Global Issues News Headlines

The Oil Market Absorbed the War Shock, but Buffers Are Running Low

2026-07-17T18:46:22-07:00

WASHINGTON DC, July 17 (IPS) - The largest disruption to the global oil market in decades should have sent prices soaring. But after spiking at the start of the war in the Middle East, crude prices soon settled in a range of $90 to $100 per barrel, much lower than many had feared. Why didn’t prices climb higher? The answer is that a combination of factors helped cushion the initial blow. But much of that room has now been used up.

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SERBIA: ‘We Are Becoming an Electoral Autocracy, a System Where the Government Cannot Lose’

2026-07-17T18:08:54-07:00

CIVICUS discusses the prospects for elections in Serbia with Rasa Nedeljkov, Programme Director at the Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability, a civil society organisation that monitors electoral processes and the rule of law in Serbia.

Read the full story, “SERBIA: ‘We Are Becoming an Electoral Autocracy, a System Where the Government Cannot Lose’”, on globalissues.org →

As Gold Prices Soar, Communities Pay the Price in Poisoned Rivers, Vanishing Forests and Organized Crime

2026-07-17T11:50:53-07:00

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, July 17 (IPS) - The sweltering heat inside a London conference hall did not deter Indigenous leader Jackeline Mendoza Díaz from condemning the sheer destruction of the Peruvian Amazon. Her voice occasionally trembled with emotion but delivered a strong message — painting a picture far removed from the glittering gold bars traded in the world’s financial capitals.

Read the full story, “As Gold Prices Soar, Communities Pay the Price in Poisoned Rivers, Vanishing Forests and Organized Crime”, on globalissues.org →

Hunger deepens for displaced families in Sudan’s El Obeid

2026-07-17T05:00:00-07:00

UN humanitarians working in war-torn Sudan on Friday highlighted rapidly growing needs among the more than 100,000 displaced people now sheltering in camps in the city of El Obeid.

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Guterres: AI must be shaped by 'all of humanity', not a handful of powers

2026-07-17T05:00:00-07:00

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday urged governments and technology companies to work together to ensure artificial intelligence (AI) benefits all countries.

Read the full story, “Guterres: AI must be shaped by 'all of humanity', not a handful of powers”, on globalissues.org →

Renewed Hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz Threaten to Compound Global Supply Chain Costs

2026-07-17T03:10:21-07:00

UNITED NATIONS, July 17 (IPS) - A continuation of hostilities within the Strait of Hormuz is once again threatening one of the world’s most critical supply chain arteries, posing another wave of disruption which could choke the global energy, shipping and commodity markets. With roughly a quarter of global seaborne oil trade transiting through the Strait, alongside significant flows of liquefied natural gas and fertilizers, further constraints on commercial traffic could send new cost pressures cascading through supply chains that have yet to absorb the full effects of the earlier conflict.

Read the full story, “Renewed Hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz Threaten to Compound Global Supply Chain Costs”, on globalissues.org →

Three years of War in Sudan: A Crisis the World Can’t Ignore

2026-07-17T03:07:54-07:00

GENEVA, July 17 (IPS) - Three years into the war in Sudan, survivors and human rights defenders are struggling to respond to overwhelming needs amid widespread violence, displacement, and limited global attention. As horrific violations and abuses intensify and those documenting them become targets, calls for accountability and sustained international engagement grow more urgent.

Read the full story, “Three years of War in Sudan: A Crisis the World Can’t Ignore”, on globalissues.org →

Taliban Use Dress Code to Justify Arbitrary Arrests of Women

2026-07-16T12:19:31-07:00

HERAT, Afghanistan, July 16 (IPS) - One morning in June, Halima (name changed), went to the market in Herat, her hometown in western Afghanistan, with her mother. She was wearing a long coat and a surgical mask covering her face. She could not have imagined that just a few minutes later she would be sitting in prison.

Read the full story, “Taliban Use Dress Code to Justify Arbitrary Arrests of Women”, on globalissues.org →

Autonomous Weapons: The Wave of the Future in Military Conflicts Worldwide

2026-07-16T08:18:26-07:00

UNITED NATIONS, July 16 (IPS) - As the international community continues to weigh the good, the bad and the deadly in artificial intelligence (AI), which is spreading far and wide with apparently no guardrails, the United Nations is taking a closer look at the impact, both positive and negative, of AI.

Read the full story, “Autonomous Weapons: The Wave of the Future in Military Conflicts Worldwide”, on globalissues.org →

Breaking the silence: Zimbabwean youth leader calls for urgent investment in mental health

2026-07-16T05:00:00-07:00

For Tanatswa Amanda Chikaura, mental health advocacy began with a personal loss: while studying psychology at the University of Zimbabwe, she learned that a fellow student had died by suicide.

Read the full story, “Breaking the silence: Zimbabwean youth leader calls for urgent investment in mental health”, on globalissues.org →