UN - Top Stories

1. Countries urged to ‘go further, faster’ and deliver on climate commitments

   The United Nations climate chief called on Monday for countries to step up action to implement existing commitments, warning that fossil fuel dependency is deepening economic instability and exposing vulnerable communities to worsening climate impacts. 

2. More than half of staff who died in service worked in Gaza, UN chief says at memorial

   From peacekeepers to math teachers, 136 UN personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2025 were commemorated on Monday morning in an annual service hosted by the Secretary-General.

3. Deadly quake strikes Philippines on first day of school year

   A powerful earthquake struck the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Monday morning just as millions of children were returning to school after the summer break.

4. Children are dying as US sanctions push Cuba to the brink, warns UN human rights chief

   Children are dying because doctors cannot access essential medicines, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said in a stark warning on Monday, calling for the immediate lifting of United States sanctions against the Caribbean nation that were causing “widespread harm”.

5. Why sustainable alternatives to plastic are struggling to compete

   Plastic pollution is choking the ocean, but sustainable alternatives - including seaweed - remain held back by tariffs, fragmented regulations and the overwhelming market advantage enjoyed by fossil fuel-based plastics.