OneClimate.net has launched a new interactive TV channel that allows people across the world to watch the Copenhagen climate conference live on their computer. The channel will feature breaking stories, an opportunity to interact with experts, as also crowd-sourced and crowd-distribution system to ease out participation from people worldwide.
New findings are pointing towards the fact that average global temperatures are on course to rise up to dangerous six degree Celsius. It is therefore mandatory for world leaders to take urgent action to curb CO2 emissions, says the lead author of the report.
The three-day UN summit on world food security wrapped up in Rome earlier this week. The host country has lamented that the high profile summit failed to produce either measurable targets or specific deadlines for ending a scourge that afflicts more than 1 billion people around the planet.
US and Chinese presidents have expressed their desire to tackle climate change. President Obama wants next month's talks in Copenhagen to produce something more than "an agreement to have an agreement" at a future date.
A new report has predicted that carbon dioxide emissions globally are set to drop because of the slowdown in economic activities. The report however cautions that that the dip could be very short-lived, given the strong link between emissions and economic activity.
UN chief lays out steps to save billions from hunger at the inaugural ceremony of the World Summit on Food Security in Rome. Leaders are drawing up comprehensive measures to combat hunger that is now gravely exacerbated by climate change and population growth.
Millions of babies are born each year the world over, who are not granted any birth certificates. The fact that they are never registered deprives them of vital education and healthcare facilities, leaving them vulnerable to abuse.
At the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, world leaders announced on Sunday morning that a legally binding deal on climate change would be impossible to achieve at the climate change summit in Copenhagen next month.
Two new reports have concluded that it is possible to ensure food security, if right kinds of policies are pursued. These reports by FAO and International Food Policy Research Institute document many success stories across the globe.
Brazilian scientists have improved upon existing techniques of sequestering carbon that absorbs industry-produced carbon dioxide before it reaches the atmosphere. The secret lies in half-centimetre ceramic spheres.
Ahead of World Summit on Food Security, international companies, the Italian city of Milan's administration and UN food agency met to discuss the issue. The FAO director-general emphasised on the need for private investments in primary agriculture and other services such as storage and processing.
On November 1 tropical storm, Typhoon Mirinae, ravaged Manila and the nearby northern provinces in the Philippines, leaving at least 20 people dead and thousands displaced, including women and children. It’s a region that still remains flooded from three earlier back-to-back storms.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation yesterday called for a day-long global hunger strike ahead of next week’s World Summit on Food Security. This has been done to draw attention towards the planet’s one billion people facing starvation.
Despite good global cereal harvests this year, millions of people in dozens of poor African countries are in desperate need of emergency humanitarian aid due to soaring food prices. This was revealed in a new report released by FAO.
A global advocacy initiative launched by UNIFEM in Kenya aims to stop violence against women. The campaign will encourage and stimulate actions such as advocating for legislation, volunteering and donating funds for programmes that protect women.
Scientists in Kenya are optimistic that current technology and funding can help eliminate malaria by 2017. To meet the target, the country needs to strengthen its health systems, develop effective medicines and build human resource capacity.
US President Barack Obama's hopes of achieving landmark US health reforms have received a big boost after approval by the House of Representatives. Hailing it as “historic, he said that the sweeping reforms would see healthcare coverage extended to 36 million more Americans.
People world over are disenchanted with free market capitalism, says a new BBC global survey. Those surveyed in 27 countries – both developed and developing – have said that there is a need for regulating businesses and distributing wealth evenly.
The world's religions have a crucial role to play in the fight against global climate change, UN chief said earlier this week characterising the battle against global warming as a "moral" issue. He was co-hosting an inter-faith gathering of religious and secular leaders in London.
Palestinian women continue to be denied basic human rights by Israeli settlers and soldiers in the occupied territories. They are facing discriminatory treatment, sexual harassment and assault despite Israel being signatory to the UN Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
The US-sponsored global technology and innovation fund will invest million of dollars in projects that will promote technological development and innovations in the Muslim-majority countries. Critics, however, say that the real intention is to get more access to the huge market in these countries.
Scientists have announced that they are on the threshold of inventing a malaria vaccine. Researchers, however, are skeptical of Africa’s readiness to make use of it, where most of malaria-related deaths happen.
The latest update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species shows that globally 17,291 species out of the 47,677 assessed ones are facing extinction. Its biodiversity conservation group has said that scientific evidence of extinction crisis is only mounting.
Renowned French anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss has died at the age of 100. He has been one of the most influential French intellectuals of the 20th century, known for founding the structuralist school of anthropology in the 1950s.
A global plan to prevent and control pneumonia, the leading killer of children, has been launched jointly by UNICEF and WHO. The two UN agencies say more than five million children can be saved over next six years if a comprehensive plan to tackle the disease is adopted worldwide.
Senior UN officials have urged the rich countries to commit deeper cuts in GHG emissions as climate talks open at Barcelona. Chief UN negotiator has said that the time is running out and the world is not yet ready to come up with a new deal to fight climate change.
Thousands of people participated in the running festival in Bangkok last week. The event was organised by the UN to raise awareness about the need to curb the spread of H1N1 flu pandemic.
Southeast Asia's newly constituted inter-governmental human rights body has come under fire over its terms of reference as well as its ability to have any impact on human rights in Myanmar. Critics say its handling of the country seriously undermines the credibility of the organisation.
UN officials have pointed out that soaring food prices have driven many post-conflict countries to the brink of collapse. Top officials have requested the international community to show real commitment to help the poor and conflict-ridden countries recover from financial and food crises.
The issue of food security and hunger goes far beyond inadequate food production. The inequalities in distribution and consumption must be removed in order to provide food to the starving millions in the world.
If global warming were to be halted to a permissible limit, future global climate change treaty must limit the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million (ppm), and not 450 ppm. But lawmakers say the goal, however desirable, is not feasible.
Genetically modified techniques will help crops survive harsher climates, as populations grow and global warming worsens, says a report by Royal Society. Critics says that the report’s focus on GM crops ignores mounting evidence that this technology is destroying communities and making climate change worse.
The Trento Charter aims to redefine international cooperation with a new vision. The document has recently been presented in a press conference with reflections on the Stand Up campaign and the forthcoming Copehagen summit.
The food crisis in Uganda is taking its toll on the fight against HIV/AIDS. Those living with the dreaded disease are beginning to reduce their dosages of antiretroviral drugs, as these are harmful if taken empty stomach.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon has spelled out his four benchmarks for the success of Copenhagen summit. Countries of the world will be converging later this year in the Danish capital to ‘seal the deal’ on a new climate change agreement.
Among European Union countries, Bulgaria has lowest press freedom ranking, according to the annual report released by Reporters Without Borders. It has also found that European democracies such as France, Italy and Slovakia are falling steadily in the rankings year after year.
In a new report, a UN human rights expert said that state control over
economic activities, abuse of power and recent nuclear tests were preventing international aid in DPR Korea. WFP fears millions of people are going hungry due to these international restrictions.
In the largest anti-poverty mobilisation, more than 173 million citizens gathered at the Stand Up events around the globe last weekend, setting a new Guinness world record. Asia took the lead with 101 million, accounting for more than half of the global number.
At a recent pre-election conversation in the Philippines, three women legislators were asked: What difference do women in politics make? With elections scheduled to be held in May next year, meets like these are being organised in an effort to enable young women to understand the role they can play in a political set up.
Failure of monsoon for four consecutive seasons has left the trail of drought, hunger and disease not only in Kenya, but throughout the Horn of Africa. Some 24 million affected people are in urgent need of humanitarian aid.
Africa’s leaders are all set to make legal history by adopting a new instrument to assist people displaced within the borders of their own countries. This is going to happen 40 years after the rights of the continent’s refugees were enshrined in a landmark convention.
Before runaway climate change becomes almost inevitable, the world has to start a low carbon industrial revolution, says a new report commissioned by global conservation group WWF. The report calculates an extra $17 trillion would need to be invested up to 2050.
Action Aid in a new report has said that close to one billion people in the world are suffering from hunger and malnutrition. While the NGO has praised China and Brazil for successfully bringing down these numbers through community initiatives, India has been ranked low in the report.
The 2009 Global Hunger Index released by International Food Policy Research Institute shows alarming levels of hunger and malnutrition across South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. The study finds that economic downturn has severely affected purchasing power in low-income countries resulting in under-nourishment and high child mortality rates.
First case of cancer cells crossing the placental barrier has been confirmed after a baby was born to a woman with leukaemia. Failure of the infant's immune system to recognise foreign cells has established that in rare cases cancer can be transmitted in the womb.
Around the world millions of children are deprived of proper education due to poverty or war. BBC’s Katya Adler meets children in Gaza whose schooling has been repeatedly interrupted by conflict.
The world will require 70% growth in farm production to feed the projected population of 9.1 billion in 2050. "Never say never again", was the general consensus at a two-day expert meet on how to feed the world, organised earlier this week by the FAO in Rome, Italy.
Fighting against all odds, Mongolia has endeavoured to provide quality education to its diverse social groups. The UN feels that the campaign has met with considerable success even in the face of the current economic crisis and problems of rising population.
Civil rights groups are pressing President Barack Obama to come out openly in support of gay and lesbian community in the United States. Visible changes are needed especially in the military that has so far simply followed a ‘don't ask, don't tell’ policy in this regard.
As the Copenhagen summit draws closer, tussle between negotiators from the developing and developed world is getting intense. There appears to be no consensus over international commitments to slash greenhouse gas emissions.
To have enough food to feed the world population, projected to be over nine billion by 2050, a net investment of $83 billion a year in agriculture will be needed in developing countries. This estimate has been provided by FAO.
Malawian teenager William Kamkwamba dropped out of school due to poverty and went on to build a generator out of a bicycle and tractor fan. Today he is being lauded as genius by environmentalists.
Managing scarce fresh water resources and mitigating the effects of rising sea levels must become the top priority of the government in Egypt. The country’s Delta region is going to face a natural disaster of massive proportions by 2020 unless urgent action is taken.
Addressing a global forum in Geneva, UN chief has pointed out the significance of ICTs in building awareness and creating opportunities to address climate change. Using mobile phones and networking tools can help accelerate progress towards a green economy.
A new UNICEF report has said that children around the world are experiencing fundamental infringements of their human rights, and suffering physical and psychological harms that have wide-reaching effects.
One of the world's largest freshwater fish has not been sighted in China for past three years and is believed to be on the verge of extinction. It is feared the Chinese paddlefish may meet the fate of the Yangtze river dolphin.
Rescue and recovery operations are underway in the tsunami-hit South Pacific islands of Samoa and American Samoa. Hundreds of civilians have been injured and their homes destroyed.
A new report says tribals in Australia and Canada are vulnerable to swine flu due to poor health and poverty. The report follows as body bags were sent to native Canadians in Manitoba who have plead the government to send medicines instead.
A new study says Zambia's climate could bring losses of more than US$4 billion in agricultural income in the next ten years, making hundreds of thousands of people food insecure.
Southeast Asia has become a hotbed for commercial sexual exploitation of children due to the global economic downturn. Experts are of the view that governments are failing to do enough to protect young people.
While inaugurating a three-day conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, ADB chief Haruhiko Kuroda urged governments in the Asian region to think of expanding social safety nets that could both protect the poor and help spur economic growth. Asia is now beginning to recover from the global economic crisis.
The Philippines has recently witnessed the worst flooding in decades. International aid agency Oxfam says the US leadership must push forward the UN climate change talks in Bangkok to help secure a global climate treaty in Copenhagen.
At the second day of the Pittsburgh summit, the G20 has vowed to ensure a stable world economy by reforming bank regulations and tackling climate change. The leaders also agreed to provide more voting powers to developing countries like India and China at the IMF for securing their domestic economies.
A team of American and Thai researchers has achieved a major breakthrough in developing an experimental HIV/AIDS vaccine. Conducting a clinical trial on more than 16,000 volunteers in Thailand, scientists found the risk of infection reduced by almost one-third.
As per the figures released by the UN Millennium Campaign, poor countries will face a shortfall of $33 billion in aid delivery if the G20 fails to commit resources. The Campaign has urged world leaders meeting at Pittsburgh to prevent further indebtedness.
Amnesty International’s new report reveals that Sierra Leone has one of the highest maternal death rates in the world. As world leaders meet in New York to discuss increased funding for healthcare, the human rights body has launched a campaign to reduce maternal mortality in the impoverished country.
More than 35 million people globally suffer from dementia, according to UK based Alzheimer’s Disease International. A report, released on September 21 on the sidelines of World Alzheimer’s Day, notes that treatment and care costs are rising fast in low and middle income countries.
As the G20 summit takes off in Pittsburgh today, Japan and China have pitched strong actions to combat climate change. Meeting earlier this week at the UN headquarters, two of the world’s largest emitters pledged to take measures like mandatory national targets and increased use of renewable energy.
UNAIDS and the Millennium Villages Project, together with local governments in African countries, have joined hands to curb mother-to-child HIV transmission. In 2007, there were 370,000 cases of such transmissions in Sub-Saharan Africa in comparison to less than 100 in the whole of Western Europe.
Israel’s construction of trap wells is siphoning water supplies from the aquifer before they reach Gaza. The recharge rate of the aquifers has also been severely affected due to fewer rains, attributable to climate change.
Experts say that diverting waters of the Red Sea by Jordan to save the shrinking Dead Sea can adversely impact the environment. However, inaction can also lead to economic and human catastrophe.
The World Bank’s report for 2010 has called on the developed countries to provide leadership to global efforts to cut carbon emissions. However some civil society groups are highly skeptical of its role in brokering climate finance.
A long-awaited new UN agency is likely to be created by the middle of next year to deal exclusively with gender-related issues. Currently there are four UN entities for women but they all lack political power and financial stability.
A new UNCTAD report released ahead of the G20 meet at Pittsburg, US, later this month, calls upon the leaders to take corrective actions to open trade markets. Despite signs of recovery, the global recession may continue to fuel restrictive trade, the report also notes.
Dr Norman E. Borlaug, the man credited with spectacular success in increasing food production worldwide, died Saturday night at the age of 95. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his ground breaking advances in agricultural practices, which later also came under attack from environmentalists.
It is Arabic hip-hop with a dash of tradition and patriotism. A new generation of Palestinian artistes is hoping to reach out to the youth by rapping on issues that are real and matter.
New data reveals a continued drop in the rate of deaths of children below age five, attributed to greater access to malaria bednets and vaccinations. Yet three countries – India, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo continue to be responsible for 40% of all deaths.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon has called for ridding the world of nuclear weapons and bring disarmament back on the global agenda. He has expressed his deep concern about the military spending that stands at US$ 1 trillion, saying that over-spending on arms is destabilising societies.
Climate advisors to the UK government have warned that if the country’s aviation industry is to go grow there is a need to upwardly revise emission cut targets for other sectors of economy. They have also suggested an agreement capping global aviation emissions at the Copenhagen climate change meet later this year.
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s new report has predicted a bleak future for the world economy. The study released yesterday has blamed excessive financial deregulation for the current crisis.
Experts say there is a need to look at the rising population and climate change in an integrated manner. They were deliberating on these pressing problems at a forum on sexual and reproductive health and development held in Berlin recently.
The global economic crisis may have adversely affected many sectors of the US economy but its arms market has grown significantly, says a new Congressional study. The world’s most powerful country inked deals worth $37.8 billion in 2008 or 68.4% of all business in the global arms bazaar.
Glaciers along Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru are melting at an unprecedented rate due to climate change. In a region known for its tropical rainforest, the disappearance of its fragile glaciers calls for reduced use of fossil fuels.
Moving beyond the household drudgeries, women in a village in Laos, a small landlocked nation in Southeast Asia, have found new channels to hone their weaving skills. A local non-profit organisation provides them small loans to produce hand-woven textiles, trains them in business planning and product marketing.
A major land reform programme undertaken in South Africa is failing due to lack of ‘vision’. Under apartheid most of farmland was in possession of the white population, which the government has been trying to reverse.
On a recent visit to the Arctic Circle, the UN chief Ban Ki-moon appealed to the world to seal an equitable and balanced deal at Copenhagen in December. Ban witnessed the alarming state of local glaciers that are being impacted by global warming faster than any other area.
This super tree has nitrogen rich leaves that shed during the early rainy season to fertilize the soil and crops. It also acts as a hardy windbreak and cuts erosion by making the soil absorbent.
A Dutch organisation’s programme on afforestation has caused massive displacement of indigenous people in Uganda. In an attempt to offset forest emissions, the tree-planting project has evicted mountain dwellers depriving them of land and livelihoods.
Setting stricter targets like other rich nations, Indonesia aims to bring down its emissions by 40%. For a country that stands next to the US and China in greenhouse gas emissions, experts advocate reforestation and preservation of peatland as a cost-effective strategy to achieve the goal.
In spite of a constitutional mandate, the budget allocation on education is far lower than required in the Philippines. The impact of economic crisis and the pressures of increasing population are forcing parents to send their wards to overcrowded and ill-equipped public schools.
The College Bound Sisters programme in the University of North Carolina aims to avert teenage pregnancy with an incentive of a ‘Dollar a Day’. One-third of young women in the US become pregnant in their teens and more than 80% of these pregnancies are unintentional.
For a variety of cultural reasons, China has always been short of human organs for transplantation. A new government donor system will target the hesitant Chinese to donate their organs; currently body parts are extracted from executed convicts.
Years of political conflict and mismanagement have brought the healthcare system on the verge of collapse in the Palestinian areas, says a new WHO report. Israelis are preventing humanitarian aid to enter the region and their attacks on clinics have destroyed medical infrastructure.
A new study says that the UN has underestimated financial burden of global warming and puts the figure at US$ 300 billion, three times more than the UNFCCC estimates. The study says that many hidden factors were not taken into account.
With another African country, Burundi, ratifying the Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty, the southern hemisphere has been declared free of nuclear weapons. The treaty brings an end to the unauthorised use and exploitation of the large uranium mines in the continent by the militant outfits and developed countries.
An article published in a newspaper in Peru last year has been selected as the ‘most racist article’, making it win the Survival International award as part of its 'Stamp it Out' campaign. The article had advocated bombing of Peruvian Indians with napalm.
Experts say that phasing out of “super greenhouse gases” – hydroflurocarbons or HFCs – as stipulated in the Montreal Protocol will do far more for climate protection than any other treaties of the past and future. It is considered as the most successful environmental treaty ever.
Life has never been easy for poor Kenyans but failed rains have made the food crisis even more acute. The WFP has warned of desperate conditions, the worst in a decade, and the country's urgent need of aid to feed its hungry.
The African Union Commission has sought billions of dollars in compensation from the developed countries for global warming impact. As the head of recently formed delegation, Ethiopia will spearhead the negotiations on Africa’s development aspirations and climate change negotiations in Copenhagen.
Renewed clashes between the army and rebels have created a difficult atmosphere for aid workers in the northern Yemeni governorate of Saada. UN agencies working under strict vigilance have sought a coordinated response to help the displaced cope with the growing food problem.
Indonesia’s archaic abortion law forces many women to terminate pregnancy through illegal means, contributing to the highest mortality rate in the region. Demanding improved family planning services, rights groups are calling for an amendment in the law to protect women from unsafe practices.
Around 365 giant wind turbines will be installed in the deserts of Kenya creating the biggest wind farm in Africa. Reeling under energy crisis, the continent is exploring the potential of wind and solar energy to meet growing demands from rural areas and businesses.
To push nations reach a fair and just climate deal by the year end, over 800 young people gathered last week in Daejeon, Republic of Korea. The UNEP now plans to educate the youth about the upcoming Copenhagen conference in the coming months through a series of events and rallies.
Commemorating the first World Humanitarian Day, UN expressed sadness over increased violence and danger faced by aid workers across the globe. Remembering the victims of 2003 Baghdad bombing, the international body assured greater assistance in safeguarding the rights of both the victims and aid workers.
Decades of civil war in Angola took a massive toll on the country’s school infrastructure and created shortage of trained teachers. With the government trying to rebuild the destroyed schools, the situation is now slowly improving.
A new UN report highlights a protracted humanitarian crisis due to the ongoing Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip since June 2007. The blockade traps 1.5 million people and is causing immense human suffering as vital services remain disrupted.
Delayed rains in southern Sudan have precipitated the fear of food insecurity in the country. Aid workers and government officials have warned of a major hunger gap in coming months.
Demand for a world free of nuclear weapons is once again gaining ground. Next month the UN Security Council will be discussing the issue of nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament in a special session, where the US president Barack Obama is expected to provide a high profile political platform.
A new UNAIDS report, released yesterday in Bali, has estimated that 50 million Asian women carry the risk of infecting HIV from their husbands. In Asia, national plans and programmes have yet to focus on the female partners of men with high-risk sexual behaviours.
A top UN climate change official has put the cost of combating climate change at roughly US$ 300 billion a year. It includes the expenditure that is to be incurred both on mitigation and adaptation.
Asia-Pacific’s biggest challenge in coping with HIV/AIDS lies in reaching out to the neediest in times of financial crunch, noted health experts at the ongoing international AIDS conference in Indonesia. Before the meltdown, the region had made major headways in expanding access to treatment to those living with HIV and AIDS.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon in his message on the International Day of the Indigenous People has called for swift action to find solutions to the problems of the world’s earliest settlers. This marginalised group suffers disproportionately from low health standards linked to poverty, malnutrition and environmental contamination, he said.
British prime minister Gordon Brown has urged several governments of the world to consider making healthcare free. His government’s Department for International Development (DfID) has pledged to spend £6bn by 2015 in developing countries.
An estimated 30,000 people are struggling to rebuild their lives since the five-day war which erupted between Russia and Georgia a year ago. According to Amnesty International, ethnic Georgians who have managed to return, lack basic services and suffer hardship from the de facto borders established after the conflict.
Poor health of women in Niger makes them incapable of feeding their newborns. Despite attempts to create awareness on the benefits of breast milk, many mothers lacking nutrition are forced to feed their infants water.
A new tuberculosis vaccine developed in South Africa has been found to be effective in the second stage of clinical trial. TB is a major problem among adults in Africa, who may also be infected with HIV. The current BCG vaccine has failed to protect adults from the TB bacterium.
Incessant rains have caused flooding in Philippines’ southern island of Mindanao, leaving nearly half a million homeless. Extensive damage of crops and public infrastructure has been reported from the region which witnessed heavy fighting between army and the Muslim rebels last year.
Researchers in the central Moroccan region are introducing new agricultural techniques that increase production while reducing water usage. With a combination of early sowing and use of new variety of seeds that need less water, farmers have not only learnt to fight drought but also increased their yield manifolds.
In a joint letter to Cambodia's prime minister and health minister, more than 100 international organisations and experts have urged the government to urgently address dangerous conditions in a de facto ‘AIDS colony’. They also asked for immediate action on improving the living conditions of infected people and their families.
Chinese authorities are reportedly harassing human rights lawyers and firms. Described as the country’s social conscience, the groups and individuals being targeted in the crackdown have helped families with babies sickened by toxic milk formula and raised the profile of marginalised sections.
In support of global fight against hunger, the European Union has offered additional US$ 105 million assistance. The aid is likely to help developing countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Central America increase their investment in agriculture, as also cope with high food prices and unemployment problems.
Accountability in governance is the central concern of a recent UNIFEM report on the Philippines. It argues that to bring about gender equality the government ought to be answerable for all its actions and responsible enough to take corrective measures whenever it fails to fulfill its commitment.
Nicaragua’s total ban on abortions is endangering the lives of girls and women. Amnesty International’s new report says that it is denying them life-saving treatment, preventing health professionals from practicing effective medicine and contributing to an increase in maternal deaths across the country.
A brave act by a 10-year-old girl, Nojoud Ali, who defied child marriage, has changed the course of history in Yemen. A common practice since ages, almost half of the female population gets married before 18, resulting in one of the highest maternal and neo-natal mortality rates in the world.
The UN Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, celebrating three decades of its existence, identified some modern problems that leave deep impact on the lives of women. Large-scale trafficking, unemployment, cutback in salary and diseases due to the economic downturn affect the development of women and calls for immediate action.
Iraq has been referred to as history's fertile crescent, where lush farmland and abundant water once gave rise to civilization. Today it is not even a shadow of its glorious past and resembles a dusty desert where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers crawl sluggishly towards the sea.
British Environment Agency has announced that a plan is underway to take back tonnes of unsafe waste from Brazil. Domestic rubbish, technological products and toxic waste left at the ports violate the convention on the movement of hazardous waste that may lead to contamination of the soil.
Food security of millions of people is being affected due to extensive changes in the ecosystem of Mekong river and its tributaries in China, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. A series of dams in these countries - and also those under construction or planning, are displacing thousands of indigenous people.
The lure of easy money in times of declining work conditions is leading to trafficking of women into the entertainment sector, says a new UN report. The report notes a majority of such women are in debt, making them vulnerable to violence and control by the lenders.
A solar power project funded by international aid groups in northern Ethiopia has turned around the lives of villagers. Providing electricity in rural area had long been a challenge for African governments, as villages were often difficult to connect to the national grid.
A new UN report has revealed that there has been a rise in trade of small arms globally. Misuse of weapons can have detrimental effects on stability and development in post-conflict regions, warns the report.
Efficient crop production practice adopted in Zambia is helping farmers achieve sustainable growth, maintain permanent soil cover and reduce crop vulnerability to hazards. The wide practice of conservation agriculture is also averting food crisis and climate change risks.
Scientists have discovered that the Reston Ebola virus could mutate in pigs to become a dangerous health threat. Currently there are no vaccines yet for humans or animals against this virus - originally named after the Ebola river in Congo where the first outbreak occurred in 1976.
In partnership with oil giant Exxon Mobil, gene scientist Craig Venter has announced plans for next-generation biofuels from algae, which will be less harsh on environment. The scientist has claimed that once developed the new biofuel will require no modification in engines of cars and planes.
UN health experts have noted that all countries will be requiring immunisation against the influenza A(H1N1), popularly known as swine flu. According to the World Health Organisation, over 94,000 people have been tested positive so far that includes 429 reported deaths.
In Mauritania, men have always used tradition and Sharia law to maintain their domination over women. An NGO has been trying to educate rural women and slum dwellers in the country’s capital Nouakchott as well as running a micro-credit scheme through cooperatives to empower them.
A new project called ‘River of Life’ is underway in Cambodia to prevent contamination of river water. In a country where only 16% of rural population has access to proper toilets, open defecation has become a serious health hazard.
At the end of the Italy summit, the G8 countries pledged $20 billion in aid to boost food supplies. Rich nations have a 'moral obligation' to help the poor ones, said US President Barack Obama but aid agencies point out most of the agriculture investment will not be new funding.
A survey has revealed that eight women die every day in Madagascar due to lack of access to proper medical care in birth-related complications. A new drug has been introduced in the country to prevent gastric ulcers that is found to be the major cause behind high maternal deaths.
Four of the world's poorest nations are among the top 12 countries are on the climate change hit-list, says the World Bank. While Malawi may experience more intense and frequent droughts, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Sudan are at the highest risk of facing flooding, sea level rise and food crisis respectively.
Substantial differences remain among the leaders of G8 and G5 on issues of climate change with regard to funding, technology transfer and target setting for carbon emissions. G5 leaders have also asked the groupings of industrialised nations to find solutions to international problems without compromising the interest of poor countries.
There are many misconceptions about contraceptives and other family planning measures in Kenya. In view of hostility faced by community health workers from men accusing them of ruining families, authorities have now adopted a broader approach to ensure male participation.
UN human rights experts have called upon the Iranian government to allow independent scrutiny of the mass arrests of hundreds of protestors during the presidential elections last month. A statement issued questions the legality of the arrests and notes the possible risk of enforced disapperances.
Financial crisis, climate change and rising food prices are three key challenges affecting the progress on the MDGs, says a new UN report. Drawing attention to worsening poverty in the developing world, experts strongly recommend developed nations not to compromise with their aid commitments.
The UN Millennium Campaign expects that the G8 leaders, during the summit to be held in Italy, would be able to clearly spell out a schedule for the delivery of aid that they had committed to poorer nations. Developing countries are facing a serious resource crunch due to the ongoing economic crisis.
Hunger caused by climate change may be the defining human tragedy of this century, argues the latest report by Oxfam. As global leaders prepare for the G8 summit this week, the report criticises rich nations for lack of action and ambition needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
French Institute of Demographic Studies in its new research has revealed that the proportion of elderly people is rising faster in the developing world. Governments in these countries need to urgently start social security schemes for the senior citizens.
Women constitute about 70% of the total workforce engaged in agricultural activities in the entire Sub-Saharan Africa. A new project will use community theatre to spread awareness about the needs of women agriculturists to help them increase their production and earnings.
A new WHO study has revealed that HIV-positive babies who received the BCG vaccine against tuberculosis were three times more likely to contract the infectious disease. Medical experts have raised concerns over the complications among the vaccinated kids.
There are an estimated 200 million migrant workers today in the world, of which about 150 million are the most vulnerable due to the current global financial crisis, says the UN. Decreasing remittances are affecting not just the living conditions of migrants but also their families back home.
Ever since a socialist president, Michelle Bachelet, has assumed power in Chile, she has steadfastly pursued health system reforms in her country. She has tried to bring in policies with a gender perspective.
Very little is known about how people are coping with climate change in rural areas, especially in developing countries where three out of four persons live in villages. Sparse coverage of adaptation has implications for the world's poor, who are in most need of such information.
In Syria, one of the asylum countries, for Iraqi refugees, women and girls are the most vulnerable lot, due to absence of right to work. Economic desperation and coercion are forcing them to take up sex work against their will for survival.
Neda was her name and it means ‘voice’ in Persian. The day she succumbed to a bullet injury during a protest rally against the presidential election, that was allegedly won by fraudulent means, she truly became the voice of Iranian dissent.
A recent survey revealed schools in the Vietnamese capital had shockingly failed in meeting basic sanitation facilities. The absence of toilets or the fear of unhygenic ones are negatively affecting students' health and their studying ability, it noted.
With estimated one million cases of swine flu in the US alone, the virus is showing no signs of letting up. In Middle East, the number of cases is also growing with many new suspected and confirmed cases reported in the past few days.
Contrast the figure of two trillion dollars dispersed for poverty alleviation over last 50 years with 18 trillion that the world has spent in last one year in bailing out banks and other financial institutions. Obnoxious it may sound but it is enough to explain the priorities of governments.
In the run-up to Copenhagen summit meeting in December, Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute has said that crop and livestock research should be urgently pursued to help overcome hotter temperatures, drought and new diseases. It further says improved agricultural practices have the potential to mitigate global warming.
At a high-level meet of the UN held early this week, participants discussed conflict-related sexual violence in peace processes and peace accords. Women’s rights advocates stressed on the need for addressing the issue of violence against women during peace negotiations to secure the dignity and freedom of women.
The UN has launched a campaign to pressurise world governments to ‘seal the deal’ in Copenhagen later this year based on a “fair, effective and scientifically ambitious new climate framework”. Its chief has warned that there is a lot of work to do but not a lot of time.
According to the latest World Bank report an unprecedented decline in global output, trade and private capital flows is slowing down economic growth. Experts say that with the continuing downturn, poor countries will be hard pressed to meet their external financing needs which could adversely affect the MDGs.
New estimates by UN food agency suggest that this year number of people going hungry everyday is going to reach 1.2 billion. It has warned that this silent hunger crisis is posing a serious threat to peace and security world over.
Before a crucial UN summit meeting, a coalition of international NGOs, comprising mostly women’s rights groups, has called for a ‘gender equitable’ response to the financial crisis. These groups are demanding that the world body should play a leadership role in shaping the new global development and financial architecture.
Increasing violence against women refugees in camps has left them defenceless and insecure. UN agency for refugees urges the international community to keep building pressure on oppressive regimes and provide more financial assistance to ensure the rights and dignity of displaced women.
According to the latest annual World Refugee Survey by the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants released in Washington earlier this week – Gaza, South Africa and Thailand are among the world's worst places to seek refuge. Mass exodus, forcible detention in camps and trafficking make their lives miserable.
Discriminatory laws and policies have made the lives of migrants vulnerable by limiting their access to treatment and therefore exposing them to HIV infections. In a newly released report, Human Rights Watch calls on all stakeholders to work jointly in providing internal and international migrants with adequate healthcare.
At the ongoing biennial session on disaster risk reduction, UN representatives have recommended governments to increase investments in sound and sustainable disaster risk reduction measures. Millions of people have lost their lives and property in the past few years due to weather, climate or water-related calamities.
Top UN officials have urged countries to maintain and strengthen their commitments to tackle HIV and AIDS. They warn that slashing resources now, notwithstanding the global economic downturn, could mean greater costs and suffering in the future.
A new report jointly prepared by Caritas Internationalis and CIDSE, the network of Catholic development and relief agencies, says technologies helpful in adapting to challenges of flooding and desertification should immediately be implemented. It rues that international community is not doing enough to transfer and implement adaptation technologies.
A new study by the Global Campaign for the Health Millennium Development Goals reveals that efforts to reduce maternal and newborn deaths have not met enough success. It highlights practical ways to scale up spending to improve health of women and children in developing countries.
A new WHO study says that half of 1.27 million people who die in road accidents every year are pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists. While road traffic death rates in many high-income countries have declined, research suggests such deaths are increasing in most regions of the world.
Hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been elected as president of Iran for yet another four-year term in a controversial election. With his victory, hopes for reforms in domestic and foreign policy of the country have suffered a huge setback.
New scientific research suggests that climate change is taking place faster than expected. At a forum on climate change, called by the Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE),
environmental experts have presented a bleak picture for future.
At a time when millions of people are starving in Somalia, thousands of sacks of food item, bearing the WFP logo and meant not-for-sale, are being sold in main markets. The UN has launched an enquiry into the fraud.
At the UN climate change talks in Bonn, it has been felt that there is a need to devise an environment vulnerability index. With the big money expected to come from the Adaptation Fund, it is important to develop a method to prioritise funding.
A new report by UN University’s Institute for Environment and Human Security, CARE International and Columbia University’s Center for International Earth Science Information Network has warned that displacement due to global warming can be unprecedented. It estimates that there may be 200 million environmentally-induced migrants by 2050.
Foreign investors and governments are grabbing agricultural land the world over – particularly in Asia and Africa – jeopardising the future of farmers and overall food security. The International Food Policy Research Institute has estimated that millions of hectares of farmland has been subject to transactions.
Military spending worldwide registered a record high in 2008, according to a Swedish think tank. The idea of 'war on terror' driven by US invasions in Afghanistan and Iraq and the surge in Russian and Chinese defence expenditures provided a justification for countries to spend heavily on armaments.
UN-HABITAT and UNIFEM have joined hands to make the world cities free of violence against women and girls. By running campaigns for attitudinal change, providing adequate street lighting and safe transportation, women’s freedom to mobility and participation in public life can be ensured.
US President Barack Obama’s speech in Cairo last week is being seen as a welcome departure from Bush’s ‘clash of civilisations’ approach. But he has also been blamed for essentialising Islam, ignoring the large differences that exist among Muslim believers themselves.
With Bonn climate talks entering their final phase, the UN has urged
for a deal that would minimise humanitarian suffering. To help protect the vulnerable sections from climatic shocks, it is being emphasised that the new emissions agreement must take a practical approach.
Last week hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Hong Kong to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Tiananmen massacre. In 1989, the Chinese government had brutally crushed the democracy protests in 1989.
In deeply conservative West Asia, Lebanon has the reputation of a liberal country and yet its women married to foreigners cannot pass citizenship to their children. As the country gears up for a change of guard, activists are rallying hard for an amendment to the discriminatory nationality law.
The Barometer, a global public opinion survey drawn from 69 countries released last week by Transparency International, has revealed that the private sector uses bribes to influence public policy, laws and regulations. It shows that the poorest families continue to be punished by petty bribe demands.
With more than 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions linked to agriculture and land use, it has become essential to focus on this sector. A new report from Worldwatch Institute and Ecoagriculture Partners outlines major strategies to remove carbon from the atmosphere.
Clean technologies the world over attracted US$ 140 billion last year, overtaking the total investments on fossil fuels like gas, coal and electrical power. Although Europe is still the main centre for green power, countries like India and China are also fast catching up.
According to a new Global Peace Index, there is an obvious correlation between the ongoing economic crisis and the declining peace. In comparison to last year, the world today is witnessing more violent demonstrations with governments becoming less tolerant towards human rights.
FAO has said in a policy brief at the ongoing Bonn climate meet on climate change that sustainable farming practices can offer important options for mitigation and increase agricultural productivity. It says this in turn will help reduce hunger and poverty.
Unprecedented sea level rise may drive small islanders to unfamiliar locations, leaving them to struggle with a lost identity. A new policy document claims that by 2050, there could be 200 million climate refugees.
Delegates from 182 nations have gathered in Bonn, Germany, to initiate discussions on post-Kyoto Protocol regime. The negotiations will form the basis for the UN-backed climate change deal that is expected to be clinched in Copenhagen later this year.
Everyday the poorest countries end up paying millions of dollars to the world’s richest nations in debt repayment. The Jubilee Debt Campaign has called for immediate cancellation of US$ 400 billion debt to help these economies fight devastating effects of the global recession.
The number of unemployed worldwide could rise up to 230 million, says ILO’s new report. With economic crisis deepening at an unprecedented pace, the international labour body has called for an emergency global jobs pact placing employment creation and social protection at the heart of recovery policies.
The US Senate approval to the 108-billion-dollar fund for the IMF has been severely criticised by civil society groups. Expressing concern over the conditions imposed by the international donor body on low-income countries, opponents say the move may force poor nations to employ contractionary policies.
As Iran prepares to elect its new president next month, a range of civil liberties issues have come to the fore from juvenile executions to the freedom of expression. Under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s presidency, the country has become more intolerant and has frequently pursued clampdown on dissidents, human-rights activists and journalists.
The UN forum on indigenous people has expressed its concerns over the possible violation of the rights of aboriginal people due to increased infrastructural activities in and around their habitats. The body has called upon the governments to protect them through appropriate policies, regulation and adjudication.
Amnesty International’s latest annual report says that millions of people are facing insecurity and indignity due to the global economic crisis and their protests are being met with repression. The report has warned that the rising poverty can trigger instability and mass violence.
If there is one activity that has single-handedly destroyed the marine life, it is fishing. Experts, however, say with proper management of fisheries, oceans can still be made much more productive in the future.
Though Ecuador has been importing genetically modified soybeans and corn for food processing for more than a decade, it has not allowed the cultivation of such crops. Critics say President Rafael Correa’s recent proposal for modification in the legislation will make poor farmers dependent on big companies for seeds.
Prompted by the rise in fuel prices and threats like climate change, food prices will increase again, says a new UN report. To avert another crisis in Asia and the Pacific, it recommends farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices and avoid over-intensive cultivation.
Increased movement of alien species induced by climate change is destroying natural systems in developing countries. Biodiversity experts warn that local natives face a risk of extinction due to competition for food, habitats and resources.
Calling it a grave threat to regional peace and stability, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly deplored Democratic People's Republic of Korea’s latest underground nuclear test. The Security Council has begun drafting a new resolution against this violation of international law.
On the first day of World Business Summit in Copenhagen, business leaders and shareholders have raised the demand for clearer carbon emission rules to meet the future challenges of global trade. UN chief has cautioned participants that a failure in taking action on climate change may result in a catastrophe.
The world has miserably failed in delivering on its promise of halving HIV infections among newborn babies by 2010, as it gets reflected in the fact that 900 babies are born everyday with AIDS virus. Yet in a ‘conspiracy of misinformation', governments are triumphantly claiming to be making progress.
In a deeply impoverished country like South Africa, banning child labour more than ten years ago has only added to the miseries of families looking for additional source of income. The vacuum left by greater adherence to the law has not been filled by education or extracurricular activities.
American President Barack Obama has announced new fuel and emission standards for auto industry. The US Congress is now contemplating a legislation that aims to go beyond to cover other sectors of economy to fight the risks of global warming.
Based on secret negotiations on climate change held between China and US in final months of the Bush administration, American President Barack Obama can seal accord with the Asian giant on cutting emissions as early as this autumn.
World Bank has warned that labour migration cuts by industrialised countries will adversely affect poorer nations. In the coming months higher unemployment, cuts in investment and aid, combined with a drop in remittances, would only increase the levels of poverty in the developing world.
David Bacon's new investigative book details the history of immigrant labour in the United States and argues that human beings cannot be designated as “illegal”. There are currently more than 11 million undocumented workers in the country, most of them from indigenous regions of Mexico like Chiapas and Oaxaca.
As indicated by WHO, poor sanitation has led to unprecedented outbreak of cholera worldwide. Despite many vaccines introduced in endemic countries, the disease is still affecting thousands.
UN Environment Programme takes its ‘Billion Tree Campaign’ to a popular social networking site to achieve the goal of planting seven billion trees before the Copenhagen summit in December this year. The initiative would send a message to world leaders on the need to seal the post-Kyoto climate deal.
ILO’s new report reveals that workers are losing staggering US$ 20 billion annually – in unpaid wages, underpayment, unremunerated overtime and other deductions. The UN body calls for increased efforts to eradicate the corrupt practices, underlining the fact that forced labour is the antithesis of decent work.
‘Coral Triangle’ in southeast Asia is fast depleting and if urgent action is not taken there is a danger that nothing of it will be left by the end of this century, says a new report released by WWF. The region is known for containing 75% of world’s coral reefs.
A new report by WaterAid reveals that children are dying more due to poor sanitation than diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Increased investments in sanitation would significantly bring down child mortality.
At a conference on chemical management, the UN has been urged to create an international panel of experts similar to IPCC to monitor the risks of hazardous substances on health and environment. Meanwhile nine more chemicals were banned the world over under the Stockholm Convention.
Critics are accusing President Barack Obama of breaking his campaign pledge for ‘dramatic increase’ in US assistance for global health. Last week he had asked the Congress to approve US$ 63 billion to be spent over next six years on health in developing countries.
Britain has been witnessing the worst kind of inequality since the early 1960s. The ruling Labour Party has abandoned the 2010 goal of halving child deprivation and is now concentrating on abolishing it entirely by 2020.
Restaurants, offices, high schools and universities have reopened in Mexico City after five-day shutdown due to swine flu scare. The Mexican capital, one of the busiest places in the world, saw a steep drop in its tourist inflow in past weeks.
US President Barack Obama has announced 1.8 billion dollar plan to develop a new generation of environmentally friendly biofuels that have lower carbon footprint. Environmentalists have hailed the decision saying the move is an early indication that his administration is willing to take on the powerful farming lobby.
World Health Organisation is in talks with drug manufacturers to ensure that the poor in developing countries do not face shortage of swine flu vaccines. It is also discussing with major funding agencies to provide money for the purchase of medicines.
Senior experts from FAO-OECD are meeting in the French capital to devise long-term strategies for investment in sustainable agriculture that will help address the global food insecurity. At present, close to one billion people across the world are suffering from hunger and malnutrition.
Mexico still has to go a long way in bringing gender and ethnic equity in governance and other spheres of social life. For the first time in a deeply patriarchal society that thinks women’s involvement in politics brings earthquakes, two indigenous women are vying for seats in the Mexican Congress.
Those who outlasted the Inca Empire and even survived the Spanish conquest are now facing extinction due to climate change. Members of an ancient tribe living in the interiors of Bolivia are going through a tough time as the Lauca river that nurtured and sustained them is drying up.
Ten million under-five children die every year globally and about half of them succumb to death due to malnutrition. Now WHO has come out with new growth standards that will make the process of detection of undernourishment among infants quicker and cheaper.
Based on assessment of all available information, WHO has raised the current level of swine flu alert to phase 5, the second highest on its threat scale. Prominent medical journal The Lancet has warned that the pandemic, if full-blown, can kill millions in the developing world.
A two-day meeting of the world’s 17 biggest emitters of greenhouse gases concluded in Washington yesterday. There was a sense of optimism that it helped provide a springboard towards more comprehensive talks during Copenhagen summit as successor to the Kyoto Protocol.
UNESCO has pointed out in its latest report that the promise of aid by donor countries to provide basic education in poor countries is still half-hearted. Currently 75 million children globally are out of school and the progress towards achieving the goal of universal primary education is unsatisfactory.
World Bank chief Robert Zoellick has urged donor countries to keep their promise of aid and even pledge more to avoid a human and development calamity in many poor nations. The bank will provide US$ 100 billion over three years and launch initiatives in social protection, public works and agriculture.
Dubbed as Durban II, the UN organised anti-racism conference held in Geneva last week adopted a document that emphasised on the need to fight all forms and manifestations of racism, xenophobia and related intolerance globally. Representatives of India’s marginalised sections were unhappy that caste-based discrimination was not equated with racism.
Scientists have observed a downward trend in freshwater availability due to reduced river flow around the world. Installation of dams, irregular rainfall patterns and increasing temperature are causing longer dry spells, putting water supplies under strain.
The H1N1 strain of swine flu has claimed at least 103 human lives in
Mexico and is suspected to have spread to many other parts of the world. Associated usually with pigs but when the flu spreads from person to person it becomes a tougher strain that is harder to treat.
Climate change related disasters could increase the number of affected people by more than half in the next six years, says Oxfam's report. It warns that this could overwhelm the world’s current humanitarian aid capacity and calls for increased investment to reduce risk.
To counter militarism, capitalism, imperialism and fundamentalism, feminists from Asia, Latin America and Africa have adopted a new concept of ‘glocal’ – a combination of global and local. The movement will be based on the ideological paradigm of feminism through which ‘green-red-purple’ can be brought together.
Non-profit sector the world over is under severe stress due to the economic recession and the future too appears bleak. Many NGOs are resorting to cutbacks in budgets and programmes, wage freezes, travel restrictions and even laying off staff.
In the Alaskan city of Anchorage, more than 400 delegates, representing approximately 350 million indigenous people, have gathered from around the world to seek a greater role in global climate change negotiations. With their rich knowledge, they can play a key role in suggesting mitigation and adaptation strategies.
The current economic crisis is spurring negative perceptions about migrants and migration worldwide. The International Organisation for Migration has urged destination countries to pay special attention to ensure adequate protection from xenophobia and discrimination in the employment sector.
G8 and G5 agriculture ministers have expressed serious concern over the lack of efforts in tackling global hunger and poverty. The Food and Agriculture Organisation and the International Fund for Agricultural Development have advocated cross-border farmland deals to help boost global food security.
Developing countries are locking horns with developed nations over the issue of proposed climate change mitigation registry, which aims to measure, report and verify national mitigation actions. India and Brazil are arguing that such a registry should be voluntary and not compulsory for developing economies.
More than hundred climate change campaigners were put under pre-emptive detention and later released in London earlier this week when they were planning action against coal-based power stations and airports. Activists complained that the authorities are attempting to silence a peaceful awareness campaign on issues surrounding global warming.
An international environmental charity has called for forests to be included in the new climate change agreement at Copenhagen this year. Curbing deforestation is critical to climate change mitigation and can reduce 50% costs by 2030.
