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Showing posts from August, 2021

Fiddling in Nairobi While Africa Goes Hungry

BOSTON, Aug 31 (IPS) - As the United Nations gears up for its Food Systems Summit September 23, the urgent need for structural changes in how we grow, harvest, distribute, and consume food has never been more apparent. Read the full story, “Fiddling in Nairobi While Africa Goes Hungry”, …

COVID-19: Rich countries should donate at least 1 billion vaccine doses, says WHO panel

Rich countries must share their supplies of COVID-19 vaccines quickly, in line with recommendations made earlier this year by an independent panel appointed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the former co-chairs said on Tuesday.   Read the full story, “COVID-19: Rich countries shou…

UN marks first International Day for People of African Descent

The UN on Tuesday celebrated the enormous contributions the African diaspora has made in every field of human endeavour, marking the first-ever International Day for People of African Descent.   Read the full story, “UN marks first International Day for People of African Descent”, on glo…

UN commits to staying in Afghanistan, with basic services close to collapse

The flights evacuating civilians from Afghanistan may have come to an end, but a deepening humanitarian crisis remains, UN Secretary-General António Guterres declared on Tuesday, as several senior UN officials restated their commitment to stay and deliver urgently needed supplies to the …

Data Platform Helps Pacific Island Countries Collect, Analyse and Act on Information

KATHMANDU, Aug 31 (IPS) - Do you know if midwife services are available at the Saupia Health Centre in Paunangisu, on the island of Efate in Vanuatu, in the Pacific Islands? I do, and I’ve never been within 1,000 kilometres of the facility — I found the information online within seconds …

From one anti-racism trailblazer to another: Andrew Young remembers Ralph Bunche

Andrew Young, the first African American ambassador to the UN, has earned his place in history, but he credits another African American pioneer, Ralph Bunche, as his inspiration. Bunche, who died 50 years ago, was the first person of African descent to win the Nobel Peace Prize and playe…

Is Canada Missing out on Leveraging ITMDs in it’s Healthcare Plans?

NEW DELHI, India, Aug 31 (IPS) - With elections right round the corner in Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently said that a re-elected Liberal government would spend billions in the coming years to hire family doctors. This report says, Justin Trudeau promised that the Liberals …

Social Protection at a Crossroad—and Poverty On the Rise

HELSINKI, Aug 31 (IPS) - How can we ensure a resilient and inclusive recovery from COVID-19? How can we hold on to the target of eradicating poverty and hunger by 2030, with the pandemic still ongoing? Read the full story, “Social Protection at a Crossroad—and Poverty On the Rise”, on gl…

Allow Least Developed Countries to Develop

SYDNEY and KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 31 (IPS) - The pandemic is pushing back the world’s poorest countries with the least means to finance economic recovery and contagion containment efforts. Without international solidarity, economic gaps will grow again as COVID-19 threatens humanity for years …

Argentina Takes Controversial Step Backwards in Biofuel Production

BUENOS AIRES, Aug 30 (IPS) - Argentina, historically an agricultural powerhouse, has become a major producer of biofuels in recent years. However, this South American country is now moving backwards in the use of this oil substitute in transportation, a decision in which economics weighe…

Closed Borders and Hostile Receptions Await Afghan Refugees

TORONTO, Canada, Aug 30 (IPS) - Whether desperately trying to get a place on the last evacuation flights out of Kabul or trekking to the borders with neighbouring Pakistan and Iran, tens of thousands of Afghans are fleeing their country once more. Read the full story, “Closed Borders and…

Jamaica Walking a Tightrope Between Boosting the Economy and Cutting Emissions in COVID-19 Era

KINGSTON, Aug 30 (IPS) - Even as COVID-19 walloped Jamaica’s economy last year, the government overhauled its energy emissions milestones to create what many described as a post-pandemic recovery package, based on stronger carbon targets for the farming and forestry sectors. Read the fu…

Security Council urges Taliban to provide safe passage out of Afghanistan

The UN Security passed a resolution on Monday that calls for the Taliban to facilitate safe passage for people wanting to leave Afghanistan, allow humanitarians to access the country, and uphold human rights, including for women and children. Read the full story, “Security Council urges…

IAEA ‘deeply troubled’ by DPRK nuclear reactor development

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says it is “deeply troubled” by indications that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) appears to have restarted its Yongbyon nuclear reactor. Read the full story, “IAEA ‘deeply troubled’ by DPRK nuclear reactor development”, on gl…

Israel-Palestine: Waste no opportunity for ‘serious’ political negotiation, envoy urges

The top UN envoy for the Middle East peace process told the UN Security Council on Monday that three months after the deadly escalation in violence between Israel and militants in the Gaza Strip, the situation there remains tense. Read the full story, “Israel-Palestine: Waste no opportu…

End of leaded fuel use a ‘milestone for multilateralism’

The global phase-out of leaded fuel represents a “milestone for multilateralism”, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday, marking the end of a 20-year campaign to eliminate a major threat to the health of people and the planet. Read the full story, “End of leaded fuel use …

Secretary-General calls for bold action to end biodiversity crisis

With one million species at risk of extinction, UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday called for greater leadership and political will to end the biodiversity crisis. Read the full story, “Secretary-General calls for bold action to end biodiversity crisis”, on globalissues.org …

Vaccine Access Negotiations to Resume as New Variants Spread

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 30 (IPS) - A committee that has spent almost a year negotiating the terms of a temporary intellectual property waiver for Covid-19 medicines will reconvene in September after pausing for the European Summer. Read the full story, “Vaccine Access Negotiations to Resume …

The Taliban Win: The Aftermath in Afghanistan and in the World

SINGAPORE, Aug 30 (IPS) - Some years ago, on a piece on the Afghan crisis I had written that Mullah Omar’s face bore no resemblance to that of the impossibly beautiful, albeit mythical, Helen of Troy. Yet it too had caused the launch of a thousand ships (airships to be more precise), just…

After Afghanistan, Wars Idealists Must Accept Defeat

ROME, Aug 30 (IPS) - As the Western occupation of Afghanistan has come to an end, TV news is broadcasting harrowing scenes of death and destruction, citizens in fear, allies abandoned, and dreams dashed. Read the full story, “After Afghanistan, Wars Idealists Must Accept Defeat”, on glob…

Ensuring the right to a nationality, more pressing than ever: UNHCR

Ensuring the right to a nationality and eradicating statelessness is more pressing than ever, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on Monday, as it marked the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the 1961 UN Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. Read the full story, “Ensuring the r…

COVID jabs needed for educators and kids to keep schools open: WHO, UNICEF

As the school year begins for millions of children in Europe and Central Asia, UN health and child experts on Monday issued a series of COVID-19 risk reduction measures to ensure that in-person lessons can go ahead, despite rising infection rates. Read the full story, “COVID jabs needed …

Mysterious light tank spotted in Serbia

A prototype of a light tank was spotted with the new large-caliber direct-fire turret in Serbia. The picture first began to circulate on social media on August. 29, 2021, but it is unclear when or where exactly it was taken. It is assumed that the prototype of the new tank was photographe…

Ukrainian company develop new tactical vehicle to replace Soviet-era UAZ jeep

The Ukrainian Armor, a privately-held company specializing in designing and manufacturing modern armored vehicles and weapons, has developed a new unarmoured off-road vehicle to replace the legendary Soviet-era UAZ-496 jeep. Mil.in.ua reported on 30 August that the Ukrainian Armor unveile…

Finnish vehicle maker teams up with CSM for Slovakian 8×8 armored vehicle project

Finnish company Patria announced on Sunday that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Slovak engineering company CSM Industry related to the tender for the supply of 8×8 armoured fighting vehicles.  The agreement includes cooperation in the supply and sale of eight-wheeled armoured…

Japanese jets intercept Chinese giant drones

The Japanese Ministry of Defense’s Joint Staff Office has released footage of what it says were interceptions over neutral waters of Chinese new long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles that were flying toward its border over the East China Sea. In a series of announcements in August, the …

On International Day, UN chief calls for action to end enforced disappearances

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged countries to fulfil their obligations to prevent and prosecute cases of enforced disappearance, a “cowardly practice” which the COVID-19 pandemic has made even more difficult to combat. Read the full story, “On International Day, UN chief …

Cook Islands Entrepreneur Develops Hydroponics Greenhouse to Boost Local Food Production

CANBERRA, Australia, Aug 29 (IPS) - Finding ways to be smarter producers of food was a priority in small island developing states (SIDS) before the outbreak of Covid-19. Now the ideas of farmers and entrepreneurs, such as Piri Maao in the Cook Islands, are being avidly sought by governme…

Afghan children ‘at greater risk than ever’, top UNICEF official warns

With the needs of Afghan children greater than ever before, the world “cannot abandon them now”, a senior official with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Sunday after concluding a visit to the country. Read the full story, “Afghan children ‘at greater risk than ever’, top UNICEF of…

The ‘energy patriots’ bringing electricity to Indonesia’s remote villages

For millions of villagers in Indonesia’s remote areas, a 12-hour-per-day erratic electricity supply is the norm. With students studying by candlelight at night and health centres not running at full capacity, these communities face an uphill struggle to improve their well-being.  Read t…

Reaffirm commitment to ban nuclear tests, UN chief says in message for International Day

Countries which have not yet ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) are urged by UN Secretary-General António Guterres to do so without delay. Read the full story, “Reaffirm commitment to ban nuclear tests, UN chief says in message for International Day”, on globalissu…

U.S. Space Force Next Gen missile warning satellite program passes major design milestone

The United States Space Force announced the next generation of missile warning satellites recently completed its Critical Design Review, a Space Force official confirmed Aug. 24. According to a recent service news release, this CDR milestone, the culmination of 34 subsystem and payload re…

Huntington Ingalls successfully completes builder’s trials for U.S. Navy’s newest destroyer

Huntington Ingalls Industries, America’s largest military shipbuilding company and a provider of manufacturing, announced it successfully completed builder’s trials for U.S. Navy’s newest destroyer. As noted by the company, the guided-missile destroyer Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121) spen…

Saab to expand capabilities of Sweden future submarine

Defense and aerospace group Saab on Friday announced that it received a further order from the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV) to continue the development and production, as well as expand the capabilities, of the two A26 Blekinge class submarines previously ordered by Swede…

Tokyo Paralympics: leaping towards a more inclusive society

Innovators are joining Paralympians to discuss how sport can help to build a more inclusive society in a series of online discussions organized by the UN to coincide with the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, which continues until 5 September. Read the full story, “Tokyo Paralympics: leaping towar…

Railroads Drive Expansion of Soybean Cultivation in Brazil's Amazon Region

RÃ�O DE JANEIRO, Aug 27 (IPS) - The sea of soybeans that sprouts every November will spread even further in the state of Mato Grosso if three new railway lines that would boost soy production in central-western Brazil and growing parts of the Amazon rainforest are built. Read the full s…

WHO ‘exploring all options’ to get medical supplies into Afghanistan

With medical stocks dwindling in Afghanistan, and the airport in the capital, Kabul, crippled by a terrorist attack, the World Health Organization (WHO) continues to examine ways to deliver much-needed supplies to the country, a senior official told journalists in Geneva on Friday.  Rea…

Advancing the Rights of Women Manual Scavengers in India

Aug 27 (IPS) - Manual scavenging is a caste-based profession that leads to discrimination and atrocities against those engaged in it. Generations of families from marginalised communities in India have been forced to continue in this profession because of social ostracism and a lack of …

Digital Tech can Help African Island States Cope with Climate Change

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe, Aug 27 (IPS) - Investing in digital technologies can help African small island developing states (SIDS), vulnerable to extreme weather events, cope with growing impacts of climate change, says the United Nations (UN) Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). Read the ful…

Pacific Community Warns of Threat to Education Retention in the Wake of COVID-19

CANBERRA, Australia, Aug 27 (IPS) - Before the pandemic, many Pacific Island countries grappled with low numbers of students completing secondary education. Now experts in the region are concerned that the closure of schools to contain the spread of COVID-19, and the economic downturn, w…

Vaccine inequity causes ‘dangerous divergence’ in COVID survival rates – UN agency heads

The global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is progressing at “two alarmingly different speeds”, UN agency leaders said in a statement on Friday, noting that less than two per cent of adults are fully vaccinated in most low-income countries compared to almost 50 per cent in high-‑income nati…

More children than ever before live as migrants or refugees, outside their birth countries – UNICEF

More girls and boys than ever are on the move, with 35.5 million having lived outside their country of birth in 2020 and an additional 23.3 million displaced internally, according to a new report by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) published on Friday. Read the full story, “More children…

UN entities condemn 'abhorrent' terrorist attack at Kabul airport

The UN Security Council on Friday underlined the importance of combatting terrorism in Afghanistan following the deadly attack at the airport in the capital, Kabul.    Read the full story, “UN entities condemn 'abhorrent' terrorist attack at Kabul airport”, on globalissues.org →…

Systemic Barriers Exist in Canadian Healthcare for Immigrant Health Professionals

Toronto, Canada, Aug 27 (IPS) - Albert Einstein said, “In the midst of every crisis lies great opportunity.” The year 2020 was a year of crisis across many sectors in Canada, especially the health care sector. There was a severe strain on the health care system through long waiting lists…

Russian Aerospace Forces Su-24 plane crashed near Perm

Details are still limited, but a Russian Aerospace Forces Su-24 Fencer combat jet has crashed in the city of Perm, near the Ural Mountains. According to local media, Su-24 crashed Friday while during a scheduled flight for repairs. “While flying to an aircraft repair company for scheduled…

Crisis in Afghanistan: All Eyes on Central Asia

WASHINGTON DC, Aug 27 (IPS) - The political and human catastrophe in Afghanistan is threatening to boost autocratic tendencies in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. With the withdrawal of US and coalition forces from Afghanistan and the rapid takeover by the Taliban, neighbouring Central Asian …

Needed in the Global South: Wastewater Collection for COVID-19 Detection

HAMILTON, Canada, Aug 26 (IPS) - Understanding the scale and intensity of the COVID-19 virus and its emerging variants , predicting the pandemic’s direction, and developing and refining associated management response options are challenges likely to confront public-health officials and na…

Catastrophe ‘unfolding before our eyes’ in Ethiopia’s Tigray region – UN chief

A military confrontation that started 10 months ago in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region is spreading, with serious political, economic and humanitarian implications for the country and the broader region, the Secretary-General warned the Security Council on Thursday. Read the full stor…

WFP steps up support in Haiti

The World Food Programme (WFP) is stepping up ongoing support to Haitians who are now facing destroyed homes, lost livelihoods and little or no access to food in the wake of the 14 August earthquake, the UN agency reported on Thursday.    Read the full story, “WFP steps up support in Ha…

Afghanistan: UN chief condemns terrorist blasts near Kabul airport

Secretary-General António Guterres condemned on Thursday the terror attacks around Kabul airport in Afghanistan and expressed his support for both the injured and the families of those who have been killed.  Read the full story, “Afghanistan: UN chief condemns terrorist blasts near Kabu…

Pioneering report continues to help children survive conflict

The UN has verified 266,000 cases of grave violations against children in more than 30 conflict situations across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America over the past 16 years, two top UN officials said on Thursday – marking 25 years since the Organization released a groundbreaki…

African countries commit to ending all forms of polio

Although the African Region was certified free of wild poliovirus one year ago, after four years without a case, outbreaks of a vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) is spreading throughout communities where too few children have received the polio vaccine, the World Health Organization (WHO…

Mexicos Suspicious Shark Fins Exports Under CITES

LA PAZ, Mexico, Aug 26 (IPS) - At “The Lieutenant” (“El Teniente”) fishing site, near La Paz (Baja California Sur’s capital) the boats go by and come in all morning. To chase down sharks, fishers make their way to the Holy Spirit island, some 30 km away from La Paz. They unload the produ…

Sharks, Victims of Mexican Authorities Neglect

LA PAZ, Mexico, Aug 26 (IPS) - The Mexican fisherman Tomás Valencia, aged 70, remembers that around 30 years ago he used to catch a lot of sharks. Read the full story, “Sharks, Victims of Mexican Authorities Neglect”, on globalissues.org → from Global Issues News Headlines https://i…

Eastern Caribbean Youth Join Calls for Resilient Global Food Systems

Aug 26 (IPS) - As the international community prepares for the landmark United Nations Food Systems Summit, a pivotal gathering as part of a global goal to tackle food insecurity, hunger, biodiversity loss, and climate change through sustainable food production, Caribbean youth say the s…

Trials of former Spanish judge lack independence, impartiality: landmark case

The UN Human Rights Committee concluded on Thursday that the trials of a former Spanish in two major political cases were arbitrary and did not comply with the principles of judicial independence and impartiality. Read the full story, “Trials of former Spanish judge lack independence, i…

UN migration agency launches $24 million appeal for Afghanistan

In response to the growing humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Thursday launched a $24 million urgent appeal to assist hundreds of thousands of people displaced within the country over the past two months. Read the full story, “UN …

U.S. Navy Seabees builds wooden military vehicles

Engineers from U.S. Naval Construction Battalions, better known as the Seabees, have assembled from sheets of plywood replicas of combat vehicles. According to a recent Navy news release, Steelworkers, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 5, have built decoy Humvees with…

Huntington Ingalls starts construction on U.S. Navy’s newest aircraft carrier

The first steel cut has been made for the new U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Doris Miller (CVN 81) at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division, Aug. 25. During a small ceremony held inside of a manufacturing facility, Thomas Bledsoe, the great nephew of the ship’s namesake…

Why Do Organizations Fail to Keep Workplace Harassments in Check

NEW DELHI, India, Aug 26 (IPS) - “Sexual harassment is not about sexual attraction, it is about power. If an individual uses power plays to subjugate other people, when we have such dynamics going on in the workplace, what we need is a system that fights back against it, which unfortunate…

As Climate Disaster Migration Rises, Girls Get Married Off

BHUBANESWAR, India, Aug 25 (IPS) - When 11-year-old Mitali Padhi hugged her childhood friends to say goodbye, she felt a deep-seated foreboding. Read the full story, “As Climate Disaster Migration Rises, Girls Get Married Off”, on globalissues.org → from Global Issues News Headlines…

Climate solutions, changemakers, and celebrities: major UN podcast series launched

The UN launches No Denying It, a new 10-part climate action podcast, on Thursday, featuring interviews with inspiring young activists, and the voices of internationally renowned celebrities, such as actors Ed Norton and Michelle Yeoh. Read the full story, “Climate solutions, changemaker…

Coming months critical for future pandemic preparedness: WHO chief

The next three months will be a critical period for stepping up global collective action against future pandemics, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday, pointing to three major meetings on the international agenda.  Read the full story, “Coming months critica…

Amidst turmoil, displacement and plunging economy, Afghanistan’s future ‘very difficult…to see’

A crisis of incredible proportions is unfolding in Afghanistan as conflict, combined with drought and COVID-19, is pushing Afghans into a humanitarian catastrophe, the UN food relief agency said on Wednesday. Read the full story, “Amidst turmoil, displacement and plunging economy, Afghan…

Iraq: Clock ticks on all-important elections, commitment to credibility needed

With just 46 days until Iraq goes to the polls, the UN Assistance Mission for the country (UNAMI) is stepping up its communications to inform voters about their conduct, Special Representative Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert told the Security Council on Wednesday, stressing that it is up to th…

Haiti: $187.3 million appeal to support people affected by earthquake

The UN and partners on Wednesday launched a $187.3 million appeal to support half a million people affected by the deadly earthquake in southwestern Haiti nearly two weeks ago. Read the full story, “Haiti: $187.3 million appeal to support people affected by earthquake”, on globalissues.o…

COVID, natural hazards and climate crisis in Asia and the Pacific expand ‘riskcape’

The convergence of the COVID-19 pandemic with natural hazards, made worse by climate change, has reshaped and expanded the disaster “riskscape” in Asia and the Pacific, according to a new report published on Wednesday by the UN’s regional commission there. Read the full story, “COVID, na…

Haunting Photos of Bangladesh's COVID Pandemic

DHAKA, Bangladesh, Aug 25 (IPS) - Documentary photographer and filmmaker Mohammad Rakibul Hasan has documented the health crisis in Bangladesh over the past several months. In these haunting images, Hasan brings to life the conditions in which many patients are being treated in poor cond…

Cuba, a Small Island State Seeking to Manage Its Vulnerability

HAVANA, Aug 25 (IPS) - This article forms part of the special IPS coverage of the Solutions Forum, a high-level conference of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to be held Aug. 30-31.Cuba, already beset by hurricanes, floods, droughts that deplete its main water sources, among other n…

‘Solutions must be found’ for millions displaced from Sudan and South Sudan

Finding solutions based on peace and development is crucial for the future of the nearly seven million forcibly displaced people from Sudan and South Sudan, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said following a three-day visit to the two countries. Read the full story, …

Resilience in a Riskier World

BANGKOK, Thailand, Aug 25 (IPS) - Over the past two decades, the Asia-Pacific region has made remarkable progress in managing disaster risk. But countries can never let down their guard. The COVID-19 pandemic, with its epicentre now in Asia, and all its tragic consequences, has exposed th…

The Tragedy of Afghanistan: Is there a Way Forward?

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Aug 25 (IPS) - The desperate scenes at Kabul airport of Afghans trying to flee and the image of the US Airforce flight taxying down the runway with people scrambling to climb on, is an image that will be etched on our minds forever. Read the full story, “The Tragedy …

Smartphone App Helps Fijians to Grow and Eat Healthier Food

Aug 24 (IPS) - A smartphone app in Fiji is helping users to not only eat better but to help grow food that will contribute to a more nutritious diet. Read the full story, “Smartphone App Helps Fijians to Grow and Eat Healthier Food”, on globalissues.org → from Global Issues News Hea…

High blood pressure now more common in low and middle-income countries, new report finds

The vast majority of people with high blood pressure, or hypertension, – a serious medical condition that significantly increases the risks of heart, brain, kidney and other diseases – live in low and middle-incomes countries, a World Health Organization (WHO) report released on Wednesday…

Afghanistan: Negotiations to bring 500 tonnes of urgent medical supplies ongoing, says WHO

Negotiations are underway to bring 500 metric tonnes of urgently needed medical supplies into Afghanistan, senior regional officials with the World Health Organization (WHO) said during an online briefing on Tuesday.  Read the full story, “Afghanistan: Negotiations to bring 500 tonnes of…

Increased Syria violence prompts largest civilian displacements in a year, as gridlock stymies political talks

Progress towards resolving Syria’s decade-long conflict has reached an impasse, the chief United Nations mediator told the Security Council on Tuesday, as an uptick in fighting throughout the country led to some of the largest civilian displacements in a year. Read the full story, “Incr…

Bubonic plague putting young lives at risk in DR Congo: UNICEF

A resurgence of Bubonic plague in Ituri province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is putting young lives at risk, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, warned on Tuesday.  Read the full story, “Bubonic plague putting young lives at risk in DR Congo: UNICEF”, on globalissu…

“Don’t Call It Ethnic. Ituri Confict Is a Mystery”

ROME, Aug 24 (IPS) - It is a metallic sound, harmless. It lasts just over a second, but it can become as sharp as a machete blade or as devastating as the burst from an assault rifle. It is a beep, just the beep of a phone notification. A woman is on the ground, her belly open, her intes…

Drought, Storms, Intense Rainfall and Fires Threatening Millions in Latin America and the Caribbean

NEW YORK, Aug 24 (IPS) - In 2020, Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia faced their worst drought in half a century. The Atlantic Basin saw 30 named storms – the most recorded in a single year. Two category 4 hurricanes achieved an unprecedented feat by making landfall in Nicaragua. Read the ful…

Afghanistan What Will Happen Now?

NEW DELHI, India, Aug 24 (IPS) - As I write this, India has just celebrated the 75th anniversary of its independence from British rule (Pakistan celebrated it a day earlier). But there is little cause for celebration. A dark shadow looms over both countries, indeed over much of the world …

Prioritising Profits Reversed Health Progress

SYDNEY and KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 (IPS) - Instead of a health system striving to provide universal healthcare, a fragmented, profit-driven market ‘non-system’ has emerged. The 1980s’ neo-liberal counter-revolution against the historic 1978 Alma-Ata Declaration is responsible. Read the ful…

Afghanistan women’s rights are ‘red line’, UN rights chief tells States

UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet led calls on Tuesday for Afghanistan’s new Taliban leaders to respect the rights of all Afghans and warned that the treatment of women and girls is a “fundamental red line” that should not be crossed. Read the full story, “Afghanistan women’s rights are…

Shelter needs soar for displaced in Yemen’s Marib region

Humanitarian needs, including a lack of shelter, are soaring among displaced communities, as fighting continues in Yemen’s Marib governorate, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warned on Tuesday. Read the full story, “Shelter needs soar for displaced in Yemen’s Marib region”, on globalissues.…

U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker was late for Ukrainian independence parade

The U.S. Air Force KC-135T Stratotanker aircraft, with tail number 85-0092, was late for the Ukrainian Independence Day military parade in Kyiv. The curious incident occurred Tuesday morning when the KC-135 refueling tanker lost his timecode due to unknown reasons and was late at the para…

Refugee Paralympic Team ‘will change people’s lives’, says Bayern Munich player and UN Goodwill Ambassador

Ahead of the opening of the Paralympic Games in Tokyo on Tuesday, Alphonso Davies, footballer for German league champions Bayern Munich and Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), has offered words of encouragement for what he called “the world’s most courageous sports tea…

First Person: Health workers in Afghanistan brave safety fears, to continue treating the sick

An Afghan doctor has told UN News that he is committed to providing essential healthcare services to people who have fled their homes due to conflict in Afghanistan, but safety fears mean that his future and that of his colleagues, particularly women health workers, is uncertain. Read t…

Woman Farmer Shows Way as Small Island Developing State Battles Pandemics Impacts

APIA, Samoa, Aug 23 (IPS) - Keni Lesa works on SIDS Solution Platform Communications for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in SamoaA woman farmer in Samoa is using innovation and technology to overcome economic hardship as the Pacific Island nation seeks ways to…

Solutions to Food Insecurity Top Agenda in Meeting of Small Island Developing States

CANBERRA, Australia, Aug 23 (IPS) - The urgency of finding solutions to the most pressing development challenges of our times has increased as the Covid-19 pandemic threatens to reverse the global momentum in recent years toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). And sm…

No end to Yemen civil war on the horizon, senior UN official briefs Security Council

No progress has been made by parties in Yemen to reach a political agreement to settle the civil war, which is now in its seventh year, a senior UN official for the Middle East region told the Security Council on Monday.  Read the full story, “No end to Yemen civil war on the horizon, s…

‘Lifesaving’ protection for children in conflict must be central to pandemic recovery: UN official

Protection for children caught up in war must be at the heart of the international agenda, including COVID-19 response, a senior UN official said on Monday.  Read the full story, “‘Lifesaving’ protection for children in conflict must be central to pandemic recovery: UN official”, on glob…

U.S. Army conducts first live-fire test of Iron Dome defense system

The U.S. Army and Israeli industry team conducted the first live-fire test of the recently received Iron Dome defense system, according to a recent service news release. In a release Monday, Program Executive Office Missiles and Space reported the U.S. Army, the Israel Missile Defense Org…

Abandoned T-90 tank found at a garbage dump in Volgograd

An abandoned T-90 main battle tank was found at a garbage dump in Volgograd by local residents. Images have emerged on social media showing what appears to be a T-90A tank of the Russian Armed Forces which was abandoned without any guard at a garbage dump near the airfield in the Kirovsky…

Southern African Migrants Excluded as COVID-19 Pandemic Grows

Johannesburg, South Africa, Aug 23 (IPS) - Migrants across the Southern Africa region are massively disadvantaged as they find themselves excluded from vaccine programmes – even when the global vaccine initiative COVAX often funds these programmes. Read the full story, “Southern African…

Afghanistan: UN agencies sound alarm over emergency aid supply logjam

UN humanitarian agencies are warning that they are unable to bring urgently needed emergency supplies into Afghanistan, and are calling for a “humanitarian airbridge” to be set up immediately, to allow the unimpeded delivery of medicines and other aid supplies to the country. Read the f…

Parliamentarians Determined to Reach ICPD 25 Goals

Johannesburg, South Africa, Aug 23 (IPS) - Politicians from Asia and Africa shared activism anecdotes demonstrating their determination to meet ICPD 25 commitments. They were speaking at a hybrid conference held simultaneously in Kampala, Uganda, and online. Read the full story, “Parlia…

Salvadoran Migrants Still Look to the U.S. to Lift Themselves Out of Poverty

SAN PABLO TACACHICO, El Salvador, Aug 23 (IPS) - The Joe Biden administration's call for undocumented Central American migrants not to go to the United States, as requested by Vice President Kamala Harris during a June visit to Guatemala, appears to have fallen on deaf ears. Read th…

UN migration agency launches $15 million appeal for Haiti

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Monday launched a $15 million appeal to support some 137,000 families affected by the deadly earthquake that rocked southern Haiti just over a week ago.  Read the full story, “UN migration agency launches $15 million appeal for Haiti”…

Eastern DRC Under a State of Siege: A Bitter Pill in North Kivu

GOMA, NORTH KIVU, DRCongo, Aug 23 (IPS) - On May 6, 2021, after a decision by President Félix Tshisekedi, a state of siege was established in Ituri and North Kivu, two provinces that are located in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and that are in the grip of endless violence.…

How to Feed the World Without Starving the Planet is a $15 Billion Question

WASHINGTON DC, Aug 23 (IPS) - A population of more than 9 billion people, hotter temperatures, decaying ecosystems and increasingly severe natural disasters. That is what our world is facing by 2050 because of climate change. Read the full story, “How to Feed the World Without Starving…