DELHI, India, March 18 (IPS) - In public discourse today, Muslims often appear as subjects of debate rather than authors of their own histories. Discussions about Muslim societies tend to revolve around geopolitics, security or conflict, leaving little space for the cultural, artistic and intellectual traditions that have shaped Muslim communities across centuries.
UNITED NATIONS, March 18 (IPS) - As the world continues to be weighed down in political and military turmoil, drones are being increasingly used as weapons of war in a rash of ongoing conflicts—including Ukraine vs Russia, Israel vs Palestine, US vs Iran and Israel vs Lebanon, plus in civil wars in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sudan and Haiti.
The crisis in the Middle East continues, with ongoing strikes and rising humanitarian needs. The UN nuclear watchdog reported Wednesday that a projectile struck the site of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, although no casualties have been reported. In Lebanon, the humanitarian situation is worsening, with hundreds reported killed and more than one million people displaced. UN agencies are scaling up emergency assistance despite mounting challenges. Stay with us for live updates from across the UN system. App users can follow coverage here.
The international community must step up efforts to support Syria amid the current conflict raging in the Middle East, two senior UN officials told the Security Council on Wednesday.
UN aid teams in Yemen on Wednesday warned that the situation in the war-torn nation remains dire in a call for $2 billion in aid to deliver lifesaving assistance for 12 million people.
Humanitarian needs are continuing to grow again across Gaza, the UN agency assisting Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said on Wednesday, amid mounting pressures on aid delivery and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
HERAT, Afghanistan, March 18 (IPS) - When Khadija Ahmadzada was arrested in Herat province of Afghanistan in January this year, it sparked widespread domestic and international protests. Women’s rights activists and social media users raised their voices with slogans such as “Sport is not a crime,” “Education is a right for women,” and “Don’t erase women,” often using the hashtag #BeHerVoice.
BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe, March 18 (IPS) - Africa’s eye on minerals as the be-all-and-cure-all for the continent’s development agenda is being tested by geopolitical gamesmanship as global superpowers jostle to carve new spheres of influence.