“Don’t Call It Ethnic. Ituri Confict Is a Mystery”
ROME, Aug 24 (IPS) – It is a metallic sound, harmless. It lasts just over a second, but it can become as sharp as...
Bubonic plague putting young lives at risk in DR Congo: UNICEF
A resurgence of Bubonic plague in Ituri province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is putting young lives at risk, the...
Humanitarian needs, including a lack of shelter, are soaring among displaced communities, as fighting continues in Yemen’s Marib governorate, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)...
NEW DELHI, India, Aug 24 (IPS) – As I write this, India has just celebrated the 75th anniversary of its independence from British rule...
SYDNEY and KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 (IPS) – Instead of a health system striving to provide universal healthcare, a fragmented, profit-driven market ‘non-system’ has...
Afghanistan women’s rights are ‘red line’, UN rights chief tells States
UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet led calls on Tuesday for Afghanistan’s new Taliban leaders to respect the rights of all Afghans and warned that...
Drought, Storms, Intense Rainfall and Fires Threatening Millions in Latin America and the Caribbean
NEW YORK, Aug 24 (IPS) – In 2020, Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia faced their worst drought in half a century. The Atlantic Basin saw...
Frog and toad pupils mainly come in seven different shapes
Frog and toad pupils come in quite the array, from slits to circles. But overall, there are seven main shapes of these animals’ peepholes,...
‘Flashes of Creation’ recounts the Big Bang theory’s origin story
Flashes of CreationPaul HalpernBasic Books, $30 The Big Bang wasn’t always a sure bet. For several decades in the 20th century, researchers wrestled with...
The definition of planet is still a sore point – especially among Pluto fans
For 76 years, Pluto was the beloved ninth planet. No one cared that it was the runt of the solar system, with a moon,...
The race to build a pandemic-proof world 
Why the UN General Assembly still matters 
UN Crime Congress: Technology is transforming crime – and the response to it 
Surviving the summer