People, wildlife, planet pay cost of convenience for single-use plastics
A plastic layer in Earth’s geological record may become our legacy, marking a moment we turned into a single-use planet.
Global Issues
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Surveys show majority of public still trusts U.N. despite an overall decline
The U.N. appears to be more trusted than many governments, other multilateral institutions, and regional organizations.
World Health Assembly formally adopts hard-fought pandemic treaty
The head of the International Peace Institute praised the treaty negotiators for their 'amazing' critical problem-solving.
U.N. chief: Structural reform in the works, but members need to pay up
A major financial squeeze is hitting the embattled U.N., which is owed $5.1 billion for its regular and peacekeeping budgets.
System-wide funding cuts bring aid disruptions and U.N. staff protests
With the loss of billions in financial support, the U.N. must weigh potential widespread downsizing and consolidation.
U.N.'s worst fiscal crisis forces restructuring bid to stay relevant
As the U.N. marks its 80th anniversary, it could streamline and reassure donors that taxpayer money reaches people in need.
World's largest coral bleaching event affects over four-fifths of reefs
The bleaching event began at the start of 2023 and continues today, affecting 82 nations, territories and economies.
A papal messenger of climate action and 'hope, humility and humanity'
U.N. leaders hailed Pope Francis as a champion of the environment and tireless advocate of refugees and migrants.
U.N. panel's major powers urged to seek accountability for aid attacks
Officials updated the 2024 death toll for humanitarian workers to 377 people across 20 countries, the worst year on record.
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.
'Spiraling weather and climate impacts’ from record carbon levels
The U.N. weather agency says some human-induced effects will be 'irreversible over hundreds if not thousands of years.'
U.N.-brokered biodiversity financing deal keeps green diplomacy alive
Three days of talks in Rome ended with nations agreeing to support a $200 billion a year global plan to protect nature.
UNHCR freezes $300 million of suspended U.S. aid, impacts 600 staff
Scoop: The budget freeze is part of almost $700 million the U.N. refugee agency already received from the United States.
U.N. refugee agency freezes hiring, cuts spending amid U.S. aid pause
Scoop: UNHCR's directors scrambled to tighten its budget because of the Trump administration's 90-day aid stoppage.
Symbolic 'Doomsday Clock' moves closest ever to human extinction
Atomic scientists reset the Clock to the closest point to the symbolic hour of apocalpyse it has ever been since 1947.
U.N. chief warns Davos crowd of a 'rudderless' and overheating world
His remarks were aimed at focusing attention on rising global temperatures and unregulated artificial intelligence.