News headlines in August 2022, page 3

SYDNEY and KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 (IPS) - Most sub-Saharan African French colonies got formal independence in the 1960s. But their economies have progressed little, leaving most people in poverty, and generally worse off than in other post-colonial African economies.

With just a few weeks to go until the opening of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, the UN diplomatic community, as well as residents of New York City, are bracing for the annual arrival of Heads of State and Government from around the world, after two years of disruption wrought by COVID-19. Many details are still to be confirmed, but here are five things to look out for between 12 and 27 September.

BUENOS AIRES, Aug 29 (IPS) - Argentina, which has one of the largest unconventional hydrocarbon deposits in the world, has been forced to import gas for 6.6 billion dollars so far this year.

Humanitarians have stayed and delivered in Afghanistan in the year since the Taliban takeover, and it is imperative that the international community continues to do the same while the de facto authorities must also do their part, the Security Council heard on Monday. 

The UN chief on Monday issued a call for “calm and restraint” in the Iraqi capital Baghdad following a day of reportedly violent protests in and around the national parliament building, in the wake of the announcement from political leader and cleric Muqtada al-Sadr that he was leaving politics.

“Irreversible damage” is being caused to the lives of Syrian civilians due to chronic under-funding of the international effort said the UN’s Assistant Secretary-General for humanitarian affairs on Monday, who told the Security Council the future of a whole generation was at stake.

A peacekeeper from Burkina Faso serving in Mali has been honoured for her work to boost trust between the authorities and local communities, including survivors of gender-based violence. 

The World Food Programme (WFP) is supporting Pakistan as the country takes stock of floods which have reportedly killed more than 1,000 people and displaced some 33 million, the UN agency said on Monday.

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 29 (IPS) - When UN diplomats are charged with civil or criminal offenses – from traffic violations to sexual abuse -- they avoid prosecution and civil law suits under cover of diplomatic immunity.

It’s a privilege exercised by diplomats worldwide—including US diplomats in overseas postings.

A team of UN atomic energy experts set out on Monday for Zaporizhzya nuclear power station in Ukraine, after months of rising tensions between Ukrainian and Russian forces, who have accused each other of shelling the plant.