UNITED NATIONS, Feb 20 (IPS) - In the western world, numerous studies over the past two decades have shown that the rise of social media in popularity has been linked to negative mental health symptoms, especially among young people. Platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), and TikTok have been criticized for fostering competitive and toxic environments, which contribute to higher rates of anxiety, cyber-bullying, depression, disordered eating, and low self-esteem. While the use of social media in the Global South has skyrocketed in the late 2010s, the ramifications on people in those regions has received much less coverage in mainstream media.

NEW YORK, Feb 20 (IPS) - When the Arab states convene an emergency session in Egypt to address Trump’s/Netanyahu’s plans to take over Gaza and exile the Palestinians, they must warn Trump that acting on this plan will usher in a catastrophic conflagration that could engulf the entire Middle East.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Feb 20 (IPS) - Leaders of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are meeting in Bridgetown from Feb. 19-21, as the world grapples with multiple crises, including escalating geopolitical conflicts, climate change and rising food insecurity.

Language is one of the distinctive features that makes us human, and a new book supported by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) aims to encourage children to reflect on its importance.

The international system set up among the ashes of the Second World War which established the United Nations and other multilateral institutions is now facing the “greatest test since its creation,” the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator said on Thursday.

Accelerating economic recovery is critical to reverse Syria’s decline and restore stability, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said in a report published on Thursday.

The UN Secretary-General on Thursday condemned the “parading” of coffins earlier in the day containing the bodies of dead Israeli hostages by their Hamas captors, describing the manner of the handover in Gaza as abhorrent.

The iconic multi-hue ceilinged UN Human Rights Council chamber in Geneva got a generational make-over when it turned the venue over to young artists and changemakers in a lively celebration of social justice.

The recent attack on a UN patrol in the Central African Republic (CAR) which resulted in the death of a Tunisian peacekeeper, underlines the constant dangers facing peacekeepers from armed groups there, the head of the UN mission (MINUSCA) told the Security Council on Thursday.

Escalating violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has continued to uproot thousands more people to neighbouring countries where they face dire conditions without many basic necessities, UN humanitarians said on Thursday.