Global Issues

UNITED NATIONS, April 9 (IPS) - On April 8, Israeli military forces launched the deadliest series of airstrikes on Lebanon since hostilities escalated in early March, resulting in the deaths of at least 254 civilians. This latest incident threatens to further complicate humanitarian efforts in Lebanon that are already under immense pressure. Read the full story, “Humanitarian Response in Lebanon ‘Under Significant Strain’ after Wednesday Airstrikes”, on globalissues.org →

UNITED NATIONS, April 9 (IPS) - In 2025, at least 326 humanitarians were recorded as killed across 21 countries, bringing the total number of humanitarians killed in three years to over 1,010. We recognise, grieve and honour each of our 326 colleagues, and commit the work ahead to their memory. Read the full story, “Over 1,000 Humanitarian Workers Killed Distributing Food, Water, Medicine & Shelter”, on globalissues.org →

VICTORIA, Seychelles, April 8 (IPS) - We live in a century of extraordinary achievement.Humanity has split the atom, mapped the genome, and sent astronauts to the Moon, with plans now underway to reach Mars. Our knowledge has expanded, our tools have become more powerful, and our capacity to shape the world around us exceeds anything previous generations could have imagined. We communicate instantaneously across continents, diagnose diseases earlier, monitor climate patterns in real time, and design artificial intelligences that can aid in everything from medicine to climate modelling. Read the full story, ““Humanity at the Edge of Its Own Humanity””, on globalissues.org →

GARISSA, Kenya , April 8 (IPS) - In 2006, Amina Saida was only two years old when her parents moved to the Dadaab refugee camp in northern Kenya, near the border with Somalia. Read the full story, “Stateless at Home: Kenyan Somalis Struggle to Reclaim Citizenship from Refugee Records”, on globalissues.org →

After nearly 40 days of intense hostilities across the Middle East – marked by rising civilian casualties and widespread damage to critical infrastructure – a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran has been announced. While the UN Secretary-General has welcomed the move as a step toward a broader peace, reports of continued Israeli strikes and mass casualties across Lebanon underscore the fragility of the situation. Stay with us for live updates. App users can follow coverage here.Read the full story, “MIDDLE EAST LIVE 8 April: US-Iran ceasefire announced; strikes continue in Lebanon”, on globalissues.org →

At least 326 humanitarians were killed in the line of duty across 21 countries during 2025, bringing the total killed over three years to over 1,010. The International Red Cross warned the Security Council on Wednesday that “we are losing our humanity in war.”Read the full story, “Over 1,000 humanitarians have been killed in three years, Security Council hears”, on globalissues.org →

The United Nations has strongly condemned airstrikes by the Israeli military across Lebanon on Wednesday which have resulted in significant casualties and destruction. Read the full story, “Hundreds feared dead in Lebanon strikes”, on globalissues.org →

The announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran, will it is hoped, lead to the opening of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which one fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes.Read the full story, “Iran ceasefire raises hopes for reopening key Strait of Hormuz”, on globalissues.org →

APEX, North Carolina / SAN FRANCISCO, California, April 8 (IPS) - Let the race begin! April 1st was the deadline for candidates to be nominated for Secretary-General. Was it a coincidence that the deadline was April Fool’s Day? Judging by the quality of the official candidates, we suspect so. Read the full story, “The Race Is On: Who Will Be the Next UN Secretary General?”, on globalissues.org →

PORTLAND, USA, April 7 (IPS) - As stated in Hamlet, “Thou know’st ’tis common; all that lives must die, Passing through nature to eternity.” Although death is inevitable for all living beings, human mortality, which is expected to reach approximately 64 million individual deaths worldwide in 2026, is not evenly distributed across populations. Read the full story, “Inequalities in Human Mortality”, on globalissues.org →