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 […]

In Bahrain; work, dignity and the quiet rise of home-grown enterprise

In Bahrain; work, dignity and the quiet rise of home-grown enterprise

Their experiences underline a broader message: inclusive economic growth depends on opening space for those too often excluded, including people with disabilities, youth and home-based innovators. Entrepreneur by necessity For Shaymaa Saeed, a young Egyptian crochet designer and handicrafts artist with a disability, entrepreneurship was not a lifestyle choice but a necessity. Health challenges prevented […]

UN rights chief decries US treatment of migrants, as deaths in ICE custody rise

In a news release on Friday, High Commissioner Volker Türk said individuals suspected of being undocumented migrants are being surveilled, arrested and detained – sometimes violently – in locations ranging from hospitals and places of worship to courthouses, schools, markets and private homes. The UN rights chief said he was “astounded by the now-routine abuse […]

Asia: Lives upended by cyclones, ‘extreme’ rainfall on the rise, warn UN agencies

World Meteorological Organization (WMO) spokesperson Clare Nullis told reporters in Geneva that Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam are among the countries most affected by what she described as “a combination of monsoon-related rainfall and tropical cyclone activity”. UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his deep sadness over the tragic loss of life across the […]

Record rise in carbon dioxide levels during 2024: UN weather agency

The surge was driven by continued human emissions, more wildfire activity and weakened absorption by land and ocean “sinks” – a development that threatens to create a vicious climate cycle. Tripling since the 1960s The WMO’s latest Greenhouse Gas Bulletin shows that CO₂ growth rates have tripled since the 1960s, accelerating from an annual average […]

Shipping faces ‘stormy seas’ as trade slows and costs rise

Shipping faces ‘stormy seas’ as trade slows and costs rise

After firm expansion last year, seaborne trade volumes are forecast to rise by just 0.5 per cent in 2025, the slowest pace in years, according to the agency’s Review of Maritime Transport 2025, launched in Geneva. The slowdown comes as geopolitical tensions, new trade barriers and climate pressures reshape shipping routes, push up costs and […]

Air pollution is on the rise – but not everywhere, says UN weather agency

Air pollution is on the rise – but not everywhere, says UN weather agency

“Air quality respects no boundaries,” said Lorenzo Labrador, Scientific Officer at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). “The smoke and the pollution that issues from the wildfires in this record-breaking season in the Iberian Peninsula has been detected over Western Europe already [and]…can travel basically throughout the rest of the European continent.” Presenting the latest WMO Air […]

Cooling La Niña could be back, but global temperatures set to rise: WMO

Cooling La Niña could be back, but global temperatures set to rise: WMO

Latest data shared by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) indicates a 55 per cent likelihood that sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific will cool to La Niña levels from September to November. About 90 per cent of the excess heat from global warming is stored in the ocean, making ocean heat content a critical indicator of climate change.  “For October […]

From dough to dough: Bahraini chefs rise with sweet, spicy success

From dough to dough: Bahraini chefs rise with sweet, spicy success

What started as a simple joy of making cookies for family and friends soon blossomed into Brown Sugar, a brand that embodies both her love for desserts and her journey towards independence. “I used to love eating sweets,” Eman Fareed, a mother and retired civil servant, told UN News while baking in her kitchen. “At […]

Gaza: Guterres urges probe into killing of journalists, as child malnutrition deaths rise

Gaza: Guterres urges probe into killing of journalists, as child malnutrition deaths rise

The reporters – five of whom worked for the Al Jazeera media network – were killed in a targeted Israeli strike in Gaza City the previous day.  “These latest killings highlight the extreme risks journalists continue to face when covering the ongoing war,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said during his regular media briefing from New York. […]

Aid blockade deepens Gaza crisis as malnutrition deaths rise, warns UNRWA

Aid blockade deepens Gaza crisis as malnutrition deaths rise, warns UNRWA

“For over 150 days, not a single truck from UNRWA has been permitted to deliver food, medicine or other essentials into Gaza,” the agency said on Friday. “This denial of access is costing lives every single day.” Nearly 100 children dead from malnutrition According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, cited by the UN, at least […]

World News in Brief: Houthi-Israel tensions, Sudan cholera cases rise, deadly attacks in Ukraine

World News in Brief: Houthi-Israel tensions, Sudan cholera cases rise, deadly attacks in Ukraine

These strikes occurred while the UN Mission to support the Hudaydah Agreement – established in 2018 to support the ceasefire between the Government of Yemen and the Houthis – was patrolling at locations to the northern parts of the Port.  The Secretary-General also expressed deep concern about the continuing missile and drone strikes conducted by […]

Global demand for meat and dairy set to rise, but climate and nutrition gaps remain

Global demand for meat and dairy set to rise, but climate and nutrition gaps remain

However, persistent nutritional gaps and mounting environmental pressures reveal a complex path ahead, according to a new study by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) – an influential international policy forum. The Agricultural Outlook 2025-2034, released on Tuesday, projects a six per cent increase in […]

Sudan: Rise in people fleeing to Chad as violence surges

Sudan: Rise in people fleeing to Chad as violence surges

Overall, some 1.2 million Sudanese have found shelter in eastern Chad, mostly after fleeing intensifying violence in their country.  More than 844,000 crossed the border after war broke out in Sudan in April 2023. Prior to this, Chad was hosting roughly 409,000 Sudanese refugees who had fled earlier conflict in Darfur. ‘A crisis of humanity’ […]

Songs of hope rise from Gaza’s ruins

Songs of hope rise from Gaza’s ruins

Among them is Ahmed Abu Amsha, a music teacher who has become something of a humanitarian troubadour. Fleeting moments of joy Living in a worn tent with his family, he refuses to let despair drown out hope. Instead, he teaches music to displaced children, helping them find moments of joy through rhythm and song. Originally […]

Exponential rise in synthetic drug production and trafficking in the Golden Triangle

Exponential rise in synthetic drug production and trafficking in the Golden Triangle

According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the production and trafficking of methamphetamine – an illegal synthetic stimulant – have risen sharply since 2021, particularly in Myanmar’s Shan State. UNODC emphasised that both the scale of production and the flow of trafficking in Shan State have “significantly” increased over the past few […]

Another year, another rise in food insecurity – including famine

Another year, another rise in food insecurity – including famine

It is the first time since 2017 that a famine has been declared anywhere on Earth. In the 20 months since the war between rival militaries erupted, 13 million Sudanese have been forcibly displaced and over 30.4 million are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance, according to UN estimates. The inhabitants of the Zamzam camp, like […]

India Covid cases rise again to 15K today

India Covid cases rise again to 15K today

India on Friday reported marginal rise at 15,754 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, against 12,608 infections on Thursday, with 47 more Covid deaths, taking the nationwide death toll to 5,27,253 so far. The active caseload of the country stands at 1,01,830 cases, accounting for 0.23 per cent of the country’s total positive […]