News headlines for “Consumption and Consumerism”, page 3
Gambia’s Supreme Court to Decide on FGM Ban
- Inter Press Service

Gambia’s Supreme Court is considering whether a law protecting women and girls from female genital mutilation (FGM) is constitutional. The practice, common in Gambia, often involves forcibly restraining girls while parts of their genitals are cut, sometimes with the wound sewn shut.
Talent Wasted: Afghanistan’s Educated Women Adapt Under Taliban Restrictions
- Inter Press Service

KABUL, January 28 (IPS) - Young women in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, are trying their hands at unfamiliar tasks in embroidery, tailoring and designing beads in market stalls. Many should instead have been sitting at desks writing computer software or reporting news, the fields they trained for.
‘Since the Coup, Factory Employers Have Increasingly Worked with the Military to Restrict Organising and Silence Workers’
- Inter Press Service

CIVICUS speaks to the Business and Human Rights Centre (BHRC) about labour rights abuses in Myanmar’s garment industry since the 2021 military coup.
Haiti at a Crossroads: Political Uncertainty and Gang Control Push Nation Toward Collapse
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, January 28 (IPS) - As Haiti’s Transitional President Council (TPC) approaches its February 7 expiration date and the country remains without a newly elected president, humanitarian experts warn the nation risks further sliding into insecurity, raising fears of broader collapse.
Cuts Stall Clinical Trials, Scientists Warn US Risks Losing Its Research Edge
- Inter Press Service

URBANA, Illinois, US, January 27 (IPS) - Scientists across the U.S., including me, are stressed after a year marked by several changes and challenges, including cuts to science funding that have stalled clinical trials and studies that could improve and save lives. Without funding, scientists worry about how they will support ongoing research and train America’s future workforce, including the next generation of innovators.
As Korea Ages, Fiscal Reforms Can Help Safeguard Government Finances
- Inter Press Service

WASHINGTON DC, January 27 (IPS) - Korea’s population is aging faster than almost any other country. That’s because people live longer than in most other countries, while the birth rate is one of the lowest in the world.
From lunch tray to lifelong health: WHO sets global standards for school meals
- UN News

For the first time ever, the World Health Organization (WHO) is providing recommendations for healthy and nutritious food in schools around the world.
Uganda: Democracy in Name Only
- Inter Press Service

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, January 26 (IPS) - When Ugandans went to the polls on 15 January, the outcome was never in doubt. As voting began, mobile internet services ground to a halt, ensuring minimal scrutiny as President Yoweri Museveni secured his seventh consecutive term. Far from offering democratic choice, the vote reinforced one of Africa’s longest-running presidencies, providing a veneer of democratic legitimacy while stifling competition.
From family farm to climate tech: How one Kenyan woman is helping farmers outsmart drought
- UN News

“Giving up is not an option - so many people depend on you,” the words of Maryanne Gichanga, a participant in a UN supported initiative, which aims to help farmers in Kenya find solutions to alleviate the pressures of climate change on agriculture production.
Systemic Infrastructure Attacks Push Ukraine Into Its Deepest Humanitarian Emergency Yet
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, January 23 (IPS) - Nearly four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine faces another winter marked by widespread humanitarian suffering and continued indiscriminate attacks. The final months of 2025 were particularly volatile, characterized by routine bombardment of densely populated areas and repeated strikes on residential neighborhoods, critical civilian infrastructure, and humanitarian facilities. As hostilities expanded into new territories over the past year, humanitarian needs grew sharply, with many war-torn communities residing in uninhabitable areas.

