UNITED NATIONS, Sep 21 (IPS) - Sundus Azza scans the news before she heads home, checking for signs that her 30-minute commute could turn into a four-hour-long slog. Any incident could make travel difficult.

KAMPALA, BULIISA, KIKUUBE, Sep 21 (IPS) - French oil and gas giant TotalEnergies and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) are moving with pace in the development of oil and gas projects with a potential investment portfolio estimated at more than USD 15 billion. IPS looks at the project's human rights record for the compensation of affected communities.

Warning that the months-long conflict in Sudan could spill over in the region, Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan on Thursday called on the international community to consider designating the militias ravaging his country as terrorist groups “to protect the Sudanese people, the region and the world.”

At the UN on Thursday, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna declared that her country defends the principle of equality between states – “a principle that no one can or must compromise” – and supports “African solutions to crises in Africa”.

Addressing the UN General Assembly on Thursday, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Prime Minister of Nepal emphasized the importance of collective action in tackling global challenges through peaceful means and diplomatic dialogue.

The international community must move away from “power politics” by embracing the burgeoning multipolar world, with the UN at its core, the Vice-President of China said in his address on Thursday to the General Assembly.

Leaders from Pacific island nations collectively rang the alarm on the relentless march of climate change, marked by rising sea levels, extreme weather events and coastal erosion, wreaking havoc and threatening the very existence of their homelands.

The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, appealed on Thursday to the international community to protect the principles of the UN Charter, reform the Organization’s governance structures and double down on efforts to fight the climate crisis.

The President of the Central African Republic on Thursday accused Western countries of triggering a migration crisis by pillaging Africa’s natural resources and impoverishing the continent through slavery and colonization.

The head of the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees across the Middle East, UNRWA, on Thursday appealed for consistent and sustainable financing to keep its operations running and avert chronic shortfalls.