Global Issues

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, “<em> International Women’s Day 2026: </em> 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 →

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 →

MANILA, Philippines, March 3 (IPS) - Communities globally are increasingly exposed to overlapping threats. Extreme weather, health emergencies and cyberattacks are occurring more frequently and simultaneously, often interacting in ways that amplify risks and strain response systems. Read the full story, “How do we Navigate Asia-Pacific’s Climate-Cyber Polycrisis?”, on globalissues.org →

UNITED NATIONS, March 3 (IPS) - As the build-up for a proposed “new world order” continues, a lingering question remains: will the country with the most powerful military reign supreme? Read the full story, “A New World Order Where Might is Right”, on globalissues.org →

UNITED NATIONS, March 3 (IPS) - Across the world’s fragile borderlands where insecurity, climate stress, and marginalization intersect, communities often find themselves on the frontlines of violent extremism. Yet these same communities also hold the greatest potential for peace, when given the confidence, tools, and opportunities to shape their own future. Read the full story, “How UNDP & Global Partners are Tackling Root Causes of Violent Extremism in Ghana’s Borderlands”, on globalissues.org →

Secretary-General António Guterres told the inaugural meeting of a new independent group of experts on Artificial Intelligence convened by the UN that they have a huge responsibility to help shape how it is used “for the benefit of humanity”.Read the full story, “‘The world is looking to you for clarity’, UN chief tells AI experts”, on globalissues.org →

From delivery couriers compelled to follow the demands of online platform algorithms to content moderators who confront pornography and death every day while training artificial intelligence (AI) systems, the impact of new technologies on working conditions is becoming increasingly obvious.Read the full story, “How AI is already reshaping working conditions”, on globalissues.org →