KYIV, Feb 18 (IPS) - U.S. President Donald Trump and his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, have recently expressed confidence and optimism about the prospect of “ending” the war in Ukraine. No details have been made public; however, according to the new administration's vision, both sides must make concessions to achieve peace. Yet it remains unclear not only what the proposed concessions are but also how exactly the US intends to persuade the parties to compromise.

BANGKOK, Thailand, Feb 18 (IPS) - The inclusion of AI provisions in preferential trade agreements (PTAs) has been steadily rising. Since 2019, when the China-Mauritius Free Trade Agreement first mentioned AI, PTAs have progressively evolved to include elements addressing the broader implications of emerging technologies.

Feb 18 (IPS) - The author is an Afghanistan-based female journalist, trained with Finnish support before the Taliban take-over. Her identity is withheld for security reasonsFatima Mohammadi was a manager in a government office in Afghanistan’s Parwan province before the Taliban came to power. But having been forced out of her job she is back home unemployed.

WATERLOO, Ontario, Canada, Feb 18 (IPS) - History has shown us again and again that, so long as inequality goes unchecked, no amount of technology can ensure people are well fed.

PRAYAGRAJ, India, Feb 18 (IPS) - Despite a blazing sun and growing heat, Pavitra Nandagiri sits on a cot smiling. Clad in a saffron robe and headgear with her forehead painted with turmeric and vermillion, Nandagiri is a Mahamandaleshwar—one of the highest-ranking monks of the Kinnar Akhada (Transgender Arena) at the Maha Kumbh, the world’s largest religious gathering currently underway in northern India.

The reconstruction of Gaza and the occupied West Bank will require an estimated $53.2 billion over the next ten years, according to the latest Damage and Needs Assessment from the UN and partners.

Strengthening international cooperation and delivering on a UN pact that calls for reforming global governance, among other measures, was the focus of debate in the Security Council on Tuesday.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) called on Tuesday for urgent action to combat climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, warning that progress on all fronts remains slow and uneven.

The humanitarian emergency in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has deteriorated sharply with serious human rights violations and abuses, including reported summary executions of children and generalised sexual violence.

Multilateralism is a term frequently used at the United Nations, but it’s not a concept that is only relevant to the corridors and conference rooms where international diplomacy takes place.