This article is published in association with United Nations. Nearly 50 million more people in highly vulnerable communities globally are set to be pushed into acute hunger because of the strengthening El Niño weather phenomenon, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Wednesday. In response, the agency and partners are boosting efforts in eight countries […]Strengthening El Niño to push 49 million more people into acute hunger
August 6, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. Nearly 50 million more people in highly vulnerable communities globally are set to be pushed into acute hunger because of the strengthening El Niño weather phenomenon, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Wednesday. In response, the agency and partners are boosting efforts in eight countries […]Sharp spike in executions, death sentences in Iran
August 6, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN rights chief expressed alarm on Wednesday over the sharp increase in executions and death sentences in Iran since the US-Israeli bombing campaign began in late February, warning that capital punishment is being used to intimidate the population and suppress dissent. “I am alarmed by the […]World News in Brief: Cambodia human rights, Hormuz invasive species risk, IOM lauds 2025 progress
August 6, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. Concluding his first official visit to Cambodia, UN independent human rights expert Tom Andrews said he was encouraged by the government’s cooperation but remained concerned about key human rights issues such as the lack of freedom of expression. Although Mr. Andrews was able to meet freely with […]UN reports deadly month for Ukrainian civilians as Russian attacks intensify
August 6, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. Russian forces hammered Ukraine with ballistic missiles and long-range drones overnight on Tuesday, killing at least 17 civilians – mainly around Kyiv – and injuring another 44, the UN human rights office in Ukraine reported. The latest Russian attacks mark an increasingly deadly escalation in the ongoing war, […]Commission opens in-depth State aid investigation into arbitration award ordering Spain to pay compensation to JGC Holdings Corporation
August 5, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation to assess whether an arbitration award ordering Spain to pay compensation to JGC Holdings Corporation (‘JGC’) for changes to a renewable electricity support measure is in line with EU State aid rules. The Commission’s investigation In […]EU receives €1.4 billion in revenue from immobilised Russian assets to be used for supporting Ukraine
August 5, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. On 3rd of August, the European Union received €1.4 billion in windfall profits generated by the interest on the cash balances originating from immobilised assets of the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) held by Central Securities Depositories (CSDs). The receipt of this amount marks the fifth transfer […]‘A playground, a beach, a home’: UNICEF demands end to child deaths in Russia-Ukraine war
August 5, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, with both sides stepping up airstrikes and drone attacks in recent weeks deep inside each other’s territory, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) appealed on Tuesday for greater protection for the war’s youngest victims. “Over the past several days, children have again […]In Somalia, AI is helping deliver food to hungry families
August 4, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Although the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) cannot reach all 6 million Somalis facing hunger, data collected by its partners and analysed through AI tools in its hunger-tracking platform HungerMap Live help the agency position resources in specific areas before conditions deteriorate. Somalia faces climate change-induced […]Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, and Slovenia receive more than €1.86 billion under NextGenerationEU
August 4, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has disbursed today more than €1.86 billion to Belgium, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Denmark under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU. These payments reflect the successful fulfilment of key milestones and targets linked to reforms and investments set out in the four Member States’ national recovery and […]Commission opens in-depth State aid investigation into arbitration award ordering Spain to pay compensation to JGC Holdings Corporation
August 4, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation to assess whether an arbitration award ordering Spain to pay compensation to JGC Holdings Corporation (‘JGC’) for changes to a renewable electricity support measure is in line with EU State aid rules. The Commission’s investigation In […]Scaleup Europe Fund to start making investments
August 4, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission completed the final legal steps to establish the Scaleup Europe Fund, which will start boosting Europe’s scaleup companies to grow faster and compete globally with a target of €5 billion. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “When Europe invests in its innovators, Europe invests in its future. This […]Commission sends Statement of Grounds to Temu over possible obstruction of inspection under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation
August 4, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has sent a Statement of Grounds to Temu’s owner PDD Holdings Inc. (‘PDD’) and its subsidiary WhaleCo Technology Limited (‘Whaleco’), outlining concerns that they may have obstructed an inspection at WhaleCo’s premises in Ireland. The Statement of Grounds follows an unannounced inspection under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (‘FSR’), carried […]Commission starts enforcing AI Act rules and new transparency requirements on 2 August
August 4, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. From 2 August 2026, the European Commission’s AI Office, together with national authorities, will begin enforcing the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act. On the same date, new transparency rules will start to apply, requiring certain AI systems to tell users when they are interacting with AI […]Drone strikes threaten civilians and aid operations in Sudan
August 4, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. Drone strikes are posing deadly risks to civilians in Sudan and hampering humanitarian efforts to reach them as attacks continue to affect conflict-hit areas, the UN aid coordination office OCHA said on Monday. The warning came a day after a deadly reported strike in the village of Ghara al […]Recovery in Ukraine, one life at a time
August 3, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. In classrooms, maternity wards, hospital corridors and local communities across Ukraine, people are rebuilding their lives despite the ongoing war. In the frontline village of Bezruky which sits in the Kharkiv region – just half an hour’s drive from the Russian border – the local school took […]The climate pattern putting millions at risk: El Niño explained
July 31, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. El Niño is putting millions of lives at risk in eastern and southern Africa but the UN is ensuring that communities are better prepared to deal with its impact. The story from a human perspective A farmer in Zambia who hasn’t seen a maize harvest. A mother […]European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee delegation concludes mission to China
July 31, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. In Beijing and Shanghai, MEPs discussed the geopolitical implications of EU-China ties, while reaffirming the EU’s principled stance and commitment to dialogue. A delegation of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, led by its Chair David McAllister, concluded a three-day mission to China […]Commission greenlights Belgium’s fifth payment request for €225 million under NextGenerationEU
July 31, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission positively assessed Belgium’s fifth payment request for €225 million under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU. This is an important step in the delivery of the reforms and investments tied to this payment request, in the areas of clean and digital transition, […]Commission seeks feedback on proposed amendments to regional State aid guidelines
July 31, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has launched a public consultation inviting all interested parties to comment on its proposal to amend the Guidelines on regional State aid to keep them up-to-date. The proposed amendments The guidelines set out the legal framework governing the granting of State aid for regional development […]Commission endorses Malta’s €60 million Social Climate Plan to support vulnerable households and small companies in the clean transition
July 31, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has today endorsed Malta’s Social Climate Plan – the fourth national plan adopted under the Social Climate Fund using revenues from carbon pricing to ensure a fair and inclusive clean transition. Malta’s plan will mobilise €60.6 million until 2032, including €45.4 million from the European Union. The Social Climate […]Japan officially joins Horizon Europe
July 31, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. As of today, Japan is officially associated to Horizon Europe. Home to 123 million people, Japan is the most populous country associated to the programme, adding one of the world’s most advanced research and innovation ecosystems to Europe’s network of scientific cooperation. The agreement allows […]Commission disburses another €3.47 billion to Ukraine for drones, missiles, air defence and fighter jets
July 31, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has today disbursed €3.47 billion to Ukraine, under the defence window of the €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan. The funding is provided in response to Ukraine’s urgent military needs, as it continues to require capability support to defend itself against Russia’s war […]EU launches AI Gigafactories call to boost Europe’s computing capacity and unlock more than €30 billion in investment
July 31, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The EU today launched a call for tenders to establish up to seven AI Gigafactories across Europe, as part of its latest major push to accelerate Europe’s technological sovereignty and ambition of becoming the AI Continent. Led by industry and supported by up to €10 […]Wildfires: Prevention is the best defence, UN says
July 31, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. The wildfires burning across Europe and North America highlight the urgent need for action now – as climate change, land-use pressures and human activity make severe fires more likely in the future. The warning comes from the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) which said that more than 434,000 hectares […]Middle East crisis: Humanitarian fallout ‘worsening by the day’
July 31, 2026 by Leave a Comment
The humanitarian toll is mounting as fighting continues in the Middle East beyond strikes and counterstrikes between the US and Iran, the UN aid coordination office OCHA warned on Thursday, with civilians increasingly at risk and essential infrastructure disrupted in several countries across the region. “The humanitarian consequences of the Middle East escalation are worsening […]Commission seeks feedback on proposed amendments to regional State aid guidelines
July 30, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has launched a public consultation inviting all interested parties to comment on its proposal to amend the Guidelines on regional State aid to keep them up-to-date. The proposed amendments The guidelines set out the legal framework governing the granting of State […]Commission endorses Malta’s €60 million Social Climate Plan to support vulnerable households and small companies in the clean transition
July 30, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has today endorsed Malta’s Social Climate Plan – the fourth national plan adopted under the Social Climate Fund using revenues from carbon pricing to ensure a fair and inclusive clean transition. Malta’s plan will mobilise €60.6 million until 2032, including €45.4 million […]Forced online scams: IOM warns trafficking networks are booming
July 30, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. A job advert can hide a criminal network, and a single click can lead to a nightmare. Hundreds of thousands of people are trafficked every year on the promise of legitimate work abroad, only to be held captive and forced into online scam operations. The UN International […]Climate alarm ‘blaring from every direction’
July 29, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. Climate-driven disasters are reaching “nightmare proportions” due to humanity’s “addiction” to fossil fuels, a top UN official warned on Tuesday. “The climate alarm is blaring from every direction,” said UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell in a statement. “With the mercury set to soar again this […]Commission proposes more than €410,000 from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund to support dismissed car industry workers in Finland
July 28, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has proposed to mobilise €410,310 from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) to support 235 workers dismissed by Valmet Automotive in Finland. Valmet Automotive is a contract manufacturer for the car industry, dependent on fixed-term contracts with major […]Commission approves €149 million Swedish State aid for agricultural, fishing and aquaculture companies facing increased fuel and fertiliser prices
July 28, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has approved a €149 million (SEK 1.6 billion) State aid scheme for agricultural, fishing and aquaculture companies facing increased fuel and fertiliser prices due to the Middle East crisis. The scheme was approved under the Middle East Crisis Temporary State Aid Framework […]Commission preliminary finds TikTok in breach of Digital Services Act for failing to ensure safe accounts for minors
July 28, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission sent TikTok preliminary findings indicating that TikTok accounts of minors do not meet the safety standards required under the Digital Services Act (DSA). On TikTok, minors can choose to set their account as ‘public’. This means that any user, including […]EU adopts 21st package of sanctions against Russia
July 28, 2026 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission welcomes the adoption by EU Member States of the 21st package of sanctions against Russia. The package further restricts Russia’s ability to fund its illegal war and to carry out attacks on Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure. Russia’s economy is […]
