News headlines in 2026, page 29

GENEVA, February 23 (IPS) - A report published today by the UN Human Rights Office graphically details the lived experiences of some of the hundreds of thousands of people trafficked from dozens of countries around the world into working in entrenched scam operations mostly in Southeast Asia, as well as far beyond.

ROME & NEW DELHI, February 23 (IPS) - Governments meeting in Rome last week acknowledged that global efforts to protect nature are still not moving fast enough, even as biodiversity loss continues to affect ecosystems, livelihoods, and economies worldwide.

Judges at the UN-backed International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday opened a confirmation of charges hearing for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to send him to trial on alleged crimes against humanity linked to killings during the country’s so-called “war on drugs”.

Renewed fighting in South Sudan’s Jonglei state has displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians in recent weeks, damaged health facilities, fuelled the spread of cholera and prompting the UN relief chief to warn of a “perfect storm” of conflict, climate shocks and deprivation.

Although fighting had been raging in the east of Ukraine since Russia's invasion of Crimea in 2014, most in the country did not believe all-out war would occur. With the full-scale invasion now reaching the four-year mark, many Ukrainians cannot believe it has gone on for so long, with no end in sight.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has received credible reports of civilian casualties following airstrikes carried out by Pakistan inside Afghanistan late on 21 February and into the early hours of the next day.

Reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine will cost almost $588 billion over the next decade, or nearly three times the estimated GDP in 2025, as housing, energy and other critical sectors continue to come under fire from Russian forces.

In Geneva, delegates from more than 120 countries gathered on Monday to mark 20 years of the UN Human Rights Council and a shared commitment to international law, amid runaway global instability, wars and resurgent conflict.

A 16-year-old Haitian boy has been talking about how he was lured into working for a criminal gang but then threatened with death when he said he would not fight against the police.

UNITED NATIONS, February 20 (IPS) - A new UN report warns of the “brutal and normalized reality” for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Libya as they face exploitation and human rights violations.