UN - Top Stories

1. Myanmar begins defence in landmark genocide case at UN World Court

   Myanmar on Friday rejected allegations of genocide against the Rohingya minority, telling the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that the Gambia’s case rests on “unsubstantiated allegations,” as public hearings continued in a landmark case on the application of the Genocide Convention.

2. World News in Brief: Gaza education update, the General Assembly at 80, Venezuela’s humanitarian needs

   More children in war-ravaged Gaza are now back in the classroom, the UN aid coordination office (OCHA) said on Friday. 

3. Peacekeeping: Lacroix warns of rising threats to ‘blue helmets’ in Middle East

   Peacekeeping operations in the Middle East are facing mounting security risks, funding pressures and political uncertainty, the head of UN peacekeeping warned on Friday.

4. Amid Sudan’s humanitarian crisis, Chad shows ‘act of solidarity’

   In war-torn Sudan, local communities say they don’t have enough settlements for the internally displaced, few solutions for women who have suffered sexual violence – and there’s a lack of aid available for people with disabilities.

5. Aid cuts push millions in West and Central Africa deeper into hunger

    A staggering 55 million people across West and Central Africa are expected to suffer crisis levels of hunger, or worse, during the lean season from June to August as funding cuts to humanitarian operations continue amid rising violence and displacement.