Humans

• [New] COVID-19 infections and climate hazards such as heatwaves, wildfires and poor air quality combine to threaten human health worldwide, putting vulnerable populations at particular risk. Imperial News
• [New] The fear of spiders, arachnophobia, is one of the most common phobias in the world affecting between 3.5% to 6.1% of the entire human population. pressat
• [New] Sarcos has a unique opportunity to usher in a new age of human and machine collaboration by deploying a fleet of its highly dexterous mobile robotic systems that augment humans rather than replace them. ChannelBiz UK
• [New] No country is going to reshape its policy out of fear of losing $100 or $300 million, but at the end of the day Egypt does not want to be a rogue state and any improvement on human rights can help. The New York Times
• [New] Governments have an opportunity now to transform agriculture into a major driver of human well-being, and into a solution for the imminent threats of climate change, nature loss, and pollution. Financial Nigeria International Limited
• [New] There is considerable scientific debate around the world about how many PFAS can be present in drinking water and food before they pose a danger to human health. The Conversation
• [New] The United States has strong financial and human resources to continue research and development, which means that the United States will have the world's most powerful nuclear arsenal in the future. defence view
• [New] Once relief materials reach that country, the world will naturally expect a non-discriminatory distribution of humanitarian assistance across all sections of the Afghan society. Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India
• [New] China will pursue its own objectives on climate change, public health and other issues depending on their own interests, regardless of friction over human rights. AsiaSociety UC San Diego
• [New] Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation will invest up to £800,000 to fund early-stage, human-centred design projects through the Audience of the Future Challenge Fund. Accotax
• [New] There are concerns that instability and upended humanitarian efforts, compounded by an ongoing drought, could further endanger lives and plunge Afghanistan toward famine. The Diplomat
• [New] AFGHANISTAN FALLOUT: The Taliban's swift recapture of Afghanistan is likely to fuel a rise in human trafficking at the same time new U.K. asylum laws could make it harder to detect victims, POLITICO's Emilio Casalicchio reports. Politico
• [New] The health care system in Afghanistan is teetering on the edge of collapse, endangering the lives of millions and compounding a deepening humanitarian crisis. The New York Times
• [New] Egypt, government officials say, will always act to address matters of human rights in line with the Egyptian agenda where security inevitably figures highly. Ahram Online
• [New] Humanitarian parole is temporary - for two years - during which time the Afghans will need to adjust their status; some may be able to legalize their status through family reunification or other immigration processes. Brookings
• [New] U.S. resettlement agencies have been warned to expect arrivals of 75,000 Afghans, almost all under humanitarian parole in the next few weeks. Brookings
• [New] Human rights abuses in the Chinese solar industry have already created supply disruptions for US solar companies, and could complicate president Joe Biden's new goal to procure 45% of US power from solar by 2050, as well as US-China relations on other issues. Quartz
• [New] Afghanistan is passing through a critical juncture; hundreds of thousands of Afghans have fled their country; nearly 600,000 others have become internally displaced; essential food supplies are running short; and 18.4 million people need humanitarian assistance, the Iranian envoy warned. Tasnim News Agency
• [New] The United States and Pakistan have a shared interest in stability in Afghanistan and limiting future Taliban excesses, and Pakistan might cooperate in leveraging its influence with the Taliban government to deliver humanitarian assistance to displaced Afghans. War on the Rocks
• [New] Uzbekistan has been moving more slowly than originally expected on more complex targets, such as improving human rights, tackling poverty, ending corruption and privatising state assets. Financial Times

Last updated: 19 September 2021