Rights : UN body criticises US failure to condemn recent racist violent events (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Geneva)
A key United Nations body has called upon the government of the United States, including its high-level politicians and public officials, to unequivocally and unconditionally reject and condemn racist hate speech and racist crimes in Charlottesville and throughout the country.

Finance : Quantitative easing for wealth re-distribution (PRIV)
(Jomo Kwame Sundaram, Kuala Lumpur)
Following the 2007-2008 global financial crisis and the Great Recession in its wake, the "new normal" in monetary policy has been abnormal.

United Nations : Who is Latin America and the Caribbean leaving behind? (PRIV)
(IPS, New York)
Last month at the High Level Political Forum in New York, more than 40 countries - 11 from Latin America and the Caribbean - shared their progress in achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), within the new 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

Development : Population aging - hallmark of the 21st century (PRIV)
(IPS, New York)
While rapid population growth may be the defining feature of the 20th century, with the world population nearly quadrupling from 1.6 to 6.1 billion, the hallmark of the 21st century is likely to be population aging.

Rights : Lebanon joins Jordan and Tunisia in fight against rapists' impunity (PRIV)
(IPS, Rome)
The top United Nations human rights official hailed the repeal of laws in Lebanon, Tunisia and Jordan that used to allow rapists to avoid criminal prosecution by marrying their victims.

Sierra Leone : Disaster strikes Freetown - over 400 dead and 600 still missing (PRIV)
(IPS, Freetown)
In the early hours of Monday morning, August 14, torrential rains hit Freetown, Sierra Leone's capital city. Several areas of the city were flooded, as houses were either partially submerged under water or destroyed.