A child reported among those killed when Taliban forces fired on crowds in Herat, who were protesting over arrests of women accused of violating hijab dress code

A Taliban crackdown on women’s dress code in Afghanistan has escalated into a rare mass street protest in the western province of Herat, with at least two people, including one boy, killed by security forces.

Officials made a wave of arrests in recent days targeting women and young girls accused of “improper hijab”. Residents say many families had received no information about the whereabouts or condition of those detained.

Amazon and Sony among firms that may have sourced coltan, used in phones, from supply chains controlled by the M23 rebels, says Global Witness

Leading global brands including Amazon, Ericsson and Sony are “likely” to have sourced minerals linked to a militia accused of widespread sexual violence, summary executions and torture, a new investigation claims.

The companies allegedly, but unknowingly, acquired coltan smuggled from mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that are occupied by the M23 militia, which has committed myriad atrocities in eastern DRC.

Cases reported in 83 countries, with at least 10,600 students and staff killed, injured, abducted or arrested, GCPEA says

Attacks on education globally have surged by 40% with more than 8,556 recorded incidents and 10,600 students and staff killed, injured, abducted, arrested or otherwise harmed in 2024 and 2025, according to new research.

Attacks were reported in 83 countries, with the highest incidences recorded in Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Palestine and Ukraine.

SINGAPORE: Rising electricity bills are doing something years of sustainability campaigns struggled to achieve: convincing more private developers that green buildings make financial sense.

Across Singapore, developers are increasingly adopting energy-saving designs, low-carbon materials and shared cooling systems. While environmental goals are always important, industry players say the change is now driven as much by cost savings as by sustainability targets.

Developers are also moving beyond minimum green building requirements as they seek to reduce operating expenses and attract buyers who value sustainable homes, offices, and commercial spaces. The trend comes as Singapore works towards its Green Building Masterplan, which aims for 80% of buildings to meet higher energy efficiency and sustainability standards by 2030, Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reports (June 10).

Sustainability starts at the design stage

One example is Geneo at Singapore Science Park, developed by CapitaLand Development. The first phase of the rejuvenation project spans five buildings across roughly 180,000 square metres.

Instead of treating each building as a separate development, the project was planned as a connected precinct where businesses, workers and visitors can share spaces and interact.

Jonathan Yap, Chief Executive Officer of CapitaLand Development, said that the company wanted to create an ecosystem rather than simply construct individual buildings.

A major feature is The Canopy, a 27-metre-tall communal space built using mass-engineered timber. The company estimates the structure cuts construction-related carbon emissions by up to 80% compared with steel and 60% compared with reinforced concrete.

The space also relies heavily on passive cooling. Shading, building orientation, and large, slow-moving fans help keep temperatures comfortable while reducing the need for air conditioning. According to Mr Yap, air-conditioning consumption is about 60% lower than in a fully air-conditioned space.

Cooling an entire district instead of just one building

The sustainability push is also happening on a larger scale. At Punggol Digital District, JTC Corporation has implemented a district cooling system that supplies chilled water to multiple buildings, including Punggol Coast MRT station, retail areas, business park developments and the Singapore Institute of Technology campus.

Instead of every building operating its own cooling equipment, cooling is produced centrally and distributed across the district.

David Tan, Assistant Chief Executive Officer of JTC Development Group, said the approach can reduce energy consumption by up to 30%. It also frees up rooftop and building space that would otherwise be occupied by cooling equipment, allowing more room for solar panels and other uses.

The district was planned with sustainability in mind even before construction began. Wind flow and solar radiation studies helped determine building placement to improve natural ventilation. More than 20,000 sensors now collect data on temperature, air quality and energy use to help optimise operations.

Green buildings are becoming a selling point

Industry observers say the discussion around sustainability has changed significantly over the past two decades.

Melvin Tan, Joint Managing Director of LAUD Architects and immediate past president of the Singapore Institute of Architects, said that rising energy costs have made energy efficiency a major business consideration. Buildings that use less energy are cheaper to operate and maintain over time.

Mr Tan noted that when Singapore’s Green Mark certification scheme was introduced in 2005, some developers saw it mainly as a compliance exercise. Today, many view it as a way to make properties more attractive to buyers and tenants.

While government projects must meet strict sustainability requirements, some private developers are voluntarily aiming higher. Mr Tan estimated that about 20% to 30% are pursuing standards beyond what regulations require because they see commercial value in doing so.

Buyers are increasingly interested in sustainable homes, offices and developments.

When going green becomes common sense

Environmental benefits have become increasingly important, and economics may be the stronger driver for gaining from them.

As energy prices stay elevated, efficient buildings are becoming easier to justify on a balance sheet. What was once marketed as a green choice is increasingly becoming a practical business decision.

Lower energy consumption is no longer just good for the environment. It is becoming good business for developers, architects and property buyers alike as well.

This article (Higher energy bills drive more Singapore developers to adopt greener building solutions) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

Draft treaty claims sexual and reproductive health and rights are an existential threat to the African family

An African treaty that rejects longstanding international human rights obligations moved a step closer to becoming policy this week as governments across the continent met in Ghana.

The draft African charter on family, sovereignty and values, seen by the Guardian, asserts that African values and culture are under attack from “foreign ideologies” and urges states to withdraw from any agreements that do not align with the principles of the charter, including the 2003 Maputo protocol, which promotes gender equality and protects the reproductive and health rights of women and girls.

Abdiqadir Salah was pierced by shrapnel in a bombing that killed 12 in Somalia. But as the US denies civilians were hurt they face no hope of compensation

Read more: Killed walking home from school: why did Somali children become targets of US drone strikes?

A seven-year-old boy who was riddled with shrapnel during a deadly US airstrike in Somalia faces losing his ability to walk unless he has a £750 emergency operation.

But Abdiqadir Salah’s family cannot afford the surgery and the US – which refuses to admit that any civilians were killed or injured during its attack six months ago – appears unwilling to pay compensation to those affected by airstrikes in Somalia.

SINGAPORE: Singapore is looking at ways to help workers before they lose their jobs, rather than waiting until they are already unemployed.

The decision comes as artificial intelligence (AI), automation and industry changes continue to restructure the job market. National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Deputy Secretary-General Desmond Choo said efforts are underway to identify workers at risk of job displacement and connect them with new career opportunities earlier.

Speaking after the release of recommendations from Singapore’s Economic Strategy Review (ESR), Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported (June 2), Mr Choo said workers should be guided into growing sectors before layoffs occur. The goal is to reduce income disruption and make career transitions less painful.

Building “career bridges” before jobs disappear

One of the key recommendations is the creation of what the ESR calls “career bridges.” These pathways would help workers move from sectors facing disruption into industries expected to grow in the years ahead.

Healthcare is one example. As Singapore’s population ages, demand for healthcare workers is expected to remain strong. The challenge lies in helping workers from shrinking sectors move into these expanding fields.

That means identifying skills workers already have and helping them gain any additional training needed for a new role.

The recommendation is that, instead of treating unemployment as the starting point for support, policymakers explore ways to intervene much earlier. For workers, this could mean having more options available before a redundancy notice arrives.

More support for professionals and executives

The ESR also proposed stronger support for professionals, managers, and executives (PMEs) navigating career changes.

Singapore already has programmes such as the Jobseeker Support Scheme. Mr Choo suggested that support could be expanded further so that workers feel more secure when considering a move into a different industry or role, as workers may now hold several jobs across different sectors over the course of a lifetime, rather than spending decades in a single profession.

As technology changes how businesses operate, adaptability is becoming a valuable skill in itself.

Balancing business realities with worker needs

Mr Choo acknowledged that restructuring can be difficult for both employers and employees. Some companies delay restructuring because of their long-standing commitment to staff. Others make changes because business conditions leave them little choice.

The ESR recommends earlier notification of restructuring exercises, allowing unions, agencies and support organisations to work with affected workers before layoffs take place.

In addition, reducing uncertainty may help ease anxiety and give workers more time to prepare their next move.

The recommendations were developed over nine months and involved more than 7,700 stakeholders, including workers, unions and businesses.

Lifelong learning is no longer a slogan but a practical career strategy. As jobs continue to change, workers who keep upgrading their skills are likely to have more routes open to them when industries shift to meet their evolving needs.

A helping hand after job loss remains important. Helping people before that point may prove even more valuable.

This article (NTUC: Singapore is looking into ways to better support workers before job losses) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

Research & Developments is a blog for brief updates that provide context for the flurry of news that impacts science and scientists today.

Sand is the most exploited solid natural resource on Earth. It has been integrated into how we build homes, roads, buildings, and bridges as well as how we protect coastal infrastructure from rising seas. Sand underpins nearly every aspect of modern infrastructure and economics, plays crucial roles in supporting ecosystem biodiversity, and literally shores up rivers and coasts.

A new report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) found that we are using 50 billion metric tons (50 trillion kilograms) of sand per year. As global development and industrialization expand, demand for sand in the building sector is expected to rise 45% by the year 2060, outpacing current efforts to sustainably harvest it. The report’s authors urge countries to establish sand as a strategic national asset and develop policies for sustainable extraction.

“Sand is sometimes referred as the unrecognized hero of development, but its essential role in sustaining the natural services on which we depend is even more overlooked,” Pascal Peduzzi, director of the UNEP Global Resource Information Database Geneva, said in a press release about the report. “Sand is our first line of defence against sea level rise, storm surges, and salination of coastal aquifers—all hazards exacerbated by climate change.”

Sand Wanted: Dead or Alive

Dead sand, or sand that has been extracted from its natural environment, is a key component in building materials like concrete and asphalt. Communities around the world use sand in water filtration systems, providing clean water for drinking and agricultural use. And although a transition to clean energy sources is necessary to curb the effects of climate change, many of those sources also depend on sand: solar panels require glass made from high-purity silica sand, and wind turbines, hydroelectric dams, and nuclear power plants all require concrete.

Sand also plays a critical role in natural ecosystems. It is home to a wide array of critters from crabs, sharks, and turtles to microorganisms like bacteria and fungi. It supports the growth of corals, mangroves, and seagrasses that in turn support even more marine creatures. It is a key component of healthy soil and aids in surface drainage. It guides river evolution and acts as flood buffer and storm barrier. It also provides local economic benefits via tourism.

These are among the values of sand when it is left alone and unused, called “alive” sand. The UN report notes that these benefits are typically of greater value over time than if sand is dredged and used. But because these benefits are hard to see, they are often overlooked when nations calculate the value of their sand resources.

A Sustainable Sand Future

Despite sand’s importance whether dead or alive, the report notes that few countries have established sand as a strategic national asset or have developed strategies for sustainable extraction. At the current pace, humans are extracting sand from the natural environment at a faster pace than it is being replenished by geologic processes.

What’s more, the UNEP’s Marine Sand Watch tool shows that about half of sand dredging companies are operating within marine protected areas, accounting for about 15% of the volume of dredged sand. This practice, the report notes, is potentially trading in sand’s long-term benefits for short-term gains.

The UN report recommends a few actions to protect the long-term availability of sand as a natural resource, including:

• Recognizing sand as strategic national asset, establishing national inventories, and creating long-term regional planning groups that consider sand as an essential resource for resilience;
• Establishing circularity and recycling of building materials, especially in areas of conflict and natural disasters;
• Strengthening environmental protection practices, and codifying international frameworks to strengthen accountability along the supply chain, including increased transparency about extraction; and
• Integrating sand-related biodiversity and social risks into financial decisionmaking and governance.

“Over-reliance on short-term economic metrics risks obscuring, and further impacting, the geological and ecological processes that take centuries to form and may not be restored once critical thresholds are crossed,” the report states. “What is hardest to measure may be precisely what sustains both nature and human societies over the long term. The challenge ahead is not only to manage extraction, but to recognise and balance the full spectrum of sand’s values.”

—Kimberly M. S. Cartier (@astrokimcartier.bsky.social), Staff Writer

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