Ukraine war keeps nuclear safety on a knife-edge, UN watchdog warns

Ukraine war keeps nuclear safety on a knife-edge, UN watchdog warns

Russian forces have been carrying out strikes on critical infrastructure amid freezing winter temperatures as their full-scale invasion approaches the four-year mark next month.  IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said the electrical grid was again the target of military activity this past weekend, leading to significant impacts to several regions and nuclear power plant operations.  Power lines down  The fighting caused […]

Keeping ‘hope alive for younger generations’ in Haiti as funding falters

Keeping ‘hope alive for younger generations’ in Haiti as funding falters

Armed groups control large swaths of Port-au-Prince, forcing more than 1.4 million people from their homes and cutting access to food, health, water and education services. Half the population is not getting enough to eat, and malnutrition among children is rising sharply. Humanitarian efforts are hampered by insecurity and blocked access routes. According to the […]

UN Police ‘indispensable’ to fulfilling peacekeeping mandates, Security Council hears

UN Police ‘indispensable’ to fulfilling peacekeeping mandates, Security Council hears

Jean-Pierre Lacroix was speaking in the UN Security Council during the annual briefing by heads of police components of UN peace operations.  “Despite severe constraints, our police personnel continue to serve with dedication, professionalism and courage,” he said.  “They operate in environments of persistent insecurity, political volatility and growing operational risks.”  Key to peacekeeping   Peace operations depend on UN Police […]

World News in Brief: UN condemns attack on civilians in Nigeria, updates from Gaza and West Bank, relief flights to resume in Yemen

World News in Brief: UN condemns attack on civilians in Nigeria, updates from Gaza and West Bank, relief flights to resume in Yemen

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, António Guterres conveyed his “heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and Government of Nigeria,” and wished a speedy recovery to those injured. “The Secretary-General reiterates the solidarity of the United Nations with the Government and people of Nigeria in their efforts to […]

Chad: Africa’s refugee haven struggles with its own stark challenges

Chad: Africa’s refugee haven struggles with its own stark challenges

Here’s what you need to know: Fighting and dire humanitarian conditions triggered by the conflict that erupted among rival militaries in Sudan in April 2023 have so far displaced 14 million people, spilling over to the country’s seven bordering neighbour nations, according to the UN. Few places are feeling the effects of the ongoing war as […]

M23 rebels: UN sees progress in talks but warns violence persists

M23 rebels: UN sees progress in talks but warns violence persists

Qatar is facilitating discussions between the Congolese government and the M23 armed group, which controls large areas of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. The latest developments follow months of intense fighting that has displaced civilians and destabilised the region. However, the UN warns that despite diplomatic momentum, the security situation on the ground remains […]

Child malnutrition hits catastrophic levels in parts of Sudan

Child malnutrition hits catastrophic levels in parts of Sudan

According to an alert from the IPC, a global food security monitoring system, thresholds for acute malnutrition were surpassed in two new areas of North Darfur – Um Baru and Kernoi – following the fall of the regional capital, El Fasher, in October 2025 and a massive exodus. December assessments found acute malnutrition levels among […]

UN lauds $6 billion US funding approval towards ending HIV/AIDS

UN lauds $6 billion US funding approval towards ending HIV/AIDS

“This US investment will provide lifesaving support for millions of people in partner countries and help to ensure that the global HIV response remains efficient, data-driven and delivers results,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “I thank President [Donald] Trump and the US Congress for their continued commitment to HIV and global health.” The […]

‘Human rights cannot wait’: Türk launches $400 million appeal for 2026

‘Human rights cannot wait’: Türk launches $400 million appeal for 2026

He warned Member States that with crises mounting, the world cannot afford a human rights system in crisis.  “The cost of our work is low; the human cost of underinvestment is immeasurable,” he said.  “In times of conflict and in times of peace, we are a lifeline for the abused, a megaphone for the silenced, a steadfast ally to those […]

AI ‘moving at the speed of light’ warns Guterres, unveiling recommendations for UN expert panel

AI ‘moving at the speed of light’ warns Guterres, unveiling recommendations for UN expert panel

“AI is moving at the speed of light,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres, underscoring the urgency of regulating the breakthrough technology. “We need shared understandings to build effective guardrails, unlock innovation for the common good, and foster cooperation. The Panel will help the world separate fact from fakes, and science from slop.” The roots of […]

Intensifying ISIL threat highlights need to step up counter-terrorism measures

Intensifying ISIL threat highlights need to step up counter-terrorism measures

Alexandre Zouev, Acting Under-Secretary-General at the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), presented its latest report which highlights the group’s intensifying presence in Africa, the Middle East and beyond.  He said the threat posed by ISIL, also known by its Arabic acronym, Da’esh, has “increased steadily” since the previous report issued in August, “remaining multipolar and increasingly complex.”  Instability in West Africa   ISIL and its affiliates have continued to recruit foreign fighters, enhance their use of new […]

‘Deepfake abuse is abuse,’ UNICEF warns

‘Deepfake abuse is abuse,’ UNICEF warns

“The harm from deepfake abuse is real and urgent,” the UN agency said in a statement. “Children cannot wait for the law to catch up.” At least 1.2 million youngsters have disclosed having had their images manipulated into sexually explicit deepfakes in the past year, according to a study across 11 countries conducted by the UN […]

South Sudan: UN forced to suspend food aid after ‘unacceptable’ attacks on convoy

South Sudan: UN forced to suspend food aid after ‘unacceptable’ attacks on convoy

As fighting intensifies there between opposition forces and national troops, there are reports of airstrikes and daily civilian casualties. UN agencies warn that worsening insecurity is blocking lifesaving aid, while hunger projections deteriorate and cholera treatment centres struggle to cope with an influx of newly displaced people. The renewed violence comes as South Sudan’s 2018 […]

‘We are dying’: Gaza’s cancer patients plead for a way out

‘We are dying’: Gaza’s cancer patients plead for a way out

“We are dying. Every day, between two and three patients die inside this hospital,” says Munther Abu Foul, a cancer patient lying on his bed in Gaza’s largest hospital. “I can’t get out of bed because of the pain. We want a solution – open the crossings.” His words capture the reality facing thousands of […]

In Washington, Fletcher presses for action as Sudan war grinds on

In Washington, Fletcher presses for action as Sudan war grinds on

Speaking at a donor conference in Washington, DC, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher warned that the brutal conflict, famine and mass displacement are pushing millions of civilians deeper into crisis, while aid access remains severely constrained. Fighting erupted between the once-allied Sudanese Armed Forces and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in mid-April 2023, spreading […]

Welcome to the ‘agrihood’ – the neighbourhood of the future?

Welcome to the ‘agrihood’ – the neighbourhood of the future?

Towns and cities are home to more than half of the world’s population and responsible for around 70 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions driving the climate crisis, which is why urban planners in Brazil are leading a design revolution that could point the way to creating built-up areas with a dramatically smaller carbon […]

Nearly 40 per cent of cancer cases could be prevented, UN study finds

Nearly 40 per cent of cancer cases could be prevented, UN study finds

The study by the UN World Health Organization (WHO) and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) looks at 30 preventable causes, including tobacco, alcohol, high body mass index, physical inactivity, air pollution and ultraviolet radiation.  Nine cancer-causing infections – such as human papillomavirus (HPV) which can cause cervical cancer – also are included for the first time.  Examining patterns for prevention  Cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity, responsible for nearly 10 […]