News headlines
Iraq: UN mission ends, with pledge of continued support
- UN News

The recent parliamentary elections in Iraq mark a fitting end to the work of the UN Mission in the country, the Security Council heard on Tuesday.
Millions of jobs at risk in Asia-Pacific as AI adoption surges in wealthy nations
- UN News

Millions of jobs across Asia could be at risk as the AI industry booms at the expense of poorer nations still struggling to provide basic digital access and literacy, UN economists said on Tuesday.
Asia: Lives upended by cyclones, ‘extreme’ rainfall on the rise, warn UN agencies
- UN News

Across southeast Asia, record-breaking rains and flooding caused by back-to-back tropical storms have claimed hundreds of lives and brought devastation and displacement upon entire communities, UN agencies said on Tuesday.
Yemen’s Worsening Food Security Crisis: Economic Collapse, Continued Insecurity, and Humanitarian Challenges
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, December 1 (IPS) - For the past decade, Yemen has been at the center of a severe and multifaceted humanitarian crisis, marked by widespread violence between various Middle Eastern actors, widespread civilian displacement, economic decline, and the collapse of essential services that serve as lifelines for displaced communities. As the crisis has intensified in recent months, humanitarian agencies face increasing challenges in providing lifesaving care to civilians, who are experiencing record levels of hunger in a country that has become more reliant on remittances as self-sufficiency continues to slip further out of reach.
‘Seven Million People Have Taken to the Streets to Stand up for Democracy’
- Inter Press Service

CIVICUS discusses US civil society action under the second Trump administration with Bridget Moix, General Secretary of the Friends Committee on National Legislation, the oldest faith-based lobbying organisation in the USA, advocating for peace, justice and environmental stewardship. Bridget has participated in the No Kings movement, a nationwide grassroots response to democratic backsliding and attacks on rights.
Graduation Must Be a Springboard, Not a Stumbling Block
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, December 1 (IPS) - As we gather in Doha for the High-Level Meeting on “Forging Ambitious Global Partnerships for Sustainable and Resilient Graduation of Least Developed Countries,” the stakes could not be higher. A record number of fourteen countries-equally divided between Asia and Africa are now on graduation track. Graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category is a landmark national achievement—a recognition of hard-won gains in income, human development, and resilience. Yet, for too many countries, this milestone comes with new vulnerabilities that risk undermining the very gains that enabled graduation.
What Daily Life Looks Like for Afghan Women Now
- Inter Press Service

I am an educated Afghan woman and a former government employee. I have long been active in women’s rights struggles, education, and community development. For me, living in Afghanistan is fraught with dangers and difficulties. In a context where women are denied the right to study, work, or participate in public life, my previous roles in government institutions and international organizations, and my afvocacy for women’s rights, place me at particular risk.
COP30 Fails the Caribbean’s Most Vulnerable, Leaders Say: ‘Our Lived Reality Isn’t Reflected’
- Inter Press Service

CASTRIES, St Lucia, December 1 (IPS) - Caribbean small island states say this year’s UN climate conference has once again failed to deliver the urgency and ambition needed to tackle escalating climate devastation across the region. From slow-moving climate finance to frustrating political gridlock, leaders say COP30 did not reflect the realities that small islands are living through every day.
Vulnerable Populations Will Suffer With UNAIDS Early Closure
- Inter Press Service

BRATISLAVA, December 1 (IPS) - “It’s like adding fuel to an already burning fire,” says Aditia Taslim.
Africa’s Critical Minerals Poised to Power Global Green Energy Transition
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, December 1 (IPS) - Although Africa holds more than 30 per cent of the world’s critical green minerals—including cobalt, lithium, manganese, and rare earth elements vital for building batteries, wind turbines and solar panels— this has not translated into prosperity for the continent.
Global Issues