Venezuela’s Oil trapped in Hurricane Trump’s Onslaught

Reduced to a marginal oil producer over the past decade, Venezuela has suffered another blow as United States president Donald Trump ordered punitive measures to blockade and further restrict the country’s oil exports.

Kashmir Reels After Pahalgam Attack, Fear Long Term Impacts on Livelihoods

Abdul Majeed Mir strolls leisurely among the purple crocus flower rows in Pampore's saffron fields as the morning mist hovers low over them. His family has been growing this valuable spice, called "red gold," for many generations, but now his hands go through the harvest mechanically. There is a noticeable lack of the typical commotion of tourists haggling over saffron packets.

Rampant Tourism, Climate Change Threatens Varkala’s Unique Geodiversity

From the top of the cliff, the beach down below appears like a box of sand, with people scattered on it like tiny ants. This is Varkala, arguably the most sought-after coastal tourism spot in Kerala, India, right now. The Varkala cliff—spanning across Edava Cliff, North Cliff, and South Cliff—is 7.5 km long and has a maximum height of 40 m. Religious rituals take place at the part of Papanasam beach that divides the North and South Cliffs.

African Countries Still Underfunding Health by as Much as 50 Percent

The majority of African countries are yet to commit 15 percent of their GDP to funding the health sector, despite the growing disease burden weighing down the continent and two decades after the coming into force of the Abuja declaration on health sector funding.

UN Chief, Brazil Gather World Leaders to Reaffirm Commitments Paris Agreement

UN Secretary-General António Guterres and President Lula da Silva of Brazil on Wednesday, April 23, held a closed-door meeting with heads of state to discuss strengthening global efforts against the climate crisis and to ensure a just energy transition.

Chel Snakehead: A Fish That Time Forgot, Rediscovered

The Chel Snakehead fish, thought to be extinct, has made a dramatic comeback to the eastern Himalayan ecosystem after more than 85 years of absence near its source river in India.

US Considering Nuclear Power for Saudi Arabia in Grand Bargain

The Trump administration is reportedly pursuing a deal with Saudi Arabia that would be a pathway to developing a commercial nuclear power industry in the desert kingdom and maybe even lead to the enrichment of uranium on Saudi soil.

How Science Solutions Are Saving Africa’s Livestock and Livelihoods

Livestock are a lifeline for millions of farmers in Africa as a source of food and wealth. But devastating diseases are threatening the health and productivity of their animals. Now scientists at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) have unleashed a toolbox of science solutions by outsmarting the parasites and pathogens that cost millions of dollars in livestock losses across Africa. The toolbox includes everything from vaccines that protect livestock from ‘cattle malaria’ to genetics to breed animals tolerant to East Coast fever.

Four Rare Snow Leopards Spotted Together on Pakistan’s Northern Peaks

In a remarkable conservation achievement, four rare and elusive snow leopards have been spotted together in the rugged peaks of northern Pakistan, highlighting the success of the ongoing global efforts aimed at protecting this critically endangered species and preserving its fragile habitat.

Smallholder Farmers Are Not ‘Beneficiaries’, but the ‘Co-Creators of Change’

Eliud Rugut comes from generations of farmers, yet his family expected him to move out of their home and pursue another career.

The ‘Plastic Man’: Turning Trash into Treasure

In a quiet corner of Medina Gounass, on the outskirts of Dakar, Senegal, one man has taken it upon himself to breathe new life into a place many had abandoned.

Europe Is Now the Fastest Warming Continent—Report

It is now official that the European continent is experiencing the fastest rate of global warming, according to a new scientific report released by Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Last year record temperatures, heatwaves, and floods unleashed a massive toll on infrastructure, cities, economies, and people’s lives and livelihoods in the region.

Andean Women Farmers in Peru Face Climate Crisis with Green Practices

"Up here in the highlands, there’s a lot of frost, and everything seems bleak. But I’m so happy since I got my greenhouse and started growing vegetables in a healthy way. I feel like we’re overcoming the challenges of the weather," Anacleta Mamani, a Quechua farmer from the community of Poques (about an hour’s drive from Cusco, the former imperial capital of Peru), told IPS.

Want To Fix the World, Ubuntu (Humanity to Others) Can Help

The world needs an urgent fix and humanity could just be it.

Reflections on CGIAR’s Week-Long Discussions on Food System Science

More than 13,600 participants from around the world registered for the inaugural CGIAR Science Week at the UN Complex, Nairobi, April 7-12, 2025. Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, the organization’s Executive Managing Director, said, “This is a testament that people are thirsty for science and for good news.”

How to Put the ‘Sexy’ Back into Agriculture – Thoughts From CGIAR Science Week

This week presented a beacon of hope for young people so that the “girl from the South and the boy, of course” could stay in the developing world, Dr Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Managing Director of CGIAR, said during a press conference on the final day of the CGIAR Science Week.

Ceasefire Collapse and Regime Controls Hamper Myanmar Quake Relief

Two weeks after a devastating earthquake hit central Myanmar, the military junta is directing flows of international aid to urban centres it controls while bombing civilians in areas held by resistance forces, breaking a ceasefire.

US Tariffs Threaten to Undermine World Trade Organization

As the Trump administration’s hostility towards the United Nations and other international organizations keeps growing, a New York Times columnist last week proposed what he frivolously described as “something a little incendiary”.

Insight to Impact: CGIAR Inaugural Flagship Report for Decision Makers Navigating Food System Science

"To have impact, it was crucial to understand what impact was wanted," CGIAR's Executive Managing Director Dr. Ismahane Elouafi said at the launch of the organization's flagship report, Insight to Impact: A decision-maker’s guide to navigating food system science.

‘Act Before It Gets Worse’ – Experts Warn as Agrifood Problems in Global South Intensify

As agrifood systems in the Global South buckle under the weight of climate change, biodiversity, and even pollution, experts such as Dr. Himanshu Pathak call for urgent innovative solutions, as, at the current pace, the problems of the Global South are going to intensify with escalating climate change.

CGIAR Gender Impact Platform Needs a ‘Bold Approach’ in Agriculture Research

Women farmers face structural issues that prevent them from realizing their full potential, from societal perceptions that dictate their limitations to poor land. However, CGIAR's Gender Impact Platform Director, Nicoline de Haan, argues that leaning into a "victim" narrative does not serve them, especially when women are demonstrably more involved in agriculture.