Ukraine: Top UN relief official deplores latest deadly strikes in Kharkiv

Ukraine: Top UN relief official deplores latest deadly strikes in Kharkiv

The attacks occurred in the city’s Novobovarskyi district late on Thursday. At least three people were killed and a further 16 injured, according to media reports. The repeated missile strikes caused significant damage to residential buildings.  They also affected rescue workers rushing to the scene. In a statement issued on Friday, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for…

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Global AI summit tackles misinformation and deepfakes with a little ‘bot’ of help

Global AI summit tackles misinformation and deepfakes with a little ‘bot’ of help

The annual AI for Good Summit has been described as the leading UN platform promoting this technology to advance health, climate, gender, inclusive prosperity, sustainable infrastructure, and other global development priorities. Frederic Werner, Head of Strategic Engagement at the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU) underscored the need to develop standards to combat misinformation and deepfakes. “You…

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UN chief strongly condemns DPRK spy satellite launch 

UN official urges DPR Korea to halt missile activities and return to dialogue

At 10:45 PM local time on 27 May, the DPRK, also known as North Korea, conducted what it described as “the launch of reconnaissance satellite Malligyong-1-1 aboard the new-type satellite carrier rocket” from the Sohae Satellite Launching Station. According to the DPRK, the launch failed “due to the air blast of the new-type satellite carrier…

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UN human rights chief sounds alarm over rising violence in Burkina Faso

UN human rights chief sounds alarm over rising violence in Burkina Faso

Allegations of responsibility point to both armed groups and State actors. “While armed groups are presumed responsible for the vast majority of incidents and victims and should be held accountable, I am also deeply disturbed that security and defence forces and their auxiliaries, the Volontaires pour la défense de la patrie, allegedly carried out wanton…

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World News in Brief: Updates on worsening crises in Gaza, South Sudan, DR Congo

World News in Brief: Updates on worsening crises in Gaza, South Sudan, DR Congo

Only three field hospitals are operating in Rafah in southern Gaza, one of which is only functioning partially, and all of these facilities are overwhelmed and undersupplied, OCHA said, with the seven-month-long war severely impacting civilians and the infrastructure they depend on for healthcare. The UN humanitarian aid agency said the Malnutrition Stabilisation Centre in…

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World News in Brief: Hunger grows in Haiti, Gaza aid blocked, World Potato Day

World News in Brief: Hunger grows in Haiti, Gaza aid blocked, World Potato Day

The World Food Programme (WFP) distributed more than 74,000 hot meals to over 15,000 displaced people in the besieged capital, Port-au-Prince, Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, told journalists at UN Headquarters on Thursday, providing an update on the gang-ravaged Caribbean nation. In addition, about 2,400 children received mental health and psychosocial support from…

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AI for Good Summit: Digital and technological divide is no longer acceptable

AI for Good Summit: Digital and technological divide is no longer acceptable

Organised by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the annual forum is the place where humans meet artificial intelligence. It is popular to the extent of being oversubscribed for attendance, with the queue to enter stretched for hundreds of metres, along one of Geneva’s biggest conference centres, and internet bandwidth barely coping with the flood of…

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