integration: single sign-On (SSO) enabled for streamlined operations.
  • Effortless Payments: hassle-free payment processes for gig workers.

Additionally, the platform’s SaaS capabilities provide:

  • Private Instance: enabling organizations to create their own exclusive freelancer crowd.
  • Insourcing Flexibility: facilitates internal resource allocation within the organization.

This launch follows Firstsource’s recent introduction of Agentic AI Studio, reinforcing Firstsource’s commitment to transforming the future of work through innovation. Together, the Gig Sourcing Platform and Agentic AI Studio form a comprehensive foundation to reimagine how work is sourced, executed, and scaled.

About Firstsource

Firstsource Solutions Limited, an RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group company (NSE: FSL) (BSE: 532809) (Reuters: FISO.BO) (Bloomberg: FSOL:IN), is a global leader providing transformational solutions and services spanning the customer lifecycle across Healthcare, Banking and Financial Services, Communications, Media and Technology, Retail, and other diverse industries. With a global footprint across US, UK, India, Philippines, Mexico, Romania, Turkey, Trinidad & Tobago, South Africa, and Australia, we ‘make it happen’ for our clients, solving their biggest challenges with hyper-focused, domain-centered teams and cutting-edge tech, data, and analytics. Our inch-wide, mile-deep practitioners work collaboratively, leveraging UnBPO™ – our differentiated approach to reimagining traditional outsourcing – to deliver real-world, future-focused solutions that drive speed, scale, and smarter decision, turning transformation into tangible results for our clients.

(www.firstsource.com)

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