Hotter than ever, world holds U.N. climate talks under cloud of doubt
'Minutes to midnight': World hits 1.4° of warming as Dubai summit opens with new fund and report disputing a leader's credibility.
Colombia
Nations seeking to expand fossil fuel production despite climate pledges
Government plans would blow past limits needed to limit warming to 1.5° Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
U.N. panel cites Russian war crimes and possible genocide in Ukraine
The panel said it found evidence of human rights abuses on both sides, but those by Russia far outweigh those by Ukraine.
Amazon nations renew cooperation but fall short on deforestation plan
The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization agreed on some policies but not a unified goal to end deforestation.
WTO subsidy talks to curb overfishing drag on
Diplomats failed to meet an end-of-year deadline for a deal on halting government subsidies that contribute to overfishing, WTO officials said.
Groups cite high number of land mine casualties
At least 5,554 people were killed or wounded last year because they stepped on a land mine or other unexploded devices from war, a new report found.
No school for 3.7 million refugee children as financing falls short
Little more than 60% of all refugee children are able to go to primary schools, versus 90% among all children globally.
OECD sets new voluntary ethical standards for artificial intelligence
IBM, which helped develop the standards, said they offer policy guidance for governments and stakeholders worldwide.
A record 41 million people are uprooted in their own nations
Disasters and conflicts drove nations atop a list of places adding to the 28 million people newly displaced at home.
IFRC gains entry to scale up aid efforts as Venezuelan crisis deepens
Venezuelans who cannot flee are in the grips of a humanitarian crisis from lack of food and basic services.
The United Nations has led 76 investigations in the past 55 years
With demands growing for the U.N. chief to appoint an investigation into Jamal Khashoggi's murder, a review by Arete News found just eight previous instances of such an order.
Wetlands vanishing at triple rate of forests as global temperatures rise
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands said the losses between 1970 and 2015 pose a serious threat to the "world's most valuable ecosystem" with a huge amount of biodiversity.
Syrian buffer zone for Idlib region is latest use of an old diplomatic tool
The concept of a demilitarization zone, like the one planned for Idlib, goes back almost a half-millennium to Europe's rules on demolishing forts or prohibiting their reconstruction.
Frontier of machine learning raises questions and risks for human rights
International organizations are calling on governments and technology companies to adopt a human rights declaration for how they handle artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Trump withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal widens U.S.-Europe rift
With the U.S. reversal, Iran's planned economic opening to the West in exchange for curbs on its nuclear ambitions depends on its European, Russian and Chinese trading partners.
At ILO conference, labor leaders emphasize role in peace and justice
The International Labor Organization's one-day summit drew more than 5,000 people including leaders who drew links between the stabilizing forces of work, peace and resilience.