UN | DD News

October 6, 2025 7:19 PM

UN to investigate suspected abuses in Afghanistan

The United Nations Human Rights Council is to investigate abuses in Afghanistan, which could eventually enable criminal investigations into suspected violations by both the Taliban and foreign troops, including those from the United States. The United States, which had troops in Afghanistan until 2021 within a NATO coalition, has previously opposed scrutiny of its actions, for example, by the International Criminal Court, but backed research into suspected Taliban violations. President Donald ...

September 24, 2025 9:42 PM

Iran’s president tells UN: Tehran will never seek to build nuclear bomb

Iran has no intention to build nuclear weapons, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, just days before international sanctions could be reimposed on his country over Tehran's nuclear ambitions. "I hereby declare once more before this assembly that Iran has never sought and will never seek to build a nuclear bomb. We do not seek nuclear weapons," Pezeshkian said. On August 28, Britain, France and Germany launched a 30-day process to reimpose U.N. sanct...

September 24, 2025 10:49 PM

Zelenskiy tells UN: Stop Russia’s war or face destructive arms race

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on world powers on Wednesday to work together to stop Russia's war in his country, accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of seeking to expand the fighting beyond Ukraine. He said in a speech to the 193-member United Nations General Assembly that the war had helped unleash the most destructive arms race in history and that Ukraine was moving to open up the export of its weapons to allies. "The facts are simple, stopping this war ... is cheaper ...

September 23, 2025 10:22 PM

Trump tells UN that climate change is ‘greatest con job’ globally

President Donald Trump dismissed climate change as “the greatest con job” in the world during his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, doubling down on his skepticism of global environmental initiatives and multilateral institutions. Scientists say climate change is real, mostly caused by humans, and getting worse. They point to rising temperatures, stronger storms, and melting ice as clear signs. Groups like the UN have warned that waiting too long to act could cause ...

September 23, 2025 9:25 PM

Trump administration proposes new H-1B visa process favoring higher-skilled, better-paid workers

The Trump administration released a proposal on Tuesday that would rework the H-1B visa selection process to favor higher-skilled and better-paid workers, according to a related Federal Register notice, a move that follows a White House proclamation on Friday introducing a $100,000 fee for the visas. The new process, if finalized, would give heavier weight to applications by employers who pay high wages if annual requests for the visas exceed the statutory limit of 85,000, the notice said. The ...

September 23, 2025 9:16 PM

Trump condemns moves to recognise Palestinian state, wants hostages freed

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday condemned moves by Western powers to recognise a Palestinian state, saying such steps would reward "horrible atrocities" by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. In a speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump said world powers should focus instead on securing the release of hostages held in Gaza, nearly two years after Hamas seized them in the deadly attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war. France, Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal h...

September 23, 2025 10:14 AM

UN Secretary-General backs Security Council reforms, hails India’s role

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed strong support for reforming the Security Council to better reflect the world of 2025, with India emerging as a key voice in the multilateral system, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Monday. Speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Dujarric said India plays a pivotal role in the UN and stressed the need for organisational reforms to enhance effectiveness and representation. He added that decisions on permanent...

September 19, 2025 9:19 AM

US casts 6th veto at United Nations over war in Gaza

The United States vetoed on Thursday a draft United Nations Security Council resolution that would have demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and that Israel lift all restrictions on aid deliveries to the Palestinian enclave. The text, drafted by the elected 10 members of the 15-member council, would also have demanded the immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups. It received 14 votes in favor. It was the sixth...

September 18, 2025 5:30 PM

EU set to miss UN climate deadline amid internal divisions

European Union countries' climate ministers are expected to confirm on Thursday that the bloc will miss a global deadline to set new emissions-cutting targets, due to divisions over the plans among EU governments. Missing the deadline could be a blow to EU leaders who were due to join other world powers at the United Nations next week to present new goals in the run-up to COP30 climate talks in November. Major emitters, including China, are expected to meet the deadline. Australia announced it...

September 17, 2025 10:08 PM

Israel’s closure of crossing to Gaza’s famine-struck north prompts aid group warning

United Nations agencies and Oxfam voiced grave concerns on Wednesday about food running out in northern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people are experiencing famine, after Israel closed the only operational crossing there last week. Israel began its long-expected ground assault on Gaza City in the north on Tuesday and is stepping up efforts to empty the city of civilians by opening an additional route southwards. Hundreds of thousands of people are sheltering in the city and many are...