High stakes for COP27 summit as climate becomes a health crisis too
Drought, floods, disease outbreaks and a global food crisis add pressure for real action at the U.N. climate summit in Egypt.
Middle East
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Russia shortens Syrian lifeline of aid deliveries
Obstructed by Russia's demands, the U.N. Security Council agreed to a six-month entension for cross-border humanitarian aid deliveries to Syria.
Syrian war kills 1.5% of civilian population
At least 306,887 civilians were killed in the first decade of Syria's conflict "as a direct result of war operations," the U.N. human rights office estimated.
Hezbollah members sentenced in Hariri’s death
Appeals judges sentenced two members of Hezbollah to life imprisonment in the truck bomb assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Street renamed to honor murdered political journalist Jamal Khashoggi
The street renaming honors the journalist assassinated by the Saudis because of his writings about the repressive regime.
World's nuclear arsenal predicted to grow
Nuclear arsenals among nine nations are expected to grow over the next decade in a reversal of a post-Cold War decline, a Swedish think tank reports.
U.N. votes in 5 new Security Council members
Five nations won seats on the U.N. Security Council for the next two years, putting them in a position to influence global policies on peace and security.
Food crises to worsen with war, climate shocks
Tens of millions of people in 20 hunger "hotspots" will need emergency aid as they face a sharply increased risk of starvation, two U.N. agencies predicted.
Bonn talks stoke hopes for U.N. climate summit
Climate negotiators in Bonn, Germany began trying to build momentum for greater ambition at the U.N. climate summit that Egypt will host in November.
North Korea leads disarmament forum
North Korea took over the presidency of the U.N. Conference on Disarmament, drawing stern criticism from a quarter of the world body's 193 members.
Health leaders bow to conservative nations
Nations appeased conservatives with a new strategy for HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections that omits a glossary of sexual health terms.
G-7 agrees to curb coal, fossil fuels
The Group of Seven rich democracies pledged to largely stop relying on coal and other fossil fuels to generate electricity by 2035.
Russian attacks on Ukraine health facilities rebuked
The World Health Assembly voted to condemn and call for an immediate end to Russia's military attacks on Ukraine's hospitals, clinics and ambulances.
WHO chief: 'Pandemic will not magically disappear'
The World Health Organization's governing body opened its weeklong annual meeting against a backdrop of financial tumoil and war in Europe.
U.N. pushes renewables with new warming records
The U.N. weather agency confirmed the past seven years were the hottest on record in a new report that will serve as the basis for global climate negotiations.
NATO poised to expand with Finland, Sweden
NATO welcomed decisions by Finland and Sweden to seek membership in the military alliance as foreign ministers met to discuss fast-tracking an expansion.