News headlines in April 2023

TORONTO, Canada, Apr 30 (IPS) - Peak oil was first up, followed by peak gas, gold and others, as if the world was draining natural resources like toilet roll panic buying in a lockdown supermarket. But should we now be worried about Peak Press?

UN Secretary-General António Guterres will be in Doha, Qatar, on Monday to host a two-day meeting on Afghanistan, bringing together special envoys from various countries.

In light of the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Sudan, Secretary-General António Guterres is sending UN Humanitarian Affairs chief Martin Griffiths to the region immediately, the global body announced on Sunday.

Critics have said justice takes too long, and perpetrators are not always held accountable in cases of sexual exploitation and abuse committed by UN personnel. Appointed by the Secretary-General in 2017, Jane Connorsthe UN’s first Victims’ Rights Advocate, is tasked with getting a victim-centred approach installed across the system’s more than 35 entities.

Chinese writer Cixin Liu is one of the world’s most highly respected science-fiction authors, known for epics such as “The Three Body Problem,” soon to be adapted as a major TV series. He shared his thoughts on the future of the planet, at an event held at UN Headquarters to mark Chinese Language Day.

LONDON, Apr 28 (IPS) - It’s been a time of significant change in Fiji following the country’s December 2022 election. A close vote was followed by the formation of a new coalition government. Frank Bainimarama was out as prime minister after 16 years, replaced by Sitiveni Rabuka.

BULAWAYO, Apr 28 (IPS) - Growing up in Palau in the western Pacific Ocean, Surangel Whipps Jr. played on the reefs and spearfished on an island teeming with birds, giant clams, fish, and turtles.

BRUSSELS, Belgium, Apr 28 (IPS) - On May 1, United Nations member states’ special envoys on Afghanistan will meet in Doha, Qatar to discuss how to address the Taliban’s latest restrictions on humanitarian operations.

The acting UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Matthew Hollingworth, has condemned a wave of deadly strikes that hit several cities early on Friday, reportedly the most intense aerial bombardment in weeks.

Lasting peace hinges on everyone being on an “equal footing” and an all-of-society approach, a top UN official on Friday told the UN Peacebuilding Commission as it met to discuss national report cards on the pace of transitional justice reforms.