UN NEWS—The business model of the news media is ‘broken’ and with it, our fundamental right to information is at risk, a new UNESCO report examining global trends in freedom of expression warns. In the past five years, both news audiences and advertising revenues have moved
UN NEWS—The global economy is entering 2022 in a weaker position than previously expected, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced on Tuesday, in an update to their World Economic Outlook (WEO). The institution now expects the global economy to expand from a 5.9 per cent increase in 2021
UN NEWS—At least 1.5 million children are not receiving life-saving treatment for severe wasting in Eastern and Southern Africa, warned the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Friday. The number represents almost half of the estimated 3.6 million children in urgent need, who are not being reached in
UN NEWS—Some 12,000 households have been affected by the volcanic eruption and tsunami that hit the islands of Tonga over the weekend, according to estimates by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In total, about 84,000 people, more than 80 per cent
UN NEWS—The data from the Danish Arctic monitoring service Polar Portal – which forms part of the UN weather agency WMO’s annual State of the Climate report - shows that early summer was cold and wet, with unusually heavy and late snowfall in June, which delayed the onset of the melting season. After that, however, a heatwave at the end of
UN NEWS—The UN’s benchmark food and commodity prices index rose sharply on average through 2021, compared with the previous year, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) informed on Thursday. The agency’s Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in international prices, averaged 125.7 points - a 28.1 per cent
The World Health Organization (WHO) is asking Member States to immediately establish a high-level working group, to reach the target of vaccinating 40% of the world’s population against COVID19 year-end.
UN NEWS—Plastic pollution in oceans and other bodies of water continues to grow sharply and could more than double by 2030, according to an assessment released on Thursday by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The report highlights dire consequences for health, the economy, biodiversity and the
UN NEWS—Between 20 to 50 per cent of irrigated soils in all continents have grown too salty to be fully fertile, creating significant challenges for more than 1.5 billion people trying to grow their own food. The information is part of the Global Map of Salt-Affected Soils, a new tool launched this Wednesday by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). These soils are less
UN NEWS—The UN Secretary-General, on Wednesday, urged the world to “learn from the lessons of the past 18 months, to strengthen democratic resilience in the face of future crises.” In his message for the International Day of Democracy, António Guterres explained in the wake of COVID-19, this meant identifying good governance practices that can counter all kinds of emergencies, whether public health, environmental or financial. “It means
