News headlines in July 2024, page 19

BANGKOK, Thailand, Jul 11 (IPS) - World Population Day on 11 July provides an excellent opportunity to take stock and look ahead regarding population issues that are affecting all aspects of society in Asia and the Pacific.

SÃO JOÃO DA BARRA, Brazil, Jul 10 (IPS) - With barely 10 years in operation, the port of Açu is now the second in Brazil in cargo transport and seeks to become an industrial and energy transition hub. But so far it has contributed little to local development, causing environmental and social damage.

The UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday reiterated its deep concern over the crisis in Myanmar, amid reports of widespread abuses by the military and opposition armed groups, including forced conscription of Rohingya community members and their use as human shields.

The UN and its partners are offering support to Ukrainian authorities as they address the impact of the deadly Russian airstrikes in Kyiv and other cities earlier this week, the UN aid coordination office (OCHA) reported on Wednesday.

Israel’s order for people to leave Gaza City on Wednesday “will only fuel mass suffering for Palestinian families", many of whom have been displaced multiple times, the UN relief coordination office, OCHA, has warned.

The United Nations has announced a regional response plan to support communities in the islands worst affected by Hurricane Beryl, which swept through the Caribbean last week, leaving a trail of devastation.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Wednesday that it has prequalified the first self-test for the hepatitis C virus (HCV), thus accelerating efforts towards elimination of the viral infection.

Did you know that producing a computer weighing two kilogrammes (kg) requires a staggering 800kg of raw materials? Or that the energy required for data mining for bitcoins reached 121 terawatts last year – more than the amount consumed by most small countries?

Amid reports of intensified heavy shelling in north, central and southern Gaza, the head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, confirmed on Wednesday that schools-turned-shelters have been “bombed-out” as a result of the latest escalation.

Jul 10 (IPS) - CIVICUS discusses the exclusion of women from international talks on Afghanistan currently being held in Qatar with Sima Samar, former chairperson of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC). The AIHRC is the Afghan national institution devoted to the promotion, protection and monitoring of human rights. Its status is now a matter of contention: on returning to power, the Taliban decreed its dissolution, but the AIHRC refuses to abide by the decision due to the illegitimate nature of the Taliban regime.