World Entrepreneurs and Investment Forum put women at the heart of economic transformation

  That was the central message of the Manama Declaration, issued at the close of the World Entrepreneurs and Investment Forum (WEIF) held this week in Bahrain. The declaration places women at the heart of economic transformation, underscoring that empowering them within business and innovation ecosystems is essential to achieving inclusive and sustainable growth. It […]

In the hands of innovators from the Global South, AI can transform lives

Fodder cutters are fearsome machines with huge circular blades spinning at high speed, powered by small generators. Operated by rural workers in several developing countries, including India, Pakistan and Kenya, they pose a constant risk – many have had hands or arms amputated following accidents. The consequences are devastating. Tasks that shape daily life – […]

World News in Brief: Deadly strikes in Sudan, health systems in South Sudan near the brink, Guterres calls for unity ahead of Ramadan.

Over the past week, North Kordofan state recorded more than a dozen attacks in and around the towns of El Obeid, Bara, Rahad and Um Rawaba.   In South Kordofan, suspected drone strikes hit health facilities in the state capital, Kadugli, and in Kuweik town, reportedly killing four medical workers, injuring more than 20 people.  Concerns over the conflict continue to deepen after a report today […]

Syria transition gains ground with Kurdish deal, but violence and humanitarian strain persist

Briefing ambassadors for the first time as Deputy Special Envoy, Claudio Cordone pointed to the 30 January ceasefire and integration agreement between the Syrian Government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as a potentially transformative development. The deal provides for a phased military and administrative integration of northeast Syria and includes provisions on the return […]

‘Like a scene out of a horror movie’: UN report warns of war crimes in Sudan’s El Fasher

“Persistent impunity fuels continued cycles of violence,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, calling for credible investigations and accountability for perpetrators.  Sudan’s national army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia have been fighting each other for control of the country for almost three years. The new report details widespread atrocities committed […]

Madagascar: ‘Overwhelming’ destruction, surging needs after back-to-back cyclones – WFP

Speaking to reporters from Madagascar’s capital Antananarivo, WFP Country Director Tania Goossens said some 400,000 people are facing acute humanitarian needs after the island was hit by back-to-back cyclones in the space of three weeks. Ms. Goossens recently returned from a mission to the port city Toamasina (also known as Tamatave), the country’s second largest […]

Political violence against MPs rising worldwide

Head of the IPU, Martin Chungong, told a UN conference in New York on Wednesday that “if the phenomenon goes uncontrolled, there will be major implications for democracies, parliaments and human rights worldwide”. In an interview with UN News, Valentina Grippo, an Italian MP with the European Delegation to the IPU – which partners with […]

World News in Brief: Türk slams relentless Russian attacks, Gaza update, Cyclone Gezani hits Madagascar

His reaction followed overnight attacks on energy infrastructure in Kyiv, Dnipro and the key port city of Odesa. Nearly 8,800 multistorey buildings in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa are without heating. In Kharkiv, temperatures are forecast to drop to minus 10°C or 14°F on Thursday evening, said Viktoriia Andrievska from the UN aid coordination office, OCHA. […]

UN envoy urges renewed political push as Yemen tensions rise

Hans Grundberg also warned that rising regional tensions risk dragging Yemen back into broader confrontation.  “I ask this Council to remain united in supporting a credible path back to a political process, and I urge regional actors to align around the same purpose and to use their influence in a coordinated way to steer Yemenis […]

Protecting children in war is key to lasting peace, top UN envoy warns

In an exclusive interview with UN News, Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Vanessa Frazier, reflected on the alarming rise in grave violations against children and the urgent need to safeguard their future. “The recruitment and use of children is still one of the most widespread and devastating violations we face. In 2024 alone, […]

From war zones to outer space, radio remains essential

From war zones to outer space, radio remains essential

Every 13 February marks World Radio Day, a celebration timed to the moment UN Radio first crackled to life 80 years ago. UN News teams have gathered stories from every corner of the world that reveal a simple truth: in places fractured by conflict, disasters or deep digital divides, radio remains a steady, reliable pulse […]

Gaza radio station re-opens, bringing voices from the rubble

Gaza radio station re-opens, bringing voices from the rubble

While 23 local radio stations were operating in Gaza before the conflict erupted, they were all destroyed and ceased broadcasting, he told UN News. “Today, we are the only radio station broadcasting on FM from within Gaza after this widespread destruction,” he said. “We hope that other local radio stations will resume broadcasting, thus allowing […]

Civilians and aid operations under fire as Sudan airstrikes intensify

Civilians and aid operations under fire as Sudan airstrikes intensify

Two children were reportedly killed and 13 others injured in a drone strike on a mosque in Al-Rahad, North Kordofan, where all the victims were students at the adjoining school. The attack came just hours after a primary school in Dilling, South Kordofan, was hit, with further injuries reported.  WFP warehouse hit  The warehouse of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in the […]

Ukraine: UN aid convoy reaches frontlines in Dnipro

Ukraine: UN aid convoy reaches frontlines in Dnipro

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters that access to the town had been “extremely difficult due to the continued fighting.” Of the 10,000 people who lived there before the full-scale invasion in February 2022, only about 500 remain, “most of them older people and people with disabilities.” According to Ukrainian authorities, hostilities between Tuesday and […]

World News in Brief: School shooting in Canada, cholera outbreak in DR Congo, evacuations in Gaza

World News in Brief: School shooting in Canada, cholera outbreak in DR Congo, evacuations in Gaza

António Guterres was “saddened to learn of the tragic shooting in Tumble Ridge, British Columbia,” his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said at the daily news briefing. “[Mr. Guterres] extends his deepest condolences to those affected and his sympathies to the Government and people of Canada,” Mr. Dujarric added. Two crime scenes According to media reports, the […]

UN social policy commission closes with calls to turn pledges into action

UN social policy commission closes with calls to turn pledges into action

Meeting at UN Headquarters, in New York, from 2 to 10 February, the Commission for Social Development marked its first session since the Second World Summit for Social Development, held in Doha last year. The gathering brought together ministers, senior UN officials, civil society groups and youth representatives to examine how global pledges can be […]

Women and girls in science: Dismantling barriers, closing gender gaps

Women and girls in science: Dismantling barriers, closing gender gaps

Across the world, a significant gender gap persists at all levels of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines due to lack of research funding, gender stereotypes, and discriminatory workplace practices.  UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the gap is particularly pronounced in technology, where women represent just 26 per cent of the workforce in data and artificial intelligence, and 12 per cent in cloud computing.   “Excluding women […]

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