Behind Taliban Dress Code Arrests, Afghan Activists See a Campaign to Silence Critics (++ ++ +) Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -

Behind Taliban Dress Code Arrests, Afghan Activists See a Campaign to Silence Critics The author is an Afghanistan-based female journalist, trained with Finnish support before the Taliban take-over. Her identity is withheld for security reasons https://www.ipsnews.net/2026/11/behind-taliban-dress-code-arrests-afghan-activists-see-a-campaign-to-silence-critics/?utm_source=email_marketing&utm_admin=146128&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Pacific_Scientists_Build_a_Regional_Picture_of_a_Changing_Ocean_Wealth_Buys_Protection_in_Climate_Cr KABUL, Nov 6 2026 (IPS) - In Afghanistan, the Taliban are detaining women, even when they are wearing a hijab. Activists suspect that the issue of attire is merely a pretext used by the Taliban to hunt down critics of the regime. For women, Kabul is a city of fear. Whether they are heading to the doctor, the shops, or to visit relatives, reaching their destination is never certain. They fear checkpoints, the Taliban’s “morality police,” and the risk of being detained for wearing the “wrong” clothing or for lacking a male escort. Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. - Why Geohazards Must Be Part of the Pacific’s Resilience Agenda By Daisuke Maruichi, Litea Biukoto, Emilia Gaspoz and Temily Baker https://www.ipsnews.net/2026/11/why-geohazards-must-be-part-of-the-pacifics-resilience-agenda/?utm_source=email_marketing&utm_admin=146128&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Pacific_Scientists_Build_a_Regional_Picture_of_a_Changing_Ocean_Wealth_Buys_Protection_in_Climate_Cr BANGKOK, Thailand, Nov 6 2026 (IPS) - For years, global discussions of disaster risk in the Pacific have been dominated by climate change. Rising seas, intensifying cyclones and coastal erosion have rightly captured international attention. This focus, while warranted, should be complemented by greater recognition of geohazards, which are just as consequential and in many cases, more immediately devastating. Addressing this gap requires a more coordinated approach, supported by sustained investment and stronger partnerships, to foster cooperation and strengthen resilience across the Pacific. Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. - Sixty Years on, UN Is Finally Interpreting Freedom of Association By Sigrid Lipott https://www.ipsnews.net/2026/11/sixty-years-on-un-is-finally-interpreting-freedom-of-association/?utm_source=email_marketing&utm_admin=146128&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Pacific_Scientists_Build_a_Regional_Picture_of_a_Changing_Ocean_Wealth_Buys_Protection_in_Climate_Cr GENEVA, Nov 6 2026 (IPS) - A right under pressure No one disputes freedom of association. It is in the Constitutions of almost every country, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 22 of the ICCPR, and in regional Articles in Europe, America, and Africa. What it has never had, at the universal level, is sincere implementation by governments. Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. - Kenya’s Civil Society Calls on COP31 Climate Negotiators To Draw From Grassroots By Isaiah Esipisu https://www.ipsnews.net/2026/11/kenyas-civil-society-calls-on-cop31-climate-negotiators-to-draw-from-grassroots/?utm_source=email_marketing&utm_admin=146128&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Pacific_Scientists_Build_a_Regional_Picture_of_a_Changing_Ocean_Wealth_Buys_Protection_in_Climate_Cr NAIROBI, Nov 6 2026 (IPS) - As the world prepares for the 31st United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, Kenya’s priorities for the negotiations are being shaped by lived experiences of communities who are on the frontline of the climate crisis. Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. - Bad Zionist and Good Zionist? – The Arabs Should Choose the Devil They Know By Anis Chowdhury https://www.ipsnews.net/2026/11/bad-zionist-and-good-zionist-the-arabs-should-choose-the-devil-they-know/?utm_source=email_marketing&utm_admin=146128&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Pacific_Scientists_Build_a_Regional_Picture_of_a_Changing_Ocean_Wealth_Buys_Protection_in_Climate_Cr SYDNEY, Nov 4 2026 (IPS) - As in previous elections, the latest Israeli national election offered people no real choice. They had to choose between bad Zionists and good Zionists. Thus, unsurprisingly, there is no clear winner – both major blocs are neck and neck as usual. The only difference this time is the Arab voting power. By uniting and turning out in record numbers, the Arab coalition secured 19 seats (nearly double the 10 it won in 2022), against the Netanyahu-led bloc’s 53 and the Gadi Eisenkot-led bloc’s 48. Neither bloc has a governable majority, so many are looking to the Arab bloc as a kingmaker, either joining formally or supporting one of the blocs on the no-confidence and supply bills. But they are on the horns of a dilemma, caught between a rock and a hard place. Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -