NATO secretary general's successor rises on agenda ahead of summit
The debate over who should succeed Jens Stoltenberg, a Norwegian former prime minister, has become complicated. It's also possible he could agree to a fourth contract extension.
Finland
Argentinian meteorologist Celeste Saulo to lead U.N. weather agency
Saulo, who has led Argentina's National Meteorological Service since 2014, is the first woman elected as WMO's chief.
DIANA makes low-key entrance as NATO’s DARPA-style innovation hub
The new technology accelerator, known by an acronym that shares its name with a storied goddess, quietly began taking shape a year before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
'Continuous advance' of climate crisis pushes 1.15° C. warming
Droughts, floods and heatwaves drove food insecurity and mass migration as communities on every continent were hit by massive costs, the World Meteorological Organization said.
NATO chief: Finland 'safer,' military alliance 'stronger' with accession
The addition more than doubles the length of the 1,215 kilometers of borders that NATO member nations share with Russia. Finland and Russia share a 1,340-kilometer border.
WMO warns of 1.5° C. limit by 2024
A key threshold of the 2015 Paris Agreement against the worst effects of global warming could be reached within five years, WMO warned.
U.N. seeks carbon neutral planet by 2050
Some 40% of the U.N.'s 193 member nations committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, and nearly the same amount vowed to do more by 2020.
China dismisses rebuke at U.N. Human Rights Council over Uyghurs
The condemnation came from Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan and New Zealand, along with 17 European nations.
Council of Europe keeps Russia as member despite Crimea annexation
Europe's leading human rights organization approved by majority vote a joint declaration that tries to appease Russia.
In Trump era, Arctic Council steers clear of addressing the climate crisis
Scientists say the Arctic region is warming about twice as fast as the rest of the planet, but the Trump administration blocked a council statement from referring to that threat.
Global arms trade comes into focus on Saudi role in Khashoggi killing
Protesters urged more attention to global weapons sales in the wake of a journalist's murder in a Saudi consulate at Istanbul.
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.
Trump's anti-internationalism strains Western military alliance
After calling NATO obsolete and suggesting America might not defend other alliance members, U.S. President Donald Trump demanded other members raise their defense spending.
Polar research looks at climate unknowns in southernmost ocean
The need for more science focused on the Southern Ocean was among the themes of the Polar 2018 conference about the Arctic, Antarctic and high altitude regions.
U.N. health agency panel balks at tax on sugary drinks in disease fight
A World Health Organization commission ratcheted up pressure on governments to fight a worldwide epidemic of noncommunicable diseases, but couldn't agree on whether to recommend taxing sugar-sweetened beverages.
Experts propose clean energy global fund to propel climate treaty
A global fund or international organization could speed innovation so the energy sector can 'meet the demands' of the Paris climate treaty, an intergovernmental alliance says.