UNICEF warns funding gaps are narrowing services for children
UNICEF is seeking $7.66 billion for 2026 as funding shortfalls force harder choices over child protection, health, education and family support.
World
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U.N. Secretary-General Race Enters More Open Phase After July Nomination
Uganda’s July 24 nomination of Olara Otunnu expanded the U.N. secretary-general field to seven candidates as Security Council consideration moves forward.
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OPEC+ keeps a cautious hand on output as Hormuz risks cloud oil market
OPEC+ approved a 188,000-barrel-per-day September adjustment, but constrained Hormuz shipping keeps crude and refined-fuel markets exposed to disruption.
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Colombia Displays 1,194 Repatriated Archaeological Objects
A Bogotá exhibition shows much of Colombia’s 1,194 repatriated archaeological objects and highlights the legal, diplomatic and stewardship work still ahead.
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China’s Scarborough Shoal drills test ASEAN diplomacy
China’s August 1 drills and reserve rules near Scarborough Shoal add pressure to the Philippines dispute and test ASEAN’s 2026 risk-reduction goals.
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UEFA’s FIFA boycott warning was conditional, not an executed withdrawal
UEFA’s July 30 warning did not remove European teams from a FIFA event, but it helped expose a governance dispute that continued after FIFA withdrew its plan.
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Pakistan rejects Amnesty probe call over Kabul rehab-center strike
Pakistan rejected Amnesty’s call for an independent probe into a March 16 Kabul strike. UNAMA verified at least 269 civilian deaths and 122 injuries.
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China’s Growth Slowed in Q2 as Trade and Tech Offset Domestic Weakness
China’s economy grew 4.7% in the first half of 2026, but a 4.3% second-quarter pace, weak property investment and soft retail demand reveal an uneven recovery.
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Why the Israel-Lebanon Talks Stalled Over Southern Lebanon’s Next Steps
Rome talks ended without agreement on withdrawal, Lebanese army deployment or Hezbollah verification, while UNIFIL’s 2026 deadline raises pressure.
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Daniel Kinahan extradited to Ireland to face organized-crime charge
Daniel Kinahan was extradited from Dubai to Ireland, charged in Dublin and remanded in custody as an alleged transnational crime figure.
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Ukraine’s Patriot shortage raises civilian risks after new Russian strikes
Reported deaths in Sumy follow attacks across Ukraine as a UN monitoring report documents rising civilian casualties and a widening air-defense challenge.
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NATO’s counter-drone exercise tests Europe’s air-defense gaps
NATO’s Baltic Trust exercise in Riga ended August 14 after testing allied counter-drone coordination, but public evidence does not yet show whether key gaps were closed.
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HRW Reports Six Afghan Rights Workers Detained; U.N. Holds Two
Human Rights Watch reports six Kabul rights workers detained, while the U.N. confirms two Afghan mission staffers are held in Herat without disclosed charges.
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APEC Sets Voluntary AI and Digital Security Agenda in Chengdu
APEC’s July 23 Chengdu Statement links AI security, connectivity, privacy, scam prevention and digital skills, but creates no binding regional rules.
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Stronger El Niño Forecast Raises Crop and Food-Security Risks
NOAA says El Niño is strengthening toward a potentially very strong 2026-27 event, prompting early plans to protect crops, livestock, water and food access.
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Brazil court backs state limits on Amazon soy moratorium
Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court upheld state laws limiting benefits for soy-moratorium participants while affirming the pact’s constitutionality and global supply-chain stakes.
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Canada’s Housing Relief Is Growing as Construction Slows
Canada’s rents and home prices are easing, but weaker housing starts could bring back shortages if demand recovers before builders return.
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Afghan Returns Pass 1 Million as U.N. Plans for More Arrivals
More than 1 million returns to Afghanistan were recorded by August 1, while a U.N. plan prepares for nearly 2.7 million additional arrivals through December.
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UN assessment puts affordable housing at the center of urban inequality
The UN says 1.16 billion urban residents lived in slums or informal settlements in 2024, linking housing to transport, services, jobs and resilience.
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U.S. Extends Jones Act Waiver for Selected Cargoes
A 90-day extension lets qualifying foreign-flagged ships move selected fuel, fertilizer and agricultural cargoes between U.S. ports from Aug. 17.
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US-Iran Talks Stall as Hormuz Dispute Widens Mediation Effort
U.S.-Iran talks have stalled over how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while expanded outreach to Europe adds pressure to Oman-led diplomacy.
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Brazil opens reciprocity process after new U.S. tariffs
Brazil has opened a formal reciprocity process after new U.S. tariffs, but no counter-tariffs are in force as consultations with Washington begin.