Foreign observers say Zimbabwe poll not free and fair
26/8/2023: Most observer missions have reported that although the recent elections in Zimbabwe were generally peaceful, the electoral processes did not meet international standards. In its preliminary report, the European Union Observation Mission referred to “an environment that was not always conducive to voters making a free and informed choice.”
Source: The East African
Inflation, COVID plunges 68 million into poverty in Asia
24/8/2023: An estimated 155.2 million people in developing Asia, which is 3.9% of the region's population, lived in extreme poverty as of last year. This figure was 67.8 million higher than it would have been without the pandemic and cost-of-living crises, according to a report published by the Asian Development Bank.
Source: DW
Does India’s rice market disruption threaten food security?
20/8/2023: The general election in India scheduled for the spring of 2024 has politicians’ eyes focused on stabilising staple food prices, a probable explanation of the rice export ban in July. It is uncertain if India, the current G20 chair, can provide leadership on calming an increasingly turbulent world food economy.
Source: East Asia Forum
Fragility & poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa: two sides of the same coin
17/8/2023: In the three decades since 1990, extreme poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa has declined only slightly; whereas in South Asia and in East Asia and the Pacific regions the reduction has been very significant. Fragility, conflict, and violence, or more generally, the lack of peace and security, is a key explanation for the difference.
Source: Inter Press Service
Middle East’s groundwater: Will it soon run out?
16/8/2023: As rivers dry up and rainfall declines, water stored underground is more important than ever. Many Middle Eastern countries already have regulations about water use but there is a lack of enforcement to regulate water abstraction for agriculture.
Source: DW
We need a new recipe to combat hunger
7/8/2023: The UN has reported that 122 million more people are going hungry than in 2019, erasing years of progress. It’s time to admit that the industrial food system is starving people. Half the calories consumed around the world come from just three staple crops, shipped around the world by a handful of powerful trading firms. This is profitable, but it is not robust.
Source: Inter Press Service
Amazon nations fail to agree on deforestation goal at summit
9/8/2023: Eight South American nations have agreed on a list of joint actions to protect the Amazon rainforest, but failed to mention a long-awaited target to halt deforestation. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had been pushing for the region to unite behind a common policy of ending deforestation by 2030.
Source: Climate Home News
Towards a UN Charter review conference
10/8/2023: The UN may no longer be fit for its purpose to tackle contemporary global challenges. The UN Charter makes provision for a Review Conference which could identify the key issues that need to be addressed, including reform of the Security Council.
Source: Inter Press Service
Rice market in turmoil as India curtails exports
6/8/2023: Rice prices have soared to the highest in a decade as India limits exports and erratic weather wreaks havoc on Asian rice fields. This is likely to worsen food insecurity in many countries that rely on rice as a staple. Last year, India exported about 22 million tons of rice to 140 countries, comprising roughly 40% of the global cereal trade.
Source: DW
Amazon deforestation continues to fall under Lula
5/8/2023: Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon detected by satellite through 2023 is down 42% on the same period last year, marking a sharp reversal of performance under the Bolsonaro administration. Since retaking the presidency, Lula has worked to restore protections for the Amazon and rally international support for the ecosystem.
Source: Mongabay