News headlines
Ahead of Brutal Winter Season, Intensified Attacks Cripple Basic Services Across Ukraine
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, December 18 (IPS) - In recent weeks, the Russo-Ukrainian War has taken a considerable turn for the worse, with armed hostilities escalating in both frequency and intensity, causing extensive damage to civilian infrastructure and a significant loss of life across Ukraine. Attacks on energy infrastructures and the resulting power outages are forcing the most vulnerable civilians to deal with a “cold, frightening ordeal” in the winter season, warned the United Nations (UN) human rights chief.
Kenyan Court Restores Seed Freedom: Landmark Ruling Boost for Food Security and Sovereignty
- Inter Press Service

NAIROBI, December 18 (IPS) - For years, smallholder farmers across Kenya have been engaged in a legal battle with the government over a law that criminalizes the practice of saving, sharing and exchanging indigenous seeds.
My Niece Was Killed Amid Mexico’s Land Conflicts. The World Must Hold Corporations Accountable
- Inter Press Service

MICHOACÁN, Mexico , December 18 (IPS) - My niece Roxana Valentín Cárdenas was 21 years old when she was killed. She was a Purépecha Indigenous woman from San Andrés Tziróndaro, a community on the shores of Lake Pátzcuaro in the Mexican state of Michoacán.
Gaza: Access to food improves but living conditions remain dire
- UN News
A pregnant woman in Gaza thought she might lose her child because of malnourishment. Ten days ago, she gave birth and is now in recovery thanks to World Food Programme (WFP) facilities that are back up and running again, the agency’s representative for Palestine said on Thursday.
World News in Brief: UN to evacuate Kadugli base in Sudan, celebrating migrant contributions, ending colonialism
- UN News

The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) will evacuate its logistics base in Kadugli, Sudan, in the wake of the “heinous attack” this past weekend that killed six Bangladeshi peacekeepers and seriously injured eight others.
Syria’s humanitarian needs remain high despite reduced violence, UN warns
- UN News

Humanitarian needs in Syria remain immense despite a year of reduced violence and political change, with millions still displaced, basic services strained and funding shortfalls threatening aid operations, senior UN officials said on Thursday.
Can traditional medicine strengthen modern healthcare? An expert weighs in
- UN News
Ginger and cinnamon are more than just ingredients. Along with other spices, their medicinal value is gaining both attention and legitimacy.
Civilians at risk amid escalating Thailand-Cambodia conflict: UN rights chief
- UN News
Intensifying air strikes and heavy artillery fire across Thailand and Cambodia have left civilians increasingly at risk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned on Thursday.
Sudan war: World urged not to ignore ‘gruesome sexual violence’
- UN News
Harrowing new details emerged on Thursday in a UN report detailing targeted sexual violence and summary executions in Sudan’s North Darfur region, attributed to paramilitary fighters who overran the city of El Fasher in late October.
When Frontline Communities Lead: Lessons From Five Years of Just Climate Action
- Inter Press Service

Efforts to combat climate change too often sideline the very communities hit hardest by the crisis and who have contributed the least to it. This injustice was the core idea of the Voices for Just Climate Action (VCA) program. Now that VCA has concluded after five years, Job Muriithi and Winny Nyanwira from Hivos reflect on its achievements and share recommendations for governments and donors to ensure fair and equitable climate action.
Global Issues