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.
Global Issues
Global issues are complex challenges that require international cooperation, from mitigating climate change to addressing global poverty and geopolitical conflicts. Of the U.N.'s 169 targets for sustainable development, only 35% are on track or making moderate progress toward their 2030 deadline.
Enjoy our Free+ stories and our weekly newsletter
Start your free accessAlready have an account? Log in
WHO says monkeypox in more than 20 nations
With at least 200 cases of monkeypox reported by more than 20 nations, WHO officials warned "it's an unusual situation" with a lot of open questions.
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.
G-7 finance leaders united for Ukraine
G-7 finance ministers said they agreed to take concrete steps to deepen economic cooperation and respond together against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
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.
Experts urge pandemic cooperation that benefits developing countries
An analysis shows various scenarios for how COVID-19 is likely to play out around the world, widening inequalities.
G-7 warns of global food and energy crisis
Russia's war in the 'breadbasket of Europe' threatens to cause widespread hunger particularly in Africa and the Middle East, the G-7 warned.
First image of Milky Way's previously unseeable black hole
An international astronomy team gave the world its first glimpse of the supermassive black hole in the Milky Way.
Nearly even odds of 1.5 degrees by 2026
Within the next five years the world has an almost 50-50 chance of temporarily surpassing the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming threshold, WMO reported.
UNOPS chief resigns over lost millions
The head of a U.N. agency that last year oversaw US$3.4 billion in projects resigned over questions into tens of millions of dollars in agency spending.
WHO dramatically raises coronavirus death figures
There have been almost 15 million deaths related to the COVID-19 pandemic — more than twice the official death toll — according to new estimates.
Media group warns of 'fatal danger' to democracies
Polarization fueled by Fox News-like opinion media, disinformation and propaganda is battering democracies, Reporters Without Borders said.
Nations agree to new scrutiny of U.N. vetos
Prompted by its own paralysis over Syria and Ukraine, the U.N. moved to prevent abuse of power by Russia and other permanent Security Council members.
Global confirmed virus cases exceed 500 million
The global number of confirmed COVID-19 cases surpassed 500 million with nearly 6.2 million deaths as a highly contagious Omicron sub-variant surged.
Massive fund scales up on biodiversity
GEF drew US$5.25 billion in pledges for its work over the next four years on improving how the Earth's resources are managed in developing countries.
IPCC finds climate options dwindling
Nations have just a few years left to achieve the 2015 Paris Agreement's goals of limiting global warming to a rise of 1.5 or 2 degrees C., climate experts say.