United Nations
🇺🇸 Biden and Trump held a cordial White House meeting, discussing Ukraine and the Middle East. Biden pledged support for Ukraine’s security, while Trump committed to ending the Russia-Ukraine war “quickly.” Despite past tension, both leaders vowed a smooth transition ahead of January.
🇺🇸 President-elect Trump has nominated Rep. Elise Stefanik as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Known as a strong Trump ally, Stefanik will likely support his “America First” agenda. Her appointment could signal reduced U.S. engagement at the U.N., raising concerns about China’s influence.
🇦🇫 Taliban officials will attend COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, marking their first major UN climate conference since taking power in 2021. While not recognized as Afghanistan’s legitimate government, they were invited as observers facing severe climate impacts, allowing limited participation.
🇮🇷 With Trump set to return, IAEA’s Grossi is preparing a critical visit to Iran, aiming to address unresolved nuclear issues as Tehran edges closer to bomb-grade uranium enrichment. Iran’s stance and regional tensions may challenge diplomacy, with European leaders keen to revive talks.
🇱🇧 Israeli commandos raid Lebanon’s Batroun, capturing alleged senior Hezbollah operative in dramatic pre-dawn operation. PM Mikati demands UN action as CCTV footage shows armed forces leading away Lebanese citizen Imad Amhaz.
🇺🇸 US reveals intel showing 8,000 North Korean troops stationed in Russia’s Kursk region - Moscow silent on direct question at UN, while US and China clash over Beijing’s alleged support for Russia’s subpar defense industry.
🇧🇩 UN rights chief demands justice for 1,000+ deaths in Bangladesh’s violent protests that toppled PM Hasina in August. Nobel laureate Yunus now leads interim govt while investigations into minority attacks continue - a nation seeking healing.
🇦🇷 President Milei abruptly fires Foreign Minister Diana Mondino and replaces her with US Ambassador Gerardo Werthein after Argentina votes to lift Cuba embargo at UN - move shows Milei’s strict stance on foreign policy alignment with Western powers.
🇷🇺 Russia’s UN envoy Nebenzia brazenly “defends” military cooperation with North Korea at Security Council meeting, claiming interactions don’t violate international law despite global concern over growing alliance.
🇲🇲 UN envoy Julie Bishop reveals unprecedented meeting with Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing amid worsening civil war that’s displaced 3.1M. Calls for end to violence as she maintains dialogue with all sides, including detained leader Suu Kyi’s party.
🇨🇳 Chinese hackers infiltrated US telecom networks to spy on high-profile targets: Trump family members, Biden officials, and top Democrats including Chuck Schumer exposed. “Salt Typhoon” group gained access to sensitive federal wiretapping systems.
🇸🇩 UN chief Guterres warns of “nightmare” ethnic violence in Sudan with RSF killing 124 in latest massacre, but says conditions aren’t right for UN peacekeeping force as half the population needs aid and 11M displaced in world’s largest refugee crisis.
🇺🇦 Zelenskiy rejects UN Secretary-General Guterres’s Kyiv visit after his appearance with Putin at Russia’s BRICS summit. Ukraine calls Guterres’s decision a betrayal of UN values, casting doubt on the UN’s neutrality as the war’s toll mounts.
🇮🇱 Israeli military kills Hamas commander Mohammad Abu Itiwi, who worked for UNRWA since 2022, sparking fresh tensions over UN agency’s staff links to militants. UNRWA confirms death, says Israel failed to respond to July inquiry about 100 alleged Hamas-linked employees.
🇺🇳 New UN climate report paints a stark reality: Earth faces 3.1°C warming by 2100 under current policies—more than double the Paris Agreement target. Global emissions hit 57.1 gigatonnes in 2023, demanding urgent 42% cut by 2030 to avoid catastrophic climate impacts.
🇺🇸 U.S. Envoy Amos Hochstein warns Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah has spiraled “out of control,” urging the enforcement of U.N. Resolution 1701 to deescalate the crisis. With Israel’s offensive deepening the humanitarian disaster, Lebanon’s future hinges on diplomacy, not warfare.
🇪🇹 While millions faced starvation in Ethiopia, U.S. food aid was stolen, diverted to black markets, and fed armies instead of the needy. The UN’s World Food Program failed to act on early warnings, complicit in its silence, as thousands of tons of grain vanished.
🇸🇩 As Sudan’s civil war deepens, millions teeter on the brink of starvation, trapped between two warring factions using food as a weapon. The UN, tied down by a weak global system and fearful of expulsion, struggles to deliver aid to those most in need.