ALMATY: Two Nasa astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut on Friday made a safe return from the International Space Station to find the planet transformed by the coronavirus pandemic. Andrew Morgan, Jessica Meir and Oleg Skripochka touched down in central Kazakhstan … read more

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is President of the Republic of Ghana and Co-chair of the UN Secretary-General’s Eminent Group of Advocates for the SDGs and Erna Solberg is Prime Minister of Norway and Co-chair of the UN Secretary-General’s Eminent Group of Advocates for the SDGs

The post Amid Coronavirus Pandemic, SDGs are Even More Relevant Today Than Ever Before appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Nearly 400 Rohingya refugees have been rescued in Bangladesh after being at sea for two months.  Bangladesh coast guards reported rescuing 382 Rohingyas, including many women and children, who were starving and stuck on a boat as they were trying to reach Malaysia, the BBC reported on Thursday.  Coast guard spokesman Lt Shah Zia Rahman […]

The post Concerns for the Nearly 400 Rohingya Refugees Rescued off the Coast of Bangladesh appeared first on Inter Press Service.

United Nations Secretary General António Guterres on Thursday pleaded with global leaders and families to ensure the protection of the world’s children, millions of whom he says are vulnerable to a myriad of threats as a result of the shutdown arising from the global coronavirus pandemic.  While children are at a significantly lower health risk […]

The post Global Leaders Must Prioritise Children’s Wellbeing amid Coronavirus Pandemic – UN appeared first on Inter Press Service.

With much of the global economy stalled amid an unprecedented lockdown of nations grappling to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the author of a new United Nations report on the disease’s impact on poverty told IPS that hundreds of millions more could be pushed into poverty and we can expect to see social unrest. “A lockdown […]

The post Q&A: Continued Social Distancing and Hundreds of Millions More in Poverty – A New Normal for the World? appeared first on Inter Press Service.

The UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), described as an integral part of its highly-ambitious development agenda, may be in deep trouble. Aimed at addressing some of the global challenges the world faces– including extreme poverty and hunger, inequalities in incomes and gender, climate change and environmental degradation– the SDGs now seem threatened by a […]

The post UN’s Development Goals Threatened by a World Economy Facing Recession appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Soon schools in Timor-Leste, Ukraine, and Kosovo, where some 6.5 million children are currently at home, will hopefully start teaching their children once again — albeit online.  A learning platform, originally designed to assist refugee and displaced children, was launched this week to address the current global crisis affecting children who are out of school […]

The post Children under Lockdown get a ‘Learning Passport’ appeared first on Inter Press Service.

The Covid-19 pandemic has opened our eyes to many vulnerabilities. With home quarantine proving to be a successful strategy, we are finally catching up and practicing it. Bangladeshi narratives about home quarantine now discuss how home is the safest place to ensure sanitisation, hygiene and disinfection. But what if home is where you are most […]

The post Domestic violence during the time of corona appeared first on Inter Press Service.

As the number of coronavirus cases continues to grow, concerns are simultaneously growing about the current and long-term effects this will have on certain demographics — specifically, women, the youth, migrant workers, and many employees around the world.  This week, the United Nations launched a report “Shared Responsibility, Global Solidarity: Responding to the socio-economic impacts […]

The post U.N. Releases Report on Socio-economic Effects of Coronavirus appeared first on Inter Press Service.

A little over half of women across the globe are able to freely make choices about their sexual and reproductive health, according to a latest report based on data from 57 countries.  However, as much of the world has gone into lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, with countries implementing social distancing and restricting the […]

The post **Correction**How the COVID-19 Pandemic is Affecting Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health appeared first on Inter Press Service.

For a Bangladeshi woman, who has worked as a sex worker since childhood, her future post-COVID-19 looks hopeless. Shilpy, who works at Daulatdia, the largest brothel in the country, told IPS how she now also fears for the future of her two daughters. “When I was born, the woman my mother worked for gave everyone […]

The post Alive Amidst the Mayhem of COVID-19 – A Sex Worker’s Story appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Arti Zodpe is from the Tamasha (folk dance-drama) theatre in Sangli, in India’s Maharashtra state. After evening performances, some of the singers and dancers offer sex work services to the audience. “We [Tamasha sex workers] live outside of the city as people feel disturbed by the sound of our ghunghroo [anklet bracelets with bells] and […]

The post India’s Liberal Abortion Law, Nullified by Social Stigma appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Feminist responses to COVID-19 have been swift, insightful, and numerous. There have been webinars (so.many.webinars), twitter threads, illustrations, press releases and policy recommendations, and online house parties. Analysis pieces cover everything from the gendered impacts of COVID-19 to how to work remotely to the role of neoliberal capitalism. Most strikingly, feminists have mobilized on a […]

The post Autonomous Resourcing: the Engine Room of Feminist Work Amid a Global Pandemic appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Ensuring sex workers’ rights was essential, not just for the workers themselves, but for any country’s wider society, including public health

The post Ensuring Russia’s Sex Workers’ Rights Essential for Wider Gender Equality appeared first on Inter Press Service.

How many COVID-19 deaths will occur before a vaccine becomes available worldwide? As with many seemingly simple questions about an uncertain future, the proper answer to that important query is: “it depends”. The total worldwide number of deaths from COVID-19 before a vaccine, reported to be nearly a quarter-million at the end of April and […]

The post COVID-19 Deaths Before A Vaccine? appeared first on Inter Press Service.

In these times of Covid-19, the big challenge for most of us is how to protect ourselves and our families from the virus and how to hold on to our jobs. For policymakers, that translates into beating the pandemic without doing irreversible damage to the economy in the process. With over three million confirmed cases […]

The post New Normal? Better Normal! appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Turkey’s longest-running traditional sports event, Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling competition, has started in the northwestern province of Edirne. The annual event, which is organized for the 657th time this year, attracts thousands of people. Click through for the story in photos...

Those who have not been able to go on vacation over the summer or those who wish to extend their vacation can check Hürriyet Travel’s list for the best holiday destinations in Turkey in the month of September. Click through for the story in photos...

Tripadvisor’s annual list of best hotels has been published. Click through for the top 15 hotels in Turkey that won Travellers’ Choice 2018 awards with the votes of the website’s users.

The district of Kadıköy on Istanbul’s Asian side has been hailed as one of the top 50 coolest neighborhoods in the world by Time Out magazine. Click through for the story in photos...

A recent trend on social media in Turkey is the increasing influence of a group of good-looking Turkish doctors. Click through for the photo story by Hürriyet reporter Kübra Genç...

The mayor of the western Turkish town of İznik, which is a key venue in the history of Christianity, has launched a campaign against those who paint the historic city walls with graffiti despite repeated warnings. Click through for the story in photos...

Music and dance lovers can find something interesting for themselves this year, whether they like jazz or rock, latin or folk and whether they go to western or eastern Turkey... Click through for the 2018-2019 calendar for music and dance festivals in Turkey...

Hotels in the southeastern province of Adıyaman are enjoying a 100 percent occupancy rate thanks to a flock of domestic visitors wanting to spend their upcoming nine-day Eid al-Fitr holiday, along with the increasing number of foreign visitors wanting to see the beautiful Mount Nemrut.

As 2020 was declared the Year of Patara, interest increased in the ancient city, located between the resort districts of Kaş and Fethiye

Turkey’s metropolis Istanbul has been ranked 17th in the list of the most beautiful cities in the world by online travel agency Flight Network. Click through for the top 20 most beautiful cities in photos… (Photos: Alamy)

From the Black Sea region to the serene beauty of the Aegean and the Mediterranean, Turkey offers picturesque camping sites for those seeking a budget-friendly holiday in the wilderness. Click through for our list, prepared by İnci Hazal Özcan, including the best ten camping sites in Turkey that you should know about:

With the winter approaching, the demand for seats on the Eastern Express, a train service that links the capital Ankara with the eastern province of Kars, has surged again, as the number of tickets sold so far for the winter months reached 10,000. Click through for the story in photos...

A sheet of paper bearing Paul McCartney's handwritten lyrics to "Hey Jude" sold for $910,000 in an online auction held on April 10 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' historic split.    

The Konya Tropical Butterfly Garden is the only place in Turkey where one can observe every phase of metamorphosis, from small larvae to colorful butterflies.

Forbes magazine has announced the top 25 highest grossing Turkish TV series of the year. Click through for the full list...

Chestnut forests in the Kazdağları, surrounded by yellow and red tones and autumn outfits, attract photographers and outdoor sports enthusiasts.

With the birth of the Turkish Republic, many rights have been granted to women, marking a milestone in the history of both the country and the world. The modern republic’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and his sweeping reforms have aimed to create gender equality between women and men, as he was one of the first leaders in the world to grant women the right to elect and be elected. From the first woman pilot to the first female judges, many Turkish women made history, thriving to leave an enduring legacy for future generations. Click through to see the most influential Turkish women, as compiled by İnci Hazal Özcan:

Lake Gökpınar, dubbed a “natural aquarium,” enchants visitors as fall colors merge with its crystal-clear turquoise-hued waters.

World's second deepest canyon located in Turkey's Black Sea province of Kastamonu attracts visitors. (Source: Anadolu Agency)

As the weather gets colder and Mother Nature gently spreads its autumn colors, destinations for fall getaways become more popular among the world’s tourists. Turkey, with its abundant natural heritage, offers budget-friendly and romantic destinations for travelers. Click through for the most affordable holiday stops in Turkey. (Photos: Alamy)

Canyons around the Euphrates River in eastern Malatya province are becoming favorite destinations for nature lovers.  (Source: Anadolu Agency)

Domestic and international tourists will not be able to witness the beauty of the tulip gardens, which hosts the splash of all colors and is visited by thousands of people every year in the Central Anatolian province of Karaman's Kazımkarabekir district, due to the strict measures to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on May 8 for an "all-out effort" to end the "tsunami of hate and xenophobia" sparked by the novel coronavirus pandemic, without naming specific countries.

Turkey has blocked three foreign banks- BNP Paribas, Citibank, and UBS- from doing foreign exchange transactions with the Turkish lira, the nation’s banking watchdog announced on May 7. 

The residents of the southeastern province of Mardin practicing self-isolation rules due to the coronavirus outbreak are organizing on social media and flying kites from rooftops at certain times every day.

Turkish Labor, Social Services and Family Ministry on May 8 announced visitors will not be allowed to retirement and nursing homes across the country on Mother's Day Sunday, and also during traditional Eid al-Fitr holiday at the end of Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Some of the restrictions imposed on open marketplaces as part of the measures to take the spread of the coronavirus outbreak under control have been lifted, the Interior Ministry has announced in a circular sent to 81 provinces across the country.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) confirmed on May 8 that teams can make extra substitutions during games to "protect player welfare" in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Turkey’s new production line, established with the locally-produced machines, came into service for a state-run shell factory on May 8. 

Turkey has neutralized over 1,300 terrorists across five different operation areas since the beginning of 2020, the country's national defense minister said.

Russia's Red Army Choir shot a video at home playing notes from the Ottoman military band Mehter in support of Turkey's fight with the novel coronavirus.

One Beşiktaş player and a staff member tested positive for the coronavirus three days after the announcement that the Turkish league will resume next month, the club said on May 9. 

Russia on May 8 marked Turkey's efforts in Syria's Idlib province with an aim to free the key M4 highway from radical groups.

Turkey's confirmed cases of the coronavirus increased by 2,253 in the past 24 hours, and 64 more people have died, taking the death toll to 3,584, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on May 6.