Global Issues

Women and girls have never been closer to equality. And never closer to losing it. Read the full story, “International Women’s Day, 2026”, on globalissues.org →

BENGALURU, India, March 4 (IPS) - The ordinary sounds of Nahid Ali’s home in Khartoum were completely drowned out by the sound of war which began on April 15 2023. Her baby was just 21 days old. The morning started as any typical day for a mother who had just given birth to her baby and needed to nurse her newborn while she took care of her other children. The gunfire began to erupt. The fighting began when two groups started to battle each other in the streets. The fighting which began in her area developed into a destructive countrywide war in Sudan which spread to her street within moments. Read the full story, “Sudan: World’s Worst Humanitarian Crisis”, on globalissues.org →

KARACHI, Pakistan, March 4 (IPS) - “I was very happy to see the way Aina Wazir was playing cricket,” says 28-year-old Noorena Shams, a professional squash player, when she saw the seven-year-old’s video. The clip, which spread rapidly across social media, drew widespread praise for the young girl’s remarkable talent. Read the full story, “International Women’s Day 2026: For Girls in Pakistan’s Tribal Belt, Women’s Sports Come at a Cost”, on globalissues.org →

OAKLAND, California, March 4 (IPS) - Operation “Epic Fury” manifests an epic tantrum by President Donald Trump, supported by his sycophantic minions, with dire consequences for the people in the region, peace and security worldwide, the global economy, and the post-World War II international legal order. Read the full story, “The US/Israeli Bombing of Iran: A Case Study in Contempt for International Law”, on globalissues.org →

BOGOTA, Colombia, March 4 (IPS) - A year has passed since a 90-day freeze on U.S. foreign assistance signaled the deepening of a structural dismantling of international solidarity. Today, the “existential threat” to the freedom of association I warned of in my report to last year’s General Assembly (A/80/219) is no longer a warning; it is a lived reality. Read the full story, “The Architecture of Hope Under Siege: One Year of Global Aid Dismantling”, on globalissues.org →

Violence in the Middle East is continuing into a fifth day, with US and Israeli strikes against Iran and Iranian missile and drone attacks reported across several countries in the region. The escalating confrontation is disrupting airspace, transport and daily life while raising fears of a wider regional conflict. Follow our live coverage for real-time updates, reactions and humanitarian developments from across the United Nations system. UN News app users can follow the coverage here.Read the full story, “MIDDLE EAST LIVE: Conflict continues across region amid US, Israeli and Iranian strikes”, on globalissues.org →

As US, Israeli and Iranian strikes continued for a fifth day, a top Human Rights Council probe warned on Wednesday that Iranian prisoners including detained protesters face expedited death penalty proceedings.Read the full story, “Imprisoned Iranian protesters face ‘expedited’ executions”, on globalissues.org →

Clashes along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border have continued for a seventh straight day, with humanitarian access to affected areas still restricted, the UN said on Tuesday.Read the full story, “World News in Brief: Afghan-Pakistan border clashes latest, murder of Iraqi women’s rights activist condemned, Chile leprosy milestone”, on globalissues.org →

Sanae Takaichi’s electoral victory in February marks a historic turning point in Japanese politics. As Japan’s first female prime minister and the leader of a commanding parliamentary majority, she represents change in both symbolic and strategic terms. Read the full story, “Imagery, Algorithms, and the Ballot: What Takaichi’s Victory Says About Youth Politics in the Digital Age”, on globalissues.org →

NAIROBI, March 3 (IPS) - As the global community marks 2026 World Wildlife Day today (March 3), this year’s focus is on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods. However, beneath these celebrations, a difficult question emerges: who will bear the cost of conservation when traditional donor funding becomes uncertain and in the face of climate change? Read the full story, “Financing Africa’s Biodiversity Conservation With Dwindling Donor Support”, on globalissues.org →