Harrowing stories are emerging from Mosul in Iraq of life under the ISIL terrorist group, four weeks into the campaign to retake the northern city. Some 60,000 people have been displaced so far, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The agency's Joel Millman has travelled close to Mosul. Daniel Johnson asked him what [...]

Australia's human rights record has been "blemished" in recent years by the harsh treatment of migrants and asylum seekers, according to a UN independent expert. Francois CrĂŠpeau, the UN's Special Rapporteur for the human rights of migrants warned that the rights of migrants have been eroded in contravention of international human rights and humanitarian norms. [...]

  "Urgent support" needed to alleviate hunger in north-east Nigeria "Without urgent support" from the international community, food insecurity faced by nearly 5 million people across north-east Nigeria "will only deepen." That's according to the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), who have rolled out what they're calling a rapid response [...]

Investing in training is critical to expand the tech sector in Africa, according to Rwanda's Minister of Youth and ICT (information and communications technologies). Jean Philbert Nsengimana said his government has supported tech entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by providing a "hub" where their ideas can be turned into businesses. Mr Nsengimana has [...]

Libyan women hampered by lack of midwives and gender-based violence Libyan women are suffering from a rise in gender-based violence and a lack of trained midwives, making childbirth more hazardous. That's according to Georges Makram Georgi, from the UN's Population Fund (UNFPA). He said the problems stem from conflict and instability that's plagued the country [...]

If the world is to fight poverty then it must also fight climate change, a top official with the World Bank has said. The Bank's Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa, Hafez Ghanem, made the declaration at the latest UN climate change conference in Morocco, known as COP22. He said two years [...]

Listen to a bulletin of news and features from United Nations Radio, with Jocelyne Sambira and Matthew Wells. Today: We'll hear how Muslim countries are debunking extremist narratives in cyberspace and social media; And … people around the world are being urged to "unplug" and put some time aside for "deep thinking or philosophy";

"Huge positive developments in Somalia" as elections continue There have been "huge positive developments in Somalia" over the past four years despite the ongoing terrorist threat posed by militants of the Al-Shabaab group, according to the head of UN Police in the country. Somalia’s first democratic elections in 47 years are underway as the country [...]

"Cling to signs of hope" in South Sudan It's necessary to "cling to every little sign of hope" in South Sudan as the country continues to suffer civil unrest and insecurity; that's the view of the head of UNMISS, the UN peacekeeping mission there. The country, which gained its independence in 2011 has suffered from [...]

In a world experiencing an overload of information, people need to practice deep thinking or philosophy, according to a representative from the UN's educational, scientific and cultural organisation- UNESCO. To commemorate World Philosophy Day which takes place annually on the 17th of November, the agency will host a twelve hour nocturnal event called "A Night [...]