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Malawi: Tithawire Kuti? Malawians Struggling to Make Ends Meet Amid Soaring Cooking Oil Prices

[Nyasa Times] Malawians across the country are feeling the weight of soaring cooking oil prices, with many struggling to make ends meet as the cost of living continues to rise. Over the past month, the price of cooking oil has surged by an average of 12%, forcing consumers to dig deeper into their pockets to purchase essential household items.




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Liberia: Sources - Executive May Submit Draft Budget to the Breakaway Bloc This Week

[Liberian Investigator] Monrovia -- Sources have hinted to The Liberian Investigator that the Executive Branch, through the Ministry of Finance & Development Planning, is contemplating submitting the 2025 draft national budget to the breakaway "majority bloc" in the House of Representatives later this week.




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Africa: World's Longest Arbitrarily Detained Journalist Receives The Edelstam Prize

[The Edelstam Foundation] The Edelstam Prize 2024 is awarded to Mr. Dawit Isaak for his outstanding contributions and exceptional courage in standing up for freedom of expression, one's beliefs, and in the defence of Human Rights. The prize will be awarded during a ceremony at the House of Nobility in Stockholm, Sweden, on 19th November 2024. As Dawit Isaak is a prisoner of conscience and the longest-held detained journalist in the world, he cannot be present. His daughter, Betlehem Isaak, will receive the prize on his behalf.




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Ethiopia: Dereja, in Partnership with the Ministry of Labor and Skills and the Mastercard Foundation, to Host the 5th National Career Expo, Connecting Over 30,000 Recent Graduates

[Mastercard Foundation] Addis Ababa, Ethiopia -- Dereja, in partnership with the Ministry of Labor and Skills (MOLS) and the Mastercard Foundation, will host the 5th National Career Expo on November 6 - 7, 2024, at Millennium Hall, Addis Ababa. The event will connect over 30,000 skilled professionals to the job market.




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Ethiopia: UN Conducts Fourth Review of Ethiopia's Human Rights Record Amid Mounting Reports of Rights Abuses

[Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- Ethiopia's human rights record is under review today, 12 November 2024, by the United Nations Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group, marking the fourth assessment of the country's human rights practices.




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Ethiopia: CPJ's Five-Year Review Reveals Significant Decline in Press Freedom Since Ethiopia's Last Review

[Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) presented to the UN's Human Rights Council a five-year review of press freedom in Ethiopia ahead of the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Ethiopia at the 47th Session taking place today by the UN's Human Rights Council.




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Kenya: Why President Ruto's Plan to Loan Money to Entrepreneurs Hasn't Worked

[The Conversation Africa] It's two years since Kenyan president William Ruto, in what seemed like a political gamble, rolled out a government-run microcredit scheme popularised as the Hustler Fund. Worth 50 billion shillings (US$409 million) a year over a five-year period, the low-interest loans were touted as the "magic formula" to start or grow micro, small and medium businesses. Now the fund faces an uncertain future owing to a high default rate. Eric Magale, who studies the complex relationship between finance, livelihoods and




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Sudan: Allies of Warring Generals 'Enabling the Slaughter,' Security Council Hears

[UN News] The people of Sudan face an ever-deepening crisis as the relentless war between rival militaries pushes the country further into chaos, the UN's top political affairs official told the Security Council on Tuesday, underscoring that a ceasefire and a negotiated political solution remain the only viable path to peace.




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Chad: Chad Says Boko Haram Fighters Fleeing to Neighboring States

[VOA] Yaoundé, Cameroon -- The government of Chad said Tuesday that hundreds of Boko Haram fighters are fleeing the central African state's territory and crossing over into Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria. State TV reports the fighters fled after clashes with Chadian forces over the weekend that killed more than 100 Boko Haram fighters as well as close to 20 Chadian soldiers.




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Africa: 'AI is No Panacea, But If It Can Help With Africa's Challenges, We Should Be Open-Minded'

[allAfrica] Cape Town -- allAfrica's Juanita Williams and Joy Basu, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of African Affairs, overseeing Economics and Regional Affairs across Sub-Saharan Africa, discussed the work of the Digital Transformation With Africa (DTA) project, which is coming up for its two-year anniversary in December 2024, how DTA chooses its partners, and how AI is not a panacea for the challenges the continent faces. Basu is in Cape Town for the Africa Tech Festival, and Williams spoke with her




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Cancer medication funding to be taken over by health ministry from community chest fund

Responsibility for the funding of cancer medication is set to be taken over by the Health Ministry from the Malta Community Chest Fund • Minister announces Paola Health Hub set to launch operations this week




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Malta, WWII’s most heavily bombed country, makes pitch for military enthusiasts

VisitMalta launches military tourism segment aimed at attracting military history enthusiasts to Malta




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Ħamrun’s newest każin is ISSA, a centre for emerging arts

Electronic Music Malta has opened a new chapter in the history of contemporary Maltese music with its very own każin in Ħamrun, called ISSA




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Church opposes Villa Rosa project, local plan change

Archdiocese of Malta’s Environment Commission says it views the Villa Rosa project as another example where individual interests are prioritised over community wellbeing




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Government seeks design teams in first step towards new Gozo hospital

Government is scoping the market for potential interest in the design and construction of a new Gozo hospital, a process abandoned when the Steward Health Care concession was terminated




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Minorities Unsafe in Pakistan

Extremist violence has been escalating in Pakistan, with minorities of all stripes being targeted. Even Islamic sects are not spared.




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U.S. Response to North Korea's Threats

North Korea's blustering comes as no surprise, but what does the U.S. response mean for geostrategic maneuvering in the Asia-Pacific region.




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Afghanistan's Upcoming Presidential Elections

On April 5, the Afghan people will vote in the country's third-ever presidential elections, but corruption and security pose significant obstacles.




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Fiji Goes to the Polls

In September Fiji will have its first democratic election since the Qarase government was deposed in a bloodless coup in December 2006 by military forces.




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India's Imperatives in Sri Lanka

India has tried to address the concerns of Sri Lankan Tamils through development projects, but now faces a political dilemma with regional consequences.




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Multilateral Test for India's Modi

At upcoming multilateral summits, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has an opportunity to expand India's regional position and economic links, and address issues such as terrorism and a rising China.




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Australia: Fanning the Flames of Warming and Warfare

Australia is a case study for how the West prioritizes fossil fuels and military intervention over developing alternative energy and regional accord.




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Business Underpins India-U.S. Defense Deal

In its recent defense technology deal with the U.S., India has laid the groundwork for creating a robust long-term defense industrial base.




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China's Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

The AIIB is a game changer for China in multilateral financial architecture. The Bank presents both a challenge and an opportunity for India.




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Detention, Torture and Killing of Afghan Women Continues

Throughout 2022, the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan introduced and enforced some of the worst gender-based discriminatory policies seen anywhere in the world.




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Viewpoints: North Korea Tests Nuclear Bomb

North Korea conducted its fourth hydrogen bomb test last week, and reactions from around the world have ranged from outrage and alarm to dismissiveness.




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Countries North Korea Can Currently Hit With Their Missiles

Should North Korea ever have the capacity to launch a nuclear missile that could reach the U.S. mainland, Trump would have approximately ten minutes to react and make a decision to counterattack.




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Sudanese Civil War Exacerbates Economies in Neighbouring Countries

Critical levels of nationwide hunger in Sudan has only increased to critical levels since the start of the Sudanese civil war in April 2023. Escalated hostilities between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have led to limited mobility and repeated blockages of humanitarian aid. This, coupled with the volatile floods […]




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A new Secretary Sindh Board of Revenue takes charge today

Nazir SiyalKARACHI: Sindh Government have posted Mr. Mehboob Ali Siyal, as Secretary (Revenue), Board of Revenue Sindh, against an existing vacancy here yesterday. Mr. Mehboob Ali Siyal will take charge as Secretary Revenue on Wednesday. A vibrant Officer of Sindh … read more




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Peaceful PTI leaders will protest against unjust arrests of leadership: Spokesman

Mukhtiar Hussain KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Sindh General Secretary Dr. Masroor Ali Siyal was arrested at Al-Asif Square on his way to the Swabi rally, along with MPA Raja Azhar, two other MPAs, and a large number of officials and … read more




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A Pact for the World’s Poorest

Last month, world leaders gathered at the time of the UN General Assembly in New York and agreed on a pioneering Pact for the Future. This global accord has implications across a broad range of issues that affect every country. It offers much hope for the poorest and most vulnerable countries on the planet, known […]





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Capacity Building Is Key to Africa’s Digital Sequencing Success Story

Christian Tiambo has always wished to uplift local farmers’ communities through cutting-edge science. As climate change wreaked havoc on local agriculture, Tiambo, a livestock scientist at the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH) and at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), focused on conserving and developing livestock that could withstand environmental stress. Genomics, […]




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Press Freedom in Sri Lanka: A Long Road to Justice

Anyone interested in unsolved murders and disappearances will find much to study in Sri Lanka. Fifteen to twenty years ago, the country made global headlines, not only for the government’s military offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) guerrillas but also for the numerous murders of journalists. The newly elected president, Anura Kumara […]




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At COP16, Biodiversity Credits Raising Hopes and Protests

At the end of the first week at the 16th Conference of Parties on Biodiversity (COP16), finance emerges as the biggest issue but also shrouded in controversies. On Saturday, as the COP moved closer to its most crucial phase of negotiations, resource mobilization—listed under Target 19 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF)—took centerstage, with […]




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The July Revolution in Bangladesh Is Rooted in Meta-Modernist Philosophy

The students and the common people of Bangladesh dared to do something in 36 days of July-August that was considered simply impossible by most people just days before August 5, 2024. They said ‘enough is enough’ to an old order that outraged their humanity, robbed their dignity and the rulers imagined that their citadel of […]




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Israel’s Ban on UNRWA Threatens the Stability of Palestine

On October 28, the Israeli parliament voted to ban activity from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Israel. Two bills were passed by the Knesset, Israel’s house of representatives, one that barred all UNRWA efforts, and another that prevents interactions between Israeli authorities and UNRWA […]




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Will Ukraine Benefit if IMF Ends its Punitive Fees on Debt Burdened Countries?

Over the coming month, the United States has a window of opportunity to lift a multi-billion-dollar burden from Ukraine, and other countries in financial distress, without costing the US taxpayer a dime. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is currently considering ending its controversial “surcharges” — punitive fees that it imposes on countries whose debt exceeds […]



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Empowering Change & Resilience: Social Protection in the Age of Megatrends

Social protection systems are essential to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. However, social protection is insufficient across Asia and the Pacific, and the region is at risk from megatrends: climate change, demographic shifts and digitalization. Tens of millions of people have been pushed into extreme poverty since COVID-19, reversing past gains, and many […]



  • Asia-Pacific
  • Development & Aid
  • Economy & Trade
  • Featured
  • Headlines
  • IPS UN: Inside the Glasshouse
  • Sustainable Development Goals
  • TerraViva United Nations
  • IPS UN Bureau

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“Escalation Dominance” . . . and the Prospect of More Than 1,000 Holocausts

Everything is at stake. Everything is at stake with nuclear weapons. While working as a nuclear war planner for the Kennedy administration, Daniel Ellsberg was shown a document calculating that a U.S. nuclear attack on communist countries would result in 600 million dead. As he put it later: “A hundred Holocausts.” That was in 1961. […]




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Playing Nuclear Games: Tickling the Tail of the Promethean Nuclear Fire Dragon

In recent years, the rhetoric, strategy and practice of nuclear deterrence has grown riskier, more urgent, more dangerous, less stable, and increasingly in the hands of deficient leaders and policymakers. Playing Nuclear Games The ten States that have manufactured and test detonated nuclear weapons since 1945, each have received and/or provided assistance to other States […]




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Guterres Congratulates Nihon Hidankyo For Nobel Prize For Efforts To Rid Humanity of Nuclear Weapons

The United Nations Secretary General António Guterres congratulated grassroots Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo on being awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize. “The atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, also known as the hibakusha, are selfless, soul-bearing witnesses of the horrific human cost of nuclear weapons,” he said in a statement. “While their numbers grow smaller each […]




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Stigmatization is the Entry Door for Repression and Violence

Information manipulation and misinformation are not new phenomena, but they have taken on exaggerated importance, especially with the massive use of social media. Hostile and stigmatizing narratives against civil society and civic activism, whether intentional or not, especially when propagated by authorities, create undue restrictions and hinder the exercise of the rights to freedom of […]




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Empowering Indigenous Communities: A Path to Sustainable and Just Development

In a world where the fight for land rights often pits the powerful against the marginalized, Indigenous communities stand as resilient defenders of their ancestral lands. These communities, rich in culture and tradition, face numerous challenges, from encroachment and exploitation to climate change. Empowering Indigenous communities is not just a matter of justice; it is […]




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Reviving the Spirit of the Steppe: Kazakhstan Has Hosted the 5th World Nomad Games

In a vibrant display of culture and tradition, Kazakhstan recently hosted the 5th World Nomad Games in Astana, celebrating the enduring spirit of nomadic heritage against a backdrop of modernity and globalization. This biennial event, which drew competitors and spectators from around the globe, served not only as a showcase of traditional sports but also […]




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Between Harris and Trump, More Doubts Than Certainties for Latin America

Migration, trade, the defence of democracy, the confrontation with China and the collapse of multilateralism are issues that shed more doubts than certainties on Latin America’s expectations of the imminent presidential elections in the United States. Interest and tension have grown after dozens of polls and bookmakers have shown similar chances of victory for Democrat […]




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Over 150 NGOs Urge World Governments to Help End War Crimes in Gaza

As it continues to leave a mounting trail of death and destruction in Gaza, Israel has come under severe attack from the international community, including the United Nations and its humanitarian agencies, Western allies, the International Criminal Court (ICC) and scores of human rights experts. During a conference in Paris, focusing on the new crisis […]




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Pressure on an Atomic Level

Violence in the Middle East has escalated dramatically since the Hamas terrorist attack in October 2023 and the fallout that has since followed. There is tension, if not a state of war, between all the major opponents on the ground. Israel is directly facing off with mainly non-state actors from other countries, who have more […]




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UN Remains Paralyzed as “Rogue Nations” Violate Charter & Escalate War Crimes

The United Nations continues to be virtually paralyzed – and remains politically impotent amidst two raging conflicts—as Russia and Israel keep defying the world body. The killings of civilians and the destruction of cities, particularly by Israel, are devastating and continue despite repeated warnings from the UN, its humanitarian agencies, the International Criminal Court (ICC), […]




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Has the United Nations Outlived its Usefulness?

The United Nations, established in 1945 at the end of World War II, has sadly virtually outlived its usefulness as it commemorated its 79th anniversary due to its failure to reform itself and adjust to the new world order following the collapse of the Soviet Union, which is significantly different from when the UN was […]