Global Issues

KABUL, April 16 (IPS) - Ever since childhood, Khatera’s (not her real name) dream was to study medicine at university and become a doctor. Read the full story, “Online University Throws a Lifeline to Afghan Women Shut Out of Education”, on globalissues.org →

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 16 (IPS) - In 2018, Cape Town came perilously close to becoming the first major city in the world to run out of water. Known as “Day Zero”, it was more than just a crisis, it marked a pivotal moment. It made clear that water insecurity is not a distant threat, but an immediate reality. Read the full story, “The Cape Water Performance-Based Bond: A New Alliance for Cape Town’s Water Future”, on globalissues.org →

SRINAGAR, India, April 16 (IPS) - The Global Environment Facility, widely known as the GEF, plays a central role in financing environmental protection across the world. It supports developing countries in tackling climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, pollution, and threats to ecosystems. Read the full story, “Explainer: How the GEF Funds Global Environmental Action”, on globalissues.org →

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, April 16 (IPS) - As global shipping braces for another round of high-stakes negotiations, a volatile mix of rising fuel costs, geopolitical tensions and deep political divisions is testing the fragile consensus around a proposed Net-Zero Framework (NZF) aimed at decarbonising one of the world’s most polluting industries. Read the full story, “Shipping Industry Seeks Certainty as Experts Back Strong Net-Zero Framework”, on globalissues.org →

WASHINGTON DC, April 16 (IPS) - War is again defining the global landscape. After decades of relative calm following the Cold War, the number of active conflicts has surged in recent years to levels not seen since the end of the Second World War. Read the full story, “Wars Impose Lasting Economic Costs, While More Defense Spending Means Hard Choices”, on globalissues.org →

War in Lebanon continues amid the fragile US-Iran ceasefire amid hopes for direct talks between Israel and Beirut. Meanwhile, the UN General Assembly is debating the China-Russia Security Council veto on the crucial Strait of Hormuz crisis last month, with assembly president Annalena Baerbock saying debate must move “to action”, on stabilising the Middle East. Stay with us for live updates. App users can follow coverage here.Read the full story, “MIDDLE EAST LIVE 16 April: UN meets over China-Russia Hormuz crisis veto as Lebanon war continues”, on globalissues.org →

From election support in the Central African Republic to patrols in the disputed Abyei region, UN peacekeepers are operating in increasingly volatile environments – but shrinking resources and new threats, including drone warfare, are testing their ability to keep communities safe.Read the full story, “UN peacekeeping missions under strain as funding cuts and new threats grow”, on globalissues.org →

PORTLAND, USA, April 15 (IPS) - Who should be responsible for providing care and covering expenses for the elderly? Should it be governments, the elderly themselves, their families, a combination of the three, or a new societal arrangement? Read the full story, “Care for the Elderly”, on globalissues.org →

NEW YORK, April 15 (IPS) - Every powerful actor in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict professes to seek peace. The US and EU repeat the two-state mantra, the Arab states invoke Palestinian rights, AIPAC proclaims its defense of Israel’s security, and Israeli opposition parties promise “responsible” leadership and stability. Read the full story, “The Five Enablers of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict”, on globalissues.org →

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, April 15 (IPS) - When Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen addressed her supporters on election night on 24 March, she chose her words carefully. Losing four percentage points after almost seven years in power, she suggested, wasn’t so bad given there’s been a pandemic, a war in Europe and a confrontation with Donald Trump over Greenland. The reality was the Social Democrats had recorded their worst general election result since 1903. Meanwhile, the far-right Danish People’s Party (DPP) tripled its seat count, despite years of the Social Democrats leading a systematic crackdown on immigration to try to prevent it gaining support. Read the full story, “Denmark’s Warning”, on globalissues.org →