Latest news

Syria War New Regime
Landmine casualties are increasing

Deaths and injuries caused by landmines and unexploded ordnance reached a four-year high in 2024, according to a new report.

More than 6,000 such incidents were reported last year, around a third of them fatalities. Nearly 90 percent of those affected were civilians and almost half were women or children.

The development was driven by the conflicts in Syria and Myanmar. In Syria, returning residents face increasing risks from unexploded ordnance after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad, according to the report.

The highest number of cases occurred in Myanmar, where both the military and rebels have increased their use of mines. 

The Climate Threat  Global Challenges
Climate Fighters: We're Losing the Information War

When 200 countries signed the Paris Agreement in 2015, many thought climate denial was over – but ten years later, it seems stronger than ever, writes the New York Times.

The fossil fuel industry continues to downplay the scientifically proven fact that burning fossil fuels is warming the planet, with the support of powerful countries such as Saudi Arabia, Russia and Trump's USA. The final agreement from the COP30 climate summit did not even mention fossil fuels.

Many who are fighting climate change now fear that they are losing the information war.

- It is a systematic campaign that is extremely sophisticated and well-funded. They have succeeded in undermining global climate work, says J Timmons Roberts, who heads the Climate Social Science Network at Brown University. 

Hong Kong high-rise fire
Hong Kong confirms deficiencies in safety nets in high-rise buildings

Hong Kong authorities confirm that inadequate safety nets have been found in the fire-ravaged apartment buildings. On several floors, a safety net that did not meet fire safety requirements was used. Styrofoam was also used in the building insulation, which contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.

A total of 13 people have been arrested on suspicion of various crimes. They all have connections to the construction, either as consultants or as employees of the construction company.

– They just wanted to make money at the expense of human lives, says Hong Kong's Chief Executive Eric Chan, according to the AP.

On Monday, the death toll was put at 151.

New obesity drugs
WHO wants to see prices of new obesity drugs reduced

Obesity drugs are a huge opportunity in the fight against obesity, the World Health Organization WHO writes in updated guidelines for so-called GLP-1 drugs.

By 2030, around two billion people are expected to be affected in some way by the obesity epidemic. WHO writes that drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro must become cheaper and more accessible to people in poor countries.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says that the new guidelines recognize that obesity is a chronic disease that requires comprehensive and lifelong care. He emphasizes that medications alone cannot solve the global obesity crisis, but that GLP-1 drugs can help millions of people overcome the condition and reduce its harmful effects. 

The fight against HIV
Breakthrough HIV drug begins to be given in Africa

On Monday, several African countries will begin giving the HIV drug lenacapavir to large parts of the population. The drug provides almost complete protection against HIV and has been likened to a vaccine.

South Africa, Eswatini and Zambia are the countries that will begin giving the injections, which are taken twice a year, to the public. According to AFP, it is not known how many people will be covered.

Lenacapavir is a very expensive drug. The annual cost is about 264,000 kronor per person. The manufacturer Gilead Sciences has agreed to donate doses sufficient for two million people in the countries worst affected by HIV. Critics argue that this is far from enough.