A new strain of fungus is threatening one of the world's most favourite fruits. The warning comes from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) which is working with partners to protect the world's banana crops from the disease, known as Fusarium Wilt TR4, which can last for years in the soil. Dianne Penn spoke [...]

Listen to our daily bulletin of news and features from the United Nations, presented by Matt Wells and Dianne Penn. In today's programme: The UN food agency FAO and its partners battle a new banana disease strain; and: Diplomats help build buzz over World Bee Day  

Urgent investment is needed in order to reduce violence against children in line with the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. That's according to Marta Santos Pais, the UN Special Representative on Violence against Children. She says that although some progress has been made, the "clock is ticking" and if more action is not taken "we won't [...]

UN chief heads for CAR "to strengthen international support for peace" Against a backdrop of growing violence and communal tension, the UN chief announced on Wednesday that he's heading to the Central African Republic "to strengthen international support for peace". António Guterres told reporters at UN Headquarters that he will fly early next week and [...]

There's never been a time when the pollinating power of the lowly honey bee has been more important to the planet than now. That's the view of some diplomats at UN Headquarters in New York who are making the case for giving bees their own official international day. Ambassador Darja Bavdaz Kuret of Slovenia, argues [...]

Cricket is helping Caribbean children to forget the horrors of Hurricane Irma. The Category 5 storm, which hit in early September, decimated the tiny island of Barbuda, forcing families to seek shelter on the sister island of Antigua. There, the Ministry of Education and the West Indies Cricket Board recently organized a match bringing together [...]

UNHCR concerned about stranded Rohingya refugees The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is urging authorities in Bangladesh to admit thousands of Rohingya refugees stranded near the border with Myanmar. It's estimated that up to 15,000 are squatting in paddy fields after having entered the country through a crossing point in the south-east on Sunday and Monday. [...]

The South Sudanese people have been "held hostage" to "personality politics" for long enough and accountable institutions must be allowed to take over. That's the stark message from UN Peacekeeping chief, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, briefing the Security Council on Tuesday. He said that the Regional Protection Force, or RPF, which was mandated more than a year [...]

Listen to our daily bulletin of news and features from the United Nations, presented by Matt Wells and Ana Carmo. In today’s programme:ย� A new report on world population trends reveals the surprising link between unplanned pregnancy and local economic decline. We'll be hearing from the UN Population Fund; and: South Sudan's era of destructive [...]

Economics is just the tip of "the inequality iceberg." That's one of the conclusions being stressed by Richard Kollodge, Senior Editorial Adviser at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), following the release of the agency's 2017 report on the state of the world's population. Mr Kollodge told UN News that the report details the link [...]