US seizes Venezuelan oil tanker in major escalation with Maduro
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, as tensions with the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas…
Europe Today: Ukraine, migration… and brothels to reopen in France?
Ukraine has reportedly sent an updated version of the 20-point peace plan to the US. President Zelenskyy has called the document “fundamental” to end the war and announced that over…
Want to quit antidepressants? Slow tapering plus therapy is the most effective way, study suggests
Antidepressants don’t have to be taken forever, a new analysis suggests. Every year, a growing number of people across Europe take antidepressants to help treat symptoms related to depression and…
CIVICUS 2025 Report Reveals Widespread Attacks on Civic Freedoms Worldwide
UNITED NATIONS, December 11 (IPS) – Over the course of 2025, global civic space conditions have deteriorated sharply, with most countries experiencing some degree of obstructed civil liberties. As authoritarian…
Funding for Human Rights Organizations – including at the Grassroots Level – have Been Slashed Worldwide
GENEVA, December 11 (IPS) – Human rights are underfunded, undermined and under attack. And yet. Powerful. Undeterred. Mobilizing.This year no doubt has been a difficult one. And one full of…
A New UN Secretary-General Needs the Blessings of the US –or Get Vetoed
UNITED NATIONS, December 11 (IPS) – When there was widespread speculation that a UN Under-Secretary-General (USG), a product of two prestigious universities– Oxford and Cambridge– was planning to run for…
US okays $686m tech sale for Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets
Pakistan Air Force Sherdils squad’s fighter jet F-16 flies during Pakistan Day celebrations, Clifton beach, Karachi, Pakistan, March 23, 2017. — ReutersEnhancements will improve collaboration between two air forces.DSCA letter…
Bangladesh to announce national election date on December 11
People celebrate after the interim government officially banned all the activities of the Bangladesh Awami League, until the trial of the party and its leader, following the demand of the…
Trump launches gold card programme for expedited visas with a $1m price tag
A representational image of a worker stamping a passport. — Reuters/File WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s administration officially launched his “Trump Gold Card” visa programme on Wednesday to provide a pathway,…