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The United Nations-backed court set up to bring to trial those most responsible for crimes committed during Cambodia’s brutal Khmer Rouge regime today upheld life sentences for two top former Khmer Rouge leaders on Wednesday for crimes against humanity.

Global innovation is soaring as the 2015 edition of a United Nations agency on intellectual property report reveals that 2.9 million patent applications lodged worldwide – a 7.8 per cent increase over the previous year.

Post-disaster assessments by the United Nations food security and emergency food relief agencies in hurricane-hit Haiti have revealed “extensive” damage to crops, livestock and fisheries as well as to infrastructure such as irrigation – with the most affected areas having up to 100 per cent crop damage or destruction.

Noting the “best efforts” of the Turkish Cypriot leader and the Greek Cypriot leader at the United Nations-brokered talks held recently in Switzerland, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged them to continue their efforts in line with their shared commitment to do their utmost in order to reach a settlement in 2016.

Thursday, 17 November 2016, presented an uncomely anniversary for the inhabitants of Mosul, the second largest Iraqi city, located about 400 kilometres north of Baghdad. It was one month since the Battle of Mosul began, with Iraqi government forces under Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi seeking to recapture the city from ISIL, also known as Da’esh. The extremist group has held control over the city for more than two years now, subjecting civilians there to despicable atrocities and untold suffering.

Space applications related to telecommunications and global navigation can play a vital role in supporting disaster risk reduction, response and recovery efforts, a senior United Nations official said today at the UN forum on space as a socio-economic driver for sustainable development under way in Dubai.

People from lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) communities around the world are experiencing a proliferation in hate speech, including “rampant” social media attacks, as well as violence and discrimination, a newly appointed United Nations human rights expert warned today.

Following a decision of the United Nations Human Rights Council, in which it setup a commission of inquiry to investigate human rights violations and abuses in Burundi, including whether they may constitute international crimes, the President of the body has appointed the Commission’s Chair and members.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic has called for an immediate end to violence after the clashes that broke out on Monday in Bria town between armed elements of the Front populaire pour la renaissance de la Centrafrique (FPRC) and the Union pour la paix en Centrafrique (UPC).

Global information and communication technologies data released today by the United Nations agency responsible for ICT shows that the world is more connected than ever, but also reveals that many are still not using the Internet, and most do not fully benefit from its potential.