News headlines in 2024, page 2

BUCHAREST, Romania, Dec 23 (IPS) - The days are short with bitterly cold rain in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, the largest Balkan country located south of the Ukraine. Over the border, temperatures in Kyiv will plummet to a daily average of zero in December as the Ukraine war grinds on.

NAIROBI, Dec 23 (IPS) - Climate and environmental activists from Japan have criticized the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) for financing the controversial Mozambique Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project to the tune of USD 3 billion in a loan signed in July.

BANGKOK, Thailand, Dec 23 (IPS) - In December 2024, Vanuatu experienced yet another harrowing reminder of its vulnerability to disasters—a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck the Pacific nation’s capital, Port Vila, leaving 14 dead, over 200 injured, and thousands more affected.

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 23 (IPS) - The United States and Western allies have jointly provided a staggering $260 billion in aid, mostly weapons and military assistance, to Ukraine as the long-drawn-out conflict continues following Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

Speaking to reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels early December, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: “All told, the United States has provided $102 billion in assistance to Ukraine, and our allies and partners, $158 billion”.

A little over two weeks after a surge of violence in the Cité Soleil commune of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, a UN report has concluded that more than 207 people were executed by the Wharf Jérémie gang.

The humanitarian crisis in Syria continues to escalate, with millions struggling to access basic resources as fuel shortages and damaged infrastructure hinder relief efforts, the UN reported on Monday.

Yemen has reported the highest global burden of cholera, with nearly 250,000 suspected cases and 861 associated deaths as of 1 December, accounting for 35 per cent of worldwide cholera cases and 18 per cent of related deaths this year, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday.

Since October, when Israeli forces launched a ground offensive in northern Gaza, only three per cent of food and water deliveries organized by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) have been permitted to enter areas in northern Gaza.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) held historic hearings from 2 to 13 December addressing States’ obligations under international law to combat climate change, a process spearheaded by small island nations facing existential threats.

As millions unwrap new gaming devices this holiday season, UN experts are warning that these digital playgrounds need next-generation protection against extremist exploitation.