- 4d ago
Turkey insists on sovereign equality for Turkish Cypriots as Guterres brokers new 5+1 meeting on Cyprus
After a trilateral meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Cypriot leaders, Ankara says no common ground exists for a settlement and only recognition of Turkish Cypriot 'sovereign equality' can yield a solution.
- Jul 27
UN chief calls for immediate lifting of all Syria sanctions after Damascus visit
Speaking in Damascus at the end of a two-day visit, António Guterres said all restrictions imposed under Bashar al-Assad must be removed to allow reconstruction.
- Jul 27
Syria's Al-Sharaa pushes for security deal with Israel without conceding Golan Heights claim
Ahmed al-Sharaa told Al Jazeera Syria is working with a group of states on a border security arrangement that he said could pave the way to broader peace, while UN chief António Guterres demanded Israel halt violations of the 1974 disengagement accord.
- Jul 25
Venezuela tells UN it will leave the ICC, accusing the court of 'geographical bias' against Africa and Latin America
Foreign Minister Félix Plasencia notified the UN on Friday of an 'irrevocable' decision to denounce the Rome Statute, acting on orders from interim President Delcy Rodríguez, whose government has moved closer to Washington after the US captured Nicolás Maduro in January.
- Jul 25
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres begins three-day Syria visit, first by a UN chief in 17 years
António Guterres arrived in Damascus on Saturday for a three-day trip aimed at supporting the country's political transition, more than a year after Islamist-led forces overthrew Bashar al-Assad.
- Jul 25
UN General Assembly renews human rights chief Türk for second term despite US, Russian and Israeli opposition
The 193-member UN General Assembly approved Volker Türk's second four-year term as High Commissioner for Human Rights by a vote of 144-10 with 13 abstentions, overcoming opposition from the United States, Russia and Israel.
- Jul 25
Venezuela formally notifies UN of withdrawal from International Criminal Court, citing 'geographical bias' against Latin America and Africa
Foreign Minister Félix Plasencia said the decision is 'firm and irrevocable,' and the withdrawal will take effect one year after notification under Article 127 of the Rome Statute.
- Jul 25
Iran launches drone attacks on Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait after 13th consecutive night of US strikes
Tehran claimed kamikaze drone strikes on fuel depots, hangars and barracks at US-linked facilities, while Saudi Arabia bombed Houthi-held Hodeida in Yemen.
- Jul 23
Trump weighs 'biggest yet' attack on Iran as oil tops $100 and Houthis strike Saudi tankers
The US president told Axios he is close to a decision on an attack larger than any in the nearly five-month war, while Brent crude passed $100 and Houthi rebels hit two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea.
- Jul 22
Trump wants FIFA president Gianni Infantino as next UN Secretary-General, New York Post reports
The US president sees the FIFA chief as a stronger candidate than the current field and believes his talent for bringing people together would serve the United Nations, the New York Post reported on Tuesday.
- Jul 13
EU appoints Raffaele Fitto as Special Representative for Cyprus to support UN reunification talks
The European Commission appointed Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto as its special representative for Cyprus on Monday, tasking him with supporting UN-led reunification efforts alongside envoy María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar.
- Jul 6
UN chief warns AI is developing faster than rules can keep up, urges global governance
Antonio Guterres told the first UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva that artificial intelligence is outpacing regulation, and called for harmonised global rules to protect children and prevent a 'vibe-coded' future.
- Jul 5
Trump hails 'good talks' with Iran as Oman floats Strait of Hormuz plan, but drone strikes test pause
A third day of calm between US and Iranian forces gave way to diplomatic maneuvering on Tuesday, as Oman presented a proposal for joint management of the Strait of Hormuz and President Trump warned that airstrikes would resume if talks fail.
- Jul 3
Tibetan activist dies after self-immolation outside UN headquarters in New York, protesting China's new ethnic unity law
Lobga Rangzen, a 52-year-old Uber driver and Tibetan activist, set himself on fire near the United Nations headquarters on Thursday evening, dying from his injuries. He was protesting China's newly enacted ethnic unity law, which critics say erodes minority rights.
- Jul 2
Bomb hidden in Damascus cafe kills nine, injures 20 in deadliest attack since church suicide bombing a year ago
An improvised explosive device planted in a busy central Damascus cafe exploded Thursday afternoon, killing at least nine people and wounding 20, Syrian authorities said.
- Jul 1
Russia kills at least 30 in massive missile and drone attack on Kyiv, deadliest strike on the capital this year
Russia launched 74 missiles and 496 drones at Kyiv overnight, killing at least 30 civilians and injuring nearly 100 in what the mayor called the most massive attack on the capital. Moscow said the barrage was retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure.
- Jun 30
Iran warns it is 'ready for war' if US diplomacy fails, demands compliance with June ceasefire
Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran prioritises dialogue but will not wait forever, accusing Washington of violating the June 17 memorandum of understanding.
- Jun 29
US and Iran send envoys to Doha despite conflicting accounts of talks, as Iraq presses for larger OPEC quota amid war fallout
Conflicting statements from Washington and Tehran over high-level meetings in Qatar this week have thrown fresh uncertainty over the fragile US-Iran ceasefire, as Iraq demands a bigger OPEC production quota to offset war-driven economic losses.
- Jun 25
Colombia's conservative outsider de la Espriella confirmed as president after rival concedes
The national electoral authority finalized the official vote count on Wednesday, cementing Abelardo de la Espriella's victory over left-wing senator Iván Cepeda by less than one percentage point. Cepeda had conceded hours earlier, defusing weeks of tension.
- Jun 23
France records its hottest day ever as heatwave kills at least 40 and forces widespread closures
France experienced its hottest day since measurements began in 1947 on Tuesday, with the national thermal indicator hitting 29.8°C and local peaks reaching 44.3°C. The extreme heat has caused 40 drowning deaths and forced the closure of schools, tourist landmarks, and railway lines.
