The race to become the next United Nations Secretary-General is taking shape, but it is far from settled. With António Guterres due to step down at the end of 2026, the contest is emerging as one of the most consequential leadership decisions in modern multilateral history. It is also still
The sharp fall in Bitcoin’s price this winter has triggered familiar market turmoil. But for the first time, the consequences are extending well beyond traders and crypto-native firms. Governments now sit on different sides of the same collapse, revealing a critical distinction in how Bitcoin has entered public balance sheets
Brussels, February 2026 — The European Union has done something climate markets have argued about for years but never quite resolved. It has written a rulebook for permanent carbon removals. This week, the European Commission adopted the EU’s first certification methodologies for what it defines as permanent carbon removal. The
The European Commission is deploying its financial heavy artillery early to prevent a political revolt against the next phase of the Green Deal. In a move designed to preempt social unrest and diplomatic friction, the European Investment Bank (EIB) announced it will “front load” €3 billion ($3.5 billion) to national
WASHINGTON – When Donald Trump announced Project Vault, a $12 billion plan to build a national stockpile of critical minerals, the move was framed as an industrial safeguard. In reality, it is something far larger. It is an admission that power in the new world order flows through supply chains,
The United Nations has issued its starkest warning in years: without an immediate influx of unpaid member contributions, the organization risks running out of operating cash within months, potentially forcing the shutdown of its New York headquarters by late summer. Senior UN officials confirmed this week that the institution’s finances
For years, governments and financial institutions have pledged to protect nature, halt biodiversity loss, and build resilience in the face of climate change. Yet a new global assessment makes clear that the world’s financial system continues to move in the opposite direction. According to insights from the State of Finance
The concern did not surface first in public statements or summit communiqués. It emerged quietly, in classified diplomatic cables exchanged among American officials and their allies, now obtained by Politico. Together, the documents offer a rare, unvarnished look at how Europe reacted as Greenland became a flashpoint in an increasingly
Across much of the United States this week, winter has asserted itself with force. Temperatures plunged well below seasonal norms. Wind chills reached dangerous levels. Schools closed, flights were canceled, and energy systems were pushed to their limits as Arctic air swept deep into the country. It was against this
A Blunt Opening at the Start of a Pivotal Year In early January, the United Nations usually hums with quiet recalibration. Diplomats return from recess, agendas are refined, and the Secretary General sets the tone for the year ahead. This time, the tone was unmistakably stark. “No one power can
