News headlines in 2023, page 159

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the war “has weakened the international collective security system we have all pledged to uphold”, the top UN political affairs official told the Security Council on Friday, briefing ambassdors on the current situation on the ground.

A particularly deadly week of violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory’s West Bank risks spiralling out of control, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Friday, after a “major intensification” involving Israeli airstrikes and drone attacks.

In Tunisia, “vague” legislation is being used to criminalize independent journalism and suppress criticism of the Government, UN rights chief Volker Türk said on Friday.

A Thai man has been talking about how he is able to reduce the harm caused by using the drug crystal meth thanks to a programme supported by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Thailand.

NAIROBI, Jun 22 (IPS) - The 1873 discovery of Mycobacterium leprae, the causative agent of leprosy by Norwegian doctor Gerhard Armauer Hansen, remains one of the greatest paradigm shifts in medical history, a true revolution.

MADRID, Jun 22 (IPS) - The abuse of human rights has sharply increased with the steady rise of the right and far-right parties in the wealthy industrialised countries, whose extremist ideology is now spreading faster than ever in Europe.

San Diego, California, US, Jun 22 (IPS) - The US agricultural industry has been one of the key sectors driving our country's continuous demographic and economic growth. Unfortunately, farmworkers are one of the least protected professional groups, with minority and migrant agricultural laborers suffering disproportionately higher health risks due to deeply-entrenched discriminatory policies and practices.

LONDON, Jun 22 (IPS) - The author is Executive Director of Financial Transparency CoalitionThe sanctions against Russian oligarchs who hold billions of dollars have mostly failed to have a real impact beyond freezing a few yachts and properties. So, what went wrong? Now we know.

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Jun 22 (IPS) - The wildfires raging in Canada are yet another reminder that climate change is already having an impact on all our lives. As the smoke clears around the United Nations building in New York, we are likely to see a renewed push for the UN Security Council to tackle the security risks posed by climate change, including in the upcoming New Agenda for Peace policy brief from UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Despite gains made in tackling terrorism and advancing the electoral process in Somalia, top UN officials warned the Security Council on Thursday that extra effort and funding are needed to address multiple threats, from climate shocks to spates of violence amid a looming food crisis.