NEW YORK, June 30 (IPS) - On July 1st, USAID officially shuts down and transfers operations to the U.S. State Department. Amid growing uncertainty about the future of U.S. foreign assistance structures and funding, supply chains that deliver life-saving treatment to malnourished children worldwide have broken down, triggering a global nutrition crisis.

UNITED NATIONS, June 30 (IPS) - Tobacco kills up to half its users who don’t quit, a grim reality that highlights the urgent mission of global tobacco control. A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals that while many countries have followed the organization’s protocols to reduce tobacco use, major gaps still remain in broader implementation.

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, June 30 (IPS) - On 1 June, Mexico made history by becoming the only country in the world to elect all its judges by popular vote, from local magistrates to Supreme Court justices. This unprecedented process saw Mexican voters choose candidates for 881 federal judicial positions, including all nine Supreme Court justices, plus thousands at local levels across 19 states. Yet what the government heralded as a transformation that made Mexico the ‘the most democratic country in the world’ may turn out to be a dangerous deception.

ABUJA, June 30 (IPS) - When Stanley Anigbogu heard his name announced as the 2025 Commonwealth Young Person of the Year in London earlier in March, he could hardly believe it. He had not expected to win, especially among a pool of brilliant nominees from across the globe.

PORTLAND, USA, June 30 (IPS) - Approximately 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the world’s population, wish to leave their country permanently, while over a billion people believe that fewer or no immigrants should be allowed into their countries. This demographic struggle between the two sides over international migration is causing significant social, economic, and political repercussions for nations and their citizens.

The crisis in Gaza is worsening, UN humanitarians warned on Monday, as ongoing hostilities and access restrictions drive displaced communities deeper into despair.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is deepening at an alarming rate, a senior United Nations official warned on Monday, as Israeli military operations and attacks on civilians seeking aid continue to exact a devastating toll on lives and infrastructure.

Civilian casualties and violations in Ukraine have significantly escalated in recent months, including a sharp rise in often deadly drone attacks, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said in a report published on Monday.

More than 700,000 Afghan migrants have returned from Iran so far this year, including 256,000 in June alone, the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Monday, warning of immense pressures on Afghanistan’s overstretched support systems.

The UN’s top rights official on Monday urged the international community to confront the growing human rights implications of climate change.