The United Nations has reiterated the importance of dialogue as US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin prepare to meet on Friday in Alaska, with Ukraine top of the agenda.

The international push for consensus on a legally binding deal to end plastic pollution proved beyond the grasp of weary UN Member States meeting in Geneva on Friday, as they agreed to resume discussions at a future date.

UNITED NATIONS, August 14 (IPS) - More than four years since Covid-19 upended the world, the question of how it began remains unanswered. Did SARS-CoV-2 originate from animals to humans naturally, or did it accidentally escape from a laboratory? The World Health Organization’s latest report offers little new clarity and raises serious concerns about international cooperation and scientific transparency.

SYDNEY, August 14 (IPS) - Fiji, a nation located west of Tonga in the central Pacific, is renowned for its natural beauty and beach resorts. But for 38 years it has endured a political rollercoaster of instability with four armed coups that overturned democratically elected governments and eroded human rights.

ABUJA, Nigeria, August 14 (IPS) - Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping the world at a speed we’ve never seen before. From helping doctors detect diseases faster to customizing education for every student, AI holds the promise of solving many real-world problems. But along with its benefits, AI carries a serious risk: discrimination.

UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon have uncovered rocket launchers, mortar rounds and other unauthorized weapons, while the country grapples with a severe drought, threatening millions with life-threatening water shortages.

At least 27 refugees and migrants were drowned in a shipwreck near the southern Italian island of Lampedusa on Wednesday, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).

Dr. Younis Awadallah, a paediatrician who is almost 70 years old, does not hesitate to say that “humanitarian work cannot be retired.”

As hunger and malnutrition deepen in the Gaza Strip, humanitarian missions continue to face delays and impediments, while scorching temperatures are adding to the suffering of the population.

Sexual violence in conflict zones rose sharply in 2024, increasing by a quarter compared to the previous year, the UN reported on Thursday. More than 4,600 survivors endured abuses used as weapons of war, torture, terrorism and political repression.