
KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 (IPS) - The world of 2026 is marked by overlapping crises that continue to expose the fragility of our systems and the persistence of inequality. Geopolitical conflicts enrich a few while devastating many, intensifying the already catastrophic impacts of climate change. These political choices are not neutral—they shrink civic spaces, reinforce political extremism, and unleash coordinated assaults on gender equality and human rights. These attacks are not incidental; they are deliberate strategies to undermine multilateralism and global solidarity, eroding the foundations of peace and planetary well-being.

TANGIER, Morocco, April 23 (IPS) - Fearing the Middle East war could drive millions into hunger and cripple economies, Africa’s leading institutions are drafting a strategy to mobilise domestic and “innovative” finance and harness national competitiveness to stabilise food, fuel, and fertiliser supplies.

Mexican authorities must intensify efforts to end impunity, protect journalists and human rights defenders, and address the country’s “painful” crisis of disappearances, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Tuesday.

Continued strikes, shelling and gunfire in residential areas of Gaza are raising alarm over civilian safety, the UN relief coordination office OCHA has warned.