International

UN calls for urgent help to combat acute child malnutrition

January 12 | By AFP |

The United Nations called Thursday for urgent funding to help 30 million children suffering from acute malnutrition “before it is too late” in countries being hammered by the food crisis.

UN agencies said conflict, climate shocks, the Covid-19 pandemic and rising living costs were leaving an increasing number of children badly malnourished.

“Currently, more than 30 million children in the 15 worst-affected countries suffer from wasting — or acute malnutrition — and eight million of these children are severely wasted, the deadliest form of undernutrition,” five UN agencies said in a joint statement.

The 15 countries are Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen.

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Soaring food prices were aggravating food shortages and displacing populations, the UN said, as well as hindering access to affordable essential nutrition.

The joint statement called for greater investment to support its efforts to meet the “unprecedented needs of this growing crisis, before it is too late”.

Its plan aims to prevent, detect and treat acute malnutrition among children with interventions in the food, health, water and sanitation, and social protection systems.

“This situation is likely to deteriorate even further in 2023,” said Food and Agriculture Organization chief Qu Dongyu.

“We must ensure availability, affordability and accessibility of healthy diets,” it said.

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The joint agency plan will target children aged under five; pregnant and breastfeeding women; and women and caregivers of children under five.

“Today’s cascading crises are leaving millions of children wasted and have made it harder for them to access key services,” said Catherine Russell, head of the UN children’s agency UNICEF.

“Wasting is painful for the child, and in severe cases, can lead to death or permanent damage to children’s growth and development,” she said.

“We can and must turn this nutrition crisis around through proven solutions to prevent, detect, and treat child wasting early.”

Children with acute malnutrition have weakened immune systems and are at higher risk of dying from common childhood diseases.

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Those that survive could face lifelong growth and development challenges.

“The global food crisis is also a health crisis, and a vicious cycle: malnutrition leads to disease, and disease leads to malnutrition,” said World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“Urgent support is needed now in the hardest-hit countries to protect children’s lives and health, including ensuring critical access to healthy foods and nutrition services, especially for women and children.”

International

HRW Warns Trump’s Influence Has Weakened Human Rights in Latin America

Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned that the political influence and rhetoric of U.S. President Donald Trump have contributed to a deterioration of human rights conditions across Latin America and the Caribbean. In its World Report 2026, the organization stated that several governments in the region have committed abuses against migrants and citizens, or have used U.S. policies as justification to impose harsher repressive measures.

During the first year of Trump’s new term, HRW observed that multiple countries violated the rights of foreign nationals under direct pressure from Washington. Other governments deepened security strategies based on militarization, mass detentions and excessive use of force, according to the report.

“The impact of the Trump administration has undoubtedly been negative in Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Juanita Goebertus, HRW’s Americas director. However, she emphasized that “governments in the region remain responsible for defending democracy and fundamental rights, regardless of who is in power in Washington.”

HRW also reported that the United States significantly reduced cooperation funding for human rights organizations and independent media. At the same time, countries such as El Salvador, Peru and Ecuador passed laws allowing the arbitrary closure of civil society organizations and media outlets, weakening democratic systems and institutional checks and balances.

The organization further criticized what it described as a “double standard” in U.S. foreign policy, which condemns human rights violations in Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua while overlooking serious abuses committed by allies such as El Salvador, Peru and Ecuador. The report also included criticism of the U.S. military attack against Venezuela in early 2026, warning that it could strengthen Nicolás Maduro’s regime and respond primarily to U.S. political and commercial interests.

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International

Delcy Rodríguez Takes Control of Chavismo as Venezuela Enters a U.S.-Supervised Transition

With short speeches and an academic image, Delcy Rodríguez—the woman sworn in as Venezuela’s acting president—has taken the helm of Chavismo at a critical moment, as the movement seeks to ensure its survival while the country enters a phase of change overseen by the United States, putting the foundations of the revolution to the test.

Following the military operation on January 3 that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro, the Chavista leadership moved quickly to fill the power vacuum and confront the new political dynamic from within the state apparatus. In this context, Rodríguez has emerged as the central figure tasked with steering the ruling movement through an uncertain transition.

Although she has held telephone conversations with U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Rodríguez has publicly insisted on Venezuela’s independence and has sharply criticized an opposition that currently lacks meaningful influence within the political landscape.

“Enough of Washington’s orders over Venezuelan politicians. Venezuelan politics must be the one to resolve our differences and internal conflicts,” Rodríguez said on January 25, while defending her proposal for a “political dialogue” with both “like-minded” and “divergent” sectors, which she had presented two days earlier.

International

Epstein Denies Being ‘the Devil’ in Newly Released Video Interview

Jeffrey Epstein claims he was the least dangerous type of sex offender and denied being “the devil” in a video interview included in the latest batch of documents released over the weekend by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The roughly two-hour interview was conducted by Steve Bannon, a former adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, and appears to have been recorded at the late financier’s New York residence on an unknown date.

Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while in jail awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges involving minors. Since December, the U.S. government has released millions of documents related to the case under transparency laws.

“Do you think you’re the devil incarnate?” Bannon asks Epstein in the video interview revealed in the latest release.

“No, but I do have a good mirror,” Epstein replies with a smile, wearing a black shirt and glasses. When pressed again, he adds, “I don’t know. Why would you say that?”

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Epstein, who pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution, also appears to downplay the seriousness of his conviction.

He objects when Bannon refers to him as a “Level Three sexual predator,” a classification in the United States indicating a very serious threat to public safety.

“No, I’m the lowest,” Epstein says.

“But still an offender,” Bannon responds.

“Yes,” Epstein replies.

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The exchange comes after Bannon asks Epstein whether he considers his wealth to be “dirty,” suggesting it was earned by advising “the worst people in the world.”

Epstein insists that he made his money legally, while acknowledging that “ethics is always a complicated issue.”

He claims he donated money to help eradicate polio in Pakistan and India, apparently in an attempt to justify the origins of his fortune.

The documents also show that Bannon maintained regular correspondence with Epstein, who offered to help the far-right political figure spread his conservative ideology in Europe.

Since Trump took office in January 2025, U.S. authorities have released millions of pages related to Epstein, along with photos and videos.

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These materials have shed new light on Epstein’s ties to high-profile business executives such as Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, celebrities including filmmaker Woody Allen, and academics and political figures, among them Trump and former President Bill Clinton.