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Deadly quake strikes Philippines on first day of school year

A powerful earthquake struck the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Monday morning just as millions of children were returning to school after the summer break. At least 19 people were killed,…

Security Council LIVE: UN officials warn humanitarian toll in Ukraine is worsening

The Security Council met on Monday amid a sharp escalation in hostilities across Ukraine, where UN officials warned that the war has reached its deadliest point since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Briefing members, Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for political affairs, said recent…

Countries urged to ‘go further, faster’ and deliver on climate commitments

The United Nations climate chief called on Monday for countries to step up action to implement existing commitments, warning that fossil fuel dependency is deepening economic instability and exposing vulnerable communities to worsening climate impacts.…

Children are dying as US sanctions push Cuba to the brink, warns UN human rights chief

Children are dying because doctors cannot access essential medicines, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said in a stark warning on Monday, calling for the immediate lifting of United States sanctions against the Caribbean nation that were causing “widespread harm…

Afghanistan faces ‘lost generation of talent and potential,’ Security Council hears

As the Security Council met on Afghanistan, senior officials and civil society representatives delivered a clear warning Monday: despite relative security under the Taliban, worsening humanitarian conditions, restrictions on women and growing economic pressures are creating a fragile and uncertain…

More than half of staff who died in service worked in Gaza, UN chief says at memorial

From peacekeepers to math teachers, 136 UN personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2025 were commemorated on Monday morning in an annual service hosted by the Secretary-General. “These…

Why sustainable alternatives to plastic are struggling to compete

Plastic pollution is choking the ocean, but sustainable alternatives - including seaweed - remain held back by tariffs, fragmented regulations and the overwhelming market advantage enjoyed by fossil fuel-based plastics.…

‘Rare, untreatable strain’: Ebola toll mounts in eastern DR Congo

The top UN aid official in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is in Ituri province – the epicentre of the country's Ebola outbreak – for a three-day assessment visit, as the confirmed case count reaches 515 across three eastern provinces…

From firefights to football matches: Life on a UN peacekeeping frontline

Night has fallen over the town of Zémio, in the east of the Central African Republic. In a few hours, the December 2025 presidential election is due to take place, but the rebels of the “Azande Ani Kpi Gbe” (AAKG) militia have launched an offensive to seize the city and derail the polls…

Humanity’s future depends on protecting the rapidly changing ocean

The ocean covers more than 70 per cent of the planet and regulates climate, sustains biodiversity, and supports economies and cultures worldwide. It’s the foundation of life on Earth. However, it has…