President Gabriel Boric meeting with former president Michelle Bachelet at La Moneda Palace in Santiago, Chile, on 4 September 2023. (Keystone/EPA/Chilean Presidency Handout)

🗳️Chile officially backs Bachelet candidacy for UN top job. Outgoing president Gabriel Boric made the announcement on Monday, dispelling fears that the new right-wing government would block Michelle Bachelet's bid to become the UN's first female secretary general. Chile's ex-president and former UN human rights chief has also secured the support of Mexico and Brazil.

📍Geneva bids to host new global anti-pollution body. Switzerland has offered CHF500,000 a year to host the new science-policy panel on chemicals, plus a one-off CHF1 million to kick-start operations. It would also cover office space and provide a CHF10,000 one-time allowance per staff member for the secretariat at the International Environment House.

💸UN says it’s in danger of financial collapse because of unpaid dues. Chief António Guterres sent a letter to member states warning the world body would run out of money by July and could be forced to close its New York headquarters if states didn't pay their outstanding fees, with the United States topping the list. When asked by Politico whether the US would pay the billions it owes, Trump declined to say.

⛔Israel to ban MSF from working in Gaza over refusal to provide staff list. The medical charity reversed an initial decision to comply with the new requirement for aid organisations operating in the Strip after it said it had not secured "assurances to ensure the safety of our staff" from Israeli authorities.

🔎Turning Point? Top donor Norway launches total aid policy review. Norway, among the few European donors holding steady, said “tough and painful choices” lie ahead as it seeks to respond to the aid backlash, but ruled out cuts to its aid budget.