- 4d ago
EU appoints Raffaele Fitto as Special Representative for Cyprus to support UN reunification talks
The European Commission appointed Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto as its special representative for Cyprus on Monday, tasking him with supporting UN-led reunification efforts alongside envoy María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar.
- Jul 6
UN chief warns AI is developing faster than rules can keep up, urges global governance
Antonio Guterres told the first UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva that artificial intelligence is outpacing regulation, and called for harmonised global rules to protect children and prevent a 'vibe-coded' future.
- Jul 5
Iran orders Houthis to close Red Sea gateway as US bombs southern Iran for sixth night
Iran has instructed its Houthi allies to prepare to close the Bab el-Mandeb strait if the US strikes Iranian power infrastructure, opening a second front in the energy war as American forces bombed southern Iran for a sixth straight night.
- Jul 3
Tibetan activist dies after self-immolation outside UN headquarters in New York, protesting China's new ethnic unity law
Lobga Rangzen, a 52-year-old Uber driver and Tibetan activist, set himself on fire near the United Nations headquarters on Thursday evening, dying from his injuries. He was protesting China's newly enacted ethnic unity law, which critics say erodes minority rights.
- Jul 2
Bomb hidden in Damascus cafe kills nine, injures 20 in deadliest attack since church suicide bombing a year ago
An improvised explosive device planted in a busy central Damascus cafe exploded Thursday afternoon, killing at least nine people and wounding 20, Syrian authorities said.
- Jul 1
Russia kills at least 30 in massive missile and drone attack on Kyiv, deadliest strike on the capital this year
Russia launched 74 missiles and 496 drones at Kyiv overnight, killing at least 30 civilians and injuring nearly 100 in what the mayor called the most massive attack on the capital. Moscow said the barrage was retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure.
- Jun 30
Iran warns it is 'ready for war' if US diplomacy fails, demands compliance with June ceasefire
Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran prioritises dialogue but will not wait forever, accusing Washington of violating the June 17 memorandum of understanding.
- Jun 29
US and Iran send envoys to Doha despite conflicting accounts of talks, as Iraq presses for larger OPEC quota amid war fallout
Conflicting statements from Washington and Tehran over high-level meetings in Qatar this week have thrown fresh uncertainty over the fragile US-Iran ceasefire, as Iraq demands a bigger OPEC production quota to offset war-driven economic losses.
- Jun 25
Colombia's conservative outsider de la Espriella confirmed as president after rival concedes
The national electoral authority finalized the official vote count on Wednesday, cementing Abelardo de la Espriella's victory over left-wing senator Iván Cepeda by less than one percentage point. Cepeda had conceded hours earlier, defusing weeks of tension.
- Jun 23
France records its hottest day ever as heatwave kills at least 40 and forces widespread closures
France experienced its hottest day since measurements began in 1947 on Tuesday, with the national thermal indicator hitting 29.8°C and local peaks reaching 44.3°C. The extreme heat has caused 40 drowning deaths and forced the closure of schools, tourist landmarks, and railway lines.
- Jun 16
Guterres visits Haiti amid desperate humanitarian crisis: 'Don't look away,' he urges world
António Guterres arrived in Port-au-Prince on a solidarity visit Tuesday, calling the humanitarian situation 'desperate' but noting 'faint glimmers of hope.' He urged the international community to stop ignoring the crisis.
- Jun 16
Oil prices tumble over 5% as US and Iran agree to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Brent crude falls below $83 a barrel and European gas slides after Washington and Tehran strike a peace accord that ends a three-month war and restores shipping through the world's critical oil chokepoint.
- Jun 15
Gang violence kills over 2,300 in Haiti this year as UN chief plans solidarity visit
UN High Commissioner Volker Türk reported to the Human Rights Council that at least 2,300 people have been killed, 1,100 injured, and 99 kidnapped since January in Haiti's spiraling gang crisis.
- Jun 14
US–Iran peace deal announced, Israeli airstrike delays electronic signing
Pakistan announced a US–Iran peace framework on Sunday, but an Israeli airstrike on Beirut suburbs threw the electronic signing into doubt, with Iran’s chief negotiator warning the diplomatic path was at risk.
- Jun 14
Trump clinches Iran peace framework, reopening Hormuz but nuclear deal elusive ahead of midterms
A Pakistani-mediated memorandum of understanding halts three months of hostilities and lifts the Strait of Hormuz blockade, yet the fate of Tehran’s atomic programme remains unresolved.
- Jun 14
Trump says peace deal with Iran to be signed Sunday as Israeli strikes continue in Lebanon
Donald Trump and a Pakistani mediator said a US-Iran agreement to end the Middle East war will be signed on Sunday, though Tehran has not confirmed the date and Iranian media report significant differences between the two sides' versions of the deal.
- Jun 13
NOAA confirms El Niño onset, sees 63% chance of Pacific warming exceeding 2°C and a very strong event this winter
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced the start of El Niño in the tropical Pacific, forecasting a 63% probability that sea surface temperatures will cross the 2°C threshold, qualifying it as a very strong event with global consequences.
- Jun 11
Japan declares start of El Niño as forecasters worldwide warn of strongest event in over a century
Japan's weather agency has made the first official declaration of El Niño's return, while other forecasters warn it could develop into the most powerful such event in over a century.
- Jun 10
First UN Secretary-General debate sees women candidates pledge reform and human rights
Four of five candidates to succeed UN Secretary-General António Guterres participated in an unprecedented debate in Geneva on Tuesday, calling for a revitalized organization that prioritizes human rights, peace, and development.
- Jun 3
Germany loses UN Security Council election for first time as Austria, Portugal win seats
Germany lost its bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the first time on Wednesday, as Austria and Portugal secured the two available seats for the Western Europe group in a single round of voting.
