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 […]

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 […]

World News in Brief: Children at risk in South Sudan, Balochistan attacks, summit backs boost for undersea cable security

World News in Brief: Children at risk in South Sudan, Balochistan attacks, summit backs boost for undersea cable security

Clashes in Jonglei state since the start of 2026 have displaced at least 250,000 people, mainly in the north and centre of the state, cutting families off from lifesaving care in areas already suffering some of the highest malnutrition rates in the country. Deadly risks “We are extremely concerned for women and children impacted by these […]

Ukraine: Civilians injured, miners killed, in separate Russian attacks

Ukraine: Civilians injured, miners killed, in separate Russian attacks

Matthias Schmale was “appalled” by the attacks in Dnipro, Kharkiv and Kyiv, noting that many more people in several regions – including Dnipro, Odesa and Vinnitsya – are facing power outages.  “Systematic attacks by the Russian Federation Armed Forces on critical infrastructure affect the daily lives of millions and cause life-threatening conditions for the most vulnerable, including older people and children,” he said in a […]

Building healthy bridges towards peace: WHO launches $1 billion appeal

Building healthy bridges towards peace: WHO launches $1 billion appeal

“This appeal is a call to stand with people living through conflict, displacement and disaster to give them not just services, but the confidence that the world has not turned its back on them,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. The 2026 appeal seeks to respond to 36 emergencies worldwide, including 14 “grade 3” crises […]

UN peacekeeping patrols suspended along Lebanon-Israel Blue Line

UN peacekeeping patrols suspended along Lebanon-Israel Blue Line

The incident took place north of the Blue Line on Sunday morning and led to the suspension of more than a dozen UN peacekeeping activities for over nine hours, according to UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric. Toxicology tests “The IDF said that peacekeepers should stay clear of the area,” Mr. Dujarric told reporters in New York. […]

From Cape Town to London, Deo Kato runs to challenge racism and reclaim the migration narrative

From Cape Town to London, Deo Kato runs to challenge racism and reclaim the migration narrative

The 8,262-mile journey took him through 21 countries, transforming an extraordinary physical feat into a powerful act of activism, aimed at confronting racism and reshaping how migration is understood. Born in Uganda and raised in the United Kingdom, Deo first took up running to manage his health. Over time, that personal discipline grew into a […]

Budget 2026 Raises Aid For Nepal, Afghanistan; Allocation To Bangladesh Cut

Budget 2026 Raises Aid For Nepal, Afghanistan; Allocation To Bangladesh Cut

India has recalibrated its neighbourhood development assistance in the Union Budget 2026–27, increasing allocations for countries such as Nepal, Afghanistan, Bhutan and Sri Lanka, while sharply reducing aid to Bangladesh, signalling a selective realignment of regional priorities. According to Budget documents, India’s development assistance to Bhutan has been raised to Rs 2,288.56 crore, reaffirming Thimphu’s […]

Budget 2026 Signals A Clear Outreach To NRIs

Budget 2026 Signals A Clear Outreach To NRIs

• NRI equity investment limit per company doubled to 10%, aggregate cap raised to 24%.• MAT exemption announced for non-residents under presumptive taxation.• TCS on foreign education and medical remittances cut to 2%.• Property sale compliance eased; buyers no longer need a separate TAN. The Union Budget 2026–27 has marked a notable shift in the […]

‘Very Disappointing, No Relief For Ordinary People’: Opposition Slams Union Budget 2026

‘Very Disappointing, No Relief For Ordinary People’: Opposition Slams Union Budget 2026

Opposition parties mounted a sharp attack on the Union Budget 2026 on Sunday, accusing the government of failing to address the concerns of ordinary citizens, farmers, unemployed youth and small businesses, even as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her ninth consecutive Budget in Parliament. Leaders across parties said the Budget lacked concrete relief measures, ignored […]

Myanmar crisis deepens five years after coup, as military ballot entrenches repression

Myanmar crisis deepens five years after coup, as military ballot entrenches repression

The people of Myanmar continue to suffer amid “widespread violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law,” as the cycle of impunity persists, the spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement, on Friday, marking the anniversary. “The suffering of the people of Myanmar has deepened,” Farhan Haq, the UN Deputy […]

Can workers compete with machines and stay relevant in the AI era?

Can workers compete with machines and stay relevant in the AI era?

Whether you are a “doomer” or a “boomer” on the subject, it’s impossible to ignore AI, which is seeping into every corner of our personal and professional lives. The UN has been banging the drum for a “people-first” approach to the subject for years now. UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned the Security Council back in 2024 that the […]

UN chief ‘deeply concerned’ by escalation of violence in South Sudan

The tensions are concentrated in South Sudan’s Jonglei State, where many deaths and injuries have been reported in response to renewed fighting between opposition militia and army forces, leading to the displacement of 180,000 people.  According to news reports, the army launched a major offensive in Jonglei against opposition forces, ordering civilian evacuations on Sunday […]

Violence roiling Nigeria extends beyond religious lines, amid a deepening humanitarian crisis

The strikes thrust Nigeria’s long-running sectarian bloodshed into the global spotlight – and revived claims that a “Christian genocide” is unfolding in Africa’s most populous country. But in an interview, the UN’s top humanitarian official in the country has told UN News that the current crisis extends far beyond any single community or conflict. Violence, […]

South Sudan: ‘All the conditions for a human catastrophe are present’

Briefing journalists based at UN Headquarters in New York on Friday, Anita Kiki Gbeho, Officer in Charge of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), said Jonglei has become a ‘flashpoint’ for fighting, with civilians caught in the crossfire. With over 200,000 people displaced by the conflict this month, the senior official – who also […]

UN watchdog warns Ukraine war remains world’s biggest threat to nuclear safety

UN watchdog warns Ukraine war remains world’s biggest threat to nuclear safety

Addressing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, Director General Rafael Grossi said the agency remains focused on preventing a nuclear accident as fighting continues to endanger critical infrastructure. “The conflict in Ukraine is about to enter its fifth year,” Mr. Grossi said. “It continues to pose the world’s biggest threat to nuclear […]

World News in Brief: Syria ceasefire welcomed, ‘Olympic truce’, Ukraine’s freezing children

“We welcome efforts to bring stability to the region and now hope for a complete end to hostilities and a sustainable resolution,” said Chair of the independent UN Human Rights Council-mandated investigative team, Paulo Pinheiro, stressing the need to address acute humanitarian needs, including food, water and electricity. Recognition of rights He also welcomed a […]