U.N. chief's selection enters public phase as calls for transparency rise
Since 1946, a woman has never been chosen for the top job, and four of the nine U.N. chiefs have been Europeans.
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U.S., Ukraine cite progress at Geneva talks despite Trump ultimatum
The talks were complicated by Trump's renewed public criticism and a private threat to end U.S. military aid for Kyiv.
COP30's bitter compromise: aid for adaptation tripled, no fossil fuel plan
As the climate talks ran into overtime, European nations and allies battled Saudi Arabia, Russia and other oil producers.
Global Fund secures $11.34 billion but progress threatened by shortfall
The amount of pledges was down from its $18 billion target, and 27% less than the $15.7 billion it raised three years ago.
Climate lead shifts to Global South as rich nations show lost 'enthusiasm'
As COP30 opened, its president said high-income countries are retreating from their Paris Agreement climate obligations.
Minamata Convention mandates global phase-out of dental amalgam
The decision on dental amalgam was counterbalanced by the greater challenge of artisanal and small-scale gold mining.
Climate summit opens in Amazon without the three biggest polluters
Fractured talks highlight a deep divide over who pays as Indigenous leaders gain unprecedented access to U.N. venue.
Mayors urge decisive climate action, seeking global 'decade of delivery'
Calling themselves 'climate doers,' city leaders criticized a lack of ambition among some nations toward the Paris treaty goals.
Trump orders new testing of nuclear weapons, sparking arms race fears
The directive, using the stronger language of an 'instruction' rather than a threat, undermines decades of arms control.
$310B a year climate adaptation 'emergency' risks lives, spurs debt
Developing nations get 12 to 14 times less than what's needed to adapt infrastructure and prepare for climate impacts.
U.N. cybercrime accord signed in Hanoi draws concerns over rights
The agreement establishes the first universal legal framework for international cooperation against digital offenses.
U.S. sinks IMO-led plan for world's first global carbon fee on shipping
A vote on a global plan to cut maritime emissions was postponed for a year, in a win for the Trump administration.
U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire deal hailed by U.N. and global powers
The U.N. chief commended the diplomatic efforts of the U.S., Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey in brokering the breakthrough.
U.S. media crackdown spurs global concern as agencies target critics
The latest escalation came with Committee to Protect Journalists demanding regulators stop targeting broadcasters.
U.N. warns of highest nuclear threat in decades, cites strained treaties
To counter these threats, the U.N. formed an independent scientific panel to report on the effects of a nuclear war.
Two leaders amplify a bitter divide at the U.N. over the war in Gaza
In dueling speeches, Israeli and Palestinian leaders showcased the pressure bearing down from a range of developments.