Global diplomacy hub and finance centre, home to UN agencies and the Red Cross.
Trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi with US mediators have resumed. Ukraine and Russia are pressing for security guarantees and territorial positions, while Washington seeks a post-war framework. Officials say both sides remain far apart publicly, yet privately show some flexibility on territory as negotiations focus on security guarantees and a possible NATO-style commitment.
Meteorological agencies and the UN have reported a very strong El Niño that has continued to intensify in August 2026. Forecasts show record-warm Pacific sea-surface temperatures, rising global heat and an elevated risk of droughts, floods and food insecurity that will push tens of millions more people into acute hunger this year and next.
Fighting around El Obeid, North Kordofan, has intensified, with civilians fleeing and humanitarian access tightening. International aid is strained as funding gaps persist, while the UN calls for protection of civilians and sustained aid delivery. Warnings grow over deteriorating health services and rising malnutrition.
Cameroon's 93-year-old leader has not returned from a prolonged overseas trip, triggering questions about governance, legitimacy and the country’s future leadership amid ongoing security and economic challenges.
The Washington Post reports that during a July 8 Ankara stop, Trump was secretly moved from Air Force One to a smaller plane to avoid an Iranian threat. Journalists and some aides remained on the decoy aircraft, while security officials say the move was to protect the president. Details of passenger lists and the full sequence remain undisclosed.
A wave of glacier retreat in the Alps has exposed remains and artifacts from people missing for decades. In Switzerland, hikers have uncovered Belgian mountaineers near Weissmies, while other glaciers reveal German and Japanese climbers, plane parts, and ancient corpses. DNA testing confirms identities as climate-driven melt accelerates.
The World Food Programme says resources are insufficient to expand aid in Somalia, where 1.9 million children under five face acute malnutrition this year and overall food insecurity affects about 30% of the population. Health centres are closing or strained as funding cuts bite, forcing displaced families to rely on limited services.
The world’s oldest president has returned to Yaoundé after more than 10 weeks abroad, drawing both supporters and critics as concerns persist about health, governance, and succession.
A cluster of reports flag growing climate risks, highlighting El Niño-driven rainfall shifts, aid cuts, and innovative water solutions. Pakistan and Somalia face stressed water systems and rising malnutrition as drought and floods intensify, while Rwanda advances climate-health warning systems.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded more than 2,500 deaths in a Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak declared in May; the United Nations says infections are growing exponentially and have spread across an area larger than France. Vaccines for the Zaïre strain will be trialled and thousands of doses will go to frontline staff, but security, local hostility and funding shortfalls are hampering the response.
Several unarmed kites have been found this weekend in Kibbutz Nahal Oz and other southern Israeli communities near the Gaza border. Israel has said it will respond forcefully, treating kites and balloons like drones. Hamas has denied responsibility and called the kites childrens toys; Gaza media have reported Israeli strikes that killed civilians.
A year after the Aug. 25, 2025 strike on Nasser Hospital, whistleblowers and witness accounts challenge Israel’s stated rationale. Reports allege a pattern of targeting journalists and emergency workers, with calls for accountability increasing across rights groups and policymakers.
Several global bodies have renewed a push for legally binding limits on autonomous weapons. They warn the technology is evolving at record speed and civilians must be protected as negotiations in Geneva prepare for a November meeting on strengthening the Convention on Conventional Weapons.
The World Food Programme has reduced aid in the West Bank from 400,000 to 200,000 and cut cash support to Gaza by 40%, warning that further cuts will be unavoidable without new funding. Other UN and aid groups report similar funding constraints as Western donors tighten budgets.
Princess Diana’s black Christina Stambolian evening dress, worn in 1994 as a public response to Charles’s affair, is returning to Sotheby’s for auction with a conservative estimate around $200,000. The item will tour displays in London, Hong Kong, Geneva and New York ahead of a December sale, with portions of proceeds benefiting NHS Lothian Charity.
The dress once worn by Princess Diana at the Serpentine fundraising dinner is expected to fetch up to $220,000 at Sotheby’s, London. The gown, by Christina Stambolian, has toured globally ahead of the December sale, with part of the proceeds supporting NHS Lothian Charity.
The Malian army faces a major assault by JNIM at the Dioura base on Sept. 10, with hundreds of militants and civilian concerns. In response, Mali’s military leadership proclaims operational pressure while authorities note casualties and the strategic impact on security in the region.
Poland's prime minister has warned intelligence indicates Russia is preparing hybrid drone and missile strikes that will be framed as "accidents" to weaken NATO's collective defence. He has announced a trip to Kyiv to coordinate defences. European governments are reinforcing air defences, closing airports temporarily and planning infrastructure protections.
The war in Sudan continues to devastate civilians as donor funding shrinks. USAID-funded programs have ended or run out of funds, forcing clinics to close and patients to travel longer distances for care. International aid globally fell in 2025, and MSF warns that without increased support, more patients will face late, life-threatening treatment.
An independent UN fact‑finding mission has concluded there are reasonable grounds to believe US forces carried out two February strikes in Iran — on a primary school in Minab and a sports complex in Lamerd — that amounted to indiscriminate attacks and therefore constituted war crimes. The mission has also found Iran committed crimes against humanity during nationwide protests.
Aid agencies warn that displacement and hunger in Sudan have surged. More than 11 million people are displaced or refugees, with eastern Chad hosting thousands crossing the border as fighting continues. Funding shortfalls threaten relief efforts as conditions deteriorate for those fleeing to safety.
The Bank of Japan has raised rates to 1.25%, joining the US Federal Reserve and the ECB in tightening monetary policy as inflation pressures persist. Meanwhile, UK and other market signals show mixed responses, with the BoJ’s move sending Yen and global markets in flux.
UNCTAD says Gaza’s economy has collapsed under war and blockade, with 92% of economic establishments damaged, daily per capita GDP at $0.58, prices up 274% since 2022, and unemployment above 90% of working-age people; West Bank also faces severe constraints from settlement expansion and withheld revenues.
Multiple Israeli strikes in Gaza City have killed senior Hamas commanders and other militants, with civilians among the dead. The attacks come amid ongoing ceasefire disputes as Israel asserts targets are military and thwart extremist operations. Casualties include commanders in the Northern Gaza Brigade and other operatives linked to Hamas’s military wing.
Benjamin Davis has been dismissed from the FAO after a 26-year tenure, amid controversy over his Gaza hunger brief and moments of silence protests. Qu Dongyu has warned staff about firing more for political activism, while Davis argues the dismissal undermines the UN’s human-rights mandate. The case now moves to the FAO’s internal justice process.
The Houthis’ renewed ground campaign against Yemen’s government forces has left hundreds dead and displaced at least 145,000 people this month. Health facilities are functioning at low capacity, with several damaged or closed, as the WHO warns of looming outbreaks amid shortages of medicines and supplies.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the 2026 Peace Prize to South African jurist Navi Pillay for her decades-long work enforcing international law, including leadership at the Rwanda tribunal, service on multiple international courts and chairing a UN inquiry that concluded Israel committed genocide in Gaza. Pillay received the news while attending a legal forum in Nuremberg.
The General Assembly has allocated 47 seats on the UN Human Rights Council to regional groups, with all regions submitting the same number of candidates for a three‑year term. Contested races have been avoided for a second year, drawing criticism from rights groups about genuine accountability.
A joint international statement warns of worsening hunger in Sudan and Afghanistan. Sudan’s conflict and drought, compounded by El Niño, have left millions at risk of famine. In Afghanistan, more than 19 million people face food insecurity this winter, with children at high risk of malnutrition unless aid increases.
UNIDIR plans a Thursday launch to create the first international forum to tackle AI in warfare. Robin Geiss warns the margin for human judgment is narrowing, and AI’s spread into early warning, information gathering and reconnaissance raises new global security questions.
The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has spread beyond the DRC, with Nigeria reporting a confirmed case in Abuja and Kenya recording a ninth case. Uganda and Kenya are intensifying contact tracing and containment efforts across multiple regions as the outbreak becomes the most geographically widespread in history.
The UN and WMO warn that the current El Niño event could be unprecedented in strength, peaking late 2026, with impacts that will be felt long afterward. Sea-surface temperatures may rise to 3.8°C above average between November 2026 and January 2027, triggering far-reaching weather shifts and humanitarian strain across regions.
The UN envoy for Sudan has facilitated talks in Geneva focusing on prisoner exchanges, education exams, and a pathway to a ceasefire. The Quad states and regional partners are coordinating efforts to end the fighting, allow humanitarian aid, and lay groundwork for a civilian-led transition. Delegates call for de-escalation and a Sudanese-led dialogue as the conflict continues.
The International Organization for Migration warns that up to 874,319 people could be displaced in Somalia from October to December as above‑normal rainfall, driven by El Niño, interacts with flood risk. Funding to prepare and respond remains only a fraction of what is needed, and urgent international support is urged to protect homes, livelihoods and access to essential services.
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has stated she is deeply distressed by allegations that her father, Thomas Markle Sr., possessed child sexual abuse images. The Met Police previously confirmed a 2019 letter containing troubling accusations was shared with Meghan’s office, not with other agencies. Authorities in the Philippines and Britain are reviewing the matter, while Markle Sr. denies the claims.
Drones attributed to the SAF and RSF have repeatedly struck civilians, markets, hospitals and displacement sites in Sudan, driving mass displacement and deepening a humanitarian crisis. The UN rights office has documented dozens of deaths and numerous injuries in October as fighting intensifies and the war economy sustains itself.
Binance has reported an estimated $6.3 billion breach of its wallets and has frozen about $3 billion of affected assets. The company has said it will cover customer losses, has resumed phased withdrawals for major tokens, and is working with law enforcement and blockchain firms while investigators and analysts link the attack to North Korea’s TraderTraitor unit.
Binance has disclosed a security breach affecting about $6.3 billion in client assets, marking the largest crypto hack on record. The firm is replenishing funds from its SAFU reserve and company resources, with roughly half the stolen assets already frozen. Withdrawals have resumed in phases, and the incident raises questions about centralization and customer protection in a decentralized-leaning industry.
Hundreds of thousands have protested across France this weekend over the cost of living. Clashes in Paris and other cities have produced a widely shared video showing a homemade incendiary device igniting a gendarme's leg; prosecutors have opened an attempted murder investigation and police have made more than 770 arrests nationwide.
British health authorities have confirmed a first UK national case in the current Ebola outbreak in DR Congo. A healthcare worker has been evacuated to London’s Royal Free Hospital, with procedures activated and the public risk deemed low. The outbreak has infected more than 10,000 people and caused over 5,000 deaths across eight provinces.
Negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the United States are scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi for renewed discussions on war settlement. While talks resume, Russian missiles strike Kyiv and other regions, damaging homes, power and water infrastructure. In southern Ukraine, a village near the front line faces a deadly bombing and ongoing humanitarian aid struggles.