News headlines
Women’s representation in parliament sees sluggish gains
- UN News

Women held 27.5 per cent of parliamentary seats worldwide as the year began –a 0.3 per cent increase from 2025, marking the slowest growth in nearly a decade, according to a new report from the UN-backed Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
On day seven of Middle East war, no let-up in suffering
- UN News

The escalating war in the Middle East has heightened growing concerns about further civilian suffering and displacement in the region and far beyond, UN agencies said on Friday.
MIDDLE EAST LIVE 6 March: Conflict spreading ‘like wildfire’, UN rights chief warns
- UN News

Violence across the Middle East is continuing as military strikes and counter-strikes are reported in several countries across the region, raising fears of wider instability and worsening humanitarian conditions. UN agencies warn the crisis is affecting at least 16 countries, with civilian casualties, displacement and damage to vital infrastructure increasing. Follow our live coverage for updates and reaction from across the United Nations system. UN News app users can follow here.
Caribbean Civil Society Gathered in Jamaica to Strengthen Resilience Amid Global Shifts
- Inter Press Service

KINGSTON, Jamaica , March 5 (IPS) - Civil society groups from across the Caribbean met in Jamaica in February 2026 for a landmark regional conference, with development leaders urging stronger governance, digital readiness and deeper partnerships to adapt to a shifting and increasingly complex geopolitical landscape.
International Women’s Day 2026: No Country in the World has Reached Full Legal Equality for Women and Girls
- Inter Press Service

NEW YORK, March 5 (IPS) - On 8 March 2026, International Women’s Day, UN Women issues a global alert: justice systems meant to uphold rights and the rule of law are failing women and girls everywhere. Women globally hold just 64 per cent of the legal rights of men, exposing them to discrimination, violence, and exclusion at every stage of their lives.
World News In Brief: Sudan conflict intensifies, Global inequality deepening, HIV success amid new medicine, increase in ‘Domicide’ worldwide
- UN News

There has been an alarming escalation of violence in the Kordofan region where fighting has killed and injured civilians, destroyed homes, hospitals and other civilian infrastructure.
UN calls for fair play in the global race for critical minerals
- UN News

Critical minerals such as lithium and cobalt are central to the transition to a zero-carbon economy. As the Security Council meets on Thursday to discuss “energy, critical minerals and security,” here is some of the work the UN is doing to ensure that the transition is just and equitable.
MIDDLE EAST LIVE: Further escalation drives uncertainty and suffering
- UN News

On day six of the war in the Middle East, there's been no let-up in bombs, drones and rockets targeting Iran, Israel, Lebanon and many Gulf States, while NATO forces reportedly intercepted a missile fired at Türkiye by Iran, a claim denied by Tehran. We'll bring you the latest from the United Nations and our partners at headquarters and in the field. UN News app users can follow the coverage here.
International Women’s Day, 2026
- Inter Press Service

Women and girls have never been closer to equality. And never closer to losing it.
Sudan: World’s Worst Humanitarian Crisis
- Inter Press Service

BENGALURU, India, March 4 (IPS) - The ordinary sounds of Nahid Ali’s home in Khartoum were completely drowned out by the sound of war which began on April 15 2023. Her baby was just 21 days old. The morning started as any typical day for a mother who had just given birth to her baby and needed to nurse her newborn while she took care of her other children. The gunfire began to erupt. The fighting began when two groups started to battle each other in the streets. The fighting which began in her area developed into a destructive countrywide war in Sudan which spread to her street within moments.

