World News in Brief: Call for action against child labour, ICC Prosecutor suspended, WFP raises awareness in Egypt

Today, nearly 138 million children remain trapped in child labor globally, including 54 million engaged in hazardous work that threatens their health, safety and development. “This is unacceptable – we must accelerate action,” said Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General of the International Labor Organization, ILOin a video message. He called for renewed global commitment through expanded … Read more

World News in Brief: Turk condemns Northern Ireland riots, jobs at risk over animal disease spread, heatwaves spark public health crisis in Europe

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed alarm on Thursday over the rioting and destruction in Northern Ireland resulting from the attack which went viral on social media – and the release of police bodycam footage linked to the murder of a student in Southampton by a British-born Sikh. Offering sympathy to victims … Read more

Hate speech spreading ‘faster than ever’, warns UN chief as global action plan is revealed

Mr. Guterres was speaking at UN Headquarters in New York at the launch of the Muscat Plan of Action – an initiative that highlights the role of traditional and Indigenous leaders in promoting peace and strengthening social cohesion. Hate speech “divides communities, dehumanizes entire groups, and sets the stage for bloodshed,” he said. “It is … Read more

Refugee numbers drop for first time in a decade, but millions remain trapped

imhrc‘s flagship Global Trends Report, launched in Geneva by High Commissioner Barham Salih, showed that global refugee numbers fell by three percent in 2025 to 41.6 million. Some 5.4 million people fled to other countries to escape violence and persecution during the year. Heading home Returns also gathered pace: 14.7 million displaced people went back … Read more

UN rights chief urges ‘massive rethink’ of US immigration policies ahead of World Cup

Volker Turkthe UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, told journalists on Wednesday that if such issues were not addressed, they risked casting a shadow over the tournament, which opens on Thursday across the United States, Canada and Mexico. “Mega sporting events are meant to be events where the world comes together in unity and in … Read more

Marking historic progress on rights for persons with disabilities, UN conference tackles critical gaps

“The world benefits when everyone has the chance to use their skills in the service of humanity and to pursue their dreams.,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the opening session held in the iconic General Assembly Hall. “Your discussions today are a vital next step towards a world where all of us are respected and … Read more