News headlines for “Democracy”, page 19
When Taliban Shut Down the Internet, Women Lost their Lifeline to Aid, Education & Each Other
- Inter Press Service
NEW YORK, October 22 (IPS) - When the Taliban recently cut off the Internet and phone networks across Afghanistan, millions of women and girls were silenced. For those with connectivity, the blackout severed their last link to the outside world – a fragile connection that had kept education, work, and hope alive.
Foreign Agent Laws: The Latest Authoritarian Weapon Against Civil Society
- Inter Press Service
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, October 21 (IPS) - When thousands of Georgians filled the streets of Tbilisi in 2023 to protest against their government’s proposed ‘foreign agents’ law, they understood what their leaders were trying to do: this wasn’t about transparency or accountability; it was about silencing dissent. Though the government was forced to withdraw the legislation, it returned with renewed determination in 2024, passing a renamed version despite even bigger protests. The law has effectively frozen Georgia’s hopes of joining the European Union.
World Food Programme Warns of Emergency Levels of Hunger Amid Severe Funding Cuts
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, October 20 (IPS) - In 2025, unprecedented cuts to foreign aid and humanitarian funding have exacerbated global hunger crises, leaving millions without access to food or basic services. Funding shortfalls have forced aid agencies to scale back or suspend lifesaving programs in some of the world’s most food-insecure regions, particularly across the Global South—exacerbating already dire conditions caused by conflict, displacement, economic instability, and climate shocks.
They Have Known Nothing but War—The Plight of Syria’s Out-of-School Children
- Inter Press Service
IDLIB, Syria, October 16 (IPS) - The war has deprived thousands of Syrian children of their right to education, especially displaced children in makeshift camps. Amidst difficult economic conditions and the inability of many families to afford educational costs, the future of these children is under threat.
The Inescapable Reality the Israelis Must Face
- Inter Press Service
NEW YORK, October 16 (IPS) - The ceasefire agreement and the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners are only the first steps on the long and treacherous road that could end the calamitous, decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In my recent article, “A Rare Alignment: The World Stands Ready, Are the Palestinians?”
Vanishing Wisdom of the Sundarbans–How climate change erodes centuries of ecological knowledge
- Inter Press Service
BANGALORE & PAKHIRALAY, India, October 15 (IPS) - Bapi Mondal’s morning routine in Bangalore is a world away from his ancestral village, Pakhiralay, in the Sundarbans, West Bengal. He wakes before dawn, navigates heavy traffic, and spends eight long hours molding plastic battery casings. It’s not the life his honey-gathering forefathers knew, but factors like extreme storms, rising seas, and deadly soil salinity forced the 40-year-old to abandon centuries of family tradition and travel miles away to work in a concrete suburban factory.
Taliban’s New Internet Restrictions Keep Afghanistan Out of the Global Spotlight
- Inter Press Service
KABUL, October 14 (IPS) - At the end of September, the Taliban abruptly severed Wi-Fi and fiber-optic internet in Afghanistan for 48 hours without any explanation. The disruption caused consternation and suffering among millions of Afghans, especially those who depend on the internet for education and online commerce.
UNICEF Calls for Global Support to Protect Displaced and Starving Children in Haiti
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, October 14 (IPS) - New figures from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) show that displacement has surged significantly in Haiti, deepening existing security and humanitarian crises in a country where nearly 90 percent of the capital is controlled by armed gangs.
From Algorithms to Accountability: What Global AI Governance Should Look Like
- Inter Press Service
ABUJA, Nigeria, October 14 (IPS) - Recent research from Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered AI warns that bias in artificial intelligence remains deeply rooted even in models designed to avoid it and can worsen as models grow. From bias in hiring of men over women for leadership roles, to misclassification of darker-skinned individuals as criminals, the stakes are high.
Invest in Girls’ Education: Invest in Our Future
- Inter Press Service
NEW YORK, October 13 (IPS) - On today’s International Day of the Girl Child, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and our strategic partners call for substantial new funding to ensure every girl impacted by crises is able to access 12 years of quality education.
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