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Thousands of species of animals and plants which are indigenous to a vast forest in Argentina could be saved thanks to a partnership between the United Nations and the South American country.  

The scars of terrorism “run deep”, and while they may fade with time, “they never disappear”, the United Nations chief said on Wednesday, in his message for the second International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism. 

This Tuesday, we cover: new report on water quality worldwide; Yemen envoy briefs the Security Council on Aden; intensifying clashes in southern Libya; UNICEF appeals for increased aid for Venezuela youngsters; and UN negotiations continue over a new ocean protection agreement.  

Deteriorating water quality worldwide is slashing the economic potential of heavily polluted areas, according to a new World Bank report, released on Tuesday. It also warns that the “invisible crisis of water quality” is threatening human and environmental well-being.

While the world’s oceans contain some 200,000 identified living species, the actual numbers could reach the millions ­­– all exposed to the dangers of climate change, pollution and over-exploitation. To stem these threats, the United Nations is meeting to negotiate a treaty that would protect three-quarters of the earth’s surface by 2030.

“If I ever come face-to-face with a Boko Haram fighter and if I have strength and a knife in my hand, I will cut his throat and spill his blood! Because, it makes me sick whenever I remember the suffering I went through.”

While praising the “efficient, coordinated, humane and innovative response” by Brazil on behalf of fleeing Venezuelans, the UN refugee chief has said that the sheer number of those on the run is proving to be a major challenge, calling for greater international support.

An ambitious plan has got underway to plant a band of trees across the Sahel region of Africa, to hold back desertification and combat climate change, thanks to the support of the United Nations.

An ambitious plan has got underway to plant a band of trees across the Sahel region of Africa, to hold back desertification and combat climate change, thanks to the support of the United Nations.

Our main stories today: Two years in, Myanmar’s Rohingya youth need more education; DR Congo testimonies highlight armed brutality; appeals for Zimbabwe to ‘stop cracking down’ on protesters; Iran urged to release women jailed for protesting veiling laws; and new human rights agreement on environmental protection.

The UN environment agency and human rights office (OHCHR) signed a landmark new agreement on Friday aimed at better protecting vulnerable human and environmental rights defenders and their families, while increasing protection for people and the places where they live, across the world. 

Two months since hundreds of thousands of people fled violence in north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), UN humanitarians warned on Friday that armed militia continue to make their safe return impossible. 

The daily struggle to survive for Myanmar’s Rohingya people in one of the world’s largest refugee settlements, has caused “overwhelming” despair and jeopardized the hopes of an entire generation, the head of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Henrietta Fore, said on Friday.

The fate of 130 children on board two rescue ships in the Mediterranean Sea should not be put at risk by political point-scoring, the UN said on Thursday, amid ongoing uncertainty about whether the vessels will be allowed to dock in Italy.

In commemorating the 70th anniversary of the landmark Geneva Conventions, the president of the United Nations Security Council hailed the “significant body of law”, describing it as playing “a vital role in limiting brutality of armed conflicts”.

Schools in South Africa have been designating students as “eco-warriors” as part of an initiative supported by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), to drive environmental and climate change awareness amongst the young and old in their communities.

Tony Dearsley was left stunned when he was told he could keep his lifetime pet cover – but only if he was prepared to pay an annual premium three times higher than the year before, a massive £7,410.

Not only do customers have to pay off the entire remaining cost of their contract but EE also imposes extra charges on them.

Being newly qualified or near retirement can make you a ‘mortgage misfit’...but don’t worry, the good news is that there are lenders prepared to take on borrowers who are not quite the norm.

Few organisations come out of last year’s misselling scandal with their reputations intact. The two regulators also need to do some serious soul searching.