News headlines in 2020, page 97

VIENNA, Mar 12 (IPS) - This year marks the 50th anniversary of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and coincidentally the tenth quinquennial (five yearly) review conference is scheduled to be held at the United Nations in New York from 27 April to 22 May.

KATHMANDU, Mar 12 (IPS) - Nepal's trekking industry has been dominated by male guides, but a growing number of women are entering the profession as their reputation for reliability spreads.

MILAN, Italy, Mar 12 (IPS) - Due to the recent precautionary measures to combat the spread of the COVID19 taken by the Italian government, which will affect the movement of people in the whole country in the coming weeks, Seeds&Chips cannot take place as scheduled on May 18-20, 2020.

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 12 (IPS) - History shows that in Latin America and the Caribbean, volatility is the norm and not the exception and that the development trajectories of their countries are not linear.

PHILADELPHIA and NEW DELHI, Mar 11 (IPS) - About 15% of the world's population lives with some form of disability, of whom 2-4% experience significant difficulties in functioning. Disability is part of the human condition, and almost everyone will be temporarily or permanently impaired at some point in life, and those who survive into old age will experience increasing difficulties in functioning.

Here the focus is on empirical validation of whether disabilities are associated with economic hardships through loss of employment and consequently impoverishment in rural India. The motivation stems from continuing neglect of health in the budgetary allocations –including the allocations for 2020-21.

STOCKHOLM, Mar 11 (IPS) - There has been a significant increase in arms exports from the United States and France, according to a new report. The flow of arms to the Middle East has increased, with Saudi Arabia being the world's largest importer.

KARACHI, Pakistan, Mar 11 (IPS) - Dr. Rana Muhammad Safdar, the coordinator for Pakistan's National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication, has sleepless nights thinking about what needs to be done for his country to eradicate polio.

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 11 (IPS) - The United Nations claims it has reached one of its primary goals relating to women's rights in the world body: gender parity at senior levels of management and in the highest echelons of the Organization.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Mar 11 (IPS) - The US is currently still in a stock market bubble which, if history is any guide, is likely to end, as argued by Thomas Palley. While President Trump would, of course, like to sustain it to strengthen his November re-election prospects, the Covid19 black swan is already showing signs of pricking the bubble

ILLINOIS, United States, Mar 11 (IPS) - Institutions of higher education have a responsibility to lead by example and to provide current, high-quality information to the people and communities that support them. This responsibility is no clearer than during a public health and information crisis like the one presented by this novel coronavirus.