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Global perspective Human stories

DR Congo hunger crisis worsening amid fighting and lack of aid funding

The crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to worsen amid ongoing fighting that has driven tens of thousands of people from their homes and created acute hunger, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday.

7 November 2025

World News in Brief: Russian rights abuses in Ukraine, US a no-show for rights review, Orlando Blooms highlights Rohingya plight

Independent UN human rights investigators have heard first-hand accounts of torture, unlawful detention and the forced transfer of civilians during their first visit to Ukraine in more than a year.

7 November 2025

‘Worrying reports’ continue of abductions and disappearances in Syria

Nearly 100 people in Syria have been abducted or forcibly disappeared since January, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday, calling for greater accountability from the authorities.

7 November 2025

In Brazil, Guterres calls for ‘fair, fast and final’ shift to clean energy

UN Secretary-General António Guterres is continuing his campaign to accelerate the global switch from fossil fuels to clean energy – “the cheapest source of new electricity in nearly every country.” 

7 November 2025

Afghanistan: Opium cultivation drops sharply, but regional trafficking rises

Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan has fallen by 20 per cent compared to last year, continuing a dramatic decline since the introduction of a nationwide ban under the Taliban in 2022 – but synthetic drugs and shifting trafficking routes are posing new challenges.

6 November 2025

UN chief urges world leaders to drive down global warming

As world leaders gather in Brazil for the COP30 climate summit, UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday called for urgent action to drive down global temperatures and keep the 1.5°C goal within reach.

6 November 2025

New Brazil-led fund aims to put forest protection at the heart of climate action

Tropical forests, vital allies in the fight against climate breakdown, are vanishing at an alarming rate. On Thursday, in a bid to help reverse this trend, Brazil launched a new initiative at a summit of world leaders in Belém, the gateway to the Amazon.

6 November 2025

Battlefields to wastelands: UN warns conflicts are destroying ecosystems worldwide

From Gaza to Ukraine and beyond, conflict has caused widespread death and destruction, but it has also devastated natural resources such as water systems, farmland and forests. 

6 November 2025

Israel has rejected over 100 aid requests since Gaza ceasefire, UN says

The United Nations said on Thursday that Israeli authorities have rejected more than 100 requests to bring relief materials into Gaza since the ceasefire began nearly a month ago.

6 November 2025

Genocide prevention expert raises alarm over alleged Sudan atrocity crimes

The UN Special Adviser on genocide prevention has raised concerns over widespread allegations of war crimes committed in Sudan’s El Fasher last month, and plans to meet his African Union counterpart on Friday to discuss a coordinated response. 

6 November 2025