The UN human rights chief Volker Türk has described the unbearable suffering of former detainees under the deposed Assad regime and insisted that he stands with the people of the war-torn nation as they “rebuild a country that works for all Syrians”.

The world continues to grapple with unprecedented challenges but there are reasons for cautious optimism in 2025 - on a long-awaited Gaza ceasefire, climate action, tackling inequaity and harnessing AI for the public good - Secretary-General António Guterres insisted on Wednesday.

HARARE, Jan 14 (IPS) - Across Africa, economic transformation and development are being fuelled by two significant streams of funding: remittances and philanthropy. Both play vital roles, but as the situations evolve in many African countries, one truth becomes increasingly clear – remittances are emerging as a more sustainable, dignifying force compared to traditional philanthropy.

Jan 14 (IPS) - A regime built on terror, ruled by fear and sustained by foreign proxy forces crumbled in less than a fortnight. In the end, the foundations of the House of Assad (1970–2024) rested on the shifting sands of time. In the good ol’ days, despots could retire with their plundered loot into comfortable lifestyles in Europe’s pleasure haunts. No longer. The reverse damascene expulsion has seen the Assads scurry to safety to Moscow.

UNITED NATIONS, Jan 14 (IPS) - 2024 was a transitional period in Haiti’s history, marked by rampant political instability, brutal gang violence, and widespread civilian displacement. Since the eruption of hostilities in March 2024, the Caribbean nation has been in a state of emergency. In response, the United Nations (UN) Security Council approved The Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission in Haiti to assist the Haitian government in deposing gang activity and restoring order. However, the support mission has been largely ineffective as gangs continue to seize more areas in Haiti.

BRATISLAVA, Jan 14 (IPS) - Humanitarian aid operations in some places may become impossible in the future, experts have warned, as a new report shows a dramatic rise in the use of armed drones in conflict zones.

BULAWAYO, Jan 14 (IPS) - Neglected indigenous crops, rich in nutrition and resilient to climate change, are key to tackling global hunger only if governments invest in research and development (R&D) to tap the potential of such innovations.

SAN FRANCISCO, USA, Jan 14 (IPS) - A few days before the end of 2024, the independent magazine +972 reported that “Israeli army forces stormed the Kamal Adwan Hospital compound in Beit Lahiya, culminating a nearly week-long siege of the last functioning hospital in northern Gaza.”

The UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls has welcomed a ruling by a federal district court in the United States that reaffirms sex-based protections in education.

The UN aid coordination office (OCHA) on Tuesday reported further attacks on displacement shelters in Gaza which have been ongoing since 9 January.