UN - Top Stories

1. Central African Republic: ‘3R’ combatants in the northwest lay down their arms

   As the disarmament team approached, combatants from the Retour, Réclamation et Réhabilitation (3R) armed group stood in two orderly lines expectantly, youthful faces and greying heads alike. 

2. Security Council renews Haiti sanctions

   The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Friday that renews sanctions in Haiti for another year as armed gangs continue to terrorize the population. 

3. Talks on net zero shipping framework shelved as nations fail to reach consensus

   Talks at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on adopting new global rules to cut greenhouse gas emissions from ships ended Friday without agreement, as delegates voted to defer a decision for 12 months amid sharp divisions over the proposed Net-Zero Framework.

4. World News in Brief: Airstrikes in Lebanon, hope in CAR, a call to ban lead-based paints

   The Security Council on Friday welcomed Lebanese Government efforts to exercise full national sovereignty through the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), as the UN warned that peacekeepers are continuing to find unauthorised weapons caches in the south.

5. UN faces ‘race to bankruptcy’ as Guterres unveils sharply reduced 2026 budget

   The United Nations faces a “race to bankruptcy” unless Member States pay their dues in full and on time, Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Friday, presenting a sharply reduced $3.238 billion regular budget for 2026.