Kim Paull
NEW YORK, Aug 7 2006 (IPS) – As the war between Israel and Lebanon approaches the one-month mark and the U.S. continues to pursue expansion of its nuclear arsenal, people around the world will stop to remember Aug. 7, 1945.
On that day, 61 years ago, more than 240,000 people were killed or injured when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, and three days later on Nagasaki, to force a Japanese surrender during World War II.
While an end to the war immediately followed the bombings, many have debated whether it was necessary, given that preparations for surrender were already underway in Tokyo, and the staggering long-term effects on civilians of radiation poisoning in the destroyed city.
Today, some experts warn that the nuclear clock…
Marchers, who had been accompanied through Richmond streets by a pink-clad brass band, were welcomed with street theatre, more speeches and music. Credit: Judith Scherr/IPS
RICHMOND, California, Apr 23 2012 (IPS) – This year, Earth Day in Richmond, California was more than planting organic gardens or exploring solar panels.
Occupy Richmond and a coalition of progressive allies turned Apr. 20 into Occupy Earth Day, and took aim at Chevron, one of the world s wealthiest corporations. The corporate giant that turne…
Bogotá is famous for its vast network of bike lanes. Credit: Helda Martínez/IPS
CARACAS, Dec 17 2013 (IPS) – “I ride 43 km a day and I love it,” said Carlos Cantor in Bogotá, Colombia. “Five years ago I switched my car for a bike,” explained Tomás Fuenzalida from Santiago, Chile.
They are both part of the burgeoning growth of cycling as a transport solution in Latin America.
But in the second-most urbanised region in the world, public sentiment towards bicycles is mixed, with some seeing them as a symbol of low socioeconomic status, says the study by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) with regard to the expansion of this sustainable me…
Of the tens of thousands of chemicals thought to be in regular use in the United States today, the government’s main labour regulator oversees fewer than 500. Credit: Bigstock
WASHINGTON, Oct 22 2014 (IPS) – The U.S. government will soon begin receiving public suggestions on how federal regulators should update their oversight of toxic chemicals in the workplace.
The new , which began last week and will continue for the next six months, could result in the first major overhaul of related regulations in more than four decades. Of the tens of thousands of chemicals thought to be in regular use in the United States today, the government’s main labour regulator overse…
A Rohingya refugee woman carries relief supplies to her makeshift shelter. Credit: Umer Aiman Khan/IPS
UNITED NATIONS, Mar 14 2018 (IPS) – In the wake of persistent violence against the Rohingya community, UN officials have expressed growing fears that genocide is being incited and committed in Myanmar.
Since violence renewed in Myanmar’s Rakhine state in August 2017, almost 700,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees have fled to neighboring Bangladesh.
Often arriving to limited food and shelter, refugees have brought with them stories of serious human rights abuses including extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, and the deliberate burning of entire villages. <…
The writer is Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Safe Water Network
The UN will be commemorating World Water Day on Monday March 22.
COVID precautions at Safe Water Network iJal Station in India. Credit: Safe Water Network
NEW YORK, Mar 20 2021 (IPS) – The global community is celebrating . In the COVID-19 pandemic era, the importance and value of water for all people has never been clearer. Access to safe water is essential for public health and thriving communities.
Before COVID, , or about two-thirds of the world’s population, face severe water scarcity at least one month every year. One of the most important defenses against the c…