Zimbabwe on brink of starvation, UN expert warns

Just under $1.4 billion in aid is pledged as regional drought threatens millions with starvation. The UN is worried that another poor season of rain could be catastrophic.

The imprisonment and political exclusion of former President Lula da Silva was a violation of his rights, the UN has said. Lula is currently leading in polls for October's presidential election.

Germany has been in focus this week after lawmakers in the Bundestag on Thursday overwhelmingly backed a decision to send heavy weapons to Ukraine. Meanwhile, as Russia cut off gas supplies to EU member states Poland and Bulgaria over their refusal to pay for the fuel in roubles, Germany remains heavily reliant on Russian gas imports – more so than the EU average. We speak to Parliamentary State Secretary at the Ministry for Economy and Climate, Franziska Brantner, a German MP with the Green Party.

In the World This Week, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres tries to negotiate humanitarian corridors in Ukraine while on a visit to Kyiv. French President Emmanuel Macron's re-election honeymoon period proves short-lived, with the focus quickly turning to June legislative elections. And Tesla founder Elon Musk makes a $44 million offer for social media platform Twitter.

Antonio Guterres arriving Borno state, various of internally displaced persons cheering, various of street scenes, Antonio Guterres speaking, mothers and children in a hospital ward, military checkpoints, armed soldiers.

The number of people facing hunger rose to 193 million last year as conflict, climate change and economic crises ravaged people's livelihoods, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization said Wednesday.

In a UN Security Council briefing, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said the streets in Iraq could "boil over" if political leaders were unable to end a political stalemate that has gripped the country for over seven months.

The UN human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, has traveled to China at Beijing's invitation. But the US has raised doubts about Chinese officials giving her "necessary access" to asses the situation.

The 13-2 vote in favor of the resolution was not enough to secure its adoption as Beijing and Moscow have veto-rights. The US said the rejection means Pyongyang "will feel free to take further escalatory actions."

Activists slammed UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet for her restrained criticism directed at China's leaders after her return from Xinjiang. But Bachelet noted that her visit was "not an investigation."

The UN says it is the sixth time a peacekeeping convoy has been targeted in less than a month. The West African country has been gripped by a jihadist insurgency for the past decade.