News headlines in 2026

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, October 9 (IPS) - Each morning on her way to Kariakoo, Clementina Nyangwine looks out of her commuter bus as it crawls through Jangwani and watches giant foundation piles rising above the muddy Msimbazi valley.

SINGAPORE, October 9 (IPS) - When governments gather in Yerevan this month for the 17th UN Convention on Biological Diversity, they will weigh a promise nearly 200 countries adopted six years ago: to effectively conserve at least 30 percent of land, inland waters, and sea by 2030. Achieving the ambitious 30×30 target is essential to sustaining the systems humanity relies on for survival—including crop pollination, purification of water and air, and climate regulation—as well as the biodiversity that underpins food production, fisheries, and tourism.

KABUL, October 8 (IPS) - It has become difficult for Afghan journalists to obtain information from the authorities, who are permitted to use smartphones only with special authorization. This ban particularly affects women, for whom face-to-face interviews are not an option.

UNITED NATIONS, October 8 (IPS) - The demand for critical minerals is accelerating as world powers scramble to stay on top of emerging technologies. Meanwhile, the environment and frontline communities are paying a steep price.

UNITED NATIONS, October 8 (IPS) - The seven candidates, still in the running for the post of UN Secretary-General (SG), have so far faced a barrage of questions, mostly from delegates and the news media.

UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Thursday he was appalled by a wave of attacks that have killed civilians across Ukraine over the past four days.

More than 700,000 displaced people in Tawila, in Sudan’s war-ravaged Darfur region, face severe shortages of healthcare, food, water and protection, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Thursday as it called for an urgent increase in resources.

As world leaders prepare for November’s major COP31 climate summit in Türkiye, record-breaking heat, devastating floods and an unprecedented El Niño climate pattern are making global climate action ever more urgent.

The legacy of enslavement and colonialism continues to shape the lives of Africans and people of African descent, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Thursday, calling for urgent action to deliver reparatory justice beyond financial compensation.

Older women around the world face violence, exploitation and neglect, yet remain largely invisible in the laws, policies, data and services designed to protect women overall, a UN independent human rights expert said on Thursday.