Emissions Gap Report & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (21 October 2026) | United Nations

Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. Highlights: - Emissions Gap Report - El Niño - Extreme Heat - Abyei - Sudan Consultations - Democratic Republic of the Congo - Libya - Yemen - Occupied Palestinian Territory - Security Council / Kosovo - Haiti - U.N. / AU Peacebuilding Meeting - Centenary of the Slavery Convention EMISSIONS GAP REPORT The U.N. Environment Programme today launched its Emissions Gap Report 2026, showing that the chance of holding global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels with no limited or limited overshoot is a key target of the Paris Agreement on climate change, and that goal is now gone. In a video message to the launch of the report, the Secretary-General notes that the consequences are already devastating, but overshoot is not surrender. The Secretary-General says that we can still keep it as small and as short as possible, and bring temperatures back down to below 1.5 degrees before the end of the 21st century. The Secretary-General underscores that we have the tools to change the course and we have the tools to pull back from the brink. He warns that the world is running out of time and governments must go much further and much faster. The Secretary-General also emphasizes that the G20 must lead and the principles of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities must apply, but all countries, especially the big emitters, must do more. He adds that developed countries must mobilize the affordable finance for developing countries, to accelerate the transition and protect people from the worsening climate. The message and the report are available online. EL NIÑO This morning in Geneva, the U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, sounded the alarm over El Niño, calling it a “behemoth” and a “wrecking ball” that will hit regions already battered by conflict; battered by displacement; battered by soaring food, fertilizer and fuel prices; and massive aid cuts on top of it all. Speaking together with Celeste Saulo, the Head of the World Meteorological Organization, Mr. Fletcher warned that the humanitarian system cannot cope alone with a threat on this scale, calling for a much wider global mobilization of solidarity, expertise and action across governments, civil society, academia and the private sector. He warned that the next two weeks are a critical window to act before the damage is done. With forecasts giving us the chance to prepare, he said it would be an “extraordinary failure” to squander the opportunity to protect people in El Niño. “We cannot prevent El Niño,” he said, “but we can be serious about the challenges ahead, and we can be creative and generous for preparing them.” The World Meteorological Organization also today released a new second seasonal climate outlook which indicates that the current El Niño event could be unprecedented in strength. The Global Seasonal Climate Update forecasts that sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific, the epicentre of El Niño, may rise to 3.8°C above average during November through January of next year. EXTREME HEAT Today, as extreme heat intensifies around the world, the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the UN Children Fund (UNICEF) and the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) launched the first-ever set of priority indicators to help countries track the impacts of heat on pregnant women, newborns and children. The new framework is designed to strengthen preparedness, improve monitoring, and accelerate response. These actions will help protect some of the populations most vulnerable to climate-related health risks. Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-10-21


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Kosovo: UN Warns of Rising Tensions

The Security Council was briefed by Peter N. Due, the Head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), on rising tensions in Kosovo, concerns over minority rights and the challenges of building trust between communities.


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UN Day - Need for UN has never been greater

UN Secretary-General António Guterres' Video Message for United Nations Day. On this United Nations Day, we celebrate not only the founding of the organization, but also the ideals it embodies: The future of humanity depends on our ability to work together to promote peace, development, and human rights. For 81 years, the United Nations has been practicing these ideals. Resolving disputes through diplomacy and law, not weapons. Committed to eradicating poverty and hunger. Promoting human rights. Providing life-saving assistance to people facing war, disaster, and displacement. From promoting transport, trade, and technological development, to safeguarding the health of people and the planet, from advocating for gender equality and expanding opportunities for women and girls, to ensuring that all nations have an equal voice on the global stage, The United Nations has become an indispensable part of our world. Now more than ever, we need the United Nations. Our world is turbulent due to conflict. Shocked by the climate crisis. Scarred by growing inequality. Profoundly transformed by technological advancements that outpace governance capabilities. Now is the time to reaffirm the values ​​upon which the United Nations was founded: To eliminate division through dialogue. To replace confrontation with cooperation. To overcome fear through solidarity. On this United Nations Day, I urge all States to reaffirm their commitment to these shared values ​​and to fulfill the obligations upon which they are based. Now more than ever, there is a need to steadfastly uphold the Charter of the United Nations and international law. Let us work together to strengthen the United Nations so that it can better serve the people and meet the challenges of our time. United Nations Day website: https://www.un.org/zh/observances/un-day


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Look what we found… 👀

Episode Title: Look what we found… 👀
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Trump FALLS APART in TINY NC SPEECH…

Episode Title: Trump FALLS APART in TINY NC SPEECH…
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Civil Rights Leader Just GAVE America a DIRE Midterm Warning... | PoliticsGirl

Episode Title: Civil Rights Leader Just GAVE America a DIRE Midterm Warning... | PoliticsGirl
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🚨Trump Makes HUGE MISTAKE with Jack Smith…

Episode Title: 🚨Trump Makes HUGE MISTAKE with Jack Smith…
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AI on the ballot? Voters in US midterms revolt against data centres • FRANCE 24 English

Two weeks out from the Midterm elections, there’s bipartisan pushback against data centers that suck the water and power out of communities. Just two years ago, ChatGPT was still a brand new thing, and AI was admired with awe by most voters. Like in 2024, the hot button issue in swing constituencies remains inflation or ‘the price of eggs’. But anxiety over the end of the month is now coupled with anxiety over the end of the world. In 2026, bots and large language models write papers and churn out campaign ads. We'll ask about calls for regulation despite fierce resistance from tech billionaires and whether the latest wobbles from the stock market signal that the race to corner the market and scale up at warp speed may be running out of road. 🔔 Subscribe to France 24 now: https://f24.my/YTen 🔴 LIVE - Watch FRANCE 24 English 24/7 here: https://f24.my/YTliveEN 🌍 Read the latest International News and Top Stories: https://www.france24.com/en/ Like us on Facebook: https://f24.my/FBen Follow us on X: https://f24.my/Xen Bluesky: https://f24.my/BSen and Threads: https://f24.my/THen Browse the news in pictures on Instagram: https://f24.my/IGen Discover our TikTok videos: https://f24.my/TKen Get the latest top stories on Telegram: https://f24.my/TGen


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LIVE: Trump SWEATS as BBC Subpoenas Jack Smith for TESTIMONY | The Intersection

Episode Title: LIVE: Trump SWEATS as BBC Subpoenas Jack Smith for TESTIMONY | The Intersection
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Gang violence escalation in Haiti

Haiti: Over 1,000 Killed in Three Months as Gang Violence Persists - Briefing. UN Special Representative for Haiti Carlos Ruiz Massieu said that despite a challenging security environment, electoral preparations “have reached an unprecedented level of progress in more than a decade.” Addressing the Security Council today (19 Oct), Massieu said that since his last briefing to the Council in July, “efforts to advance Haiti’s political transition have continued with determination.” He also said that armed gangs continue to challenge State authority and inflict violence on the Haitian population. While security forces, with growing support from the Gang Suppression Force, have intensified their operations,” he added, “widespread insecurity persists, undermining stability, hampering efforts to restore State authority and disrupting the daily lives of the Haitian people.” He reported, “Between July and September of this year, we documented over one thousand people killed, including more than 650 individuals identified as gang members, and over a hundred victims of kidnapping. Sexual violence remains rampant, while self-defence groups continue to expand.” He welcomed the decision of the Government of Haiti to substantially increase funding to national security institutions and strengthen the capacities of the Haitian National Police and the Armed Forces of Haiti. He noted, “These efforts, with the support of international partners, are essential to enabling Haitian institutions to assume greater responsibility for restoring stability and extending State authority. While these developments are significant, the full deployment of the Gang Suppression Force remains paramount and sustained support from this Council will be indispensable to ensuring that it becomes fully operational without delay.” He stressed, “Vulnerable populations continue to bear the brunt of gang violence. Over the past three months, renewed insecurity has displaced more than 17,000 people, bringing the total number of internally displaced persons to nearly 1.5 million, including over 740,000 children. As Haiti’s economy is projected to contract for a seventh consecutive year in 2026, the humanitarian needs continue to outpace available resources, with less than half of the 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan funded to date. Without increased international support, the gap between growing needs and available assistance is likely to widen further.”


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France first night under targeted curfews passed calmly • FRANCE 24 English

France’s first night under curfew passed without incident, as authorities sought to restore order following a weekend of demonstrations that escalated into riots. The government will impose further curfews where necessary on Tuesday, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said. FRANCE 24 International Affairs Editor Philip Turle tells us more. #france #protests #curfews 🔔 Subscribe to France 24 now: https://f24.my/YTen 🔴 LIVE - Watch FRANCE 24 English 24/7 here: https://f24.my/YTliveEN 🌍 Read the latest International News and Top Stories: https://www.france24.com/en/ Like us on Facebook: https://f24.my/FBen Follow us on X: https://f24.my/Xen Bluesky: https://f24.my/BSen and Threads: https://f24.my/THen Browse the news in pictures on Instagram: https://f24.my/IGen Discover our TikTok videos: https://f24.my/TKen Get the latest top stories on Telegram: https://f24.my/TGen


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