Central Africa at a crossroads amid rising tensions and instability
Despite its wealth of natural resources and potential, Central Africa continues to face serious challenges, from political instability to growing humanitarian needs.
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Lack of cooperation from Iran hampers nuclear checks, says atomic energy watchdog
The head of the UN-backed nuclear watchdog has raised fresh concerns over Iran’s failure to fully cooperate with inspections, warning that this is preventing independent verification of its nuclear activities.
Guterres calls for an end to ocean ‘plunder’ as UN summit opens in France
With the Mediterranean glittering in the background, UN Secretary-General António Guterres opened the third United Nations Ocean Conference on Monday, delivering a blunt indictment of humanity’s fractured relationship with the sea.
Drifting architects: Plankton, climate, and the race to understand our changing ocean
They drift unseen, but everything depends on them. Plankton – the ocean’s lifeblood – regulate the climate, feed the seas, and shape life on Earth. Off the French Riviera, scientists are racing to unlock their secrets before the hush of their decline echoes across the planet.
Gaza: Women and girls struggle to manage their periods amid crisis
Whether it’s their first time or a routine part of their life, menstruation has become a nightmare for women and girls in Gaza. The conditions they are forced to endure – displacement, overcrowded shelters, and lack of basic hygiene – have turned a natural biological process into a monthly ordeal.
Stigmatised for being deaf: Zénabou’s Story
In the Central African Republic, disability carries a deep-rooted stigma, and persons with disabilities often find themselves excluded from almost every avenue of life. Zénabou, who is deaf and non-speaking, has suffered from prejudice, but a UN-backed educational programme offers a glimmer of hope.
US decision to sanction ICC judges ‘deeply corrosive’ to justice: UN rights chief
The US Government’s announcement of sanctions against four judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday has been condemned by Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, as “deeply corrosive of good governance and the due administration of justice.”
Green gold beneath the waves: How seaweed – and one man’s obsession – could save the world
As world leaders gear up for the third UN Ocean Conference in Nice, one policy expert is making waves with an ancient marine organism he believes could help feed the planet, clean the air, and transform coastal economies.
Humans can’t survive without a healthy Ocean: UN envoy
The Ocean is in deep crisis. Factors such as acidification, declining fish stocks, rising temperatures and widespread pollution are contributing to a catastrophic decline in biodiversity: over half of marine species are at risk of extinction this century.
World News in Brief: Women’s health in Sudan, childhood wasting, Belarus trade unions, Guatemala child rights violation
As hostilities rage in Sudan, access constraints and devastating funding cuts are isolating rape survivors and pregnant women from essential health services, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency UNFPA said on Thursday.
AIDS still killing one person every minute as funding cuts stall progress
AIDS-related deaths have dropped to their lowest level since 2004, but progress remains precarious, with the disease still claiming one life every minute. The impact of funding cuts is severe, causing widespread disruption to HIV services and threatening hard-won gains.
UN hails new era of cooperation over Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile – but concerns persist
The UN’s top disarmament official has welcomed signs of increased cooperation from Syria’s interim authorities in efforts to eliminate the country’s chemical weapons once and for all, as preparations move forward for a third round of inspections by international experts.