News headlines
Syria’s new ‘flame of hope’ must not be extinguished: Guterres
- UN News

A flame of hope burns bright today in Syria – but if it’s not carefully managed by both Syrians themselves and the international community, it risks being extinguished.
Did Togo Reforms Entrench President Gnassingbé's Power?
- Inter Press Service

Dec 18 (IPS) - In May 2024, Togo's President Faure Gnassingbé signed a new constitution, transitioning the country from a presidential to a parliamentary system. Under this new framework, lawmakers are responsible for electing the president.
African Public Transport Struggles To Match Urban Growth
- Inter Press Service

BULAWAYO, Dec 18 (IPS) - As the population in African cities grows, governments are struggling to provide sustainable public transport solutions, conditions that have led to gridlock in major business districts.
New Legislation Outlaws Dissenters in Venezuela
- Inter Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec 18 (IPS) - In Venezuela you can no longer say in public that the economic sanctions applied by the United States and other countries are appropriate, or even be suspected of considering any of the authorities illegitimate, because you can be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison and lose all your assets.
Israel Continues to Attack Gaza Amid Ceasefire Negotiations
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 18 (IPS) - After 14 months of conflict between Israel and Palestine, talks of a ceasefire agreement have headed in a promising direction. The proposed agreement entails the release of hostages in Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian land, and a strategy for displaced Gazans to safely return to their homes in the northern region of the enclave. Despite both Israeli and Palestinian officials expressing optimism over this agreement, hostilities from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) continue to endanger the lives and infrastructures of thousands of Gazans.
The Climate Crisis as a Diplomatic Battlefield
- Inter Press Service

ACCRA, Ghana, Dec 18 (IPS) - The climate crisis, a defining challenge of the 21st century, is not just an environmental issue; it is increasingly a critical arena for international diplomacy. From intense negotiations at COP summits to the politics of energy transitions and resource control, climate change is shaping the geopolitical landscape.
Tensions escalating over DPR Korea, political affairs chief warns Security Council
- UN News

The UN’s top political affairs official on Wednesday expressed grave concern over rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula, urging the Security Council to uphold the objective of preventing the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) – more commonly known as North Korea – from becoming a nuclear armed State.
UN responds to cyclone in Mozambique, earthquake in Vanuatu
- UN News

Humanitarians continue to assess the impact of Tropical Cyclone Chido in Mozambique and to support affected families, the UN reported on Wednesday.
‘We must not normalise the war in Ukraine,’ warns country coordinator
- UN News

On Wednesday UN Resident Coordinator in Ukraine Matthias Schmale briefed the press after visiting the war-ravaged eastern Donetsk region, sharing harrowing accounts of human resilience amid the chaos of Russia’s ongoing invasion.
Occupied Palestinian Territory: Security Council hears of ongoing violence, ‘relentless’ Israeli settlement expansion
- UN News

The United Nations continues to voice major concern over hostilities and Israeli settlement expansion in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), the Security Council heard on Wednesday.

