WORLD NEWS

At the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) meeting under way in Riyadh, a Youth Forum took place on Monday featuring, among others, young women from the South Caucasus. They are reframing what reconciliation can look like, not through grand negotiations but through conversations in courtyards, late‑night virtual sessions, and the kind of cross‑border friendships many…

Current estimates place the total damage and loss between $8 billion and $15 billion – nearly a quarter of Jamaica’s gross domestic product (GDP), said Dennis Zulu, UN Resident Coordinator for Jamaica, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos. The hurricane affected more than 626,000 people and claimed 45 lives, underscoring its…

The UN agency has revealed shocking figures related to attacks on healthcare facilities in Sudan, stressing that the country is recording the largest percentage of global deaths linked to the targeting of the health sector, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. In a conversation with Abdelmonem Makki from UN News, Shible Sahbani, WHO Representative…

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned that the military-controlled ballot is unfolding amid intensified violence, intimidation and arbitrary arrests, leaving no space for free or meaningful participation. “These elections are clearly taking place in an environment of violence and repression,” Mr. Türk said in a news release. “There are no conditions for…

Captagon, a highly addictive stimulant, has been circulating illegally from the Middle East to Africa and back with 80 per cent of seizures since 2019 indicating Syria as the country of origin, according to the Office. But one year post-regime change in the country, the large-scale manufacturing of the synthetic drug has been disrupted, according…

“Despite intensified diplomatic efforts during the second half of 2025, there was no agreement on the way forward regarding the Iran nuclear programme,” concluded the UN’s chief diplomat, Rosemary DiCarlo.  Ms. DiCarlo – the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs – reminded the Council that the best option for the international community is a…

The cyclone made landfall on the island’s eastern coast on 28 November, triggering widespread flooding and deadly landslides across all 25 districts. While some displaced families have begun returning home, recent heavy rains caused fresh flooding, landslides and road closures, particularly in the central districts of Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Polonnaruwa. According to UN assessments,…

Several civilians were killed and nearly 30 injured, including children, according to local authorities. Homes in seven regions, as well as the capital Kyiv, were damaged. The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) noted “tragic reports” of one child killed and three injured in Kyiv, Vyshhorod and Zhytomyr. “Children facing another difficult, terrifying winter: Young lives threatened….

Ahead of the 28 December polls, Secretary-General António Guterres called on all Central Africans to participate peacefully in the vote and urged authorities to ensure that the elections are conducted in a “peaceful, orderly, inclusive and credible manner,” according to a statement issued on Wednesday by his spokesperson. He also appealed to all political actors…

On Thursday, the UN and Iraq signed a new agreement, the Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2025 to 2029, to assist the country in making progress on its national goals, which are also reflected in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by Member States in 2015.  The agreement comes ahead of the closure of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), which has…