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BRICS+ climate change indifference exposed at COP30
With Brazil currently playing host to the 12-day United Nations Climate Change event (COP30) at Belém, capital of the state of Pará, the very least it could expect from fellow BRICS+ members – since assuming presidency of the alliance in July – is some sort of united front on balancing climate and economic priorities. However, nothing could be further from the truth, with the expanded BRICS bloc displaying a wildly divergent range of interests, ranging from oil dynasties to coal-dependent economies to rainforest guardians.BRICS lacks alignmentWhile close to 200 countries gathered at the COP30 summit on Monday, notably absent were founding BRICS members, India and China, which suggests a growing lack of alignment within the renegade trading bloc that was initially established to take on the world and win. Making Brazil even more unpopular with its BRICS counterparts was the criticism President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva dished out to fellow members during the recent Rio BRICS Summit for not fulfilling their COP commitments. “I believe you can—and must—show the world that it is possible to create a new financing model,” Lula said at the recent event in Rio. “The so-called austerity demanded by financial institutions has
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Fossil fuels 'flailing and failing', UN chief declares
In a landmark speech at United Nations Headquarters in New York, Secretary-General António Guterres declared the fossil fuel era “flailing and failing,” urging world leaders to embrace what he called an “unstoppable” clean energy revolution. The address, delivered on 22 July, marked a pivotal moment in global climate diplomacy ahead of the COP30 summit in Brazil this November. Guterres cited dramatic cost declines in solar and wind energy, now 41% and 53% cheaper respectively than fossil fuel alternatives, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). In 2024, renewables accounted for 92.5% of all new electricity capacity added globally, with every continent installing more clean power than fossil fuels. “There are no price spikes for sunlight. No embargoes on wind,” Guterres said, referencing energyy price shocks triggered by Russia’s Ukraine invasion.. He warned that fossil fuel dependence exposes economies to geopolitical turmoil and undermines energy sovereignty. The Secretary-General has also condemned continued fossil fuel subsidies, which outpace those for renewables by a ratio of 9 to 1. In 2023, fossil fuel subsidies reached $620 billion globally, compared to just $70 billion for clean ene
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WHO suggests health taxes that will raise global revenue
The World Health Organisation has launched a major campaign set to raise public revenue by US$1 trillion globally over the next decade. The “3 by 35” initiative urges countries to raise prices and add extra taxes on tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks by at least 50% by 2035 to help curb chronic diseases and generate critical public revenue. WHO assitant director-general, health promotion and disease prevention, Dr Jeremy Farrar, said health taxes are the most effective tool they have. “They cut the consumption of harmful products and create revenue governments can reinvest in health care, education, and social protection,” he said. “It’s time to act.” According to a recent analysis, a one-time tax increase of 50% could generate US$3.7 trillion in new revenue globally within five years, or on average US$740 billion, which is equivalent to 0.75% of global GDP. Some governments have already implemented similar health taxes and are seeing financial benefits. An example is the tobacco excise tax in the Philippines, which led to an increase in revenue from US$1 billion in 20212 to $2.9 billion in 2022. According to the WHO, many countries have expressed interest in transitioning toward more self-reliant, domestic
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UN flags Iran's possible uranium enrichment push
United Nations nuclear watchdog head, Rafael Grossi said Iran could be producing enriched uranium in a few months, sparking speculation about how effective the United States' strikes to destroy Iran’s nuclear program have been. According to U.S. officials, their strikes obliterated key sites in Iran, and President Donald Trump said they would consider bombing Iran again if enriched uranium reached worrying levels. "The capacities they have are there. They can have, you know, in a matter of months, I would say, a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium, or less than that," Grossi told CBS News in an interview. This comes after Israel launched attacks on Iran earlier this month to prevent them from developing any nuclear weapons. The U.S. eventually joined the 12-day war, with Donald Trump bombing Iran and announcing a ceasefire. Grossi said that while the strikes significantly set back Iran’s ability to convert and enrich uranium, the country has gained plenty of knowledge, meaning that despite the bombings being a major setback, the advancements are permanent. "Iran is a very sophisticated country in terms of nuclear technology," Grossi said. "So you cannot disinvent this. You canno
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WHO Hub develops new tools for disease detection
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is working on new tools and innovative partnerships to protect the world from health threats like pandemics, including new early detection technology. WHO unveiled its latest early warning system at the hub called Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS), which scans online sources in real time and uses AI to identify public health threats more efficiently. Pathogen genomics, which analyses viruses and other pathogens' genetic material, has become a valuable tool to track and predict outbreaks. The Hub’s International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN) connects over 200 organisations around the world to expand this surveillance more equitably around the world, including through a US$4 million fund for low and middle-income countries. “As part of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence builds on proven surveillance approaches while continuously developing and integrating new, innovative methods for detecting and responding to health threats,” Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, said. To help decision makers better understand how to handle an emerging health emergency, the Hub has created a pla

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WHO cost-cutting measures amid funding, support drop-off
Following the United States pulling funding, The World Health Organisation (WHO) has begun rearranging its priorities and announced a one-year limit on staff contracts. The new plans, including cost-cutting, were announced in a memo to staff signed by WHO assistant director-general Raul Thomas. Senior WHO officials have begun prioritising work to make the global health agency sustainable over the past three weeks, according to the document. "While operating in an extremely fluid environment, WHO's senior management is working to navigate these shifting tides by undertaking a prioritisation process," the memo said. "Their work will ensure that every resource is directed toward the most pressing priorities while preserving WHO's ability to make a lasting impact." The document also outlines staff's work to secure additional funding from countries, private donors and philanthropists. The memo stopped short of announcing staff cuts but said that “given the magnitude of the challenges we face, some difficult decisions are unavoidable". The cuts are occurring mainly due to the U.S., which contributed around 18% of the WHO’s overall funding. The amount was estimated to be around US$1 billion annually. According to
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EJF finds N Korean forced labour in Indian Ocean: report
An investigation by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) uncovered a Chinese tuna fishing fleet in the Southwest Indian Ocean allegedly using North Korean forced labour between 2019 and 2024, likely violating United Nations sanctions. Crew members were reportedly subjected to severe abuses, including being confined at sea for up to a decade and involvement in illegal fishing activities. This investigation revealed the alleged presence of North Korean workers across 12 tuna longliners, bypassing legal frameworks meant to prevent such exploitation. North Korean labourers in China, numbering up to 100,000, have previously been documented in seafood processing plants exporting to the European Union and United States. However, this is the first time their presence has been identified on distant-water fishing vessels, the EJF report said. It said the workers faced extreme restrictions, such as being prohibited from leaving the vessels during port visits and not being allowed mobile phones. EJF also found evidence of shark finning, fishing for prohibited species, and physical and verbal abuse among the crew. EJF has called for urgent action from Flag states and Regional Fisheries Management Organisations to imp
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US' WHO exit sparks calls for Australia to follow suit
Right-wing populist political party One Nation wants Australia to follow United States President Donald Trump's lead and exit the World Health Organisation (WHO). In today’s statement, One Nation Party leader and senator, Pauline Hanson said, “I congratulate Mr. Trump for leading by example and putting his nation’s interests before all else. One Nation puts Australia and Australians first.” Trump announced on Monday the U.S. will leave the WHO, claiming the mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic is cause for the country’s exit. "World Health ripped us off, everybody rips off the United States. It's not going to happen anymore," said the newly inaugurated president. Trump signed the executive order - which legally begins the process of withdrawing the country - the same day as he took office for his second term. Since the pandemic in 2020, Trump has repeatedly urged that America withdraw their support. By leaving WHO, the U.S. will stop all contributions to the health agency's work and initiatives, which raises concerns as the country is currently the highest financial supporter of all member states. WHO has responded to the announcement by saying, “We hope the United States will reconsider and we look forwar
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Countries fail to agree on plastic pollution treaty
Countries negotiating a global treaty to curb plastic pollution have adjourned their fifth session after failing to reach an agreement. The fifth United Nationals Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) meeting in Bsan, South Korea was hoped to produce a legally binding global treaty. Of the 170 nations, more than 100 of them advocated for a cap on plastic production but a handful of oil-producing countries were only willing to target waste. Although an official agreement was not reached, executive director of the UN Environment Programme (UNE), Inger Anderson said the sessions in Busan brought them closer to developing a treaty that will protect our health, environment and future from the onslaught of plastic pollution. “This week’s meeting has made good progress towards securing the deal the world demands,” Anderson said. “Through the Busan talks, negotiators have reached a greater degree of convergence on the structure and elements of the treaty text, as well as a better understanding of country positions and shared challenges. “But it is clear there is persisting divergence in critical areas and more time is needed for these areas to be addressed." Following the end of INC-5, the Committee is expec