MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, July 7 (IPS) - When Bangladesh’s streets erupted in protest in mid-2024, few could have predicted how swiftly Sheikh Hasina’s regime would crumble. The ousting of the prime minister last August, after years of mounting authoritarianism and growing discontent, was heralded as a historic opportunity for democratic renewal. Almost a year on, the question remains whether Bangladesh is genuinely evolving towards democracy, or if one form of repression is replacing another.

NEW YORK, July 7 (IPS) - In Gabú, Guinea-Bissau, a grandmother named N’beta hesitated. Her six-month-old grandson, Seco, was healthy, so why give him medicine? But community health workers Jamilia and Amadu gently explained that the medicine wasn’t for illness, but for protection. It was part of a seasonal malaria chemoprevention campaign designed to protect children during the worst malaria transmission months — the rainy season.

The UN General Assembly on Monday overwhelmingly adopted a resolution expressing deep concern over Afghanistan’s deteriorating humanitarian, economic and human rights conditions, urging the Taliban to reverse repressive policies and ensure inclusive governance.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday warned that the environment is being attacked on all fronts and called on the international community to urgently tackle the intersection of health and climate issues.

UN humanitarians on Monday sounded the alarm over the worsening conditions in Sudan, as violence continues, and food and water remain at critically low levels.

As digital technologies rapidly reshape every aspect of society, the UN’s top human rights official has called for human rights to be placed at the centre of this transformation.

The United Nations Secretary-General has expressed deep sorrow over the deadly floods in Texas that reportedly killed at least 80 people over the holiday weekend, including more than two dozen children at a summer camp.

A United Nations volunteer from Japan has said as a teenager he was motivated by the “passion” of young people he met on an exchange programme to contribute to peace and development initiatives.

The UN Secretary-General on Saturday strongly condemned Russia’s latest wave of drone and missile attacks in Ukraine – reportedly the largest in over three years of war – warning that the strikes again jeopardised nuclear safety at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).

Within one year, a maize and sorghum cooperative of 20 members in the Central Equatorial State of South Sudan had grown to over 150 members allowing many members to boost their income and provide for their families for the first time.