News headlines in July 2020, page 8

KUALA LUMPUR and SYDNEY, Jul 14 (IPS) - The recent explosion of private finance has nursed the hopedream or illusion that it can be mobilized for the public good, e.g., to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, associated with Agenda 2030. However, such hopes ignore how changes in financial investing have deeply transformed corporations, national economies and prospects for the world economy and social progress.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jul 13 (IPS) - Electric transport, still limited in Latin America despite its urban benefits, could expand during the post-pandemic economic recovery, says Adalberto Maluf, president of the Brazilian Association of Electric Vehicles (ABVE).

Jul 13 (IPS) - Europe, like the rest of the world, faces an extended crisis. An element of social distancing—mandatory or voluntary—will be with us for as long as this pandemic persists. This, coupled with continued supply chain disruptions and other problems, is prolonging an already difficult situation.

Based on updated IMF projections released last month, we now expect real GDP in the EU to contract by 9.3 percent in 2020 and then grow by 5.7 percent in 2021, returning to its 2019 level only in 2022.

If an effective treatment or vaccine for COVID 19 is found, the recovery could be faster—but the opposite would hold true if there are large new waves of infection.

MBABANE, Jul 13 (IPS) - When Fatima* became pregnant in the middle of the school year and dropped out of school, she was disowned by her parents. Hers is a story that could have ended as another statistic of dropout rates among female learners in Senegal.

GUATEMALA CITY, Jul 13 (IPS) - After decades of harrowing gang crime, homicides have plunged in El Salvador on the watch of the new president, Nayib Bukele. Faced with the growth of the MS-13 and 18th Street gangs, previous governments resorted to "iron fist" policies to crush them, only to find these fuelled a backlash.

NEW YORK, Jul 13 (IPS) - A young and dynamic digital platform, named Fuzia, has attracted millions of women social media followers and 100,000 active global users with its eclectic mix of content. The platform showcases women's talent and provides a support network.

NEW DELHI, Jul 13 (IPS) - Fisheries and aquaculture are an important source of food production, nutritional security, employment, and income in India. The fisheries sector is a direct source of livelihoods for more than 20 million fishers and fish farmers; contributes INR 1.75 trillion annually to the gross value added to India's economy; and is a major export earner, with fish being one of the most important agricultural commodities to be exported from India.

DENVER, Colorado, Jul 13 (IPS) - The international community will be commemorating World Youth Skills Day on July 15.

It's no secret that under pandemic lockdown for so many months, young people around the world have coped in tremendous ways. They have found new outlets for learning and creative channels for developing and using their skills.

DEHRADUN, India, Jul 10 (IPS) - The Coronavirus pandemic and the resulting lockdown has intensified most inequities in society- specifically those that affect vulnerable communities, including persons with disabilities, particularly young girls. As an aftermath of recent media attention, many government organizations, nonprofits and philanthropies have come together to ensure girls and women in remote communities have access to menstrual care products.

UNITED NATIONS, Jul 10 (IPS) - The coronavirus lockdown in Kazakhstan, and the resultant limited public oversight and limited publication engagement, has paved the way for the government to introduce amendments to the country's laws around gender that could see the exclusion of the rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community