UN has received reports on food insecurity and rising malnutrition in the conflict ridden Sudan states, the United Nations humanitarian chief has warned.
Jordan has welcomed the first Israel-Palestine meeting in more than a year even as Israel continues to build contentious Jewish settlements in West Bank.
Developing countries should craft policies against the possible corporate hijack of natural resources in the rush for green economies, a new report has warned.
Publishing of crucial bird flu influenza research could provide bio-terrorists with critical information on deadlier ways of mutating the virus, warns World Health Organisation.
Thousands of Israeli people protested against ultra-orthodox extremists whose campaign for gender segregation has erupted into verbal and physical abuse against women in Beit Shemesh town of the country.
Lack of disaster preparedness and failed response to it worsened the effects of the nuclear accident at Japan's Fukushima plant in March, a new report says.
Nigerian authorities taking emergency measures to prevent oil spill from a Royal Dutch Shell facility, the biggest leak in the country in a decade, washing up on its densely populated coast.
North Koreans would die from malnutrition within months unless food aid is stepped up in the region recovering from a devastating famine, humanitarian groups warn.
Over hundred women at the forefront of grassroots movements in Japan are demanding a complete shutdown of nuclear power stations and a transparent investigation into Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Sixty six journalists lost their lives in 2011, most of them while covering Arab revolutions and Mexican gang crimes. Pakistan continues to be the deadliest nation for journalists, second year in a row.
Israel released about 550 Palestinian prisoners in the second half of a swap that freed one of its soldiers, Gilad Shalit, who had been held by Hamas in Gaza for more than five years.
The crippled nuclear reactor in Japan’s Fukushima has finally stabilised marking an end to one of the world’s worst nuclear disasters, the Prime Minister declared.
The United Nations has launched the Decade on Biodiversity from 2011-2020 to prevent loss of species and ecosystems and encourage humanity to live in harmony with nature.
The first ever UN report on lesbian, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBTs) notes worldwide discrimination in jobs, healthcare and education based on sexual orientation.
The proposed EU-India Free Trade Agreement will flood Indian markets with imported agricultural goods and snatch away the livelihoods of small farmers and retails, concludes a report by NGOs at the 8th ministerial meeting of WTO.
The UN has launched the biggest humanitarian appeal in the past two decades to provide assistance to 51 million people facing the impact of climate change across 16 countries.
Technology giant Google will donate $11.5 million in grant to fight modern day slavery. Money will go to 10 intervention and education organisations working in India, Europe and US to eradicate slave labour.
Canada's decision to withdraw from the world's only binding climate treaty has been widely criticised at home and abroad as a 'shameful' excuse to not tackle global warming.
Nuclear weapons can and must be outlawed, as chemical and biological weapons have been, says a group of Asia-Pacific political and military leaders, as they launch a campaign to abolish nuclear weapons.
Canada is the first country which has announced to pull out of Kyoto protocol on grounds of inability to pull off financial obligations under the global treaty.
Delegates from the 194 nations have agreed to start negotiations on a new accord binding on all countries to control greenhouse gases which would come into force by 2020.
Much of the violence against women is subtle, unarticulated and culturally acceptable in most parts of the world. As the 16 Days of Activism to end violence against women campaign concludes on Dec 10, Elayne Clift writes that women's lives matter, as human rights.
The European Union and the least developed countries added momentum to climate negotiations at Durban by pushing for a legally binding climate deal to cut down carbon emissions.
On International Anti-Corruption Day, the UNODC and the UNDP have developed a joint global campaign, focusing on how corruption hinders efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
The largest summit of UN refugee agency appeals for urgently reinforcing the international system that deals with the world's millions of stateless people and those forcibly displaced.
Inconsistent rainfall will trigger food crisis in Africa’s Sahel region next year which will require immediate action from the international community, warned the European Union’s humanitarian aid chief.
Protesting against tar sands energy project, six Canadian youth were expelled from COP 17 as they stood and turned away from their environment minister as he delivered his opening speech at the climate negotiations.
Biofuels have aggravated greenhouse emissions, hunger, price rise and human rights violations across the world rather than cutting down carbon emissions, says environment campaigner Nnimmo Bassey.
The UNESCO has launched a global open access portal that will inform policy makers and scholars about successful open access initiatives across the world.
An NGO Global Witness has left Kimberley Process over its failure to address violence driven by diamond trade in African countries. Kimberley Process is an international certification scheme established in 2003 to stop trade of blood diamonds.
Thousands marched in Durban demanding complete commitment from global leaders to cut down carbon emissions as the feeling of being excluded in the crucial climate talks sweeps among the general public.
Syria has entered the state of civil war with thousands dead and rebel soldiers taking up arms against the government of President Bashar al-Assad, says top UN human rights official.
At Durban climate change summit, rich nations pledge to supply short-term climate finance to help poor countries tackle global warming . Long-term financing, however, remains doubtful.
With water resources in southern Africa facing the worst impacts of climate change, scientists demand inclusion of water as a standalone agenda in climate change negotiations at Durban, South Africa.
JP Morgan Chase tops the list of 20 financial institutions that have financed coal-mining and coal-fired energy generation, shows a study by a group of environmental NGOs.
In a signatory letter to the US President Barack Obama, the National Climate Ethics Campaign has urged the world's largest historic emitter to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Organisations working with indigenous peoples living in forests say the United Nations programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD+) is just another way for big corporates to reap huge profits.
The decade ending 2011 is recorded the hottest ever globally, the World Meteorological Organisation said in a report on climate trends and extreme weather events, unveiled at UN climate talks in Durban.
World leaders gathered in Durban on Nov 28 to kick off the 17th Conference Of Parties climate change talks with a focus on ways to curb ever-rising global carbon emissions and seek a new commitment to the Kyoto Protocol.
A rapidly growing population, climate change and degradation of land and water resources are likely to make the world more vulnerable to food insecurity and challenge the task of feeding its people by 2050, said a new report by the United Nations' food agency.
A new action launched by the UN Environment Programme’s GreenUp! initiative aims to increase metal recycling rates by encouraging Europeans to take their old mobile phones to recycling stations.
The Global Fund to Fight Aids, TB and Malaria says it will halt new programmes to prevent infections worldwide due to an acute shortage of funds, but will support the essential health needs in developing countries.
Wood burning and diesel vehicles are two of the biggest reasons in the developed world in generating the black carbon - a major cause of climate change, says a recent UNEP report.
Ahead of Durban climate summit, the scientists have urged the global leaders to present a radical response to climate change. The world has completely failed to reduce carbon emissions to arrest rising temperatures.
Rights of women and girls are at extreme risk across 80 countries, reveals a Women’s and Girls’ Rights Index. It also urged global leaders to achieve gender equality as a crucial part of development.
More countries laid new landmines last year killing 4,000 people than any other year since 2004 despite record mine clearances, reveals landmine monitor report.
The new report from UNAIDS says 2011 brought unprecedented progress in science, political leadership and results. It says despite the financial crisis, greater access to HIV treatment had a dramatic effect on the lives of millions of people.
Greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere have hit a record high in 2010 and will linger in the atmosphere for decades, even if we stop pumping them henceforth, says a new report by World Meteorological Organisation.
A group of feminist organisations in the US are using the platform of Occupy Wall Street movement to demand an ethical and equitable economy and end the victimisation of women.
An increase in heat waves is almost certain this century, along with a greater frequency of natural disasters across the globe as the Earth’s climate warms, says a report by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Three former leaders of Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge regime are facing trial for genocide and crime against humanity in a UN-backed court. Around two million people were killed from 1975 to 1979 during the Maoist regime in Cambodia.
Human Rights Watch has urged nations to expedite finalising an international treaty to protect one million children working in gold mines worldwide from the toxic effects of mercury.
The government has banned shipments of rice after radioactive caesium was detected in higher concentrations than permissible in a farm in Fukushima city.
Introducing fish into paddy fields can help farmers earn more money and lessen the environment impact of agricultural chemicals, reveals a study. Fish minimises the need of fertilizers through nitrogen fixation and insect attached to the paddy plants serve as food for fishes.
Youth is bearing the burden of UK’s economic crisis as the number of jobless crosses one million mark. The government has drawn criticism for ignoring domestic problems and blaming eurozone debt crisis for UK’s deteriorating job market.
NGOs worldwide are urging UK to prevent an American financier from extracting $100m from the impoverished Democratic Republic of Congo. The so-called vulture fund buys up the debts of poor nations cheaply and then sues for 10 or 100 times what they paid for them.
An international tribunal has concluded that Israel subjects the Palestinian people to an institutionalised, systemic domination amounting to apartheid, a serious violation of human rights.
Farmland in parts of Japan are no longer safe because of high levels of radiation in the soil, scientists have warned, as the country struggles to recover from the Fukushima atomic disaster.
On World Diabetes Day, the International Diabetes Federation predicts that one in 10 adults could be suffering from diabetes by 2030, based on ageing, demographic and other factors.
Jeevanshalas (Life- schools) run by an NGO in three states of India aim at mainstreaming schooling system in tribal villages. These schools have educated over 5,000 poor tribal children and have helped them to get promising jobs.
Exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE) and other environmental contaminants leads to a six-fold increase in the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease in people, says a study.
Anti-government protesters have been subjected to enforced disappearances, torture and arbitrary arrest by the Syrian government in the province of Homs, reveals a report by Human Rights Watch.
The oil giant Royal Dutch Shell its partners must pay $1bn to mop up the oil in the Niger Delta, urged Amnesty International. Shell’s failure to clean-up 2008 oil spills has ruined livelihoods of thousands of people in the region.
The gas leak which triggered an explosion in an illegal mine killing 21 miners in southwest China is the latest fatalities in the nation's dangerous coal industry thriving on illegal mines.
Mexico's security forces are committing widespread human rights violations in the fight against drug gangs but enjoy impunity, says Human Rights Watch. Over 40,000 people have died in drug violence since 2006.
Excessive carbon emission by existing fossil fuel infrastructure will lead the world to catastrophic climate change in next five years, warns the International Energy Agency.
The latest global assessment of threatened species reveals that black rhinos are now extinct in West Africa. Around 25% of the world’s mammals are on the brink of extinction despite continuous conservation efforts, says the report.
Greenpeace has re-launched its guide to greener electronics with some new criteria for companies, challenging them to reduce carbon emissions and set ambitious goals to utilise renewable energy.
A US-based human rights group is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages and a public apology from the UN for Haiti's cholera victims. The epidemic, supposedly introduced by UN peacekeepers from Nepal, has claimed over 6,500 lives in one year.
Active involvement of local people in low-cost projects have helped increase forest cover in the Asia-Pacific region despite climate change, illegal deforestation threats and forest fires, says a UN report.
A new WFP initiative will draw on Brazil's expert school meal programme to help countries in Africa and Asia tackle malnutrition in children attending schools.
Around 400,000 farmers of southern Africa are growing fertiliser trees to improve their farm yields boosting soil fertility, reveals a study. Fertiliser trees capture nitrogen from the surroundings, restore nutrients and hence increase crop productivity.
Abuse of prescription painkillers have reached epidemic levels in the United States within last decade resulting in 40 deaths per day, reveals a government report.
The Carter Centre of the US has launched a website to monitor Congo’s mining sector. The website contains comprehensive information about Congolese laws and mining projects to check corruption in mining.
Norway retains its top position in UN’s annual Human Development Index spanning life expectancy, education and GDP per capita. South Asian countries still grapple with gender disparity, highlights the report.
Companies from China and Russia are most prone to bribery when doing business abroad, reveals an index by Transparency International. Bribery is also common in the G20 nations, says the index.
Floods, droughts, typhoons and other weather extremes across the globe are impacts of climate which cost billions of dollars to world’s economies, confirms a climate report.
The United States has stalled UNESCO funding as Palestine gets full UNESCO membership with significant majority. A US domestic law blocks funds to any UN body that gives full membership to Palestine before reconciliation between Israel and Palestine.
Nuclear nations have planned to spend hundreds of billions on nuke weapon upgrade over the next decade despite huge budget pressures and international cry for disarmament, warns a new report.
US national food retailers are being petitioned to not use Monsanto's new sweet corn in unlabeled products. Critics say genetically altered food products pose environmental and health risks, including food allergies and long-term health effects.
Phasing out of leaded petrol in developing countries have lowered premature deaths, improved intelligence and averted crimes, reveals a UN-backed study. Around 18 million children in developing nations suffer from permanent brain damage after getting exposed to leaded petrol.
The United Nations Security Council has voted to terminate NATO’s air operations in Libya on 31 October despite Libya's call for more time to assess its security needs following the demise of Muammar Gaddafi.
Donated pacemakers can help impoverished heart patients in poor countries live a normal life without any infection or pacemaker malfunction, says a US study. Around 2 million people with no access to pacemakers die every year across the globe.
A new report by the UN highlights a widening gap in secondary education across the world that needs to be addressed to remove global poverty. The report urges global leaders to transform this compulsory commitment into a reality to enable one-third of the world's children attain better lives.
As the world population expects to hit seven billion this month, a new UN report calls for better urban planning and access to education and health by younger women.
Over 70 journalists have been killed in Mexico since 2000 making it the fifth most dangerous place for journalists, reveals a United Nations report. Violence by drug mafias is the primary cause behind the murders, says the report.
The governments must install expert investigators to fight huge corruption cases, terrorist financing and money laundering practices to increase corporate transparency, urges a joint report by the World Bank and the United Nations.
In an upcoming G20 Summit in France, Bill Gates will urge the international community to meet health and agriculture aid commitments in developing countries to help fight malnutrition and hunger across the world.
A US scientific group has confirmed that the Earth's surface is indeed getting warmer. The Berkeley Earth Project findings on global land temperatures open the debate once again for climate skeptics after 'climategate' in 2009 that claimed manipulation of climate change data.
Use of mobile phone does not develop greater risk to brain cancer, proves a recent research from Denmark. The study however calls for continuous follow up to ensure mobile users do not develop cancer over a longer term.
Genetically modified crops have failed to increase yields and have instead boosted use of synthetic pesticides, reveals an NGO report. Despite huge investments, GM crops have only stimulated global hunger by 'epic proportions', the report claims.
Marking the end of Colonel Muammar al-Qadhafi’s regime as a 'historic transition' for Libya, UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged all Libyan combatants to lay down their arms and contribute to the nation building process.
A British government report has urged the international community to consider the climate driven human migration as a major challenge in which millions of people will either move into or be trapped in areas of risk by 2060.
GlaxoSmithKline research head Moncef Slaoui recalls the efforts behind the new malaria vaccine that promises to save lives by millions. Focusing on cellular immunity helped beat the challenge that many thought was scientifically impossible.
Near thousand Amazonian natives marched into the Bolivian capital protesting against a road project, which they claim will encourage illegal settlement and deforestation in the rainforest.
African countries have refused to accept genetically modified food aid demanding biosafety risk assessments before importing such food. They fear that GM food could transmit toxic proteins and allergens to the human body.
An infant malaria vaccine has reduced the risk of malaria by half, reveals a year long study on 15,000 African children. Around 225 million people suffer from malaria each year resulting in 800,000 deaths globally.
A small hashtag has mobilised thousands of people across the globe to join the Wall Street movement against soaring inequality and severe job crises in America. This is just another example of how social media can trigger a social revolution.
As a part of a ground breaking prisoner swap deal, Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit will be freed from Hamas’s captivity today in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
As the world gears up to hit the 7 billion milestone, causing severe stress on food, water and jobs, it will be the poor in developing countries that will be hurt most, demographers say.
Where around 358,000 women die in pregnancy or childbirth every year due to lack of access to basic medical care or trained staff, Esther Madudu, a midwife is working round the clock to ensure safe deliveries in Uganda.
Ahead of an UN meeting on global food security in Rome, farmers and civil society groups are urging governments to stop forceful land acquisitions by corporate investors.
In a ground breaking move, Palestine and Israel will exchange over 1,000 Palestinian detainees in exchange for Israeli soldier Sgt Gilad Shalit who is in Hamas captivity since 2006.
Contribution of $48bn a year from international community would provide electricity to millions of poor people across the world leading to better health, education, climate and economic growth, concludes the International Energy Agency.
The global death rate of tuberculosis dropped 40% in the last decade, and with lesser cases than before, reveals a report by World Health Organization. The report also notes of an increase in multi-drug-resistant TB cases owing to lack of funds.
The ongoing demonstrations by the Occupy Wall Street protesters in Manhattan's Liberty Plaza reflect a nationwide backlash against soaring inequality and severe job crises that have worsened the financial conditions of the American poor and middle class.
Brazil's Guarani tribe has a suicide rate 19 times higher than its national average. Loss of land over development are spiking suicide rates of indigenous people world over, says the World Health Organisation.
Chinese government should release Nobel laureate writer, activist Liu Xiaobo who was unjustly detained for his pro-democracy ideologies, says Human Rights Watch.
Human Rights Watch has hailed the role of women in democracy and sustainable peace process by applauding the winners of Nobel Prize 2011. The prize is shared by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman for promoting women’s rights.
Former United States President Jimmy Carter is all set to wipe out guinea worm disease from the world by the end of 2011 by expanding the mission to remote areas of South Sudan. Carter has eradicated 99.9% of disease cases from across twenty-one countries within a time span of 15 years.
Smoking will lead to millions of TB deaths in Africa, the eastern Mediterranean and Southeast Asian regions by 2050, says a research. The inability of lungs to fight infections and excessive promotion by tobacco companies will trigger this.
New research from Africa shows women using hormonal contraceptives for family planning stand at risk of contracting HIV and passing it on to their male partners in HIV endemic areas.
Russia and China will veto a European-drafted UN resolution which aims at imposing sanctions against Syrian government for a crackdown that killed 2,700 protesters.
A forest produced by village residents in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district is being ruthlessly destroyed to set up windmills, leading to massive soil erosion in the southern Indian region.
New research from Africa shows women using hormonal contraceptives for family planning stand at risk of contracting HIV and passing it on to their male partners in HIV endemic areas.
The US Congress has blocked $200 million in funds to Palestine in response to the President Mahmoud Abbas’ bid for UN statehood, claims the Palestinian Authority. Palestine could face severe food, health and security crisis as a result of the aid cut off.
The tiny Pacific nation of Tuvalu has declared a state of emergency due to severe water shortages triggered by a La Nina weather pattern in capital Funafuti, and a number of neighbouring islands in the Pacific.
An unusually long spell of cold weather during the Arctic winter has resulted in a record loss of ozone at the North Pole, creating an ‘ozone hole’ similar to the one that forms annually in the Antarctic atmosphere.
Muslim theology centres run by women in Germany offer religious solutions to immigrant women who are victims of domestic violence and abusive relationships and encourage them to fight for their rights.
These countries have committed to stop worldwide practice of using children during armed conflicts in order to protect their rights and help them live empowered lives.
A Hong Kong court has ruled the laws barring foreign domestic workers, mostly from the Philippines and Indonesia, from applying for permanent residency are unconstitutional. This will now help them access healthcare and education facilities.
An online game that fights global hunger is now also available for French and Italian speakers. The word-game donates money to the United Nations World Food Programme through sponsored advertising.
The increasing demand for ecotourism can play a vital role in saving endangered forests according to the United Nations-backed Collaborative Partnership on Forests. But they also warned of the potential damaging effects if its expansion is not effectively managed.
Around 7,000 violent incidents within past three months have killed thousands in a year, reveals a United Nations report. The report also highlights disturbing trend of attacks on schools, hospitals and mosques by insurgents.
Israel’s approval of over a thousand settler homes in East Jerusalem has drawn worldwide condemnation for destabilising international peace efforts in the region.
Over 100 people were arrested after a show of civil disobedience outside Canada's parliament. The protesters were against the expansion of highly destructive and polluting fracking to extract oil from the Athabasca tar sands.
Under a United Nations-backed scheme, 37 new developing nations will receive funds for vaccines to fight diarrhea and pneumonia among children. These diseases kill millions of children every year worldwide.
Cities in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh rank among the worst on the planet for harmful micro-particles, while those in the United States and Canada are among the best, according to the first global air pollution survey.
The sentencing of a Saudi Arabian woman to 10 lashes after she drove a car demonstrates the scale of discrimination against women in the Kingdom, said Amnesty International.
Canada should bring criminal charges against former United States Vice President Dick Cheney for allowing torture of Canadian detainees under abusive interrogation techniques in guise of national security, says Human Rights Watch.
Ecuador has agreed not to extract oil from large deposits in the Yasuní National Park in exchange for money from the international community. The decision will protect unique local biodiversity and support the voluntary isolation of the indigenous Tagaeri and Taromenane tribes.
Kenyan social activist and environmental crusader who founded the Green Belt Movement, died on Sunday. She was the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Government of the Maldives has launched a crowdsourcing website seeking help from world's experts on its plans to be carbon neutral by 2020. The tiny nation aims to produce the bulk of its electricity through photovoltaics.
This year's World Disaster Report says rising food prices, impacts of climate change and an increasing population have contributed to food shortages resulting in millions of children with stunted growth and at least a billion undernourished people.
UNICEF will invest into health and nutrition sector of Daikundi province in Afghanistan to cut down child and mortality rates in the region by 2013. Most of the women in Afghanistan don’t give birth in hospitals due to poverty and lack of health care facilities.
Women will be able to contest the upcoming municipal elections and will even have a right to vote, says King Abdullah. Activists have welcomed the reform for the Saudi women, who are not allowed to drive, or to leave the country unaccompanied.
The United Nations has promised $218 million more aid to fight drought and hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa at a mini-summit and to ensure food security, health care and water for millions of drought victims.
The renewed surge in commodity prices is expected to push an existing 44 million people into poverty, says the International Monetary fund. In the face of uncertain global economics, policymakers in low-income countries should focus on building resistance to an economic downturn.
The Roll Back Malaria Partnership, a conglomerate of over 500 organisations involved in the fight against malaria, claims that deaths from the parasitic disease could be eliminated in the coming decade. But lack of funding and drug resistance may derail progress.
Men can play a key role in promoting equal rights for girls and breaking gender stereotypes in developing countries, reveals a Plan International report. The organisation is working on a project in collaboration with the El Salvador government to include the idea of gender equality in school curriculum and develop a national gender policy.
International NGO Oxfam is calling for investors, governments and international organisations to stop to land grabbing in developing nations. Foreign investors buy land in poor countries and disempower or displace local communities dependant on that land.
A new low-cost innovation 'Solar Bottle Bulb' is lighting up thousands of shanty old town homes in Manila. Littered plastic bottles are used to make eco-friendly, energy saving lighting solutions for homes.
President Barack Obama has refused to back Palestinian statehood at the United Nations favouring direct negotiations with Israel instead. Palestine, now may get an enhanced status like Vatican but will be denied a complete UN-membership.
A high-level UN conference on desertification highlighted the dangers of unchecked degradation of productive land, especially its consequences for food security in light of growing world population.
Women’s equal access to land and resources can increase agricultural output to a great extent across developing nations, reveals World Bank report. However, civil society has criticised the World Bank for not changing its 33 year old discriminatory macro economic policies.
The World Health Organisation commends the progress made by some of the world's lowest income countries towards curbing maternal and child mortality as part of a United Nations strategy to save 16 million lives by 2015.
None of the Sub Saharan African countries will be able to drastically reduce maternal and child mortality by 2015, reveals a recent research by Lancet. Despite various intervention strategies and accelerated efforts, millions of infant and maternal deaths worldwide were reported last year.
An Asian Development Bank report has revealed that at least 30 million people were displaced last year by climate-related disasters across Asia. It also estimated that 40 billion dollars of investment was needed to mitigate the effects of climate change.
India’s ambitious solar power projects have been adding bulk of lead emissions caused due to inefficient battery production and lead mining in the absence of proper environmental regulations, says a new energy study.
Inexpensive steps could help low income countries curb the risk of non-communicable diseases accounting for 63% of deaths worldwide, says a new report by World Health Organisation.
A joint poll by the BBC and GlobeScan revealed a narrow majority of support for the Palestinian bid to achieve statehood at the United Nations. The support was strongest in predominantly Muslim countries, with the Chinese also strongly endorsing the proposal.
Global efforts to tackle child mortality by funding immunisation programs and improving access to primary healthcare are paying dividends, reveals a recent UN report. Under-five mortality has fallen by more than 35% in the last two decades.
In a bid to stimulate progress at deadlocked UN climate talks, Greenpeace allocates more resources to campaigns aimed at getting polluting companies to change their practices.
China’s campaign for hospital deliveries has reduced infant deaths by 62% in 12 years, says a recent study in The Lancet. Nearly all babies in China are now born in the hospitals except for in the remote and poor areas.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calls on nations and businesses to tackle the myriad global development issues at the launch of a United Nations Population Fund initiative. It aims to use new media to share experiences from around the world and inspire others to help tackle poverty and inequality.
Breast and cervical cancers are overtaking pregnancy related complications and childbirths as leading causes of deaths among younger women in developing countries, cites a recent research.
With 80,000 child workers exposed to the toxic dangers of tobacco plantations, Malawi is an example of how the multi-billion dollar international tobacco industry is turning a blind eye to human rights abuses by its suppliers in the quest for greater profit.
Illegal use of Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) has quadrupled in past two years reveals a United Nations report. These synthetic stimulants have surpassed heroine and cocaine to become world's second most widely used type of drug.
Scientists studying the health effects of carbon dioxide seeping out of natural vents have concluded that Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology is 'safe'. CCS prevents carbon dioxide emissions from escaping into the atmosphere by capturing and storing them underground.
The number of people living below the poverty line in America rose to 46 million last year, reveals the national census data. The US has the highest poverty rate among developed countries, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Gay men will be able to give blood when government restrictions are lifted later this year, said the UK Department of Health. The ban on blood donation by homosexual and bi-sexual men was put in place in the UK in the 1980s as a response to the spread of AIDS and HIV.
Thousands of disabled people in the UK face abuse in their daily lives and are denied justice by public bodies, says a detailed study. While some serious offences get national attention, low-level criminality is generally overlooked.
In its latest report, Greenpeace has estimated Google data centres to be 36% renewable powered by 2012. Google products such as Gmail and YouTube have a small carbon footprint when measured on a per person basis, it says.
Drug detainees confined at 14 government run detention centres of Vietnam are subjected to forced labour, torture and are held without any legal trial in the guise of rehabilitation, reveals a report by Human Rights Watch.
As the polar ice cap around the North Pole shrinks to an estimated 8,000 year low, scientists point to anthropogenic climate change as the culprit. They warn that current trends indicate Arctic ice is melting faster than IPCC predictions.
On the occasion of International Literacy Day, the United Nations impressed upon increasing quality literacy programmes for women as literacy make them self-reliant and in turn help the communities to progress.
Every year cancer is hitting 12 million people worldwide showing 20% increase in number of cancer cases due to inactive lifestyles and increasing obesity among the people, reveals a report by World Cancer Research Fund.
Around 50,000 children residing in Israel occupied Area ‘C’ of the West Bank started their school year amidst dire standards of education. Global leaders have requested the Israeli government to provide safe and unrestricted education to these Palestinian children.
An analysis of the procurement practices associated with international development aid by the European Network on Debt and Development has revealed that most of the aid money returns to the donor nation rather than boosting the economy of the recipient nation.
Tests of a new diagnostic chip on blood samples can detect HIV/AIDS in 15 minutes with absolute accuracy, claim researchers in Rwanda. Portable and affordable, these easy-to-use chips will help community health workers working in remote areas in developing countries.
An International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) organised conference in Bonn concluded with the creation of the New Global Restoration Council, which will oversee a global drive to restore deforested and degraded forests.
Despite huge aid relief, hundreds of people die everyday out of hunger as famine spreads to Bay region in Southern Somalia, says the United Nations. The malnourished population is more vulnerable to diseases that may accentuate the death rates in coming monsoon season.
The Fukushima nuclear disaster has exposed the apathy to the multitude of unskilled labourers risking their lives to keep the plant running. For decades, these workers have been exposed to hazardous radiations without proper health and protection policies by the authorities.
A study by the NGO Oil Change International claims that the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline in the US will only boost profits of oil companies and not benefit its citizens. The organisation also warns that the administration will be pressurised by the well-funded oil lobby to allow construction to proceed.
Despite government denials, mounting evidence shows that up to two-thirds of Eritrea's population may be facing hunger. Low food production and lack of humanitarian access to this closed nation is causing food shortages like elsewhere in the Horn of Africa.
Around 500,000 people staged demonstrations in Tel Aviv on Saturday demanding the government to ease soaring costs for housing, official corruption and illegal occupation of Palestine.
At an African Union pledge meeting, an 11 year old boy from Ghana has called for urgent action to save famine stricken children in Somalia. His own fundraising effort for these children has set an example worldwide.
The executive secretary of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Christiana Figueres, says pressure to achieve a global climate consensus amidst an economic downturn will encourage nations to compromise. Such talks have failed in the past over rifts between rich and poor nations regarding emission quotas.
Many countries still prescribe death penalty for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) people, reveals a recent United States Human Rights report. Homosexuals in these nations do not enjoy their political and civil rights and face capital punishment regardless of offence.
Infant mortality has dropped worldwide but the progress is unsatisfactory to achieve the targets under the Millennium Development Goals, says a UN study. It has urged nations worldwide to strengthen existing interventions to curb these deaths, 99% of which are due to preventable causes.
The Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd (IKEA) Foundation has donated $62 million to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, to expedite its relief work for tens of thousands of famine stricken Somalis at the Dadaab camp in north east Kenya. It is largest private donation that the UN refugee agency has received in its 60-year history.
A small nexus of organisations holding radical views on the 'Sharia' ideology had run a nine year long campaign to spread hatred against the Muslim community in the United States, says a recent report by Center of American Progress.
The United Nations has warned against the possible resurgence of a mutant Avian flu virus which is resistant to existing vaccines in Vietnam and China. Its risk to humans cannot be predicted yet.
Worsening of El Niño and La Niña weather phenomenon by global warming is responsible for the severe floods in Pakistan, Australia and drought in the Horn of Africa, scientists say.
Regular intake of Vitamin A pills by children under five could save 600,000 lives each year in developing countries, claims a research. Around 190 million children suffer from vitamin A deficiency worldwide.
US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks reveal that Chinese authorities didn’t measure the levels of dangerous air pollutants for fear of the political consequences. One of these pollutants, PM2.5, is found at levels 5-10 times higher than the WHO guidelines and poses the greatest risk to public health.
NGOs expressed their disappointment as nations failed to meet the minimum aid target at the African Union summit in Ethopia. Famine was declared in five regions of drought stricken Somalia last month.
A global genomic study on the cholera bacterium has revealed the Bay of Bengal to be the single source of all infections into Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas over the past 60 years. The disease kills over a hundred thousand people annually in 56 countries.
Renowned cartoonist Ali Ferzat, who criticised authoritarian regimes, corruption and hypocrisy through his satirical illustrations, was badly beaten by President Bashar Assad’s supporters in Damascus yesterday. Ferzat was voted amongst top five humanitarian cartoonists in 1994.
Due to their lack of nationality, 12 million stateless people are denied basic rights in their countries. UN has called for global action to help these people whose fates hang in a limbo.
A study has shown that cyclical climate events like the El Niño, which lead to a drop in food production, increase the likelihood of conflict in developing countries.
Workers at vineyards producing South Africa's internationally renowned wines are denied proper housing and working conditions besides being dangerously exposed to pesticides, says a Human Rights Watch report.
In the most accurate study to date, scientists reporting in the journal PLoS Biology have estimated the number of existing species to be 8.7 million, of which more than 85% are unknown to science.
Danish artist Nadia Plesner’s painitng, Darfurnica establishes the irony of media’s obsession with celebrities and showbiz while ignoring real stories of deprivation. The painting of a naked African boy carrying a Louis Vuitton handbag has drawn attention to the genocide in Darfur, and become a symbol of freedom of expression.
As part of its “Detox” campaign Greenpeace has successfully lobbied big brand clothing labels like Nike and Puma to stop using hazardous chemicals in their manufacturing processes.
Ahead of the first major UN Health Meet on Non-communicable diseases, member states lack preparations, says an alliance of civil society organisations. The inaction has been fuelled by lack of funds with the member states due to the ongoing economic crisis.
In her latest novel, Rebecca Tinsley outlines how women survivors of ethnic cleansing in Darfur have showcased resilience despite discriminatory traditional customs.
A draft 10-year road map for mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change on ecosystem services in the Eastern Himalayas is expected to be ratified by Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal at the Climate Summit for a Living Himalayas in November.
Food and Agriculture Organisation representatives and international officials take stock of disaster and assess steps to avoid repetition of Horn of Africa crisis.
Crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Syria that killed 2,000 people is a ‘crime against humanity’ and should be probed by International Criminal Court, says a United Nation’s report. It accuses 50 top government officials for murder, torture, enforced disappearances and persecution.
After achieving freedom, a women's group has started a campaign, "Getting Rid of the Gadhafi Inside You" to ensure that democracy and personal freedom flourish in Libya.
Mosquitoes are developing resistance against insecticide treated bed nets used in Africa, suggests a study from Senegal. The researchers noted a 30% increase in pesticide resistant insects after distributing 6 million bed nets in the region.
Five tobacco companies have sued the Food and Drug Administration over a new draft law that forces them to place graphic health warnings on their products, claiming that it would restrict their freedom of speech.
A UN backed international convention at Geneva will focus on innovative financial mechanisms to curb the poaching of wildlife and tighten illegal trade in products like ivory, bones, timber and skins.
Ten young children are dying everyday out of disease and malnutrition in Kobe refugee camp in Ethopia, says the United Nations. Over 17,000 Somali refugees fleeing the drought have crossed into Ethopia in the last six weeks, 95% of whom are women and children.
Desperate mothers are abandoning infants and small children at the world's largest refugee camp, says a charity. Left by their parents, these children are vulnerable to sexual abuse, malnutrition and disease.
The world's largest coral reef, the Great Barrier Reef off the north-eastern coast of Australia, is being damaged by agricultural pesticide runoff from farms, says a government report. The report cites unacceptable farming practices and increased runoff due to Cyclone Yasi as exacerbating factors.
Ethiopia’s Sodo region is an example of how targeted aid can bring a sporadic development. Communities engaged in reviving local agriculture, infrastructure and banking with foreign aid have breathed a fresh life to the nation caught in chronic poverty.
The Israeli interior ministry has approved the building of 1,600 houses in occupied East Jerusalem in response to the recent protests by citizens for affordable housing. Palestinians, however, have decried the decision as merely political.
Former Tamil Tiger (LTTE) rebels say that they find it hard to find jobs and successfully reintegrate into the society, a year after they were freed from the government rehabilitation and detention camps.
Hydrogen is an eco-friendly fuel but obtaining it from water is slow and expensive. Now researchers have used a modified microbial enzyme to speed up hydrogen production while reducing costs.
Representatives from Bangladesh, India and Nepal will convene in Bhutan in November to establish a strategy for adapting to climate change, especially its impact on the Himalayas, and to create networks enabling information and experience sharing.
According to community leaders, the recent London riots were the fruit of widespread inequality, unemployment among youth and economic austerity. The riots have been an eye-opener for the government which is stepping up measures to address the issues.
Scientists are divided on which human activity - the increased use of natural gas or the use of artificial fertiliser in Asia - is responsible for the decline in the growth of methane in the atmosphere since 1980.
Brazilian officers fear massacre of isolated Amazon tribals by heavily armed drug traffickers attempting to set up new smuggling routes through the tribals' land.
One third of girls under the age of 18 are subjected to sexual violence in Tanzania, reveals a UNICEF survey. A large number of boys and girls in the country face physical and sexual abuse during childhood.
The growing scarcity of water will create regional markets in water rights in the next 20 years. These markets may help curb food price inflation and reduce water stress by ensuring recycling of waste water.
Violence against healthcare workers is on a rise in war zones worldwide, says a report by the International Committee of the Red Cross. While some attacks are accidental, many deliberately target aid workers denying healthcare to millions.
For the first time since insurgents left, United Nations has dropped food and medicine aid into famine struck Mogadishu city of Somalia. Global partners have come forward to arrest child mortality, malnutrition and hunger which have claimed thousands of lives in the country.
Villagers from the oil rich Niger delta region are suing oil giant Shell for negligence at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. They claim that poor maintenance by Shell led to a series of catastrophic environmental disasters which destroyed local livelihoods.
Simple text messages to health care workers is an inexpensive way to guide them how to properly and effectively treat African children suffering from malaria, say researchers.
Millions of Israelis will march on September 3 protesting government's failure to address high cost of living, unemployment and lack of basic civic amenities. Starting from Tel Aviv, popular demonstrations for social justice have spread across 40 cities.
The Common Carbon Metric (CCM) is an innovative tool developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to gauge energy consumption and CO₂ emissions in homes and offices. CCM will be a standard system for defining the climate impact of buildings.
At depths of more than 1800 kilometres deep sea environments are unique, unexplored and unstudied but these fragile ecosystems are under threat as waste dumping, fishing, mining and climate change transform them faster than scientists can study them.
For the first time the United Nations Security Council has officially condemned attacks by the Syrian government on protesters that have killed over 1,600 people since March last year. Around 8,000 people carried out demonstrations in the city of Hama demanding democratic reforms.
Researchers have found that HIV infection is growing into an epidemic due to risky sexual behaviour exhibited by gay and bisexual men in Middle East and North Africa. They urge NGOs and governments to work together for effective implementation of anti-HIV programmes.
The African Union has announced a summit bringing together heads of various African states and international donors to pledge support for Somalia drought victims.
Millions of Palestinians will march against Israel's occupation of the West Bank on September 20, said Palestinian officials. The campaign urges United Nations to recognise Palestine as its 194th member.
US foreign aid could become more effective by better co-ordination among various government departments, says Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In the wake of the US financial crisis, a more targeted approach for aid delivery will be welcomed.
The mChip is a cheap and portable device to diagnose infections through speedy blood tests. This will expedite detection and treatment of HIV and syphilis in remote areas, says a scientific study.
After independence, South Sudan pledges to educate 2 million children who have never been to school during civil war. The education ministry aims to run thousands of schools across the country to teach three generations of Sudanese.
Israeli women defy laws to help Palestinian women get into Tel Aviv beach of West Bank for a day long excursion. The act of solidarity signals thawing mutual tensions between citizens of the two neighboring territories.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has sanctioned grants worth US$42 million to come up with a new toilet concept which doesn't need piped water or a sewerage connection for disposal.
The United Nations has formally granted consultative status to a global organisation working for homosexuality. The move marks a major breakthrough for sexual minorities at a time when they face discrimination and persecution in many developing countries.
Global warming is releasing harmful toxins trapped in the Arctic ice long ago, warn scientists. Exposure to these chemicals can cause cancer and birth defects in humans besides disturbing marine life.
The Saudi Arabian government has denied access to Amnesty International’s website for condemning a draft anti-terror law which evaluates peaceful protest as ‘terrorist crime’. The proposed law supports extended detention without trial and torture.
The UN has called for another $1 billion in aid to help those facing hunger in the Horn of Africa. There are fears that the crisis may spiral if aid does not reach the starving in insurgent-controlled areas of Somalia.
World Wildlife Fund's flagship scheme to promote sustainable timber is allowing companies to reap the benefits of association with WWF and its iconic panda brand, while they continue to destroy forests and trade in illegally sourced timber, claims a new report.
Many national leaders have stressed on the enormity of the climate change issue and its anticipated effects on international security. However, the recent Security Council meeting has not taken a strong stand on the issue.
The World Health Organisation has denounced the blood tests to detect tuberculosis as unreliable and producing wrong results. This is the first time that the organisation has issued a negative policy recommendation against a practice widely used in tuberculosis care.
Welikada prison in Colombo is a tell-tale of the inhumane living conditions of its female inmates. In a complete departure from the UN rules for treatment of prisoners, the overstuffed female wards are devoid of sanitation and other basic amenities.
World Health Organisation and partners may miss the 2012 target to eradicate polio, a group of independent health experts warn. Fresh cases continue to resurface in many countries due to weak vaccination campaigns and unstable governments.
Though child mortality rates decline worldwide, millions of under fives still live in absence of medical care and health facilities, says a new report. These poor children face incessant risk of death due to lack of immunisation against preventable diseases.
The United Nations declares famine in parts of Somalia as it suffers the worst drought in more than half a century. It calls for unhindered access to the affected areas to deliver humanitarian aid.
In a pioneering step, world’s largest sea faring countries have agreed to lower greenhouse gas emissions from shipping by 2020. Ships burn some of the most polluting fuels, and the proposal is expected to fine particle emissions by up to 80%.
For the first time in 20 years, Israelis and Palestinians marched together in conflicted territory of East Jerusalem carrying seeds of peace. With huge support from Israelis, the march endorsed statehood and independence for Palestinians at UN General Assembly.
Strategic litigations have helped stop discrimination and promote equality of women, says the maiden report by UN Women. These litigations have enhanced the legal understanding of women's human rights, thus making positive changes in their lives.
Britain has announced financial assistance to Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, which are worst affected by the East African drought. Half the aid will provide food, medical treatment and access to safe drinking water for Somalians.
Five Saudi women campaigners were recently detained by authorities for defying religious traditions by driving a car. Women2Drive campaign is fighting for women's right to drive and has mustered worldwide participations.
Groundbreaking studies suggest antiretroviral tablets taken once daily could help partners of people with HIV protect themselves. The discovery could bring work to combat AIDS close to a 'tipping point', experts say.
Hundreds of women continue to fall prey to domestic and sexual violence in the newly formed Republic of South Sudan. Human rights activists urge the country to train people, especially soldiers, to respect women’s rights.
Chinese suppliers to leading western brands discharge harmful chemicals into country's major rivers, finds a new Greenpeace report. These toxins cause hormonal imbalance in human body while polluting rivers.
Asian countries are making dramatic progress in curbing deforestation and promoting sustainable forest management. This progress is a result of greater rights granted to indigenous people by Asian governments, says a recent report.
World Health Organisation(WHO) has urged Asia-Pacific countries to use graphic warnings on cigarette packets. A report on global tobacco control marks increasing tobacco consumption prompting WHO to call for a comprehensive ban on their promotion.
Public health services in the newly independent Republic of South Sudan are in disarray following heavy influx of patients seeking treatment. The East African nation grapples with lack of equipments, funds and trained staff to manage the patients.
With the data exclusivity clauses ruled out from the India-European Union free trade agreement (FTA), BRICS nations have decided to produce affordable generic drugs. These inexpensive drugs treat millions in poor countries.
World population is estimated to hit seven billion by late October this year, says a UN report. The report suggests a fertility and population growth rate decline in most countries in contrast to least developed countries (LDCs) where the trend is opposite.
The world is on track to reduce global poverty by half but the progress on combating hunger remains slow, says a new UN report card on progress on MDGs.
Responding to a series of assassinations of Amazon forest activists, Brazilian authorities will provide them with security. As activists struggle to save the forest from loggers, they increasingly face life threats.
The private security industry, triggered by terrorist threats and domestic insurgencies, is booming, says a UN survey. The number of armed personnel has doubled worldwide causing more human rights violations by the troops.
A new technological revolution is needed to reverse the negative effects of the industrial revolution and ensure a sustainable future, says a UN report. The report emphasises the need for proactive government intervention and greater international cooperation to achieve this goal.
As the world food prices continue to soar, an early warning tool has been developed to measure food price volatility. The tool will help policymakers make better informed decisions regarding purchasing and releasing of food stocks during emergency to reduce global food crisis.
No improvements have been recorded in the position of women worldwide in terms of equality and justice, says the first UN Women report. Millions of women have no protection against domestic violence and sexual assault, the report highlights.
Older antiretroviral (ARVs) drugs allegedly cause premature ageing among its users through increased risks of osteoporosis and heart attacks. These drugs are commonly used in developing countries to treat HIV affected individuals.
The arid regions of the world have launched a global partnership to boost food security. The alliance aims to boost common research and adoption of new technologies to tackle global food crisis.
The UK has pledged ₤38 million for emergency food aid in Ethiopia following its worst drought of the decade. The aid will prove vital to feed 1.3 million people for the next three months.
Contaminated fenugreek seeds sourced from Egypt caused the E. coli outbreak in Europe, says a report. The report predicts similar deadly outbreaks in future if the consumers continue to use uncooked seeds.
The Chinese government has deepened its crackdown on human rights lawyers in an effort to head off social unrest, said Amnesty International. China fears a Middle-East like uprising in country, the rights group said in its latest report.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has elected France’s Finance Minister, Christine Lagarde, its first woman chief. She pledges to achieve sustainable growth and macroeconomic stability for the members.
Kenya and Somalia in the Horn of Africa are facing the worst drought in 60 years. A severe food crisis has exacerbated malnutrition and mortality among children and displaced thousands to neighbouring countries, the UN said
Donors have diverted their aid away from 'less visible' water projects threatening the development goal on sanitation. Lack of access to clean water and sanitation is known to impact more than 1 billion people worldwide.
UN-backed tribunal in Cambodia opened the trial of four top leaders of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. They have been accused of genocide, torture and other atrocities in their ultra- Maoist revolution in late 1970s.
G20 is under scanner for having failed to attack the grounds of the ongoing food crisis. The group hasn't taken adequate steps to ease high speculative food prices, critics say.
With the global market remaining stable for drugs, the use of synthetic and prescription drugs was on a rise in the past year, says a recent report by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Ahead of the International Day against Drug Abuse on June 26, the report expresses concern on the booming drug use in Myanmar and South East Asia.
The United Nations General Assembly voted unanimously to give Ban Ki Moon a second term as Secretary-General, praising him for strengthening the world body's role and visibility in difficult circumstances.
The World Bank has introduced a new risk management tool to shield poor consumers and farmers from volatile food prices. An estimated 44 million were pushed into poverty last year by soaring food prices.
Marine experts warn that increasing pollution and overfishing are posing a threat to marine life as well as humanity. The report emphasises on the urgent need for conserving Earth’s biodiversity before it’s too late.
A new study by University of Berkley reveals that opinions floating in the online social media are mostly a power play of the elite. The age of digital democracy sidelines the views of less privileged who are under-represented in these media.
Greenpeace International head Kumi Naidoo has been arrested for defying a sanction to scale a controversial Arctic oil rig offshore Greenland. He is demanding an immediate halt to Arctic oil drilling by Cairn Energy as it lacks a response plan for oil spill.
Weeks of heavy rains in eastern and southern China have affected over five million people and a million acres of farmland. Analysts say the flooding – the worst since 1955 – will push food prices up by 40%.
A UN report highlights several shortcomings on the part of Japan both before and after a tidal wave crippled the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The report says that the country was ill-prepared for a Tsunami threat to the plant.
In a landmark treaty, International Labour Organisation (ILO) recognised domestic helps as workers and granted them the same labour rights as professionals. The treaty aims to improve the working conditions of tens of millions of mostly migrant women and young girls who work as domestic helps.
A simple test for syphilis on pregnant women and a subsequent course of antibiotics could reduce the infant mortality and stillbirths by half, a Lancet report says. The treatment also reduces the number of babies born with disabilities.
The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) has been challenged by the critics all over the world for its unsustainable vaccine spending practices. Critics claim that GAVI’s decisions are skewed by its board of pharma companies who bypass the needs of the poorest for vested interests.
Buy pixels of a picture online for as low as $1 and raise money to fight violence against women, that’s what The Pixel Project is. The virtual non-profit social enterprise uses social media and other online tools to raise awareness, funds and volunteer power to end gender based violence across the globe.
A UN aid agency report claims that 45.2% of Gazans are left unemployed after five years of Israeli blockade by land, air and sea. The rising rate of unemployment has lead to impoverishment and condemns thousands of people to a life of destitution.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron has announced that Britain will donate £814m to vaccinate more than 80 million children in the poorest parts of the world against diseases. Each year four million children succumb to preventable diseases like pneumonia and diarrhoea.
Climate change will induce abnormal conditions of floods, droughts and reduce the availability of water in the years to come, predicts a new report by Food and Agricultural Organistaion (FAO). This will hit agricultural productivity at a time when the world is already facing food shortages.
A FAO report predicts a lot of somber conditions such as floods, droughts, acceleration in the hydrological cycle of the planet and reduced availability of water as a result of climate change which will limit the water available for agriculture.
A FAO report predicts a lot of somber conditions such as floods, droughts, acceleration in the hydrological cycle of the planet and reduced availability of water as a result of climate change which will limit the water available for agriculture.
A FAO report predicts a lot of somber conditions such as floods, droughts, acceleration in the hydrological cycle of the planet and reduced availability of water as a result of climate change which will limit the water available for agriculture.
Exclusion of the 1 billion disabled population from the development radar and aid budgets is holding back development, the first global report on disability says.
Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster lessons may take ten years to learn but the world should strive to prepare itself against such accidents more quickly, experts say. Loopholes in disaster preparedness at Fukushima Daiichi reactor caused one of the worst nuclear accidents in history.
Greenpeace has accused toymaker Mattel and others for packaging Barbie dolls in paper claimed to be sourced from the endangered Indonesian rainforests. The protests mark the start of a global campaign to stop toy companies driving deforestation in Indonesia.
Alien plants, generally acknowledged as a threat to biodiversity, can help in poverty alleviation by reducing soil erosion, increasing food production and consequently boosting an ecosystem's biomass production, study reveals.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has sought a second term as the head of United Nations, pledging to continue leading as a “bridge builder” in the time of unprecedented global turmoil.
A UN report predicts that global food prices will remain high into the coming year citing an imbalance between low productivity and high demand for many staples. Showing no signs of relief, food crisis looms large on the low-income, food deficit nations.
The E.Coli outbreak in Germany has been traced to organically grown bean sprouts. The case raises questions on the future of organic farming as physical conditions necessary for the technique are also ideal breeding ground for dangerous bacteria.
A number of big drug companies have announced a reduction in their vaccine prices in developing countries. These inexpensive vaccines will save millions of children from fatal diseases in the poorest countries.
Investments in forests can offset the ill-effects of climate change, create livelihoods and conserve bio-diversity, claims a UN report released on World Environment Day, June 5. Forests are central to global food security and economic development, says UN Secretary General.
Trento’s annual Festival of Economy kick starts today as economists, students, scientists and statisticians gather for a series of meetings in the Italian township. The focus this year is on redefining borders for greater economic freedom.
A new report on HIV cites high prevalence of the virus among the youth with thousands being infected each day, particularly young women and girls. Healthy attitudes and behavior promoted by communities can help empower the young, the report claims.
The US has condemned the systematic elimination of girls in China by supporting human rights non-profit All Girls Allowed. China’s one child policy in the last 30 years has led to the abandonment of one million female infants and 35,000 abortions each year.
Electromagnetic fields emitted by wireless phones may be carcinogenic to humans, says the World Health Organization. Exposure may lead to long-term health effects, including increased risk of brain cancer.
Staple food prices will be more than double in the next 20 years, warns Oxfam. Urgent action is required to capture the trend as rising food prices have already pushed millions of people into extreme poverty.
Greenhouses gas emissions from global energy generations hit a record high last year stoking fears of temperature rise beyond the 2 degree Celsius threshold, according to estimates by International Energy Agency.
In a drastic policy turnaround, Germany's coalition government has decided to shut all its nuclear plants in response to Japan's Fukushima accident. This makes Germany the biggest industrial power to abandon nuclear energy.
The world is less peaceful than last year due to rising conflicts between people and their governments in the Middle East, says the 2011 Global Peace Index. The index attempts to measure peace in 153 nations against a range of determinants including education, democracy and transparency.
Egypt will permanently open its Rafah border crossing into Gaza beginning Saturday. The move opens doors for medical care, education and livelihoods for Gazans, first time in four years.
The Group of 20 (G20) nations have eased their trade restrictions to ensure access to their markets for poorer nations, says a new report. The move has ensured buoyancy to poor economies in the wake of global recession.
The new emerging economies want a break from the fund’s tradition of having European leaders. The selection process of the next head following Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s resignation has been called ‘unacceptable’.
Top multilateral and bi-lateral donors including the United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) and World Food Programme(WFP) rank the lowest in aid transparency, according to a new report. The research was based on reporting by the aid agencies and access to donor information.
As the Arctic warms, neighbouring countries rush to claim the rich petroleum, mineral and fisheries resources according to the US embassy cables published by Wikileaks. This ‘resource war’ is not just a threat to the environment and our climate, but also to peace.
On International Day for Biodiversity, UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon expressed concern over dwindling forests and degrading biospheres. He urged the global community to strictly implement treaties for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
Sixteen new countries have endorsed new commitments to dramatically reduce maternal, newborn and child mortality, as part of the United Nations Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health.
A portable unit produces biofuel and liquid fertiliser on a large scale from weed growing on the lakes of Kenya. The arrangement provides an affordable source of renewable energy to rural communities.
Egypt's government must reveal the truth about attacks on demonstrators during an uprising against President Hosni Mubarak, compensate the victims and bring their attackers to justice, Amnesty International said.
The world is making significant progress in improving health indicators to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, new statistics by World Health Organisation say. However, non-communicable diseases have now spread to developing countries with changes in demography.
Mobile phones and FM Radio are the new tools used by the African population to build a vibrant civil society and ensure human rights, says Amnesty International in its annual report.
Food supplies under USAID could be more nutritious to have a greater impact on fighting malnutrition, reveals a new study. The review recommended that a wider range of products, offering varying quantities and types of nutrients for different programmatic contexts, be made available.
UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon announced a high level summit on nuclear safety and security in the wake of nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor in Japan.
Children in disasters prone countries have ranked safe schools as their top priority during an emergency, says a new research. The findings of the research have gone into a 5-point Charter by the United Nations for disaster risk reduction among children.
Amnesty International has criticised attempts by American authorities to prosecute Julian Assange for espionage. The rights group said this will stifle access to information and freedom of expression.
The world must curb its exploding consumption of natural resources to avoid unsustainability, warns a new UN report. Riding on economic growth and rising population in the developing countries, resource use will be tripled by 2050.
More than 1,100 women are raped every day, a rate equal to 48 per hour in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, reveals a recent study. The figures are 26 times higher than those estimated by the United Nations.
Japan’s Prime Minister has abandoned plans to build new nuclear reactors and has announced to review its nuclear policy. The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant has destabilised Japan’s energy policy, which relied heavily on nuclear power for country’s needs.
The international community’s efforts to protect civilians during the armed conflicts in 2010 were inconsistent and often biased, according to a new report by Oxfam. These civilians have been victims of deaths, abduction, displacement, rape and other abuses.
Least Developed Countries (LDCs) call for investments to enable a sustained global economic recovery and propel them out of poverty. The Fourth UN Conference for LDCs, pledges to graduate half of the existing poor nations from this status by the next decade.
Grants in cash to women during emergencies are important step in the direction of providing critical assistance to women. But empowerment goes beyond this to tackle multiple deprivations that women face.
Traditional development aid has failed to lift the poorest nations out of poverty. At the Fourth UN Conference on LDCs in Istanbul, civil society organisations call for a new paradigm for development whereby policy making shall lie solely in the hands of the poor countries with no strings attached to their donors.
Europe’s largest bank, Santander, has suspended its funding for Brazil’s dams Santo Antonio and Jirau being built on the Madeira River over the possibility of adversely affecting the indigenous population. The move is expected to strengthen the voice of the tribes protesting against the dam.
UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) announced steady food prices in April after eight successive months of high inflation peaking in February 2011. While the move is encouraging, the prices are still high keeping food-inflation top concern around the world.
Contrary to the accepted view of impoverishment, one in every three Africans now belongs to the middle class, a report finds. This prepares ground for new investment opportunities and partnerships to mainstream Africa in global development.
The world population is estimated to exceed 9 billion by 2050, with the bulk of this increase coming from 'high fertility' countries like India, China and Nigeria, a UN report has said.
Greater education opportunities for girls is the key to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, emphasises UNICEF on the Global Action week for Education. Educated women boost poverty reduction besides promoting health and hygiene to augment development.
African health ministers have hailed the power of Information and Communication Technologies to mitigate the impact of non-communicable diseases. Telemedicine and real time expert help for rural health workers can effectively combat the incidence of diseases.
Record warming in the Arctic over the past six years will substantially contribute to a global sea level rise of up to 1.6 meters by 2100, according to a study published in Oslo. The melting of polar ice could have disastrous effects on low altitude coastal regions.
The death of Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden raises questions on the controversial justice being celebrated by the US. Many civil society pundits and political analysts predict this will not stop the US from violating gross human rights in its own ‘terror’ wars.
A new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists lists tools of online oppression used by regimes to control information. Techniques go beyond web blocking to include malware attacks, denial of access, detention of bloggers, and violence against journalists.
Around 6 million people lose their lives every year to smoking or being exposed to tobacco, a senior UN Health Official has warned. Poor countries with limited healthcare and inadequate regulatory policies are worst hit.
The Stockholm Convention in Geneva approved a ban on the production and use of controversial insecticide endosulfan. The agro-chemical allegedly causes abnormalities in children besides being detrimental to the environment.
A vast female workforce remains unemployed in Asian countries on grounds of gender discrimination in labour markets, says a new joint report by ILO and ADB. The report urges the nations to strive for quality and more equitable employment opportunities to ensure sustainable growth.
The Portable Light Project integrates indigenous fabric with clean energy to light up off-grid remote communities in the developing world. Pilots are underway in Brazil, Kenya, Haiti, Nicaragua, Madagascar, Mexico and South Africa.
The Argentine capital was awarded the 2011 title by UNESCO on April 23. The book-loving city is now witnessing a mass campaign of free books in public spaces to woo new readers, and gets ready for a new multilingual library of over 30,000 books.
A short test could detect autism in babies and facilitate early treatment, a pioneering study by the US has said. Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability with one in every 150 babies worldwide diagnosed of autism.
Under Kyoto protocol, carbon footprint is calculated in the country which produces and not in the country which consumes. Developed nations have reduced their emissions by outsourcing the production of carbon-intensive goods and importing finished products, research reveals.
On World Malaria Day celebrated yesterday, the United Nations called for sustained efforts to eradicate malarial deaths by 2015. A joint endeavour by the UN and Roll Back Malaria partnership has helped scale down malarial deaths to half in most vulnerable African countries.
The first green report published by the 2012 Olympics Games team targets a cut in carbon emissions by 100,000 tonnes. A lightweight main stadium and low carbon footprint will make it the world’s greenest sports event, the organisers claim.
Petroleum biggies have launched massive lobbying for shale gas as cheap and “green” fuel. Their propaganda stems from a report by European gas forum even as environmentalists question how “green” shale gas is.
Two women attempt to detach the headscarf of its religious, political and social implications amidst the din in the West debating a ban on hijab. Their argument is, a headscarf is just another piece of clothing and women don it by choice and not under compulsion.
A year after British Petroleum offshore accident spilled millions of barrels of oil in the Gulf of Mexico; researchers are busy studying the environmental damage. While immediate effects may be hidden from the naked eye, eco-system of the gulf will face its repercussions in the coming years.
China is developing a satellite which will detect electromagnetic signals preceding an earthquake. The satellite will work in tandem with ground based technologies to predict and monitor earthquakes.
Japan pledges to carry out a thorough review of its nuclear energy policy in the wake of the recent crisis. Meanwhile, robots employed in the crippled Fukushima reactors measure the current radiation level as unsuitable for work to resume.
A coalition of 131 developing countries criticised the proposal of the United Nations to enforce budgetary cuts. The group fears that shrinking spending will adversely affect social and economic conditions in many developing countries who rely heavily on UN schemes.
The BRICS summit concluded with a pledge to strengthen its presence in global affairs. The group is now set to exercise its force towards a favourable deal for developing nations at the upcoming Doha round of talks.
Officials from nations covering the world’s three major rainforest regions will meet at a UN conference in Congo next month to discuss sustainable management of forest ecosystems.
To protect the rights of the vulnerable and to humanitarian workers in the new edition of the Sphere handbook. It is a set of common principles and universal standards for aid delivery.
A series of studies published in the medical journal Lancet indicates that stillbirths, often unrecorded, account for 2.65 million cases each year globally, a figure higher than AIDS and malaria deaths combined. Rural women in poor countries are worst affected, the study reveals.
The BRICS summit in China has called to strengthen co-operation among member countries and other developing nations on economic growth, climate change and free trade. With this, the organisation aims to have a greater say in global affairs.
US climate change researchers have found that shale gas produces twice as much CO2 as burning conventional gas. The study cautions against surging popularity of the gas as an alternative source of energy.
Films and documentaries gave a unique human approach to the issues of poverty and hunger at a recent UN conference on documentaries. Through compelling stories and images, the various screenings sought to spur people to action or a change in perspective.
The Japan government raised the nuclear emergency level at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to 7 indicating the worst on an international scale. The new level marks major release of radioactive material with widespread health and environmental effects that had only been previously applied to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine.
Muslim women in France will be punished if caught wearing a veil such as niqab or burqa in public, a new law in France dictates. The ban, a first in Europe, is facing protests from the Muslims for whom wearing burqa is a part of performing their religious duty.
World Bank is under fire by over 100 local and international civil society organisations for its alleged misuse of Green Climate Fund to encourage the use of fossil fuel in developing countries. These organisations want the fund to remain fully independent from the World Bank.
Scientists working with a new computer model designed to predict the fate of the Arctic ice cap have found that Arctic summers could be ice-free within this decade. The findings come as climate scientists and environmental campaigners repeatedly voiced serious concerns about the fate of the Arctic ice.
The World Health Organisation has urged for a global movement to safeguard antibiotics for future generations. On World Health Day, which was celebrated yesterday, the international body sent out a warning against growing number of antibiotic-resistant “super bugs” and called for greater R&D to combat them.
Civil society organisations in Yemen are speaking out against using children in the ongoing nationwide protests against President Abdullah Saleh. Rising violence has put hundreds of children at risk and in serious trauma, say local NGOs.
Action Aid has opposed the investments made by multilateral funding agencies and rich nations for climate change programmes outside those run by the United Nations. The organisation says those funds should have been diverted to implement the more responsible UN’s climate change policies.
Member states are busy negotiating new support measures for the world's least developed countries(LDCs) ahead of the fourth UN conference in Turkey next month. Civil society representatives meanwhile have called for total debt relief, fair trade and less military spending by developed nations.
In a paradigm shift, World Bank has decided to limit its funding for building new coal-powered plants only to the poorest of countries. The move pushes the nations to switch to greener sources of energy for power.
A recent conference on marine debris ended with a commitment to check the unabated influx of plastic in the oceans, the first step taken in this direction in a decade. Plastic poisoning has affected 276 marine species, mostly sea turtles, and has posed serious health risks for humans.
A new UN report probing inflation claims that rising food prices will delay stamping out extreme poverty in the region by five years. The study notes that food prices in 2010 kept over 19 million in poverty.
Leading UK charity Save the Children has launched a global campaign for more midwives and better health care. Thousands of mothers and new born babies can be saved each day if the global shortage of 350,000 midwives was met, reveals a report.
Insecticide-treated nets have been successful in fighting malaria by reducing mosquito population by ninety per cent in countries like Tanzania. A new study however indicates that it is the last ten percent that needs to be controlled as mosquito numbers shoot up as quickly as they go down.
Despite some economic growth, the world's 48 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are now facing a widening gap with the low and lower middle income countries, a UN report said. The report blamed poor education, health and nutrition and limited infrastructure for the current scenario.
China has underlined its position as the world's leading power in clean energy investment by attracting a record $54.4bn (£34bn), a study done by the US Pew Environment Group in G20 leading economies has shown. In addition, China was also the world's leading producer of wind turbines and solar energy units.
While experts are battling to restore power and restart cooling systems at the stricken nuclear plant in Japan, dangers posed by highly radioactive water found around the reactors have forced authorities to halt the operation. The Prime Minister said that the government is on maximum alert as the situation remains unpredictable.
UNICEF’s new campaign against landmines will highlight the threat posed by unexploded devices to children. Prior to the International Day for Awareness Against Mines on April 4, it released a Public Service Announcement urging nations to prevent these mines from disrupting the lives of innocent civilians.
The total number of officially recorded executions declined in the year 2010, according to a report by Amnesty International. 139 countries world wide have now declared a moratorium on death penalty. China, however, continues to be the top executer.
Biofuel obtained from Jatropha currently considered a green, renewable alternative to oil could cause up to six times more carbon emissions than fossil fuels, a study has revealed. A growing demand for the biofuel may lead to agricultural patterns shifting from food crops to Jatropha, and may lead to further deepening of the global food crisis.
Tokyo’s water bureau has warned against consumption of tap water for infants under the age of one as it was found to contain double the levels of radioactive iodine considered safe for toddlers. The authorities however, have declared that radiation levels do not pose any immediate threat to adults.
Worldwide media continues to struggle with gender inequality as a new report finds women under-represented in all media positions. Despite increasing numbers of women in top jobs in journalism over the past two decades, men still dominate executive level positions.
A new system will help forecast if an earthquake can cause a large tsunami. Developed by the US based Georgia Institute of Technology, the model calculates the rate of rupture and energy of the earthquake to identify potential threats.
Aid agencies report that food and medical care supplies are running out in Libya. As conflict heats up in the country, it is becoming increasingly difficult to provide humanitarian assistance to thousands of internally displaced people. There is also a huge shortage of drugs to treat chronic ailments including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mental health disorders.
As incarceration rates escalate in the United States, an increasing number of prisoners are subjected to solitary confinement with isolation and deprivation reaching the level of torture. While many inmates suffer mental illness and isolated for needed treatment, others are children who end up in solitude because there is nowhere else to put them for their protection.
The World Health Organisation announced its first ever list of essential medicines to protect the lives of mothers and children in developing countries. The list of top 30 medicines includes drugs that treat postpartum haemorrhage, pneumonia, high blood pressure and STDs among women, and diarrhoea, malaria and AIDS-related illness among children.
A polio vaccination drive kicks off today in Somalia, four years since it was first declared polio-free. The new UN campaign intends to reach over a million under-five children in the trouble-torn nation. Polio meanwhile is yet to be eradicated from India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Ethiopia, one of world’s largest recipients of humanitarian aid, has offered three million hectares of virgin land to large-scale foreign corporations at incredibly low cost. With contactors from 36 countries including India, China, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia setting up businesses, the country’s Gambella province is now at the centre of the global rush for cheap land.
The lacuna of reckless tourism has resulted in massive loss of eco system and community factionalism whenever the locals don’t enjoy the fair share of revue earned and jobs created. The onset of responsible tourism promises to empower local communities to manage and benefit from environmentally sound tourism ventures with the triple goals of conservation, development, and profit.
Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency raised the nuclear accident seriousness level at Fukushima power plant from four to five on the International Nuclear Event Scale. A Level 5 emergency involves severe damage to a reactor core, release of large quantities of of radiation and significant public exposure or radiation deaths.
