News headlines in 2016, page 16

KUALA LUMPUR and SYDNEY, Nov 03 (IPS) - Privatization of SOEs has been a cornerstone of the neo-liberal counterrevolution that swept the world from the 1980s following the economic crisis brought about by US Fed's sharp hike in interest rates. Developing countries, seeking aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, often had to commit to privatization as a condition for credit support.

WASHINGTON DC, Nov 02 (IPS) - For those of us who ever feel conflicted about the United Nations, the past month has been an exercise in managing absurd cognitive dissonance. First, on October 21 2016, the United Nations announced that the 1940s comic book heroine, Wonder Woman would be its new mascot for promoting the empowerment of women and girls.

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 02 (IPS) - At the Bioscope Independent Cinema in Johannesburg's trendy, gentrifying Maboneng neighbourhood last week, the two-day HER Africa Film Festival showcased films and web series from across the globe, including Mali, the U.S., Burkina Faso and elsewhere.

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 01 (IPS) - The United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNESCO) has condemned the killing of more than 800 journalists globally since 2006. A measly 7 percent of these murders have been solved.

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 01 (IPS) - In the fifteen years since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, we have seen a tremendous enthusiasm among civil society at all levels in raising awareness, engaging in advocacy and building capacity for its meaningful implementation. It is my pleasure to write the foreword to this publication which is a meaningful endeavour to move the agenda forward on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the adoption of this groundbreaking resolution.

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 01 (IPS) - Development should be about more than building roads or buying air conditioners, the President of the UN General Assembly, Peter Thomson told IPS in a recent interview.

ROME, Nov 01 (IPS) - A few weeks ago, the US government agreed to give Israel $38 billion dollars, the largest military funding package the U.S. has given any nation.

This $38 billion in military and other type of Aid will be used to imprison the Palestinians of Gaza, and continue Israel's military occupation, and imposition of an apartheid state, upon the Palestinian people.

ROME, Nov 01 (IPS) - About 300 million children in the world are living in areas with outdoor air so toxic – six or more times higher than international pollution guidelines – that it can cause serious health damage, including harming their brain development.

BLANTYRE, Nov 01 (IPS) - This month, many Malawians, especially those in rural areas, will be able to start accessing the as internet easily as opening a tap to get water.

ADDIS ABABA, Nov 01 (IPS) - A concerned-looking group of refugees gather around a young woman grimacing and holding her stomach, squatting with her back against a tree. But this is no refugee camp, rather the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) compound just off a busy main road leading to Sidist Kilo roundabout in the Ethiopian capital.