An Israeli military operation in Rafah “could lead to a slaughter” and cripple lifesaving humanitarian work throughout Gaza, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, said on Friday.

BERLIN, Germany, May 03 (IPS) - The year 2024 seems to be a year of big decisions. The European Parliament elections in June and the US presidential election in November… politics and the media are talking of a showdown between democracy and disinformation. Add the elections in Russia and India to that and almost half of the world’s population will be casting their vote this year.

SANTIAGO, May 02 (IPS) - The drinking water supply in the southern island of Chiloé, one of Chile's rainiest areas, is threatened by damage to its peatlands, affected by sales of peat and by a series of electricity projects, especially wind farms.

HYDERABAD & MONTREAL, May 02 (IPS) - In a world faced with habitat loss and species extinction, climate change, and pollution, it’s crucial that countries develop their national action plans and create a society that lives in harmony with nature, says David Cooper, Acting Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), in an exclusive interview with IPS.

Friday marks World Press Freedom Day and UN Secretary-General António Guterres is highlighting an uptick in violence faced by journalists covering environmental issues, which has made the profession increasingly dangerous.

The Palestinian journalists who have been covering the devastating war in Gaza were named winners of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize on Thursday.

As protests continue in Georgia over a proposed draft law on curbing foreign influence, UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk on Thursday urged the authorities to shelve the controversial bill and engage in dialogue.

The ongoing year-long war in Sudan continues to spread across the country, and now El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, is surrounded by armed fighters amid the systematic burning of entire villages, escalating air strikes and blocked aid deliveries.

Camels, long known as the ships of the desert, have played an important role helping the UN from as early as the 1940s in driving up global vaccination rates and delivering lifesaving aid.

Afghanistan’s first woman breakdancer, a Cameroon-born British boxing champion, and a literal shooting star from Venezuela are among the members of the Refugee Olympic team competing at the Paris Games, which begin in July.