News headlines in 2025

DAKAR, Senegal, Apr 22 (IPS) - Gorée Island, off the coast of Dakar, is a somber reminder of the transatlantic slave trade. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it embodies both the duty to remember and the challenges of passing on a painful past.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Apr 22 (IPS) - Donald Trump’s top economic advisor claims the President has weaponised tariffs to ‘persuade’ other nations to pay the US to maintain its supposedly mutually beneficial global empire.

UNITED NATIONS, Apr 21 (IPS) - Since the deterioration of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in March, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have issued numerous evacuation orders and bombardments on the Gaza Strip, resulting in exacerbated rates of displacement and a significant amount of civilian casualties. Roughly two million Palestinians within the enclave struggle to stay alive amid repeated blockages of humanitarian aid.

NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar, Apr 21 (IPS) - As I walked through the streets of Sagaing and Mandalay, the scenes unfolding in the wake of the 7.7 earthquake were hard to comprehend.

Tall buildings and hundreds of homes are now lying in rubble. Of those that are still standing, many are lurching at dangerous angles, defying gravity for now, but could collapse at any moment.

PESHAWAR, Apr 21 (IPS) - In a remarkable conservation achievement, four rare and elusive snow leopards have been spotted together in the rugged peaks of northern Pakistan, highlighting the success of the ongoing global efforts aimed at protecting this critically endangered species and preserving its fragile habitat.

Asia’s sprawling megacities – which are driving economic growth – face an uncertain future as rising temperatures, aging populations and unplanned urban development tests their resilience.

Too many Indigenous people are still being excluded from decisions that directly affect their lands, territories, cultures, and the future of their communities, a top UN forum heard on Monday.

Now is the time to invest in Syria, and support people returning to the country and their communities, the outgoing UN Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis said on Monday.

Haiti is on the verge of “total chaos” as coordinated gang violence continues to escalate, threatening the State’s ability to maintain public order, the UN’s top envoy for the country warned on Monday.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has joined the world in mourning the death of His Holiness Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday in Vatican City aged 88.