Europe boosts defense spending as E.U.-U.K. coordination lags behind The European Parliament's president advised taking the 'emotion' out of talks and focusing on practical cooperation.

Europe is ramping up defense spending, but E.U.-U.K. coordination isn't keeping up. www.aretenews.com/eu-uk-coordi...

U.S. senators split over U.N. reform through budget cuts and nationalism Senators agreed the U.N. needs revamping to align with American interests but diverged over precisely how to do that.

U.S. senators are split over how to approach U.N. reform — pressure vs. engagement. The divide reflects a deeper question: does an “America First” approach strengthen U.S. leverage, or weaken its influence inside global institutions?
www.aretenews.com/us-senators-...

Global growth downgraded as IMF warns war shocks energy markets War-driven supply shock and Strait of Hormuz disruption force downward revisions even in best-case scenarios.

IMF cuts global growth outlook as Iran war disrupts oil supply and drives volatility. Even the best-case scenario now means slower growth, with energy shock from Strait of Hormuz ripple effects shaping the global economy. www.aretenews.com/imf-report-g...

In Ukraine’s fourth year of war, Latvia debates future of conscription Volunteer numbers are at a record high amid fears Latvia might be Russia's next target, but the draft is controversial.

As security concerns deepen in Europe, new reporting examines how volunteer enlistment has surged since Latvia's reintroduction of conscription, even as debate continues over the costs and consequences of mandatory service. Read more: www.aretenews.com/latvia-debat...

Global science does not run on technology alone. After decades at CERN, physicist Archana Sharma argues that large-scale scientific collaboration depends just as much on trust, credibility and long-term coordination.

Security disputes and U.N. efforts raise pressure for global AI rules Leaders, multilateral initiatives and defense conflicts all point to the widening gap between capability and governance.

AI governance pressure is building. A new call by The Elders highlights a widening gap between AI capability and oversight.

Latvia’s shift to Latvian-only schools isn’t just an education policy. In border regions, Russian-speaking students are struggling to adapt. From Latvia, with on-the-ground reporting by Yuqing Liu of Northwestern University Medill School:
www.aretenews.com/latvia-langu...

Amid questions over Venezuela's future, activists seek democracy Hope remains within Venezuela and its diaspora community including those who have not been able to return in years.

Venezuela's future is uncertain after the removal of Nicolás Maduro. Activists say the path to democracy may be longer and more complicated than expected. In a report by Isabel Papp, activists, lawyers and diaspora leaders describe a moment of relief and caution.

Women's commission opens annual session amid pushback on equality Global ministers, activists and diplomats gather in New York as new figures show representation advancing only slowly.

The U.N. Commission on the Status of Women opened its annual session as new data shows progress on women’s political representation slowing worldwide. Women hold 27.5% of parliamentary seats globally, a modest increase from last year and one of the slowest rates of improvement in nearly a decade.

War on Iran tests foundations of international law as conflict widens Organizations warn the U.S. and Israeli strikes raise questions over the use of force, civilian protections and nuclear safety.

Humanitarian agencies and international organizations are warning that the widening war involving the United States, Israel and Iran raises serious concerns under international law. New from Arete News:

What can science do and not do in policymaking? In an interview, Sir Peter Gluckman, president of the International Science Council, argues that one of the biggest myths in science advice is that evidence determines political decisions.

Artificial intelligence governance moved from conference rooms to confrontation this week. The clash raises a deeper question: Who sets the limits on military AI — governments, companies, or multilateral institutions? www.aretenews.com/us-ai-showdo...

U.N. holds emergency session on Iran as Khamenei is reported killed 'We are witnessing a grave threat to international peace and security,' the U.N. chief told the U.N. Security Council.

The U.N. Security Council convened in emergency session tonight after Iran formally invoked Article 51 of the U.N. Charter following coordinated U.S.–Israeli strikes. As diplomats gathered, President Trump declared Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei “is dead.”

U.S.–Israel strikes upend nuclear talks as U.S. takes U.N. council helm The strikes on Iran came just after a third round of talks and just before the monthly U.N. Security Council presidency.

U.S.–Israel strikes on Iran have thrown Vienna nuclear talks into doubt — just hours before the U.S. takes over the rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council. Only a day earlier, Oman’s FM said a deal was “within our reach."

U.N. report details global trafficking into cyber-scam compounds Hundreds of thousands forced into online fraud operations marked by violence, surveillance and coercion.

Human trafficking is rapidly converging with cybercrime. A new U.N. human rights report finds at least 300,000 people from 66 countries have been coerced into operating online scam schemes — often after traveling abroad for what they believed were legitimate jobs. www.aretenews.com/global-onlin...

IMF executive board will consider a new $8.2B program for Ukraine The program aims to help finance critical spending, maintain financial stability and unlock additional external support.

IMF prepares to review a new multi-year Ukraine program but approval depends as much on domestic politics as economics. Kyiv completed required reforms, yet contested tax measures still face uncertain votes. The decision ties into wider Western financing commitments. By Dasha Dubinina in Washington:

Chilean diplomat Julio Cordano wins chair of U.N. plastics treaty talks Procedural vote resets leadership of stalled negotiations as global pressure builds for more substantive progress.

U.N. plastics treaty talks have a new chair. Chilean diplomat Julio Cordano was elected to lead negotiations after months of procedural deadlock, restoring continuity — but not yet substance — to talks on a global plastics treaty. Whether this reset leads to real progress remains an open question.

Global plastics treaty talks regroup in Geneva after stalled negotiations A brief procedural session aims to reset leadership and process after divisions derailed talks last year.

Global plastics treaty talks regroup in Geneva this weekend — not to reopen text, but to reset leadership and process after last year’s breakdown. A one-day U.N. session will shape whether negotiations regain momentum in 2026, amid unresolved divides over production limits, chemicals, and financing.

U.N. alarmed by escalation in Venezuela after U.S. military action The action raised urgent questions on international law and regional stability as Venezuela turned to the U.N. in protest.

U.N. officials were deeply alarmed at U.S. military action in Venezuela, warning of potentially serious implications for international law, human rights, and regional stability. www.aretenews.com/un-eu-venezu...

Famine declared in Gaza as U.N. humanitarian chief pleads for access U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher delivered a scathing condemnation of Israel's role in 'a preventable famine.'

Famine is confirmed for the first time in #Gaza. Global food security body @theipcinfo.bsky.social determined famine, or IPC Phase 5, is taking place, based on "irrefutable testimony" from the region. U.N. officials said it is "entirely man-made" and can be halted.
www.aretenews.com/famine-decla...

Advocates see human rights path forward for stalled plastic treaty Leaders argue any successful treaty must be built on partnership with and respect for Indigenous communities.

For Indigenous leaders, the outcome of the #GlobalPlasticsTreaty talks in Geneva was more than a diplomatic failure; it repeated a painful history of exclusion. They argued any such treaty must respect Indigenous communities. #PlasticPollution #HumanRights @unep.org
www.aretenews.com/human-rights...

Global talks on plastic pollution collapse without clear path forward After chaotic negotiations, the U.N. talks went into overtime but failed to overcome a stalemate on plastic production.

A pre-dawn marathon of negotiations in #Geneva over a landmark global treaty to rein in #plasticpollution collapsed, with profound and persistent divisions still in place.

www.aretenews.com/global-plast...

U.N. top court rules a healthy environment is a human right The court's advisory opinion stems from a sustained campaign led by Vanuatu and supported by 130 U.N. member nations.

In a major move for climate governance, the International Court of Justice delivered its long-awaited advisory opinion saying all of international law applies to national climate obligations.

#ClimateJustice #ClimateAccountability #InternationalLaw #ICJ #LossAndDamage #ParisAgreement

Amid tariff threats, ASEAN secures nuclear zone pledge from China Southeast Asian leaders face new U.S. tariff threats, gain nuclear zone promise from China in shifting global dynamic.

Southeast Asian nations wrapped up their annual foreign ministers' meetings by marking a significant diplomatic stride on nuclear disarmament, even as the specter of new U.S. trade tariffs cast a shadow over their economic future.

Rethinking refugee narrative and history from voices in the archives Beyond official narratives and statistics are the complex realities and unexpected agency of displaced populations.

Delivering the @royalhistsoc.org 2025 Prothero Lecture in London, acclaimed British historian and author @pwgatrell.bsky.social shared the importance of hearing and critically interpreting the voices of refugees found among @unhcr.org archival records. #displacement www.aretenews.com/rethinking-r...

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NATO's Latvian front expands drive for conscripts with growing support The military draft now looms over young Latvians to bolster NATO-allied defenses, but many have started to embrace it.

Although the draft now looms over young Latvians, many have started to embrace it as just another part of being Latvian.

UN chief: Structural reform in the works, but members need to pay up A major financial squeeze is hitting the embattled U.N., which is owed $5.1 billion for its regular and peacekeeping budgets.

Addressing the future of the United Nations, Secretary-General António Guterres warned these "are times of peril" as he called for major structural reform to keep the financially strapped organization functioning and relevant.

As Latvia defends border, Ukraine peace talks test strength of NATO On a hike with reporters in a snow-covered pine forest, a Latvian colonel pointed to a border array of tank deterrents.

Latvian National Armed Forces welcome the scaling up of NATO's Latvian battlegroup, but stress that Latvia plans to expand its own defenses, too, especially as Russia inches towards Europe.

U.S. to eliminate conflict response, war crimes investigation programs Proposed targets include cutting efforts key to International Criminal Court cases from Russia's war in Ukraine.

The U.S. State Department has announced a major reorganization plan that would eliminate its ability to document alleged war crimes in Ukraine and Russia.