Ukraine: Attacks continued to intensify - Briefing | United Nations

Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari told the Security Council that “five years in, the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues to test international law, drive deepening divisions, and undermine the broader rules-based multilateral order.” Khiari said Russian attacks “continued to intensify,” during the reporting period “with mounting civilian casualties and devastation across Ukraine.” He noted that on 9th of April, “following Ukraine's earlier proposal of an Easter ceasefire, the Russian Federation announced a 32-hour Easter truce from 11 to 12 April,” adding that Ukraine “responded that it would reciprocate.” However, Khiari said, “this temporary pause in fighting that could have allowed a peaceful celebration of Orthodox Easter was not respected.” On the night from 15 to 16 April, he continued, “the Russian Federation lunched its deadliest attack so far this year, targeting Odessa, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Sumy and Kharkiv regions.” In the city of Odessa and Dnipro, the official said, “residential buildings were hit, reportedly killing at least nine and five people, respectively. In total, across the country, at least 20 people, including at least one child, were reportedly killed and dozens more injured by this attack.” Beyond the immediate conflict zone, Khiari said, “the war has heightened regional tensions and insecurity, with drones reportedly sighted this month in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland.” He said, “we must remain steadfast in our commitment to ending this war, guided by the principle and obligations set out in the United Nations Charter.”


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25th UN Forum on Indigenous Issues Opens

The 25th UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) has opened in New York, running from April 20 to May 1, 2026, with a focus on 'Ensuring Indigenous Peoples' health, including in the context of conflict'. Reappointed Chair Aluki Kotierk emphasized that environmental degradation and exclusion from decision-making profoundly impact Indigenous well-being. Addressing the opening, Secretary-General António Guterres underscored that this two-week session is essential for upholding rights and protecting Indigenous communities.


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Young People as Drivers of Gender Equality - SDG Media Zone | United Nations

Achieving gender equality is foundational to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, and underscore that youth are not just future leaders, but current architects of a more inclusive global society. As the world faces pushback on women’s rights, this session will highlight how young advocates and activists are using digital innovation and grassroots organizing to dismantle gender-based violence and economic inequality. Moderator Aishworya Shrestha, Young Leader for SDGs, UN Youth Office SPEAKERS Hanna Mulugeta Melaku, Youth Reference Group Yasmine Aburaya, Founder of Your Voice Initiative and Youth Leader in Gender Equality and Civic Engagement


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S13 E08: Iran, The Pope & Prediction Markets: 4/19/26: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

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This episode features: S13 E08: Iran, The Pope & Prediction Markets: 4/19/26: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

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The suspected shooter in this mornings mass tragedy has been identified as Shamar Elkins

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Eight children are deceased after a shooting on W. 79th Street in Shreveport Louisiana

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Shaping Africa’s Climate Future - SDG Media Zone | United Nations

Africa is on the frontlines of the climate crisis, warming faster than the global average and facing disproportionate climate impacts despite contributing the least to global greenhouse gas emissions. This is particularly evident in the growing pressures that climate change is placing on water resources and systems across the continent. As water underpins agriculture, livelihoods, ecosystems, and energy production, water-related climate impacts are deepening inequalities and threatening sustainable development across Africa. African youth are driving critical climate innovations, advancing practical solutions, and changing the continent’s climate future. This dialogue aims to spotlight Africa’s youth innovators at the forefront of addressing climate change impacts, highlighting their leadership in building resilient communities, strengthening water security, and advancing global climate solutions. Moderator Damon Hamman, Graduate Student, New York University, Centre for Global Affairs. SPEAKERS Ms. Eugenia Boateng, Founder and Executive Director of African Diaspora Youth Hub, FABA (For Africa, By Africa) Institute Mr. Jabri Ibrahim, UN Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change Mr. Sibusiso Mazomba, UN Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change


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South Sudan: A UN Mission's Fight for Peace and Protection - UNMISS Briefing | United Nations

Briefing by Anita Kiki Gbeho, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, on Sudan and South Sudan - Security Council, 10139th meeting. Presenting the report, the newly appointed Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan and Head of UNMISS, Anita Kiki Gbeho, said, the operating environment in South Sudan “has become more complex,” since the last mandate renewal. Gbeho said, “political tensions, escalating security incidents and humanitarian pressures increasingly reinforce one another. Economic stress, climate related shocks, and the spill-over from the conflict in Sudan compound these challenges.” She told the Council the security situation “remains deeply concerning, as “fighting between the South Sudan People's Defence Forces and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement / Army in Opposition, particularly in Jonglei, has intensified, and in some cases been accompanied by inflammatory rhetoric.” Civilians, Gbeho said, “continue to bear the brunt.” She stressed that “challenges facing South Sudan cannot be resolved through military means,” and added that “sustained political pathway anchored in inclusive dialogue remains essential.” Gbeho said, “as the Security Council deliberates on the renewal of the UN mandate, it is important to recognise the dilemma we collectively face. The scale and urgency of needs on the ground are not yet matched by the type of sustained commitment and investment required to meet the ambition of sustainable path to peace.”


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Turning the Tide: Defending Our Ocean’s Future - SDG Media Zone | United Nations

At this critical juncture for our ocean, endurance swimmer and UNEP Patron of the Oceans Lewis Pugh joins the Executive Director of UNEP Inger Andersen for a powerful conversation on the state of the seas. From the frontlines of polar swims to high-level environmental negotiations, they explore the urgent priorities for UNOC-3 — from plastic pollution and marine biodiversity to blue finance and the 30x30 global commitment. With insights from Pugh's headline-making Shark Swim campaign and UNEP's science-backed strategies, this session challenges world leaders to match the ocean's resilience with bold, immediate action to secure a sustainable future for all. Speakers: - Lewis Pugh, UNEP Patron of the Oceans - Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP Moderator: - Martina Donlon, Officer-in-Charge, Sustainable Development Section, UN Department of Global Communications Join us during the UN Ocean Conference from June 9-13 and hear about the transformation and solutions needed to accelerate action on the SDGs. The Conference aims to drive urgent action to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. Ocean science, pollution, fishing, maritime transport, biodiversity, financing and cooperation are among the issues to be tackled. Organized by the UN Department of Global Communications, the SDG Media Zone takes the conversation out of the policy sphere and into the public discourse through impactful in-depth interviews and conversations on global issues that matter to people everywhere.


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Protecting the Planet's Ocean w/ Fabien Cousteau - SDG Media Zone | 2025 UN Ocean Conference

Conversation with Fabien Cousteau, Aquanaut, Ocean Conservationist, and Documentary Filmmaker. Join ITV News Anchor Rageh Omaar in conversation with Fabien Cousteau, the renowned ocean explorer, environmentalist, and grandson of the legendary explorer Jacques Cousteau—as he takes us beneath the surface of our planet's most critical ecosystems. Cousteau has spent a lifetime exploring the deep sea, changing our perceptions of life underwater and advocating for its protection. Cousteau will share powerful stories from the frontlines of marine conservation, from the vibrant coral reefs of the tropics to the rapidly changing waters of Antarctica. This discussion will be an eye-opening journey through Earth's last wild frontiers—and a call to action to protect them. Speaker: Fabien Cousteau, Aquanaut, Ocean Conservationist, and Documentary Filmmaker Moderator: Rageh Omaar, News Anchor, ITV News Join us during the UN Ocean Conference from June 9-13 and hear about the transformation and solutions needed to accelerate action on the SDGs. The Conference aims to drive urgent action to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. Ocean science, pollution, fishing, maritime transport, biodiversity, financing and cooperation are among the issues to be tackled. Organized by the UN Department of Global Communications, the SDG Media Zone takes the conversation out of the policy sphere and into the public discourse through impactful in-depth interviews and conversations on global issues that matter to people everywhere.


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Gaza's women fight for survival | United Nations

Between October 2023 and December 2025, more than 38,000 women and girls were killed in Gaza, the result of Israeli air bombardment and land military operations, UN Women said on Friday. Women from Gaza share their stories of struggling to survive.


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