News headlines
Venezuela at a Crossroads
- Inter Press Service

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, February 2 (IPS) - When US special forces seized Nicolás Maduro and his wife from the presidential residence in Caracas on 3 January, killing at least 24 Venezuelan security officers and 32 Cuban intelligence operatives in the process, many in the Venezuelan opposition briefly dared hope. They speculated that intervention might finally bring the democratic transition thwarted when Maduro entrenched himself in power after losing the July 2024 election. But within hours, those hopes were crushed. Trump announced the USA would now ‘run’ Venezuela and Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in to replace Maduro. Venezuela’s sovereignty had been violated twice: first by an authoritarian regime that usurped the popular will, and then by an external power that deliberately violated international law.
To Develop a Continent, Africa Must Nourish Its Children
- Inter Press Service

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe, February 2 (IPS) - Hunger shadowed Mercy Lung’aho’s childhood, fueling her campaign to promote nutrition as a foundation for Africa’s development.
Do Resources Define the Parameters of Faith-based Engagement and Diplomacy Today?
- Inter Press Service

NEW YORK, February 2 (IPS) - Several events, meetings, consultations, initiatives, etc. taking place among faith-inspired, ‘faith-based’ and a variety of other similar efforts, over the past year, in the United States especially, concern me.
Gaza: Limited Rafah crossing reopening sparks hope – but also ‘massive trepidation’
- UN News

The re-opening of the Rafah crossing in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday after more than a year is being met with both optimism and fear, a senior official with the UN agency that assists the Palestinian people, UNRWA, has said.
Global health systems ‘at risk’ as funding cuts bite, warns WHO
- UN News

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Monday that cuts to international aid and persistent funding gaps are undermining the global health system.
Invisible highways: The vast network of undersea cables powering our connectivity
- UN News

Every day, we send countless emails, take part in video calls, use search engines and streaming services, while seamlessly banking online.
From Cape Town to London, Deo Kato runs to challenge racism and reclaim the migration narrative
- UN News

Step by step, mile by mile, Deo Kato ran his way across a continent — and beyond. After a year and a half on the road, the Ugandan British runner and campaigner has become the first person to run from Cape Town to London.
Can workers compete with machines and stay relevant in the AI era?
- UN News

AI looks set to be transformative for us all, but it also brings a real risk of job losses and widening social and economic divides. UN experts are focusing on how to manage that transition, to ensure the benefits of the technology outweigh the threats.
U.S. Exit from Paris Agreement Deepens Climate Vulnerability for the Rest of the World
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, January 30 (IPS) - On January 27, the United States officially withdrew from the Paris Agreement, an international treaty adopted in 2015 aiming to reduce global warming and strengthen countries’ resilience to climate impacts. Following a year of regulatory rollbacks and sustained efforts by the Trump administration to dismantle federal climate policy, this move is expected to trigger wide ranging ripple effects—undermining international efforts to curb climate change, accelerating environmental degradation and biodiversity loss, and increasing risks to human health, safety, and long-term development.
Business Growth and Innovation Can Boost India’s Productivity
- Inter Press Service

WASHINGTON DC, January 30 (IPS) - India’s productivity growth over the past two decades has been impressive, reflecting rapid expansion in high-value services, gradual efficiency-enhancing reforms, and scale advantages from a large domestic market.

