Global Issues

NAIROBI, April 14 (IPS) - Over 800 households in Ikolomani Constituency in Kakamega County, Western Kenya, fear eviction to pave the way for a British firm, Shanta Gold Limited, to begin extracting gold valued at Sh683 billion ($5.29 billion) on an estimated 337 acres of residential and agricultural land. Read the full story, “Civil Society Launch a Campaign Against Extractive Industry Exploitation and Land Grabs”, on globalissues.org →

COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh, April 14 (IPS) - While global attention right now is on escalating geopolitical tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, another crisis continues quietly in Bangladesh. Read the full story, “Why the Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh Need Work, Not Just Rations”, on globalissues.org →

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, April 14 (IPS) - Trump 2.0 has been marked by the blatantly aggressive exercise of power to secure US interests as defined by him. While many recent trends even predate his first term, his reduced use of ‘soft power’ has exposed his bullying, extortionary use of US power. Read the full story, “Trump Rips off Velvet Glove from Mailed Fist”, on globalissues.org →

Syria has made “remarkable progress” on transitional justice within the past year, raising hopes for accountability and recovery after more than a decade of civil conflict.Read the full story, “‘Now is the moment to invest’: Syria needs global backing, says UN expert”, on globalissues.org →

As Israel and Lebanon prepare for talks in Washington, the UN Secretary-General has urged both sides to use all available diplomatic avenues to end hostilities and advance the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701. At the same time, uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz continues to raise concerns over global trade and food security. Meanwhile, the humanitarian toll remains severe, with women and children among those hardest hit by the conflict. Stay with us for live updates on developments on the ground, humanitarian impacts and ongoing diplomatic efforts. App users can follow the coverage here.Read the full story, “MIDDLE EAST LIVE 14 April: Civilians suffer as uncertainty and tensions persist”, on globalissues.org →

CIVICUS discusses recent regressive changes to Argentina’s labour laws with Facundo Merlán Rey, an activist with the Coordination Against Police and Institutional Repression (CORREPI), an organisation that defends workers’ rights and resists state repression. Read the full story, “ARGENTINA: ‘Under the New Law, Workers Have No Real Scope to Defend Their Rights’”, on globalissues.org →

BANGKOK, Thailand, April 13 (IPS) - As the Pacific recovers from a severe cyclone season and Asia braces for the monsoon, flood readiness has become a defining test of sustainable urban development. Read the full story, “From Flooded to Future Ready: Why Asia Pacific Cities must Become ‘Sponges’”, on globalissues.org →

SYDNEY, April 13 (IPS) - A rising cycle of poverty and extreme weather threatens many towns and cities, especially those situated on coastlines, in the Pacific Islands. Urban centres in the Pacific have grown at an unprecedented rate this century, rapidly straining national resources for urban planning. But governments are now making progress on improving people’s lives in the informal settlements that dominate the urban sprawl in some of the region’s largest cities. Read the full story, “Informal Settlements Grapple With Climate Extremes in Pacific Islands”, on globalissues.org →

The United States and Iran must continue talks aimed at ending their weeks-long war, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday, underscoring that there is no military solution to the conflict. Read the full story, “US-Iran war: Guterres calls for continued talks, end to ceasefire violations”, on globalissues.org →

As Sudan’s war moves into a fourth year, civilians are still being killed, displaced and subjected to widespread sexual violence, the UN’s top humanitarian official in the country warned on Monday, calling for urgent action to stop the fighting and protect civilians.Read the full story, “Sudan: Top UN aid official warns of ‘abandoned crisis’ as war enters fourth year”, on globalissues.org →