As anti-government demonstrations continue across Iran, the UN human rights chief said on Tuesday that he was horrified at the mounting violence directed by security forces against protestors, with reports of hundreds killed and thousands arrested. 

13 January 2026

Amid ongoing and intensifying Russian attacks across Ukraine, the UN on Tuesday launched a $2.3 billion humanitarian appeal for 2026 to support 4.1 million of the country’s most vulnerable people.

13 January 2026

Airstrikes, drone attacks and hypothermia continue in Gaza despite the ceasefire, with more than 100 youngsters killed since early October, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.

13 January 2026

Beverages like sugary drinks and alcohol are too accessible and cost too little in most of the world – helping fuel obesity, diabetes, cancer and injury, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday.

13 January 2026

Top finance experts are meeting at UN Geneva this week to push for a radical shake up in the way economic growth is gauged, in response to concerns that GDP measurements provide little insight about progress on key sustainability targets that are vital to our survival.

12 January 2026

The head of the UN’s emergency food agency has urged world leaders on Monday to end “man-made famines” and conflicts that “drive hunger and desperation”. 

12 January 2026

The UN Security Council is meeting in emergency session in New York over Russia’s ongoing deadly missile and drone strikes targeting Ukrainian civilians and energy infrastructure, as frigid winter conditions grip the war-torn country. Millions have been deprived of electricity, heating and water. The UN Secretary-General has called the stepped up attacks an unacceptable violation of international humanitarian law. Follow live below and find all our in-depth meetings coverage here. UN News app users can go here.

12 January 2026

More than 100 political prisoners have been released in Venezuela, the Government announced on Monday, just over a week after the seizure and rendition of President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas by the United States.

12 January 2026

Public hearings opened on Monday at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in a landmark case brought by the Gambia against Myanmar, alleging violations of the Genocide Convention over the military’s treatment of the Rohingya minority.

12 January 2026

The humanitarian crisis across the Gaza Strip remains extremely serious, with harsh winter weather threatening to reverse recent gains in aid delivery, the United Nations said on Monday.

12 January 2026