Shipping is crucial to the global economy, with more than 100,000 vessels a day transporting some 80 per cent of world commerce, but it remains vulnerable to disruptions caused by geopolitical tensions and transnational crime.

More than half the world’s population is under 30, and young people are leading grassroots efforts on issues from climate action to equality. Marking International Youth Day on Tuesday, the UN is highlighting the power of youth to transform their communities – and the wider world.

In 2021, an Afghan woman could have run for president – although none did. Spool forward to 2025, they can’t even speak in public. There is an edict from the Taliban which labels public speaking by women a moral violation.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, UN officials warned on Monday, describing overflowing hospitals, critically malnourished children, and desperate civilians risking their lives to secure food for their families.

The UN Security Council has expressed alarm at the sharp escalation of violence in Syria’s Sweida region since mid-July, condemning attacks against civilians and calling for urgent protection and humanitarian access.

It’s essential to work towards a two-State solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict as the international community addresses the reality of starvation on the ground in Gaza, the Security Council heard on Sunday.

The UN Security Council met Sunday morning in New York following the Israeli cabinet’s decision to again expand its military operation inside the Gaza Strip and take full control of the key population centre of Gaza City. UN chief António Guterres described it earlier as a “dangerous escalation” for the two million civilians trapped in the enclave as well as the remaining Israeli hostages still held captive. Follow our Meetings Coverage Section’s live reporting of the crisis meeting and UN News app users can follow here.

For years, low-quality seeds have been a concern in Haiti, with continual climate shocks and political insecurity adding to the existing challenges that farmers face in their attempts to grow food.

The UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) has warned that the Gaza Strip faces a “catastrophic” humanitarian crisis, with no agency aid allowed in for more than five months and malnutrition deaths climbing sharply.

Climate change has worsened monsoon flooding in Bangladesh, putting women of child-bearing age at risk – but the UN reproductive health agency (UNFPA) is helping them prepare.