News headlines
Strait of Hormuz de-escalation is urgent, says UN chief
- UN News

As the Strait of Hormuz crisis deepens and tensions between Iran and the United States remain unresolved, oil prices rose again early Monday, prompting the UN Secretary-General to call for a peaceful resolution and warn of the widening fallout across Africa and beyond.
Passengers leave hantavirus-hit cruise ship in Tenerife as WHO says outbreak ‘not another COVID’
- UN News

Passengers and crew from the cruise ship MV Hondius began disembarking in Tenerife on Sunday under a tightly coordinated international health operation led by Spanish authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO), as officials sought to reassure the public that the outbreak “is not another COVID.”
First Person: Surviving death row in Thailand
- UN News

A Thai woman who spent more than 20 years in prison after being found guilty of drugs trafficking – including eight on death row – has told the UN how learning to sew helped her find meaning in life behind bars, and a job when she was released.
WHO chief heads to Tenerife to oversee Sunday arrival of hantavirus-hit ship
- UN News

The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has issued a direct plea for calm and solidarity to the citizens of Tenerife ahead of the scheduled arrival of the MV Hondius on Sunday
Nuclear energy in the Middle East: A realistic choice or a risk?
- UN News

As global electricity demand grows, so does the popularity of nuclear energy. In the Middle East, several countries are evaluating or advancing nuclear power projects, balancing weighty issues such as regional security, climatic conditions and international cooperation.
Hungary’s Long Road Back
- Inter Press Service

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, May 8 (IPS) - When Péter Magyar took the stage in Budapest on the night of 12 April, he told the crowd they had ‘liberated Hungary’. The hyperbole seemed justified. His party, Tisza, had won a parliamentary supermajority on the highest turnout since Hungary’s first free election in 1990, ending 16 years of increasingly autocratic rule.
Before the Flood, Jannat Carried Books. After the Flood, She Carried Dirty Dishes
- Inter Press Service

SYLHET, Bangladesh, May 8 (IPS) - When catastrophic floods swept through the Haor wetlands of Sunamganj in 2022, they destroyed far more than homes and crops. They shattered childhoods.
Gaza’s Deepening Health Crisis Leaves Hospitals Overwhelmed
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, May 8 (IPS) - Despite the implementation of a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel last October, Israeli forces continue to launch airstrikes into the Occupied Palestinian Territory. This has resulted in extensive destruction of infrastructure, loss of human life and exacerbating immense health needs amid an increasingly strained health system in Gaza.
Nuclear ‘Close-Calls’ Prove Deterrence No Guarantee for Peace
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, May 8 (IPS) - The consequences of nuclear warfare would transcend borders and the impact would be felt across generations. Yet knowing this, member states, including nuclear-armed states, are increasingly flouting the nuclear taboo, while also relying heavily on deterrence to prevent fallout.
Empowering Youth Is the Fastest Path to Transforming Least Developed Countries
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, May 8 (IPS) - The future of the world’s least developed countries (LDCs) will be shaped by a critical choice they make today- strategic investment in their youth. Rich in human potential, the young people in LDCs embody ingenuity, resilience and ambition. With the right opportunities, they can transform challenges into opportunities and put their countries strongly on track to sustainable development.

