Flashback to 2020 protests against a rigged election. Credit: Andrew Keymaster/Unsplash by Ed Holt Monday, February 10, 2025 Inter Press Service Feb 10 (IPS) – In the months leading up to presidential elections at the end of January, Belarus’s authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko ordered the release of hundreds of political prisoners. Some observers saw this as a sign that the …
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What is Not Good for Democracy in Peru is Not Good for Women — Global Issues
A protester holding a sign declaring the death of democracy during social protests against the authoritarian policies of Peru’s President Dina Boluarte in downtown Lima, July 2024. Credit: Walter Hupiu / IPS by Mariela Jara (lima) Monday, February 10, 2025 Inter Press Service LIMA, Feb 10 (IPS) – “We are facing a deeply conservative government that is opening the doors to …
Read More »Civilian death toll triples in one week amid escalating hostilities — Global Issues
This figure represents a threefold increase from the previous week, when at least 89 civilians lost their lives amid the ongoing hostilities.The crisis is compounded by intensifying violence in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, where a humanitarian catastrophe looms, according to the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami. Escalation of violence This week, the conflict has intensified as …
Read More »Global forum suggests fresh ideas for 21st century UN peacekeeping — Global Issues
“Our thinking should be grounded by the fact that we have more conflicts today than at any time since World War Two and by the evolving nature of conflict,” said Catherine Pollard, UN Under-Secretary-General for Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance, in her opening remarks to the two-day meeting held 4 and 5 February. “We are seeing an increase in conflicts …
Read More »Forcing Palestinians Out of Gaza is A Recipe for Unimaginable Disaster — Global Issues
Much of Gaza has been destroyed in the current conflict. Credit: UNICEF/Eyad El Baba, February 2025 Opinion by Alon Ben-Meir (new york) Friday, February 07, 2025 Inter Press Service NEW YORK, Feb 07 (IPS) – Even after Trump declared that he wanted to take back the Panama Canal, acquire Greenland by force, if necessary, and rename the Gulf of Mexico to …
Read More »WFP, FAO Warn of the Severity of the Climate Crisis and Food Insecurity — Global Issues
An infant and young Child Feeding Nutrition programme in the Sidama region of Ethiopia, which has been considerably affected by climate-induced disasters. Credit: UNICEF/Bethelhem Assefa by Oritro Karim (united nations) Friday, February 07, 2025 Inter Press Service UNITED NATIONS, Feb 07 (IPS) – Over the past few years, climate shocks have become more frequent and have devastated economies and agriculture systems, …
Read More »Chemical weapons watchdog hits reset button in Damascus, following productive meetings — Global Issues
In a press release on Saturday the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said Director-General Fernando Arias and his team had met interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and caretaker Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, at their invitation – drawing a line under “11 years of obstruction” by the Assad regime, which was driven from power in early December. The …
Read More »After years of conflict, Timor-Leste turns peacemaker — Global Issues
Timor-Leste’s road to peace has not been easy. In 1976, not long after Indonesia became independent it invaded the eastern part of the island of Timor, formerly a Portuguese colony. An unhappy period of occupation, punctuated by violent repression, followed until 1999 when, with the support of the UN, the small Asian nation embarked on the path of self-determination. The …
Read More »A Sham Election That Fools No One — Global Issues
Credit: Sergei Gapon/AFP via Getty Images Opinion by Andrew Firmin (london) Friday, February 07, 2025 Inter Press Service LONDON, Feb 07 (IPS) – Alexander Lukashenko will soon begin his seventh term as president of Belarus. The official result of the 26 January election gave him 86.8 per cent of the vote, following an election held in a climate of fear. Only …
Read More »A Lifeline for Afghan Girls Amid Taliban Restrictions — Global Issues
Women vanish from public life under Taliban rule. Credit: Learning Together. Friday, February 07, 2025 Inter Press Service The author is an Afghanistan-based female journalist, trained with Finnish support before the Taliban take-over. Her identity is withheld for security reasons Feb 07 (IPS) – Since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021, girls and women have been systematically banned …
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