News headlines in 2023, page 147

ROME, Jul 10 (IPS) - There seems to be no end in sight to the war in Ukraine. On the contrary it continues to escalate. The latest ratchet up has been the decision by the USA to supply the Ukrainian army with cluster bombs. These are nasty weapons which scatter and explode over a wide area. They are specifically designed to kill people rather that destroy infrastructure, military installations or communication hubs. They also have a sting in the tail – some of the bomblets remain unexploded, effectively becoming anti-personnel mines. These can turn wide swathes of territory into virtual no-go areas.

KAMPALA, Jul 10 (IPS) - At Kampala’s Nakawa market, Lovisa Nabisubi scoops charcoal from a bag and packs it into tins ready for customers. Her bare hands, feet, and clothes are stained black from hours of dealing in this popular household fuel which some equate to “black gold” not just in Uganda but in most of East Africa.

Young adolescents in the north of Thailand have been learning about the value of family planning and other sexual and reproductive health issues, thanks to the work of a non-governmental organization (NGO) supported by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).

Government, civil society and private sector partners convened in New York on Monday by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to address the urgent need to put the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) back on track.

For almost a year, the UN-brokered Black Sea Initiative agreed by Russia, Türkiye, and Ukraine has allowed millions of tonnes of grain and other foodstuffs to leave Ukraine’s ports, playing an “indispensable role” in global food security, according to UNSecretary-General António Guterres.

A young woman in the north of Thailand has been describing how she turned her life around after turning to drugs and dropping out of school at age 15, thanks to a programme supported by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).

Transfer of crude oil from the dilapidated tanker Safer stranded off the coast of Yemen, is expected to start early next week, a senior United Nations humanitarian official told the Security Council on Monday.

Global sea surface temperatures reached a record high in May, June, and July – and the warming El Niño weather pattern is only just getting started – experts at the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Monday.

At the halfway point towards realizing the ambitious 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Member States, innovators, and influencers will gather at UN Headquarters on Monday when the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will be showcasing post-pandemic gains made in the push towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), unveiling its latest progress report.

NEW YORK, Jul 10 (IPS) - This year marks halfway towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), an ambitious agenda which set out to transform our world.

We have always known that the goals cannot be realized without the inclusion of persons with disabilities. From poverty to inequality, climate to health the promise to leave no-one behind is the bedrock of the SDG call to action.