UN Human Rights Council 62: Sri Lanka Core Group Statement on the High Commissioner’s Annual Report

Thank you Mr President. This statement is by the Sri Lanka Core Group comprising Canada, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and the United Kingdom. High Commissioner, we thank your Office for its continued work on Sri Lanka. We acknowledge government efforts to enable communities to commemorate peacefully, and without disruption, the loss of life at the […]

Continue Reading

UN Human Rights Council 62: UK Statement on the High Commissioner’s Annual Report

Mr President, Thank you, High Commissioner, In Iran, the killing of thousands of Iran’s own people, including the continued execution of protesters, lays bare Iran’s longstanding violent suppression of peaceful dissent. This Council condemned that brutality in January, and we remain steadfast in supporting international accountability efforts. Four years on from your Office’s Xinjiang Assessment, […]

Continue Reading

Teen scientists are tracking plastic pollution across Europe’s rivers

Along a small stream in Spain, groups of teenagers are at work. One hovers around a black tarpaulin covered in wet pieces of plastic. Another stands on a small bridge, fishing with a net. Others sort small pieces of plastic, cigarette butts and various other things they’ve recovered from the stream. What looks like a […]

Continue Reading

UK deepens joint migration efforts and marks Pakistan’s role in brokering US-Iran peace deal on two-day Ministerial visit

Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer uses a visit to Islamabad to thank Pakistan for their leadership in brokering the US-Iran peace deal.   Visit underlines longstanding UK support for stability in the Middle East and for Pakistan’s mediation role.  Minister bolsters joint UK-Pakistan efforts to tackle illegal immigration into the UK with additional funding to target underlying drivers which entice people to […]

Continue Reading

UK clamps down on shady networks supplying Putin’s illegal war with new sanctions package

UK announces 70 new sanctions targeting Russia’s decrepit shadow fleet, military procurement supply chains and illicit finance networks used to circumvent sanctions.   UK ramps up pressure on Russia during G7 Summit following latest abhorrent attacks against Ukraine,  killing innocent civilians and destroying holy sites. The UK has now sanctioned almost 500 individuals, entities and ships under its Russia sanctions regime in 2026 alone, as allied support for Ukraine tops the G7 agenda.   The UK has unleashed a major new sanctions package choking […]

Continue Reading

Triple climate threats affect nearly half the world’s children

About 1.1 billion children now face at least three overlapping climate hazards, threatening their health, education and survival, according to the Children’s Climate Risk Report 2026. “The lives of children continue to be upended by the impact of heatwaves, wildfires, droughts and floods,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Half of the world’s children are […]

Continue Reading

World News in Brief: Risky return home in Lebanon, displacement in Gaza, emergency funding for Somalia

Few concrete details have emerged about the deal to end the conflict that erupted at the end of February, with impacts across the Middle East, Gulf region and beyond. The UN Interim force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported on Monday that it observed a decrease in violence and exchanges of fire in the south, where Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants have been fighting […]

Continue Reading

WHO commends Uganda’s Ebola response, urges vigilance and regional cooperation

The outbreak, confirmed in both the DRC and Uganda in May, is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, for which there is currently no approved vaccine. Health officials say the response is taking place in a challenging environment marked by humanitarian pressures, insecurity and significant cross-border movement.  Uganda has reported 19 confirmed cases and one probable case to date, with […]

Continue Reading

Ukraine: Latest Russian attack kills civilians, damages cultural landmark

The Russian strikes damaged homes, schools and other civilian buildings in Ukraine’s two most populous cities, including the grounds of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a historic monastery that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the country’s most significant religious and cultural landmarks. An art museum in Kharkiv also sustained damage. Night of terror Matthias […]

Continue Reading

WHO and Brazil urge world leaders to finalise Pandemic Agreement to prevent future global health crises

Penned by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the message underscored a shared global responsibility to protect humanity from repeating such devastation seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, which claimed up to 20 million lives and wiped out $13 trillion in global economic output. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, hospitals […]

Continue Reading