News stories by Tharanga Yakupitiyage, page 4

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 19 (IPS) - Modern slavery and human trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal industries and one of the biggest human rights crises today, United Nations and government officials said.

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 09 (IPS) - The international community must extend protections for Venezuelans in light of a growing humanitarian crisis with no end in sight.

Human Rights Watch has urged governments in the Americas to provide temporary protection to the millions of Venezuelans fleeing a severe humanitarian crisis.

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 08 (IPS) - It is time to rise up and fight a long neglected taboo: menstruation.

Marking International Women's Day, United Nations human rights experts called on the international community to break taboos around menstruation, noting its impacts on women and girls' human rights.

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 05 (IPS) - Over recent years, there have been shocking reports of marine endangerment and plastic pollution. The threats are clear, and now urgent action is needed more than ever.

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 02 (IPS) - As the environment continues to degrade and natural resources deplete at unprecedented rates, spelling disastrous consequences for societies, a new tool aims to bring financial institutions into the fight to protect nature.

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 01 (IPS) - In light of rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancies, governments are exploring ways to tackle taboos around condoms.

In a new study, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) reviews the availability and accessibility of condoms, hoping to dismantle potentially harmful misconceptions.

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 28 (IPS) - Human rights violations are at an all-time high in the Middle East and North Africa, and global indifference is only making it worse.

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 23 (IPS) - While news of political scandals and tweets may inundate social media feeds, numerous humanitarian crises have slipped under the radar, leaving victims "suffering in silence."

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 22 (IPS) - Globally, youth are being left behind in education and employment, threatening the future vision of sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous societies.

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 19 (IPS) - Women and girls continue to face the brunt of violence in the northern region of South Sudan with persistently high and brutal levels of sexual violence, a new report found.