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Ozone recovery advances as the global monitoring network shrinks
Antarctic ozone hole was among smallest in decades, but WMO says ability to track long-term recovery is disappearing.
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U.N. flags uneven staff health services as agencies absorb aid cuts
The review comes as agencies operate with fewer resources, increasing pressure on staff in high-risk settings.
New U.S. strategy to target 'erosion' of sovereignty by multilateralism
The document rejects past U.S. policy that it says 'lashed American policy to a network of international institutions.'
Climate lead shifts to Global South as rich nations show lost 'enthusiasm'
As COP30 opened, its president said high-income countries are retreating from their Paris Agreement climate obligations.
Lampedusa's ghosts: A political choice, not a crisis of numbers
Europe's decades-old policies have transformed the Italian island's irregular migration role into an invisible haunting.
U.S. weapons disclosure raises stakes in global space arms debate
First acknowledgment of U.S. weapons in orbit comes as governments divide over how to prevent a space arms race.
U.N. rights chief pushes AI ‘red lines’ as nations vie to shape global rules
Volker Türk calls for independent verification and common safety limits as AI initiatives reach the Human Rights Council.
El Niño has strengthened into a major global weather threat
WMO expects a strong event into 2027, prompting an unprecedented mobilization of national weather services.
Warming must peak near 1.8° to keep Paris climate goal within reach
Breaching 1.5° is now expected, leaving governments with a narrower and more difficult task of limiting the overshoot.
U.N. backs African push to redraw how the world is mapped
General Assembly votes 164-1 for equal-area maps as African countries challenge Mercator's distortion of continental size.
WHO reviews vaccine evidence as Ebola outbreak strains response
Nearly 4,000 cases are confirmed as authorities struggle with overloaded treatment centers and gaps in contact tracing.
The A.U.-E.U. Innovation Agenda at three: From declarations to delivery
The partnership aims to strengthen and connect innovation ecosystems. Three years on, its record is coming into focus.
Biodiversity talks open as review warns 2030 goals may not be met
A draft report finds both the mission and a longer-term 2050 vision of fighting 'unprecedented' biodiversity loss are at risk.
Democratic decline is raising risks of conflict, global report warns
Democracies declined for 11 consecutive years as rule of law weakens, key U.S. indicators fall to lowest levels in 50 years.
Rodrigues-Birkett of Guyana takes lead in second U.N. chief straw poll
No candidate reaches nine-vote threshold as opposition grows and race to succeed António Guterres remains wide open.
U.S. plans partial U.N. dues payment as $5 billion remains unpaid
Washington would release $850 million toward regular and peacekeeping budgets while tying more payments to reforms.
ICC says new Trump sanctions threaten international legal order
Court and member-nation presidency condemn sanctions on ICC president and senior prosecutor as U.S. widens campaign.
Island nations' sovereignty in focus as seas rise and rivalries sharpen
Pacific island nations want to preserve vast maritime zones as climate change alters coastlines and competition intensifies.
COP17 turns to private capital as land restoration finance gap persists
Only $216 million of a $1.3 billion finance portfolio is confirmed as governments seek ways to close a funding gap.
Nepal floods expose challenge of forecasting cascading hazards
A new flood alert forced evacuations as rescuers seek nearly 1,000 missing people, underscoring the forecasting challenge.
Cities press for bigger role in U.N. fight against land degradation
COP17 declaration seeks direct finance and a permanent voice for local governments to turn restoration pledges into action.
National pledges fall short as global biodiversity pact reaches midpoint
U.N. biodiversity chief points to finance and subsidies as hurdles to filling gaps between commitments and targets.
Turkey's COP31 president urges leaders to prioritize climate finance
Nation's top climate official calls for nations to pay for "concrete outcomes that address real challenges people face."
U.N. training merger to cut staffing by 26% under UN80 reforms
Consolidation of UNITAR and the U.N. System Staff College is expected to generate savings of up to $7 million.
Africa-Europe-Mediterranean research takes on lab-to-market gap
The 2026 A.U.-E.U.-Med Innovation Fair invites startups and research projects to pitch food and agriculture technologies.
Iran nuclear dispute returns to Security Council on verification gap
IAEA says it lost continuity of knowledge over Iran's enriched uranium as Tehran says war made inspections impossible.
Hormuz disruption risks squeezing smaller firms out of supply chains
UNCTAD warns trade could recover while becoming more concentrated as smaller companies face higher costs.
U.S.-Saudi nuclear pact raises questions as Trump adds conditions
The agreement opens the door to a Saudi civilian nuclear program but leaves critical questions unanswered.
U.S.-Iran talks move to technical phase after first Bürgenstock session
U.S. vice president cites 'great progress' amid disputes over Lebanon, Strait of Hormuz, next steps for nuclear verification.
Ozone recovery advances as the global monitoring network shrinks
Antarctic ozone hole was among smallest in decades, but WMO says ability to track long-term recovery is disappearing.
WHO says hantavirus cruise outbreak serious but not COVID-like
Health authorities have scrambled to trace dozens of people who recently sailed on the Dutch vessel MV Hondius.
NATO launches Arctic Sentry to consolidate High North presence
Military alliance's new coordination framework links Allied drills as Russia expands military activity in the High North.
Climate action to save glaciers 'a matter of survival' for people too
More than 275,000 glaciers cover 700,000 square kilometers of the planet. Glaciers and ice sheets store 70% of all freshwater.
Editors' Picks
The A.U.-E.U. Innovation Agenda at three: From declarations to delivery
The partnership aims to strengthen and connect innovation ecosystems. Three years on, its record is coming into focus.
As aid funds shrink, archivists warn of risks to the humanitarian record
UNHCR's archives are a test case for humanitarians struggling to preserve institutional memory in an era of retrenchment.
Iran war drains U.S. missile defense supplies as Ukraine's needs grow
Patriot interceptor shortages from the U.S. are raising concerns about future support for Ukraine and Europe.