Global democracy plummets, press freedom at 50-year low, group finds
International IDEA highlights even established democracies are tested by shifting politics and weaker institutions.
United States (U.S.)
The U.S. is a major global power and a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. It is a founding member of NATO and a key participant in a vast network of international organizations, including the G-7, G-20, OECD, and World Bank. It is currently re-evaluating its alliances and relationships, particularly with China and Russia, while also engaging in diplomatic efforts to end the Ukraine war and addressing new trade tensions with key partners like India.
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Global Fund to shift more aid for poorest nations as funding thins
The global health fund faces a $1.4 billion funding shortfall that risks undermining decades of progress fighting diseases.
Iran, U.N. watchdog at odds over inspectors in new nuclear accord
The agreement, a technical document signed in Cairo a day earlier, was initially presented as a crucial breakthrough.
Russia critic Baerbock leads UNGA at time of Security Council deadlock
Her tenure as Germany's top diplomat was defined by a values-driven, feminist policy of human rights and rule of law.
U.N. appeals for aid to Afghanistan as winter looms for quake survivors
The U.N. has launched a $139.6 million fundraising appeal to provide emergency shelter, food, and medical supplies.
U.N. rights chief condemns Israel over Gaza, cites evidence for case
He also warned against a 'glorification of violence' as some nations become an 'extension of their ruler's personal power.'
UPU Congress gathers postal leaders as U.S. tariffs upend global system
A new UPU report found the industry's growth has lagged by 71% behind the global economy over the past two decades.
In final stretch, pandemic treaty talks narrowing on benefit sharing
A $10.5 billion global fund for pandemic preparedness would cost a fraction of the devastation the treaty seeks to prevent.
In Swiss court, Indonesian islanders take on cement giant over climate
The court's preliminary hearing focused on whether the case is admissible under Swiss law, setting a potential precedent.
International bodies convene on escalating GPS jamming threat
The incident in Bulgaria involving the E.C. president's plane was quickly framed as a deliberate act of hybrid warfare.
Court ruling on Trump tariffs intensifies global battle, confusion
Nations and organizations are watching to see if the legal foundation for the administration's trade deals will hold.
Global trade shaken by 'systemic uncertainty,' UNCTAD report warns
In a growing divide, advanced economies, which often export high-value, low-volume goods, were better positioned.
A Hiroshima survivor's plea to the world: History must not repeat itself
"The atomic bombs that I experienced 80 years ago were like babies compared to today’s nuclear weapons," said Kodama.
Trump's $4.9B aid cut bypasses Congress to threaten organizations
The action is expected to impact operations and funding of international organizations that rely on U.S. contributions.
U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon to wind down after five decades
Lebanese officials wanted UNIFIL to remain because of the country's inability to maintain regional security on its own.
U.S. plan to boycott U.N. rights review draws broad condemnation
Each U.N. member nation is obliged to have its human rights record examined approximately every four and a half years.