Global Issues
News headlines for “Consumption and Consumerism”, page 31
UN Report Warns that Sri Lankan Government Fails to Address Entrenched Impunity and Human Rights Violations
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, August 26 (IPS) - Before his election, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake vowed to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and amend the Online Safety Act in an effort to strengthen accountability, ethical justice, and freedom of expression. However, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the government has not followed through on these commitments and continues to exploit systemic gaps that enable impunity and facilitate new abuses.
When Disasters Strike, Homes are Destroyed, Livestock Lost, Crops Fail or Local Economies Collapse
- Inter Press Service
BANGKOK, Thailand, August 26 (IPS) - As climate change intensifies, disasters like hurricanes, floods, droughts and wildfires are becoming more frequent and devastating. Rising sea levels are further threatening coastal communities, putting millions at risk. Strengthening disaster preparedness and resilience is now essential to protect lives and mitigate long-term climate impacts.
A New Non-Alignment for the Global South
- Inter Press Service
CAMPINAS, Brazil, August 26 (IPS) - The Global South had little voice, let alone influence, in shaping the economically ‘neoliberal’ and politically ‘neoconservative’ globalisation leading to contemporary geopolitical economic conflicts. Pacifist non-aligned cooperation for sustainable development offers the best way forward.
Sexual Violence Against Women, Children in War ‘Strategic’ and Growing
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, August 25 (IPS) - Sexual violence against women and children during wars should not be considered collateral damage. “It is strategy, it is systematic, and it is used more and more,” Permanent Representative of Denmark to the United Nations (UN) Christina Markus Lassen said.
Government Constructions Hit Water Recharge Area in El Salvador
- Inter Press Service
SAN SALVADOR, August 25 (IPS) - Two construction projects pushed by the government of El Salvador, in a water recharge area adjacent to the country’s capital, on the slopes of the San Salvador volcano, threaten to make the area more vulnerable and increase the risk of flooding in the city’s poor neighborhoods downstream.
The Asbestos Crisis Isn’t Over — Reversing the Ban Would Make It Worse
- Inter Press Service
SAN MARCOS, California, USA, August 25 (IPS) - For more than a century, asbestos was an indispensable fixture in the American industry, particularly the military. This versatile natural mineral was widely utilized to line Navy ships and strengthen their installations. What many were unaware of was that once damaged, asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) can release toxic fibers that could lodge in tissues covering internal organs of those exposed, where they build up over time.
Aid Funding Crisis Means Parliamentarians’ Visionary Leadership Even More Crucial
- Inter Press Service
YOKOHAMA CITY, Japan & JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, August 25 (IPS) - As funding for sexual and reproductive health rights was on a “cliff edge,” parliamentarians now needed to play a “visionary” leadership role because “financing strong, resilient health systems for all their people rests with governments,” said Dr. Alvaro Bermejo, Director General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).
Zanzibar’s Blue Economy Offers Hope Amid Rising Seas and Gender Inequity
- Inter Press Service
JAMBIANI, Zanzibar, August 25 (IPS) - At dawn on the white-sand shores of Jambiani, 45-year-old Saada Juma braces herself against the pull of the tide, wrangling ropes laced with seaweed. Her hands, hardened by decades of labor, move instinctively as she secures her aquatic crop.
UNICEF to Deliver 1.4 million Cholera Vaccines to Sudan Amid Supply Chain Breakdowns
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, August 25 (IPS) - In Tawila, North Darfur State in Sudan, more than 1,180 cholera cases, including 300 cases in children, and at least 20 deaths have been reported since the first case was detected on June 21. Tawila has absorbed 500,000 internally displaced people who are escaping violence, many of them fleeing about seventy kilometers from the state capital of Al Fasher, making this rapid surge in cases a major health concern amidst worsening hygiene, medical, and food supply chain deteriorations.
Feminist Electrification: the Power Africa Needs
- Inter Press Service
WASHINGTON DC, August 25 (IPS) - Chad is one of the most extreme examples of energy poverty, with just 10% of the population connected to electricity, a rural electrification rate below 2%, and a global per capita electricity consumption rate that’s just 18% of the global average. This hinders its economic development.
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