Global Issues

BRIGHTON, UK, March 17 (IPS) - A massive expansion of AI-enabled surveillance of public spaces across Africa is violating citizens’ freedoms and the fundamental human right to privacy, warns a new report by the Institute of Development Studies. Read the full story, “Rapid Rise of Smart City Surveillance Tech Across Africa to Spy on Citizens”, on globalissues.org →

UNITED NATIONS, March 17 (IPS) - The 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) has brought together global leaders, gender equity advocates, and youth representatives at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters to advance efforts to strengthen mechanisms for justice, equality, and representation for women and girls worldwide. With challenges particularly pronounced in conflict zones, this year’s priority theme —“ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls — focuses on repealing discriminatory laws and addressing persistent structural barriers that prevent women and girls from being fully heard, represented, and treated equally. Read the full story, “At CSW70, Advocates Warn Conflict Is Deepening Barriers to Justice for Women and Girls”, on globalissues.org →

The crisis in the Middle East continues to intensify, with strikes and counter-strikes reported across the region and the humanitarian toll rising. UN agencies warn that health systems are under growing strain, children are increasingly affected by violence and displacement, and hundreds of thousands of people have been forced from their homes. Despite mounting logistical and security challenges, UN agencies are scaling up emergency aid as the conflict’s impact spreads across the region and beyond. Stay with us for live updates from across the UN system. App users can follow coverage here.Read the full story, “MIDDLE EAST LIVE 17 March: Crisis impact ripples across region”, on globalissues.org →

LONDON, March 16 (IPS) - Once again, global oil prices are spiking, driven by the Israeli-US war against Iran. With Iran retaliating by attacking infrastructure and transport hubs and blocking the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil passes, oil supplies from the region are being choked, pushing up prices. The cost of a barrel of Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – stood at US$73 before the conflict but has surged beyond US$100 since. It could go higher still as war continues. Read the full story, “Oil Shocks, Political Upheaval and the One Solution Governments Keep Ignoring”, on globalissues.org →

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, March 16 (IPS) - At dawn, the Ruvuma River moves quietly through a vast wetland along the border between Tanzania and Mozambique. Its muddy waters appear calm, disturbed only by drifting logs and the occasional ripple. Read the full story, “Tanzania, Mozambique and Malawi Launch $7.12 Million GEF Project to Protect the Ruvuma Basin”, on globalissues.org →

BANGKOK, Thailand, March 16 (IPS) - Access to adequate housing is a foundation of resilient cities. Safe and affordable homes provide stability, allow residents to access essential services, and enhance the capacity for communities to withstand and recover from shocks. Yet housing is often treated as a downstream outcome of urban development or disaster recovery rather than as a strategic investment in resilience. Read the full story, “Housing as Climate Resilience in Asia-Pacific Cities”, on globalissues.org →

ABUJA, Nigeria, March 16 (IPS) - The Aba Women’s Riots of 1929 remain one of the most powerful demonstrations of Nigerian women’s collective resistance. Thousands of market women, farmers, traders, and mothers mobilized across districts in the then Eastern Nigeria to challenge colonial taxation and the extension of warrant chiefs’ authority over their lives. They organized without formal structures and without institutional support. Read the full story, “Nigeria: Lessons from the Aba Women’s Riots for Today’s Women’s Movements”, on globalissues.org →

Relentless drone strikes across Sudan’s Kordofan and Darfur regions are causing civilian casualties and further restricting humanitarian access, the UN warned on Monday.Read the full story, “World News in Brief: Deadly drone strikes in Sudan, families killed in West Bank, Ukraine casualties update”, on globalissues.org →

The Sawyers from Australia were never really interested in volatile investing. As their retirement age approached, the idea of a low-risk investment for their pension seemed attractive. But one day, after clicking on a seemingly legitimate online advert that offered a reasonable risk-averse plan, they unlocked a process that would lead them to lose over $2.5 million.Read the full story, “Deepfakes, voice cloning and weaponised AI: Global wake-up call to organised fraud”, on globalissues.org →

Haiti remains mired in a multidimensional crisis marked by weak institutions, political uncertainty, widespread gang violence and overwhelming humanitarian needs, but a recent new agreement by political groups offers “a moment of hope and progress for the Haitian people”, according to the UN’s most senior official in the Caribbean country.Read the full story, “‘Hope’ for Haiti’s political future as some 300 groups reportedly register for upcoming elections”, on globalissues.org →