KAMPALA, Jun 30 (IPS) - At Mulago, Uganda’s biggest public hospital, a receptionist at an HIV clinic for marginalised and ‘most at risk’ populations, including LGBT people, said that an undercover reporter’s 17-year-old gay brother could “quit” his same-sex attraction. Read the full sto…
Despite “significant progress” in the fight against terrorism, the UN counter-terrorism chief warned on Wednesday that amidst new and more diverse threats, COVID-19 has triggered increased activity throughout many countries. Read the full story, “Terrorists become increasingly ‘innovativ…
In a bid to put gender equality at the heart of COVID recovery, UN Women kicked off a three-day “landmark effort” in Paris on Wednesday, aiming to lay out ambitious investments and policies to bridge the chasm between where women stand in the world today, and where they should be, by 203…
Extreme overcrowding and lack of access to food, water and health, are among the ‘inhumane conditions’ that prisoners in Haiti must endure, often over the course of many years, according to a new UN report. Read the full story, “Urgent action needed to end ‘inhumane conditions’ facing H…
The number of international migrant workers has increased from 164 to 169 million, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said on Wednesday, noting a marked rise in the number of young people seeking opportunities abroad, too. Read the full story, “Migrant worker numbers rise by fiv…
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — On 16 June, US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for just under four hours in Geneva. This was Mr. Biden’s first meeting with Mr. Putin during his presidency and Biden is the fifth US President with whom Putin has held a summit. Expectatio…
WASHINGTON DC, Jun 30 (IPS) - Sub-Saharan Africa is in the grips of a third wave of COVID-19 infections that threatens to be even more brutal than the two that came before. Read the full story, ““We Need to Act Now” — as Sub-Saharan Africa Faces Third Wave of Covid-19”, on globalissues.…
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism could result in a more than $4 trillion loss to the global economy, UN trade and development body UNCTAD said on Wednesday in a report issued jointly with the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Read the full story, “COVID-19 impact on t…
The U.S. Army has announced that researchers are expanding the reach of futuristic do-it-all goggles, the high-tech Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) to deliver capabilities to Soldiers onboard aircraft. IVAS integrates next-generation situational awareness tools and high-resol…
The U.S. Air Force 55th Electronic Combat Group based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona showed off its might during the “Elephant Walk” training. On Monday, the U.S Air Force conducted the ‘elephant walk’ exercise, launching approximately seven EC-130H Compass Call jamming planes i…
Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky division will build three more MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopters as replacement-in-kind for the U.S. Navy, according to a Defense Department contract announcement. The Lockheed Martin Corporation has received a $129 million contract modification to increase the scope …
The U.S. Navy has awarded Boeing a $878.7 million contract to build nine more CH-53K™ heavy lift helicopters for the U.S. Marine Corps, according to a Defense Department contract announcement. The production contract includes an agreement for the next production contract at an even lower …
TORONTO, Canada, Jun 29 (IPS) - The changes needed to get to net-zero emissions in the global energy sector by 2050 require everyone to make choices now that align to our collective goalLife is a series of choices. And choices have consequences. When it comes to climate change, some choi…
Successful peacekeeping requires the “highest standards of conduct” by civilian and uniformed peacekeepers, the UN chief told a High-Level Meeting this week on Strengthening the Conduct of Peacekeeping Personnel. Read the full story, “‘Highest standards of conduct’ required for successf…
As the world grapples unevenly with the effects of COVID-19, “a parallel and equally horrific pandemic” has threatened half the world’s population, the UN chief said on Tuesday, in the lead up to the Generation Equality Forum in France. Read the full story, “Generation Equality: Alongsid…
With over 4.6 billion internet users around the world, digital advances continue to revolutionize human life, but “we must remain vigilant” in the face of malicious technologies that “could imperil the security of future generations”, the head of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (OD…
BHUBANESWAR, India, Jun 29 (IPS) - Madhuri Roy left the famous Kamakhya temple in Guwahati, Assam. She had sought the goddess’s blessings for the safe delivery of her youngest daughter's baby, which was due in a few weeks. Shanty shops lined the temple outside and Roy’s eyes fell on …
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has signed an agreement with the Ukrainian company Motor Sich for the acquisition of engines that will power a Multirole Heavy Combat Helicopter ATAK-2 the Turkish company develops. TAI said Tuesday it has finalized an order with Motor Sich to supply 14 …
BERLIN, Jun 29 (IPS) - Many products these days come with the promise that workers and communities all along their supply line are protected from abuse under a particular standard or code of conduct. Since the United Nations adopted the Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights …
Rampant impunity for human rights violations in Mali is posing serious risks for the protection of civilians in the West African country, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on Tuesday. Read the full story, “Malian authorities urged to ‘break the cycle of impunity’ for human rights v…
A "pressure-cooker" heatwave that's broken temperature records twice in 48 hours in the US northwest and western Canada is being mirrored across large parts of the northern hemisphere, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Tuesday. Read the full story, “Record…
UN humanitarians expressed concern on Tuesday at the uncertain situation in Ethiopia's conflict-ravaged Tigray region despite a ceasefire call from the Government, highlighting the ongoing famine-like conditions there and the potential for disease outbreaks. Read the full story, “Hos…
MARYLAND, USA, Jun 29 (IPS) - On the Global Reef Expedition—the largest coral reef survey and mapping expedition in history—scientists from the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation traveled to the Chagos Archipelago to study some of the most remote coral reefs on Earth. Read the f…
SYDNEY and KUALA LUMPUR, Jun 29 (IPS) - Too many have swallowed the myth that lowering corporate income tax (CIT) is necessary to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) for growth. Although contradicted by their own research, this lie has long been promoted by influential international e…
Although the fight against terrorism has made important advances in thwarting attacks across the world, the UN chief said on Monday that threats continue to persist and diversify. Read the full story, “Despite advances, terrorist threats continues to persist and diversify”, on globalissu…
Migrants smuggled across borders are often subjected to extreme violence, torture, rape and kidnapping, whether in transit or in captivity, but authorities take little action to address these offences, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in a report published on Monday. Read t…
BAE Systems announced on Monday that it is providing Lockheed Martin with additional electronic warfare (EW) systems, retrofit kits, and spares for the F-35 Lightning II aircraft. According to the company, the contract builds on BAE Systems’ on-time delivery of more than 800 state-of-the-…
NEW YORK, Jun 28 (IPS) - As the global gathering for gender equality, the Generation Equality Forum , kicks off in Paris on June 30, 2020, IPS conducted an exclusive interview with Katja Iversen. Read the full story, “Acceleration Rights Plan for Gender Equality Mooted at Equality Forum…
The disregard for children’s rights amid war and upheaval “is shocking and heartbreaking”, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday during a high-level open debate in the Security Council, held virtually. Read the full story, “No place for children in conflict, UN chief tel…
Radical policing reforms are needed to address systemic racism affecting people of African descent around the world, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on Monday, as her Office published a series of recommendations prompted by the killing of George Floyd. Read the full story, “UN r…
Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds “enormous potential” for improving the health of millions around the world if ethics and human rights are at the heart of its design, deployment, and use, the head of the UN health agency said on Monday. Read the full story, “WHO guidance on Artificia…
NEW YORK, Jun 28 (IPS) - In elections last October in Georgia, women’s share of seats in parliament went up by nearly seven percent, following the enforcement of a 25 percent quota for women candidates . Read the full story, “Towards an Equal Future in Parliaments”, on globalissues.org …
The Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation, better known as DRDO, announced that it successfully test-fired the Agni P surface-to-surface ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear and conventional warheads up to about 2,000 km. “Agni-P is a new generation advanced varian…
On Monday, the South Korean Navy commissioned its second Dokdo-class amphibious assault ship, the ROKS Marado (LPH-6112). The 199-meter-long, 31-meter-wide Landing Platform Helicopter was commissioned on the 28th of June 2021 and is based at the Jinhae Naval Base. ROKS Marado was origina…
The Armyrecognition.com has reported that the Bundeswehr, or German military, has received all Boxer armoured transport vehicles (GTK) ordered to representatives of the Federal procurement agency (BAAINBw) and the Ministry of Defense. The contract for the 2nd batch, which was concluded in…
The Russian Navy’s only aircraft carrier, the long-suffering Admiral Kuznetsov, reportedly will return to operations three years later than originally planned, due to an unspecified issue aboard. The Mil.in.ua has reported that the vessel is undergoing what has been a tortured refit after…
Citing a report from Israel defense giant Rafael, Armyrecognition.com reported that British Army has selected Trophy Active Protection System (APS) for the newest Challenger 3 tanks. According to the Belgium defense magazine, the selection is a result of a study conducted by the UK Minist…
It’s overwhelmingly accepted that climate change is a very significant threat to humanity and while there are countless solutions to tackling what has been described by the UN as the “existential threat” of our times, it is still not fully clear how these solutions will be paid for. Re…
Three employees of the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) agency have been killed by unknown attackers in the restive Tigray region of Ethiopia, drawing swift condemnation from UN Secretary-General António Guterres who said on Saturday he was “deeply shocked” by the murders. Read the full st…
The IKEA Foundation and The Rockefeller Foundation have announced plans to launch a $1 billion fund to boost access to renewable energy in developing countries – one of the key commitments made during a series of virtual UN ministerial forums this week. Read the full story, “$1 billion f…
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 25 (IPS) - When the UN’s annual report on Children and Armed Conflict was released last week, it was expected to “name and shame” some of the world’s worst human rights violators – particularly the abusers of children. Read the full story, “UNs Double Standard on Huma…
LONDON, Jun 25 (IPS) - The author is Commonwealth Secretary General Over the past 18 months, the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic have transformed our lives and prompted a period of deep reflection as a global community. In some sense, we are only now starting to understand our vulnera…
The head of the UN health agency expressed concern on Friday over the COVID-19’s delta variant, which he called “the most transmissible” mutation to date. Read the full story, “COVID-19 Delta variant has potential to make ‘epidemic curve exponentially’”, on globalissues.org → from G…
Progress towards resolving Syria’s decade-long war is unlikely, given the ‘gulf of mistrust’ among parties and complexity of conditions on the ground, the chief UN mediator for the country told the Security Council on Friday, as he urged delegates to unite around elements of resolution 2…
Indigenous people living on the frontline of climate change could offer potentially ground-breaking insight into biodiversity protection and sustainability, but they urgently need help to withstand a growing number of threats to their way of life, the Food and Agricultural Organization (F…
The world’s drug problem remains an urgent challenge that threatens to exacerbate COVID-19 pandemic impacts and hinder a healthy and inclusive recovery, warned the UN Secretary General ahead of The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Read the full story, “Scienc…
The global climate crisis is “exacerbating and intensifying” water-related disasters, jeopardizing lives and livelihoods, the UN chief said on Friday at a major sustainable development symposium. Read the full story, “Water-related disasters throw up complex challenges, threaten lives a…
The imminent closure of the last cross-border aid lifeline to northwest Syria must be postponed beyond the 10 July deadline, UN humanitarians said on Friday, noting that no cross-line supplies had reached Idlib from Damascus, in 11 months. Read the full story, “Syria’s last cross-border …
The Turkish Special Forces Command is set to receive the new version of the PARS 6×6 combat vehicle. According to local media, the Special Forces Command will receive PARS 6×6 MKKA (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) which developed in accordance with service needs. A PARS 6×6 MKKA has bee…
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the Pentagon’s top arms broker, announced that the U.S. State Department has cleared a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of the Philippines of F-16 Block 70/72 fighter jets and related equipment. On Thursday, the U.S. Military’s Agen…
The Japan Ministry of Defense said on Saturday fighter jets had intercepted and escorted Russian Su-25 Frogfoot attack aircraft over the Sea of Japan. Japan has scrambled fighter jets to track Russian Frogfoot attack aircraft which fly over the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk. Japanes…
Russian Aerospace Forces MiG-31 interceptors — dubbed Foxhound — have deployed to Khmeimim Air Base in Syria. Russian’s most advanced fighter aircraft has, for the first time, been deployed to the eastern Mediterranean region. A feature of the MiG-31K interceptors is the ability to carry …
Speaking in Nigeria, the UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has emphasized the importance of prevention as “the only real, sustainable solution” to resolving the challenges thrown up by conflict. Read the full story, “Prevention, only ‘sustainable solution’ to conflict, deputy UN…
SANTA CRUZ, California, Jun 25 (IPS) - In July, the United Nations will convene “ Science Days ”, a high-profile event in preparation for the UN Food Systems Summit later this year. Over the course of two days, the world will be treated to a parade of Zoom sessions aimed at “highlighting …
NEW YORK, Jun 25 (IPS) - Every Israeli will sooner than later realize that the creation of a Palestinian state is the only way by which Israel can protect its democracy, independence, national security and national Jewish identity. Denying Palestinian statehood defies Israel’s existence …
Jun 24 (IPS) - In 2020, Southeast Asian countries were already facing varied challenges that affected the region’s food supplies and prices. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic later in the year exacerbated the region’s food insecurity and poverty. Southeast Asian countries need to take a …
Top UN rights experts appealed on Thursday for all governments to ensure that victims of torture receive the rehabilitation services they need, along with guarantees that those who help them do not suffer reprisals. Read the full story, “Governments must protect those who help torture …
The cessation of hostilities negotiated last month between Israel and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, remains “very fragile”, the UN envoy there told the Security Council on Thursday. Read the full story, “UN pushes for lasting ceasefire, more humanitarian deliveries in Gaza”, …
The UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, appealed on Thursday for urgent resources to support thousands of people who have fled armed violence in two small towns in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) over the past two months. Read the full story, “DR Congo: Grave cons…
Around 275 million people used drugs worldwide in the last year of unprecedented upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, up by 22 per cent from 2010. That’s among the key findings of the latest annual report released on Thursday by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), w…
The European Union (EU) must use its leverage to ensure people everywhere have access to COVID-19 vaccines, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Thursday. Read the full story, “UN chief urges European Parliament to support COVID vaccines for all”, on globalissues.org → fr…
UN refugee agency UNHCR, on Thursday welcomed the growing number of countries that have offered COVID-19 vaccines to refugees before urging others to do the same. Read the full story, “91 countries now offer COVID-19 vaccinations to refugees, says UNHCR”, on globalissues.org → from G…
BUENOS AIRES, Jun 24 (IPS) - Latin America is investing too little in a green recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, with only 2.2% of the region's stimulus funds spent on environmentally sustainable projects last year, according to a new platform developed by Oxford University and th…
STOCKHOLM / ROME, Jun 24 (IPS) - A confusion of the real with the ideal never goes unpunished. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe By the end of April 2019, a government campaign to vaccinate more than 40 million children under five against polio in …
NEW YORK, Jun 24 (IPS) - The writer is Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, UN Development Program (UNDP)The first wave of COVID-19 never ended in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Since the region became a hotspot for the pandemic in Ju…
A Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk combat utility helicopter of the Philippine Air Force crashed on Wednesday during a training flight. According to a media statement from Colonel Jesus Villamor Air Base released on Thursday, an S-70i utility helicopter of the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing on …
The Minsk Wheeled Tractor Plant (Volat) has taken the opportunity at the MILEX 2021 defense exhibition being held in Minsk from 23 to 26 June to unveil the concept of a new wheeled armored fighting vehicle, called the V-2 MZKT-690003. As noted by the company, the new 8×8 armored personnel…
Humanitarian convoys from Turkey that bring lifesaving aid into northwest Syria must continue, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Wednesday. Read the full story, “UN officials appeal for extension of lifesaving cross-border aid operations into Syria”, on …
Thousands of families in southern Madagascar are on the edge of starvation, and “holding on for dear life”, the UN food agency chief said on Wednesday - after bearing witness to the suffering firsthand - urging the world to step-up and take action. Read the full story, “Madagascar’s …
Humanitarian convoys from Turkey that bring lifesaving aid into northwest Syria must continue, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Wednesday. Read the full story, “UN officials appeal for extension of lifesaving cross-border aid operations into Syria”, on …
Defense forces, soldiers from nearby countries and other security personnel have been fighting an “asymmetric war” against armed groups, sparking an “unprecedented humanitarian crisis”, the top UN official in the country told the Security Council on Wednesday. Read the full story, “Cen…
A total of 184 countries on Wednesday voted in favour of a resolution to demand the end of the US economic blockade on Cuba, for the 29th year in a row, with the United States and Israel voting against. Read the full story, “UN General Assembly calls for US to end Cuba embargo for 29th …
Full implementation of a historic ceasefire agreement and the withdrawal of foreign forces are critical for consolidating peace in Libya, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday in remarks to a major international meeting aimed at shoring up the country after a decade of …
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 23 (IPS) - The countries signed a statement in support of the 2021 International Year of Health and Care Workers. The statement was launched at an informal meeting of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. One hundred and thirty countries have signed a statement recognis…
Small businesses which make up more than half of the global workforce were 2.5 times more likely to go under than larger firms in the first months of COVID-19, the International Trade Centre (ITC) said on Wednesday, warning that the impact of climate change could cause pandemic-scale di…
America’s largest military shipbuilding company Huntington Ingalls announced Monday that the Royal New Zealand Navy has placed the first international order for four REMUS 300 unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). “We are pleased New Zealand is upgrading their fleet with new REMUS 300 UUVs…
Israeli defense electronics company Elbit Systems said on June 17 its subsidiary Elbit Systems of America was awarded two orders with an aggregate value of approximately $29 million by the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier under an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity …
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, Jun 23 (IPS) - Earlier this month, Abdulla Shahid, the Maldives’ foreign minister, was elected President of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which commences in September. Read the full story, “Maldives General Assembly Presidency Rene…
As part of a special series on climate in partnership with The Intelligence Project at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and Cipher Brief Expert and Senior Editor Kristin Wood , The Cipher Brief is focusing on the national security implications of …
NEW YORK, Jun 22 (IPS) - For Dr Farzana Khan, a frontline worker and a second-generation immigrant from Pakistan living in California, social media helped her connect and realign herself during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full story, “Digital Media on the Frontline: Supporting the O…
With school closures triggered by COVID-19 disrupting both education and access to nutritious meals, two UN agencies on Tuesday launched new measures to help improve the well-being of 1.9 billion school-aged children and adolescents around the world. Read the full story, “Link between e…
With all the major indicators for Afghanistan’s security and development looking “negative or stagnant” as international troops withdraw, the threats that lie ahead cannot be overstated, the top UN official in the country told the Security Council on Tuesday. Read the full story, “Time …
A United Nations body is recommending that Australia’s Great Barrier Reef be included on a list of world heritage in danger, according to a draft report issued on Monday, a move which has been heavily criticized by the Australian Government. Read the full story, “Great Barrier Reef in …
Famine is already present in four countries but millions more people are at risk, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Tuesday, underscoring the need for urgent funding and humanitarian access to reach those in need. Read the full story, “Famine knocking at the door of 41 million wo…
Millions of stateless people around the world could miss out on COVID-19 vaccinations because they lack identity papers and are essentially “invisible to the authorities”. Read the full story, “‘Invisible’ stateless people could miss out on COVID-19 jabs, UNHCR warns”, on globalissues.o…
Ukraine Navy has confirmed it is to receive used Sandown-class minehunters from the UK. The details were given in a 21 June media release, to announce that Ukraine and United Kingdom signed a memorandum of agreement about the implementation of maritime partnership projects. “Today, a memo…
The British Royal Navy has received the third and final Royal Navy autonomous minehunting boat, which was delivered to Clyde Naval Base. According to a recent service news release, the new RNMB Hebe minehunting boat, named after the ancient Greek goddess of youth, has now joined sister ve…
Ukrainian private defense firm Ramzay unveiled its RZ-500 rotary-wing combat unmanned aerial vehicle concept at the Arms and Security exhibition held in Kyiv from 15-18 June. The RZ-500 concept is currently envisioned to be a low-observable, missile-armed, multipurpose unmanned combat ai…
The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Advanced Material Development (AMD) contract to develop counter laser film coatings for optical applications such as soldiers’ goggles. UK nanotech company AMD has been awarded a contract to develop protective films to be integrated into protecti…
WASHINGTON DC, Jun 22 (IPS) - The writer is Amnesty International's Crisis Response Deputy Director – Thematic IssuesFrontline workers who document and respond to violations against children have faced a particularly challenging last year, from the impact of Covid-19 on operations an…
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Jun 22 (IPS) - By the time he is finished, Dr. Satyanarayana Parvataneni expects he will be responsible for planting over 200,000 tree seedlings in Jamaica. It is an effort driven by a desire to preserve the planet for the next generation, as well as the one of the larg…
SYDNEY and KUALA LUMPUR, Jun 22 (IPS) - COVID-19 has become a “ developing country pandemic ”, retreating from the North’s mass vaccination. With developing countries heavily handicapped, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warns of a “dangerous divergence”. Read the full story, “Bold…
HAVANA, Jun 21 (IPS) - Cuban farmer José Antonio Casimiro found in the ageold technique of sowing water an opportunity to meet his farm's water needs and mitigate the increasingly visible effects of climate change. Read the full story, “Sowing Water: A Cuban Farm's Bid for Susta…
NEW DELHI, India, Jun 21 (IPS) - The June 5th attack on the Muslim family in London, Ontaria, has left many in Canada in a state of shock. A driver intentionally struck the Afzaal family while they were out for a stroll, killing four, because of their Islamic faith. Canadian Prime Minist…
South Sudan, the UN’s youngest Member State, is marking its tenth anniversary of independence amid languishing political progress and a range of humanitarian challenges, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative told Security Council members on Monday. Read the full story, “Slow pro…
The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting a South African consortium in establishing the first COVID-19 mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub, the UN agency announced on Monday. Read the full story, “COVID-19: First mRNA vaccine tech transfer hub a ‘great step forward’”, on globa…
Friends and former colleagues have been mourning the passing over the weekend of Edward Mortimer, the Chief Speechwriter for former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan. Read the full story, “‘His words set a standard and will long endure’: UN mourns passing of Edward Mortimer”, on globali…
UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet on Monday urged UN Member States to promote a more inclusive post-pandemic recovery to help the world’s most vulnerable recover from the impact of COVID. Read the full story, “Human Rights Council urged to support UN chief’s call for a ‘new social contr…
Financial assistance to the world’s 83 weakest economies fell by 15 per cent in 2020, to $35 billion as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, UN trade and development experts UNCTAD said on Monday. Read the full story, “Pandemic ‘rolled back’ sustainable development funding for weak…
