Atomic watchdog says Iran not complying with nuclear safeguards

Atomic watchdog says Iran not complying with nuclear safeguards

The development follows serious warnings from the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) earlier this week that inspectors have been unable to determine whether Iran’s nuclear programme was “exclusively peaceful” – as per the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal from which the United States subsequently withdrew. A fresh round of negotiations between Washington and […]

Famine stalks two counties in South Sudan as fragile peace is threatened

Famine stalks two counties in South Sudan as fragile peace is threatened

The warning comes amidst increased violence and a worsening food security condition which has 11 out of 13 counties in the state facing emergency levels of hunger and 32,000 of these inhabitants facing catastrophic level hunger conditions, almost three times previous estimates. “We are seeing the devastating impact conflict has on food security in South […]

Global push to end plastic pollution gains ground in Nice

Global push to end plastic pollution gains ground in Nice

Away from the cameras and fanfare of the Third UN Ocean Conference under way in the coastal French city, they voiced a shared determination to finalize this year a global treaty that could, for the first time, regulate plastics across their entire life cycle. “There is renewed commitment to conclude the treaty in August,” Jyoti […]

Decades of memories and loss – searching for the missing in Syria

Decades of memories and loss – searching for the missing in Syria

The Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic (IIMP) is the first entity of its kind established by the UN General Assembly in June 2023. It is dedicated to determining the fate and whereabouts of all missing persons in Syria and supporting survivors and families of the missing. Here are five key […]

GAZA LIVE: UN General Assembly to vote on resolution demanding immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire

GAZA LIVE: UN General Assembly to vote on resolution demanding immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire

The General Assembly meets at 3pm in New York on Thursday in emergency session following the Security Council’s failure to adopt a resolution on 4 June calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, which was vetoed by permanent member the United States. As starvation looms across the Strip, mass casualties continue to be […]

Displacement doubles while funding shrinks, warns UNHCR

Displacement doubles while funding shrinks, warns UNHCR

In December last year, the overthrow of the Assad regime by opposition forces reignited hope that most Syrians could see home again soon. As of May, 500,000 refugees and 1.2 million internally displaced people (IDPs) returned to their areas of origin. But that’s not the only reason Syria is no longer the largest displacement crisis […]

Gang violence displaces a record 1.3 million Haitians

Gang violence displaces a record 1.3 million Haitians

This represents a 24 per cent increase from December 2024 according to the UN agency, which also noted that this increase has produced the largest number of people displaced by violence on record there. “Behind these numbers are so many individual people whose suffering is immeasurable; children, mothers, the elderly, many of them forced to […]

Ongoing Russian strikes continue alarming civilian casualty trend

Ongoing Russian strikes continue alarming civilian casualty trend

The toll includes 1,389 casualties in April (221 killed, 1,168 injured) – the highest monthly total so far this year – followed by 1,019 in May (183 killed, 836 injured). Casualties were reported across 17 out of 24 regions and the city of Kyiv, including areas far from the frontline. The vast majority of attacks […]

Climate emergency is a health crisis ‘that is already killing us,’ says WHO

Climate emergency is a health crisis ‘that is already killing us,’ says WHO

Europe is warming faster than any other WHO region, and the impact on people’s health is growing more severe. From rising death rates to increasing climate-related anxiety, nearly every health indicator linked to climate has worsened in recent years.  In response, WHO/Europe on Wednesday launched a new initiative – the Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health (PECCH) […]

‘Plenty of fish in the sea’? Not anymore, say UN experts in Nice

‘Plenty of fish in the sea’? Not anymore, say UN experts in Nice

As yachts bobbed gently and delegates streamed by in a rising tide of lanyards and iPads at Port Lympia, Nice’s historic harbor, that statistic sent a ripple through the summit’s third day – a stark reminder that the world’s oceans are under growing pressure from overfishing, climate change, and unsustainable management. Presented dockside at a […]

The world pledged to end child labour by 2025: So why are 138 million kids still working?

The world pledged to end child labour by 2025: So why are 138 million kids still working?

There are 10,000 children in Madagascar who, like Tenasoa, work in the largely unregulated mica industry. The silicate is used in paints, car parts, and cosmetics – to add a “shimmer” effect.  Alongside parents and grandparents, these children toil in dangerous conditions, inhaling harmful dust particles and entering structurally unsound tunnels. Many of them have […]

At least eight drown in Red Sea as smugglers force migrants overboard

At least eight drown in Red Sea as smugglers force migrants overboard

At least eight people are feared dead and 22 others are missing after smugglers stopped a boat carrying around 150 passengers likely bound for Yemen on 5 June. “These young people were forced into impossible choices by smugglers who show no regard for human life,” said Celestine Frantz, the UN migration agency’s Regional Director for […]

World News in Brief: Global growth slows, deadly Ukraine attacks, Haiti hurricane hunger risk, legal migration for refugees

World News in Brief: Global growth slows, deadly Ukraine attacks, Haiti hurricane hunger risk, legal migration for refugees

Growth is projected to weaken to 2.3 per cent, or nearly half a percentage point lower than expected at the start of the year, according to the Global Economic Prospects report. “The global outlook is predicated on tariff rates close to those of late May prevailing,” it said. “Accordingly, pauses to previously announced tariff hikes […]

Myanmar on the ‘path to self-destruction’ if violence does not end

Myanmar on the ‘path to self-destruction’ if violence does not end

Since then, “there has been no end to the violence, even though thousands have been killed and thousands more injured,” said UN Special Envoy to Myanmar, Julie Bishop, on Tuesday, briefing the General Assembly. “I have stressed consistently that without a ceasefire, a de-escalation of violence and a focus on the needs of the people, […]

Global action needed as progress stalls on disability-inclusive development goals

Global action needed as progress stalls on disability-inclusive development goals

“The message is stark: persons with disabilities face higher poverty, greater unemployment, deeper food and health insecurity and more limited access to education, jobs, and digital technologies,” said Amina Mohammed. But action is underway. The 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COSP18) will […]

UN committed to supporting ‘free, fair and transparent election with the participation of all Iraqis’

UN committed to supporting ‘free, fair and transparent election with the participation of all Iraqis’

“Iraq is a nation of profound history, strength, potential, and pride. By working together, Iraqis can continue to make meaningful strides towards stability, prosperity and human rights for all,” said Special Representative Mohamed Al Hassan, who also heads the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). He provided updates on political, human rights and other developments […]

Israeli attacks on Gaza schools could be crimes against humanity: UN probe

Israeli attacks on Gaza schools could be crimes against humanity: UN probe

The UN Human Rights Council-mandated Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI) report found that Israeli forces have used airstrikes, shelling, burning, and controlled demolitions to damage or destroy more than 90 per cent of schools and university buildings across Gaza. This destruction in the wake of the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel […]

The battle to quiet the sea: Can the shipping industry turn down the volume?

The battle to quiet the sea: Can the shipping industry turn down the volume?

As global trade surges, so does the underwater noise generated by commercial shipping. From the Arctic to the Great Barrier Reef, scientists have documented how this constant mechanical hum can disorient whales, disrupt migration routes, and drown out the acoustic cues that many marine species rely on to survive. As the issue intensifies, the United […]