Global Issues
News headlines
Media Pluralism at Risk of Extinction in Chile
- Inter Press Service
SANTIAGO, Oct 04 (IPS) - The announcement that the La Nación newspaper of Chile is closing down has drawn the attention of journalists, analysts and opposition lawmakers to the heavy concentration of press ownership, now in the hands of only two business groups, and to the lack of regulations to ensure media pluralism.
Turkey Authorises Use of Force in Syria
- Inter Press Service
DOHA, Oct 04 (IPS) - Turkey’s parliament has authorised cross-border military action against Syria, if deemed necessary by the government.
Q&A: “The Children Take on an Artist’s Lovely Identity, from a Young Age”
- Inter Press Service
BONN, Germany, Oct 04 (IPS) - Venezuela’s youth symphony orchestras that have enamoured audiences on several continents are a social programme aimed at fighting poverty and marginalisation, more than an artistic endeavour, says the founder of the initiative, José Antonio Abreu.
Farming in Bangladesh Stays Afloat – Literally
- Inter Press Service
BAIKANTAPUR, Bangladesh, Oct 04 (IPS) - With the rains over Gopalganj district intensifying each year and much of Baikantapur village permanently waterlogged, Bijoy Kumar Sen had little choice but to abandon traditional rice farming and grow vegetables on bairas – floating islands built of straw and aquatic plants.
UZBEKISTAN-TAJIKISTAN: Souring Political Relations Damaging Human Ties
- Inter Press Service
DUSHANBE, Oct 04 (IPS) - This summer, a 32-year-old musician with Uzbek citizenship was visiting her mother in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. For the last decade, the musician has lived in the Tajik capital Dushanbe with her husband, an ethnic Uzbek, and their 10-year-old daughter.
Q&A: ‘Mismatch Between Commitments and Action on Biodiversity’
- Inter Press Service
BHUBANESWAR, India, Oct 04 (IPS) - The eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 11 CBD) approaches amidst a hailstorm of public protest against the ‘tragedy of the commons’ – the rapid loss of biodiversity in forests, oceans and indigenous community farmlands.
Abyei Region Still a Stumbling Block between South Sudan, Sudan
- Inter Press Service
JUBA, Oct 04 (IPS) - Pressure from ethnic groups along the border, security concerns, and keen interest in resources like oil and land are making it difficult for Sudan and South Sudan – the world’s newest country - to resolve their dispute over the fertile, oil-rich region of Abyei and demarcate their common border. Speaking in Turkey on Monday, Sudan’s first vice president, Ali Osman Taha, called for a referendum to resolve the issue.
Europe’s Support Crucial for Ongoing Arab Spring
- Inter Press Service
BRUSSELS, Oct 04 (IPS) - The Arab Spring is far from over. The protracted conflict in Syria continues to swallow lives while the international community, hamstrung by geopolitics, looks on; riots across the Muslim world following the release of a low-budget American movie that is disrespctful of the Prophet Muhammad resulted in the death of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens in Libya; Tunisia and Egypt continue to struggle with post-revolutionary economies; and a string of democratically elected Islamist governments has taken root in newly-liberated countries throughout the region.
Donors Must Seize 2013 Opportunity in Sahel, U.N. Urges
- Inter Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct 04 (IPS) - Reporting that the worst of the food crisis in the Sahel region of Africa appears to have been averted, the United Nations’ top official on the area, David Gressley, warned on Wednesday that the potential passing of the immediate emergency should not divert international attention from what needs to be done in 2013, which he calls a critical year for building resilience in the region.
Economic Unrest Unlikely to Alter Iran's Political Calculus
- Inter Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct 04 (IPS) - As Iran faces economic unrest, discussion is intensifying over the impact sanctions are having on Iran’s economy.
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