SEATTLE, Washington / SAN DIEGO, California / AUSTIN, Texas, May 26 (IPS) - As the world confronts escalating climate impacts, biodiversity loss, and ocean degradation, islands stand as critical test cases—not just as sites of vulnerability, but as living laboratories of resilience, restoration, and innovation. Too often, they are framed as victims of global circumstances, awaiting salvation from external forces.

Myanmar’s spiralling human rights crisis – fuelled by relentless military violence, systemic impunity and economic collapse – has left civilians caught in the crossfire of an increasingly brutal conflict, according to a new report by the UN human rights office (OHCHR).

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for an immediate end to the daily killings and destruction in Ukraine, following a weekend of deadly attacks that left at least 14 civilians – including three children – dead and dozens more injured across the country.

An inclusive education programme in Lebanon is getting top marks from teachers and students, especially children with disabilities who are often the most marginalised.

Alcoholic drinks, especially beer and spirits, may raise the risk of pancreatic cancer, a new UN study has found.

After another deadly weekend of Israeli attacks in Gaza, aid teams stressed once again on Monday that the “trickle” of supplies being allowed into the war-torn enclave will not halt famine.

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) has deplored a deadly wave of Russian missile and drone strikes that reportedly killed at least 13 civilians and injured 65 others, warning that the attack underscores the grave risks of using powerful explosive weapons in populated areas.

More than 25,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in northern Mozambique in recent weeks, as conflict and a series of disasters fuel a worsening humanitarian crisis – one that risks deepening as vital relief operations face a severe funding shortfall.

SAINT PAUL, Minnesota, May 23 (IPS) - As the United States lurches toward isolationism and authoritarianism, its political problems are now bleeding into pocketbook anxieties that Trump's policies will torpedo economic growth, both domestically and globally.

UNITED NATIONS, May 23 (IPS) - Since 2000, the United Nations (UN) recognizes May 22 as the International Day for Biological Diversity, in hopes of promoting international cooperation and conversation surrounding biodiversity issues. Through the 2025 theme; Harmony With Nature and Sustainable Development, the UN seeks to increase public awareness around biodiversity loss and promote progress in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).