UN News Today 23 June 2026 |

It’s time for AI to come clean on impact of data centres, says Guterres 

In a major keynote speech at London Climate Action Week on Tuesday, the UN Secretary-General called on AI firms to “come clean” on the impact of their data centres on the environment. 

António Guterres also highlighted how the world’s dependence on oil is driving the climate crisis and an energy crunch, linked to massive shipping disruption in the Strait of Hormuz and the war involving Israel, Iran and the United States. 

“For many developing countries, this is not just an energy crisis. It is a debt shock. A food shock. A development shock…The good news is – unlike every past energy crisis – we now have a clear way out. A clean way out. Renewables are the cheapest, fastest and most scalable source of new electricity in most of the world.” 

Staying with the Middle East crisis amid ongoing technical talks between Iran and the US in Switzerland, Mr. Guterres said that “any peace agreement is welcome and would bring much-needed relief”.  

He pointed out that if countries can produce their own energy they will not be at the mercy of a market they cannot control, that relies on a route they cannot protect and at a price they do not set.  

“There are no embargoes on sunlight and no blockades on the wind,” the UN chief stressed.  

DRC Ebola outbreak sees record number of cases in first month 

Ebola has been spreading at unprecedented speed in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), bringing risk and fear into people’s daily lives, UN aid workers said on Tuesday. 

Latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates 1,048 confirmed cases of Ebola, including 267 deaths.   

This is the largest number of confirmed cases in the first month of an Ebola disease outbreak in Africa, WHO stressed.   

Ugochi Daniels is Deputy Director General for Operations at the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM). She highlighted the dramatic impact of the disease on families: 

“In the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, everyday life has become fraught with risk. The journey to feed your family or earn a living can also become a journey into danger. Families are carrying immense burdens. The virus has become more than a health crisis. It touches every aspect of daily life, bringing uncertainty and fear.” 

The current outbreak of the Bundibugyo species of Ebola virus was declared on 15 May; it took only 37 days to reach 250 deaths. 

In comparison, it took more than twice that long to reach the same number of deaths in the 2014 and 2016 West Africa outbreaks.  

Sudan’s sexual violence recorded in 16 out of 18 states: UN human rights 

To Sudan, where sexual violence linked to the ongoing war is of a staggering brutality and magnitude, the UN human rights office said on Tuesday. 

According to a new report from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), attacks have been recorded in 16 of Sudan’s 18 states since conflict erupted in April 2023. 

At least 838 victims have been confirmed and all but 15 are women and girls. The true figure is likely much larger, said OHCHR spokesperson Seif Magango: 

“Almost a quarter of the incidents documented involved gang rape. In one case, a girl was gang-raped by at least 10 men.” 

The UN rights office urged the parties to the conflict to take concrete and verifiable measures to prevent sexual violence. 

All perpetrators, including commanders, must be held to account and victims should be guaranteed access to effective remedies, including compensation, Mr. Magango stressed.  

Daniel Johnson, UN News.