Civil society

Humanitarian assistance has declined sharply amid global funding shortfalls, leaving millions more exposed.

The agency emphasises that sovereign ratings have so far remained resilient, but this could change as climate shocks translate into sustained output losses, fiscal weakening, or political instability.

Horton’s final plea is therefore both scientific and moral: acknowledge the scale of the last disaster, confront the uncomfortable truths about how we live on this planet, and act before the next inevitable outbreak becomes the one we cannot contain.

Fortify Rights recommends that Bangladesh immediately close Bhasan Char, allow voluntary relocation to the mainland, grant all Rohingya freedom of movement and the right to work, and ratify the 1951 Refugee Convention. It also calls on the UN to prioritise human rights monitoring over access, and on the international community to support accountability for crimes in Myanmar.

The court’s intervention offers temporary hope, but without prompt appointments, the institutional safeguards for religious minorities risk remaining on paper.

The poor of Delhi and beyond are not just breathing polluted air – they are breathing the consequences of delayed justice. Blue skies remain a distant dream while painful breaths define their daily reality.

The gulper shark controversy in the Maldives encapsulates a broader global tension: how to steward oceanic biodiversity amid competing economic interests. For a nation once celebrated as a conservation pioneer, the unfolding debate raises hard questions about identity, priorities and legacy.

Farmer organisations have indicated that the February 12 protest could mark the beginning of a sustained campaign if their demands are not met or if the trade agreement proceeds without further consultation.