UNITED NATIONS, July 21 (IPS) – Despite rising geopolitical tensions, trade restrictions and calls to bring production back to domestic shores, the global economy remains more interconnected than it may appear. Trade through global value chains (GVCs) reached historic levels in 2024, according to a new report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
UNITED NATIONS, July 21 (IPS) – Sixty-seven minutes. That is how long volunteers spent serving lunch to people experiencing food insecurity at Refettorio Harlem in New York City last week – one for every year Nelson Mandela gave to public service.
UNITED NATIONS, July 20 (IPS) – Throughout July 2026, various United Nations (UN) bodies and global experts have underscored the need for increased comprehensive artificial intelligence (AI) governance. Although AI yields significant potential gains for global development, persistent structural barriers continue to impede equitable access and deepen the digital divide.
PORTLAND, USA, July 20 (IPS) – In many countries, older adults (aged 65 and above) now outnumber younger individuals (under the age of 18), reflecting a significant demographic transformation known as demographic ageing.
Read the full story, “Changing Age Distributions of Populations”, on globalissues.org →
United Nations agencies have deplored a fresh Russian assault on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv which left at least one person dead and a dozen injured.
Read the full story, “Ukraine: UN condemns overnight attack on Kyiv”, on globalissues.org →
For millions of Haitians, daily life has become a struggle to stay safe, find enough food and simply move around their own neighbourhood.
WASHINGTON DC, July 17 (IPS) – The largest disruption to the global oil market in decades should have sent prices soaring. But after spiking at the start of the war in the Middle East, crude prices soon settled in a range of $90 to $100 per barrel, much lower than many had feared. Why didn’t prices climb higher? The answer is that a combination of factors helped cushion the initial blow. But much of that room has now been used up.
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, July 17 (IPS) – The sweltering heat inside a London conference hall did not deter Indigenous leader Jackeline Mendoza Díaz from condemning the sheer destruction of the Peruvian Amazon. Her voice occasionally trembled with emotion but delivered a strong message — painting a picture far removed from the glittering gold bars traded in the world’s financial capitals.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday urged governments and technology companies to work together to ensure artificial intelligence (AI) benefits all countries.
UNITED NATIONS, July 17 (IPS) – A continuation of hostilities within the Strait of Hormuz is once again threatening one of the world’s most critical supply chain arteries, posing another wave of disruption which could choke the global energy, shipping and commodity markets. With roughly a quarter of global seaborne oil trade transiting through the Strait, alongside significant flows of liquefied natural gas and fertilizers, further constraints on commercial traffic could send new cost pressures cascading through supply chains that have yet to absorb the full effects of the earlier conflict.
