News headlines in February 2026, page 18

BRUSSELS, Belgium, February 6 (IPS) - In early January, an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Venezuela followed a familiar path of paralysis. Members clashed over the US government’s abduction of Nicolás Maduro, with many warning it set a dangerous precedent, but no resolution came.

UNITED NATIONS, February 6 (IPS) - The current UN financial crisis, described as the worst in the 80-year-old history of the world body, triggers the question: is the US using its financial clout defaulting in its arrears and its assessed contributions to precipitate the collapse of the UN?

The small Pacific Ocean island of Palau is helping communities build resilience against the dangers of climate change-driven extreme weather with the establishment of a network of emergency refuges – thanks to support from the United Nations.

The UN Secretary-General on Friday strongly condemned an attack on worshippers at a mosque in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, after an explosion during prayers reportedly killed dozens and injured many more.

The global system governing nuclear disarmament is facing its most serious crisis in decades, driven by growing mistrust among major powers and the steady erosion of arms control agreements, a senior disarmament expert has warned.

Attacks on Ukraine’s power system highlight how the ongoing war threatens the safety of the country’s nuclear facilities, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned on Friday.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday welcomed the resumption of talks between Iran and the United States.

The UN reiterated concerns on Friday over reports that Israeli forces sprayed a highly toxic herbicide over areas north of the Blue Line separating Lebanon from Israel on 1 February.

Haiti is facing one of the world’s most acute humanitarian crises, driven by escalating gang violence, political paralysis, and deep economic distress.

DELHI, February 5 (IPS) - Melanie Brown has been fishing salmon in Bristol Bay, Alaska, for more than 30 years. An Indigenous fisherwoman and a coordinating committee member of the World Forum of Fisher Peoples, she speaks about the sea with deep care and lived knowledge.