Peace Needs Children’s Voices By Mikiko Otani Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -

Peace Needs Children’s Voices By Mikiko Otani TOKYO, Japan, Oct 23 2026 (IPS) - WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind. The United Nations was established with this commitment. Children, while constituting nearly a third of humanity, are disproportionately affected by war. Yet, children’s voices are rarely heard and children are largely absent from peace processes. https://www.ipsnews.net/2026/10/peace-needs-childrens-voices/ Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -

France’s New Protest Generation Rises By Andrew Firmin Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -

France’s New Protest Generation Rises By Andrew Firmin LONDON, Oct 26 2026 (IPS) - Classrooms with mouldy walls, riddled with cockroaches and rats, stifling in summer and freezing in winter: this is how French high school students describe the places where they’re meant to learn. These impossible-to-ignore symbols of underfunding and neglect sparked a protest movement that has shaken the country. Students’ complaints centre on underfunding, teacher shortages, crumbling infrastructure, crowded classrooms and an opaque university admissions system. These matter in their own right and raise broader questions about whose interests economies and governments serve, and what futures people can look forward to. https://www.ipsnews.net/2026/10/frances-new-protest-generation-rises/ Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -

Choosing the Next UN Secretary-General: The Threat of Veto or Veto Itself Must Not Silence the World By Anwarul K. Chowdhury Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -

Choosing the Next UN Secretary-General: The Threat of Veto or Veto Itself Must Not Silence the World By Anwarul K. Chowdhury NEW YORK, Oct 27 2026 (IPS) - The selection of the next Secretary-General of the United Nations has reached a critical juncture. It raises fundamental questions about fairness, transparency, regional balance, and the democratic legitimacy of the world’s most universal organization. https://www.ipsnews.net/2026/10/choosing-the-next-un-secretary-general-the-threat-of-veto-or-veto-itself-must-not-silence-the-world/ Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -

Farwiza Farhan’s Fight To Save Tropical Hotspot of Indonesia – the Leuser By Zofeen Ebrahim Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -

Farwiza Farhan’s Fight To Save Tropical Hotspot of Indonesia – the Leuser By Zofeen Ebrahim KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 2026 (IPS) - Forty-year-old Farwiza Farhan’s eyes light up instantly when she talks about the Leuser Ecosystem – a national strategic area encompassing a national park, a wildlife reserve, protected forests and other land uses. “It’s rare to have such a large landscape remain intact despite continuous encroachment by developers, which is shrinking the habitat of the tiger, the elephant, the rhino and the orangutan,” she says. At 2.7 million hectares, Leuser remains a rare stronghold for wildlife in a country where many forests have been decimated. “Leuser still stands, and the wildlife thrives there,” she says with a certain pride. “This is why the landscape is so incredibly special,” she says. https://www.ipsnews.net/2026/10/farwiza-farhans-fight-to-save-tropical-hotspot-of-indonesia-the-leuser/ Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -

Wanted: A Feminist UN Secretary-General for ‘We the Peoples’, Not the Powerful By Mandeep S.Tiwana Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -

Wanted: A Feminist UN Secretary-General for ‘We the Peoples’, Not the Powerful By Mandeep S.Tiwana NEW YORK, Oct 27 2026 (IPS) - Notwithstanding last minute shenanigans and the possibility of backroom deals by powerful states, two women from Latin America are leading contenders in the race for the UN’s next Secretary-General. After 80-plus years of men-only leadership, momentum is building to break the glass ceiling at the global institution dedicated to saving future generations from the scourge of war. https://www.ipsnews.net/2026/10/wanted-a-feminist-un-secretary-general-for-we-the-peoples-not-the-powerful/ Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -

Why Dowry Still Dictating Women’s Fate? By Shahiduzzaman Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -

Why Dowry Still Dictating Women’s Fate? By Shahiduzzaman DHAKA, Bangladesh, Oct 29 2026 (IPS) - Dowry is still persisting in society in one form or another. This deeply entrenched social practice continues deepen household poverty and cause violence against women. The question is no longer whether Bangladesh has a law against dowry. It does. The more uncomfortable question is why the law has failed to make dowry socially unacceptable and practically difficult to demand. The Dowry Prohibition Act 2018 makes the demand for dowry a criminal offence. Direct or indirect demands can result in one to five years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to Tk 50,000, or both. Giving, taking or assisting in the giving or taking of dowry is also punishable. The law even makes dowry-related agreements void. Yet, the existence of legislation has not eliminated the practice. Instead, dowry has increasingly adapted itself to modern economic and social realities. https://www.ipsnews.net/2026/10/why-dowry-still-dictating-womens-fate/ Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -

Women and Girls’ Death Toll in Armed Conflict Doubles since 2021 By UN Women Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. -

Women and Girls’ Death Toll in Armed Conflict Doubles since 2021 By UN Women At least 25 women and girls are killed every day as civilian deaths mount, sexual violence rises, and women remain largely excluded from peace negotiations. NEW YORK, Oct 30 2026 (IPS) - More than 37,000 civilians were killed in conflict last year. Women and girls accounted for one in four of these deaths – double their proportion in 2021 – according to the 2026 UN Secretary-General’s report on Women, Peace, and Security, released today. Approximately 750 million women and girls now live within 50 kilometers of an active conflict, 40 million more than in 2024, and more than at any time since 1990. https://www.ipsnews.net/2026/10/women-and-girls-death-toll-in-armed-conflict-doubles-since-2021/ Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. - https://docs.un.org/en/S/2026/758