News headlines
Hong Kong: No Safety in Exile
- Inter Press Service

LONDON, June 19 (IPS) - When performance artist Sammu Chen tried to tie a red thread to a streetpost, plainclothes police stopped him before he could finish. Chen has twice been detained for his symbolic acts of commemoration of the 4 June 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, when Chinese authorities killed hundreds, perhaps thousands, to crush democracy protests.
‘We Came for Action, Not Promises’: Developing Nations Voice Frustration as Bonn Talks Conclude
- Inter Press Service

BONN, June 19 (IPS) - The United Nations June Climate Meetings (SB64) ended in Bonn with sharp disagreements between developed and developing countries over climate finance, adaptation support and emissions reductions, leaving negotiators with significant unresolved issues ahead of the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Türkiye.
How AgricTech Cuts Labour for Zimbabwe’s Female Farmers
- Inter Press Service

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe , June 19 (IPS) - Long burdened by the labour-intensive nature of agriculture, Zimbabwe’s female farmers are finding relief in new agritechnologies that significantly reduce the time they spend in the field.
RightsCon’s Cancellation Signals a Growing Threat to Human Rights and Digital Freedoms
- Inter Press Service

NEW YORK, June 19 (IPS) - RightsCon, the world’s leading summit on human rights in the digital age, has served for over a decade as a vital global gathering, bringing together civil society, academics, technologists, policymakers, and the private sector in cross-border collaboration. The abrupt cancellation of RightsCon 2026, following intervention by Zambia’s government just days before the convening was due to commence in Lusaka, should concern us all.
Gaza: Sneeze and you might get shot, warns UNICEF in alert on child killings
- UN News

After another deadly night of clashes in Lebanon, aid agencies issued a new alert for Gaza, where 265 Palestinian children have been killed since a ceasefire was announced in October 2025.
Trump’s World Stagflation Also Undermines Dollar Hegemony
- Inter Press Service

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, June 19 (IPS) - US President Trump’s policies are supposed to make America great again (MAGA), which means different things to various parties. Some of its consequences are inadvertent, including undermining dollar dominance and inducing stagflation worldwide.
Will US Opposition to UN’s Socio-Economic Goals Play a Decisive Role in the Vote for Next Secretary-General?
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, June 18 (IPS) - As the campaign for a new UN secretary-general gathers momentum, will the US exercise the decisive vote — or the veto– in the final selection?
The US has publicly declared its opposition to some of the basic goals in the UN’s socio-economic agenda, including gender empowerment and policies relating to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), while dismissing climate change as “a hoax” and a “giant scam.”
UN upholds freedom of movement for peacekeepers in Lebanon
- UN News

The United Nations has again called for freedom of movement for its peacekeepers in Lebanon who continue to closely monitor developments in the south of the country, including in the wake of the recent provisional agreement signed by the United States and Iran.
Libya's political process regains momentum, but window for action is narrowing, UN envoy warns
- UN News

Libya has been mired in political dysfunction since the collapse of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011, which shattered State institutions and triggered recurring struggles over legitimacy and power.
From ‘media deserts’ to the invisibility of women, rights experts spotlight latest trends
- UN News

From the invisibility of women and girls to “media deserts” amid an artificial intelligence (AI) tsunami, dozens of UN independent experts have been shedding light on the battle for equal rights worldwide as the Geneva-based Human Rights Council’s continued its annual session on Thursday.

