UN Agencies Report 2.1 Billion People Faced Food Insecurity in 2025
A new five-agency UN report finds modest global progress on hunger, but says affordability and regional disparities continue to block progress toward 2030 goals.
World
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43 Mediterranean Countries Begin Work on the Region’s First Climate Action Plan
The Union for the Mediterranean launched development of a regional climate action plan on July 1, focused on adaptation, resilience, finance and natural-resource management.
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European Commission Issues New EU Guidance on State Aid for Social and Affordable Housing
The European Commission published guidance on July 27, 2026, explaining how EU member states can support social and affordable housing within state-aid rules. The Commission also registered a citizens’ initiative calling for housing that is affordable, sustainable and fair.
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UNESCO Completes Final Regional Youth Consultations on Education Beyond 2030
UNESCO has completed the final listed regional sessions in a youth consultation process intended to shape an international education agenda beyond 2030.
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IEA Forecasts Global Gas-Demand Decline After Hormuz LNG Shock
The International Energy Agency says the Middle East conflict disrupted a route that previously carried almost one-fifth of global LNG supply, pushing up prices and delaying an expected easing of gas markets.
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UNESCO Launches Emergency Preservation Project for Odesa Museum’s 160,000 Ukrainian Artefacts
UNESCO has launched a project to protect the Odesa Archaeological Museum’s collection after missile-strike shockwaves damaged the building in July 2023.
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Venezuela Reports 3,811 Dead From June 24 Earthquakes as Delcy Rodríguez Seeks Sanctions Relief
Venezuelan authorities said 3,811 people had died and 16,740 were injured by July 8 after twin earthquakes struck the country on June 24. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez called for access to blocked overseas assets to help pay for reconstruction.
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ASEAN Says China Talks on South China Sea Code Are Advancing Toward 2026 Target
ASEAN foreign ministers said negotiations with China on a South China Sea code of conduct had made progress and were being targeted for completion by the end of 2026, days after a new maritime dispute between China and the Philippines.
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Iran and Oman Report Progress Toward Strait of Hormuz Reopening Deal Amid Regional Conflict
Iran and Oman said talks were advancing toward an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a provisional development with major implications for global energy shipments.
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Italy Seeks Supply-Chain Records From Nine Luxury Brands in Labor Probe
Italian police visited the headquarters of nine luxury-fashion companies on July 16 as prosecutors examined alleged worker exploitation by subcontractors. Chanel said it was cooperating and had begun ending the relevant subcontractor relationship after a May 18 alert.
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UN Climate Chief Simon Stiell Warns Escalating Disasters Are Straining Lives and Economies
UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell warned July 28 that increasingly frequent, intense and costly heatwaves, floods and storms are putting lives and economies worldwide at risk.
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Israel Rejects Gaza Disarmament Proposal After Aug. 3 Netanyahu Meeting
Israel rejected a Gaza disarmament proposal discussed by a Board of Peace envoy and Hamas, while Egypt, Qatar and Turkey condemned recent Israeli strikes on health-care facilities and medical infrastructure.
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Iran and Oman Advance Proposed Deal to Reopen Strait of Hormuz
Iran and Oman made progress toward a proposed arrangement for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, but the route, fees and final agreement status remained unresolved.
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U.K. Clears Paramount’s Warner Bros. Discovery Deal as U.S. Antitrust Fight Continues
The U.K. has cleared Paramount’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, but the deal remains tied up in a U.S. antitrust case with a trial set for March 2027.
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Drone Explodes in Bulgaria Near Trans-Balkan Gas Pipeline After Entering From Romania
An unidentified drone entered Bulgarian airspace from the direction of Romania and exploded near Kardam, about one kilometer from a compressor station on the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline.
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WHO Reports Bundibugyo Ebola Increase in Congo as Uganda Tracks Cross-Border Cases
The World Health Organization said confirmed Bundibugyo Ebola cases and deaths had increased substantially in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while Uganda reported two confirmed cases in Kampala in May.
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UN Food Agencies Warn on July 21 That Conflict and Climate Shocks Threaten Hunger Gains
Global hunger has eased for a third straight year, but a new UN report warns that conflict, food-price pressures, extreme weather and aid cuts could reverse progress.
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UN-Habitat Puts Housing at the Center of Its 2026 Global Cities Assessment
UN-Habitat’s 2026 reports identify housing affordability and inadequate homes as central global urban challenges, with demand projected to reach 167 million additional homes by 2040.
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UN Says Aid Access and Public Health Conditions Continue to Worsen in Gaza
The United Nations says insecurity, Israeli access restrictions and funding shortages are limiting humanitarian operations in Gaza, with access especially difficult near the Yellow Line and more than 18,000 new reported cases of several infectious and skin conditions during the cited week.
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UNESCO Warns Global Education Aid Could Fall 30% by 2027 as Debt Costs Rise
UNESCO says education aid fell in 2024 and could decline by up to 30% by 2027, while debt payments exceed education spending in 113 countries.
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EU Entry/Exit System Registers More Than 145 Million Crossings Since April 10 Launch
The European Commission says the EU’s biometric Entry/Exit System has recorded more than 145 million entries and exits since becoming fully operational across the Schengen area on April 10, 2026.
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Pakistan Requires Approval for Foreign Reporting Outside Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi
Pakistan’s new Foreign Media Facilitation Guidelines formalize registration and accreditation for foreign journalists and require prior government approval for reporting outside three major cities.