Government soldiers are seen in a refugee camp near Goz Beida, a town of 10,000 people some 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the Sudanese border, on April 19. The African Union was to present the warring parties from western Sudan's devastated Darfur region with a draft peace agreement designed to bring an end to three years of bloodshed.(AFP/File/Martin Van Der Belen)

Millions on the brink of starvation in Horn of Africa - UN
Six million people are on the brink of starvation in the Horn of Africa region due to severe drought, crop failure and depletion of livestock herds, the United Nations said on Friday. The U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said that in Somalia, Kenya, Djibouti and Ethiopia more than 11 million people are estimated to be in need of assistance.

One in twelve of world’s children are forced into 'worst forms' of child labor
One child in 12 is forced into the "worst forms" of labor, including slavery, the sex trade and hazardous and illicit activities, the British branch of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a report. UNICEF UK said that 350 million children aged five to 17 worked, and that 180 million of them were "involved in the worst forms of child labour.

World Marks International Women's Day
Despite gains in women's rights and the increasing role of women in the workplace, female social and economic equality remained an elusive dream in many countries as the world marked international Women's Day.

U.N. Urges U.S. to Shut Guantanamo Prison
The United States should close its prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and avoid using secret detention facilities in the war on terror, the U.N. panel that monitors compliance with the world's anti-torture treaty said Friday.

West's Failure over Climate Change 'Will Kill 182m Africans'
The poorest people in the world will be the chief victims of the West's failure to tackle global warning, with millions of Africans forecast to die by the end of the century, Christian Aid says in a report out today.

UN's Annan wants US, Europe to consider force in Darfur
The United Nations wants the United States and European countries to help form a tough mobile force that would stop the bloodshed, rape and plunder in Sudan's Darfur region, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Thursday.

100 days on, Pakistan quake survivors under constant threat
Cold and disease are constant threats in Pakistan's earthquake zone but the United Nations said on Saturday if donations are sustained, the more than three million survivors should make it through the winter. Monday marks 100 days since the quake killed more than 73,000 people.

China and India Hold Key to World's Riches or Ruin -- Report
China and India are poised to shape the world's future and decisions made by the ascendant Asian giants in the next few years will determine whether that will be for better or worse, a prominent environmental think-tank said Wednesday.

Groups Demand Treaty to Ban International Gun Trade
As diplomats from around the world gather this week to lay the groundwork for a major June summit on arms control, leading rights advocacy groups are demanding that governments agree on a proposed treaty that would ban the illegal trade in guns.