Secretary

• El Niño-driven drought conditions in Djibouti have left 256,000 people—approximately 25% of the population—acutely food insecure through December. • Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher has allocated $2 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to address the crisis. • The funding is specifically designated to provide critical support to over 53,000 of the country's most vulnerable individuals.

• The UN and humanitarian partners are providing emergency relief in Nepal and China following severe flooding that resulted in multiple deaths and missing persons. • Response teams are deploying essential personnel and critical supplies, including food, shelter, and medical equipment, to affected regions. • Satellite imagery is being utilized to assess the scale of the widespread destruction and coordinate the distribution of aid.

Streeting says role is chance to show strength and challenge stereotype that ‘persists in dark corners of internet’Wes Streeting has described receiving a mass of homophobic abuse since he was made defence secretary last month, while also saying his appointment had been welcomed by some in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) as a sign of change.Until 2000, gay men and lesbian women were banned from serving in the UK military, with about 200-plus personnel thrown out of the forces each year due to their sexuality – an estimate, as proper records were not kept. Continue reading...

• UN Secretary-General informed the Security Council that 2025 recorded the highest number of armed conflicts since the Second World War. • The report highlighted record-breaking levels of acute hunger globally, marking a critical humanitarian crisis. • In a "shameful milestone," the UN confirmed simultaneous famines in Sudan and Gaza for the first time this century.

• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is facing mounting criticism over his proposed plans to intervene in bond markets, including pushback from a former mentor. • During a Washington news conference on Monday, Bessent announced "Operation Economic Fury," threatening Tehran and its allies with severe new sanctions. • The administration provided few specific details regarding the operation, highlighting a tension between Bessent's market strategies and his geopolitical goals.

• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an immediate end to attacks on commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure to protect global trade arteries. • Guterres urged all parties to strictly adhere to international law and restore navigational freedoms amidst escalating regional conflicts. • Simultaneously, US Central Command reported that as of Monday, it has redirected 71 commercial vessels, disabled 3, and boarded 2 to enforce a blockade against Iran.

• UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Monday that the global food supply has become "collateral damage" due to ongoing geopolitical conflicts. • He highlighted that disruptions to maritime traffic in the Black Sea, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Bab al-Mandab Strait have severely worsened hunger crises. • The instability is driven by conflicts involving Russia and Ukraine, the US, Iran, and Israel, as well as the Yemeni Houthis and Saudi Arabia.