Rome, 5 May 2025 — The recent outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Europe and the introduction of an exotic virus strain into the Near East underscore the urgent need for early detection and enhanced biosecurity measures to minimize the impacts of the disease, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
GENEVA,6 May 2025 — A global report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) highlights that the underlying causes of ill health often stem from factors beyond the health sector, such as lack of quality housing, education and job opportunities.
Credits: iStock / JP Tinoco | Impoverished neighborhood “favela” clinging to a steep hillside in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The newWorld report on social determinants of health equityshows that such determinants can be responsible for a dramatic reduction of healthy life expectancy – sometimes by decades – in high- and low-income countries alike.
(UN News)* —The UN Secretary-General is alarmed by reports of Israeli plans to expand ground operations and prolong its military presence in Gaza, a spokesperson for António Guterres said on Monday .
“This will inevitably lead to countless more civilians killed and the further destruction of Gaza,” said UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq, responding to a journalist’s question during the regular media briefing in New York.
“What’s imperative now is an end to the violence, not more civilian deaths and destruction. Gaza is, and must remain, an integral part of a future Palestinian State.”
5 May 2025 — Twelve years ago, Nimco was forced to flee her home in Mieso, Ethiopia with her nine children when violence erupted between Somali and Oromo communities. They left everything behind, their home, land, and source of income.
()* — The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) warned on Friday [] that a worsening funding crisis is placing refugees – who cannot return home due to war or persecution – in increasing danger.
With humanitarian resources running dry, critical support for millions of forcibly displaced people is under threat.
UNHCR said that two-thirds of countries hosting refugees are already severely overstretched and urgently need support to continue providing education, healthcare and shelter.
UNITED NATIONS, New York, 2 May 2025 – “This week, I assisted 19 deliveries – two of which were life-threatening emergencies,” said Espérance, a midwife at Kyeshero General Hospital in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“We’re working in difficult conditions, with the fear of not being able to save everyone. But we’re holding on.”
A report compiling harmful actions taken by US President Donald Trump against reproductive rights was released on 30 April 2025 by the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), a legal organization defending reproductive rights globally.
It’s a long list, including policy positions, personnel appointments, website takedowns, administrative changes, government agency shutdowns, and funding cuts.
President Donald Trump marked World Press Freedom Day 2025 by announcing his intention to drastically cut funding for public media in the United States. Meanwhile, the same week, his administration launched the White House Wire, a taxpayer-funded propaganda site.
NEW YORK, May 1 2025 (IPS)* –Press freedom is no longer a given in the United States 100 days into President Donald Trump’s second term as journalists and newsrooms face mounting pressures that threaten their ability to report freely and the public’s right to know.
(UN News)* — Countries must do everything to ensure that free and independent news reporting can thrive, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on in a message to mark World Press Freedom Day.
“Amidst spiraling conflict, climate chaos, growing divisions, and a rapidly changing digital landscape, a free press is more vital than ever,” said Volker Türk.
UN Photo/Fardosa Hussein | Journalists in Somalia attend a press conference. (file)
Furthermore, “the media help us understand the world around us and encourage critical thinking and dialogue.”
Threats and deaths
Free and independent media are the best antidote to disinformation but press freedom is under threat in every region of the world, he warned.
FMD is a highly contagious viral disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals, including cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and various wild species. ©FAO
HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 