Blocking NATO to Stop Drones

Upping the ante against U.S. drone attacks in Pakistan, celebrated cricketer-turned-political leader Imran Khan has threatened to block NATO supplies to Afghanistan through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where his party leads a coalition government.

Big Coal Angles For a Slice of Climate Finance Pie

Power generation is a major contributor to the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. Choosing the right options for less-polluting energy sources in the future is a vital question – in which energy-starved Africa has a keen interest. In one camp, highly polluting industries are appealing for support under any new climate finance mechanisms established under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change process.

Media Workers ‘Targeted’ in Syria’s North

(Al Jazeera) - Syrian government troops are targeting media centres and news providers, Reporters Without Borders has warned after the killing of a citizen journalist and the destruction of premises belonging to two media centres within a week.

Keeping the Philippines from Becoming Another Haiti

Nearly two weeks after Typhoon Haiyan devastated parts of the central Philippines, experts and activists here are warning that post-disaster reconstruction needs to be more transparent than past such efforts, while also focusing on a long-term assistance strategy that goes beyond immediate emergency relief.

Guarded Tone in Geneva as Negotiators Seek Iran Accord

Amidst rising expectations of a breakthrough, Iran and six world powers Wednesday resumed their quest for a deal on Iran’s controversial nuclear programme that seemed just within reach earlier this month.

UNCTAD Report Underscores Gap Between Economic Growth & Employment

About 12 percent of the world’s population is witnessing a growing gap between economic growth (seven percent every year) and employment growth (almost three percent every year) in the 49 Least Developed Countries (LDCs), according to 2013 LDCs Report "Growth with Employment for Sustainable Development " launched by the UN  Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

More Chileans Want the Benefits of Living in Latin America’s ‘Tiger’

Hugo Hurtado, 47, is a chef. Anyone would say that in his country, Chile, the Latin American “tiger”, his profession would be synonymous with success and even fame. But unfortunately that’s not true.

Gamani Corea, Former UNCTAD Secretary General: an Appreciation

This afternoon, I have the sad honour of paying tribute to my distinguished predecessor, Deshamanya Gamani Corea, who died earlier this month. His passing is a great loss to us. He was a true warrior for the weak and disadvantaged, and the tribute we pay to him today only underscores the continuing importance of his life’s work, and the lamentable reality that much of what he fought for remains unfulfilled.

At Kyrgyzstan’s Kumtor Mine, “No Light at the End of the Tunnel”

(EurasiaNet) - The Kumtor gold mine is Kyrgyzstan’s lone economic gem. Yet, despite the mine’s vital importance to the Kyrgyz economy, officials appear to be mulling a doomsday option for the Canadian-run project. Officials in Bishkek and executives for Toronto-based Centerra Gold, the entity that owns Kumtor, have been struggling to work out a new operating arrangement.

Bank Crash Hits Women Harder

Women in Iceland have been more badly affected by the economic collapse in 2008 than their male counterparts, both in terms of physical and mental health, studies show.

Indonesia’s Forest Communities Victims of ‘Legal Land Grabs’

- Indonesia’s rainforests are facing “legal land grabs”, allege NGOs. Its ancient communities are finding that their ancestral lands are slipping into the hands of foreign companies for oil palm cultivation, as demand for the product grows in Europe, India and China.

UNFPA Calls for Development Goal on Youth

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) is calling for a youth centered goal in the post-2015 economic agenda currently under discussion. Young people are a vital force that must be front and centre in global development efforts, said Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, UNFPA Executive Director.

Rwandans Face Extradition over Genocide

(Al Jazeera) - A French appeals court has approved the extradition of two Rwandans wanted at home for their alleged role in the 1994 genocide that claimed about 800,000 lives.

SIWI to Host First UNESCO Centre in Sweden

The Paris-based UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has  decided to establish a research centre in Sweden focusing on international water issues. The centre will be run by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) in collaboration with Uppsala University and the University of Gothenburg.

Citizen Insecurity Growing Problem in Latin America

– The new Regional Human Development Report produced by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) brings to light an issue that is considered a “thwart” to the development of Latin America.  Citizen insecurity is a growing problem in the region and according to the new report, “a challenge that must be overcome by means of democratic and inclusive policies that respect human rights.”

Idyllic Island Confronts Bloody Past

Anguish over the whereabouts of loved ones who went missing during a five-year civil conflict that ended a decade ago continues for countless families in the Solomon Islands. Searching for the remains of those who disappeared is vital to enduring peace in this culturally diverse south-west Pacific island nation of 550,000.

Cancer a Heavy Burden for Cash-Strapped Cuban Families

The meagre budgets of Cuban families are put to the test when one of the members is diagnosed with cancer. Although treatment is free of cost, only extended networks of support help alleviate the economic impact of the disease, which is now the number one cause of death.

Rwandans Poised to Take on African Fashion

When Rwandan designer Colombe Ituze Ndutiye began drawing at the age of six, she thought she would grow up to be a cartoonist.

Future of Employment Plagued by New Technology

With opportunities and challenges brought on by rapid development in information and communication technology, it is estimated that more than 470 million jobs must be created between 2015 to 2030 to tackle the current financial crisis, and meet the needs of a growing population.

U.N. Oversees Immunization Against Polio in Middle East

The UN children’s agency UNICEF is overseeing the largest-ever consolidated immunization under way in the Middle East to stop a polio outbreak, aiming to vaccinate over 20 million children in seven countries and territories repeatedly.

Libya’s Berbers Close the Tap

“Oil tankers won´t get crude from this port until Tripoli finally meets our demands,” says Younis, one of the Amazigh rebels today blocking one of Libya´s largest gas and crude oil plants.