News headlines for “Consumption and Consumerism”
The Oil Market Absorbed the War Shock, but Buffers Are Running Low
- Inter Press Service

WASHINGTON DC, July 17 (IPS) - The largest disruption to the global oil market in decades should have sent prices soaring. But after spiking at the start of the war in the Middle East, crude prices soon settled in a range of $90 to $100 per barrel, much lower than many had feared. Why didn’t prices climb higher? The answer is that a combination of factors helped cushion the initial blow. But much of that room has now been used up.
As Gold Prices Soar, Communities Pay the Price in Poisoned Rivers, Vanishing Forests and Organized Crime
- Inter Press Service

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, July 17 (IPS) - The sweltering heat inside a London conference hall did not deter Indigenous leader Jackeline Mendoza Díaz from condemning the sheer destruction of the Peruvian Amazon. Her voice occasionally trembled with emotion but delivered a strong message — painting a picture far removed from the glittering gold bars traded in the world’s financial capitals.
Renewed Hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz Threaten to Compound Global Supply Chain Costs
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, July 17 (IPS) - A continuation of hostilities within the Strait of Hormuz is once again threatening one of the world’s most critical supply chain arteries, posing another wave of disruption which could choke the global energy, shipping and commodity markets. With roughly a quarter of global seaborne oil trade transiting through the Strait, alongside significant flows of liquefied natural gas and fertilizers, further constraints on commercial traffic could send new cost pressures cascading through supply chains that have yet to absorb the full effects of the earlier conflict.
Countries vow faster action on development financing in annual declaration
- UN News

UN Member States reaffirmed their commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by adopting a declaration on Wednesday that they will implement reforms to help close the $4 trillion SDG financing gap.
Full Effects of Strait of Hormuz Disruption May Not Be Felt Until Second Half of 2026
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, July 16 (IPS) - The full economic impact of the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz may not become clear until the second half of 2026, warns the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
How Farmers Are Learning About Restoring Soils and Scaling Agroecology in Kenya
- Inter Press Service

MAKUENI, Kenya, July 15 (IPS) - At Yumbuni Village in Kenya’s Makueni County, farmers from Vihiga and Kakamega counties have travelled over 560 kilometres to join their colleagues in Kathonzweni Ward and see the progress of experiments being carried out on different homemade organic fertilisers and other farm inputs.
WHO: Urgent Action Needed for the Future of Cancer Care
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, July 15 (IPS) - One in five people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, and when the emotional and physical toll on close family members is factored in, an estimated 92 percent of people globally will be affected by cancer at least once in their lifetime. This staggering statistic is the centerpiece of the World Health Organization (WHO)’s latest global report on cancer.
Pride: Once Again a Protest
- Inter Press Service

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, July 15 (IPS) - On the morning of 28 June, riot police sealed off Taksim Square with iron barriers and enforced bans on all weekend gatherings in Istanbul. Marchers pressed ahead anyway, re-emerging from side streets each time police dispersed them. By the end of the day police had detained at least 50 people, including a journalist. It was Istanbul Pride’s 24th edition, and the 12th year running that the authorities banned it outright.
A License Is Not a Teacher
- Inter Press Service

PHILADELPHIA, July 14 (IPS) - Ask why so many Indian classrooms struggle, and the answers arrive in the language of audit: Too few trained teachers, too many vacancies, weak colleges of education and low accountability. Each of these is real, and each matters. Yet none of them explains a quiet confession a veteran teacher made to me, years into her career, holding a teacher training degree all the while. “Only this program”, she said, “made me realize what my prior training had left out”. The program she was referring to is a small teaching preparation program in Gurugram, North India called I Am A Teacher, or IAAT.
Landmark Ruling Could Redefine Divorced Women’s Property Rights in Pakistan
- Inter Press Service

KARACHI, Pakistan, July 14 (IPS) - A landmark Islamabad High Court ruling that recognised marriage as an economic partnership and awarded a divorced woman an equal share of assets acquired during marriage has triggered a legal and religious backlash, with Pakistan’s law ministry challenging the judgment before the Federal Shariat Court, a constitutional court empowered to determine whether laws and judicial rulings conform to the Qur’an and Sunnah.

