UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih, gestures, during the UNHCR's 77th annual executive committee, at the European headquarters of the United Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland, 12 October, 2026. (Keystone/Salvatore Di Nolfi)

💸UN refugee chief says aid organisations ‘asked to do the impossible’ amid drastic funding shortfalls. In his first address to the UN Refugee Agency’s executive committee since taking the helm as high commissioner in January, Barham Salih warned there were limits to how far the organisation could cut its operations before having far-reaching consequences for refugees.

🩺WHO director general candidates address global health reform in first public campaign event. Four of the seven candidates running to become the next head of the global health agency outlined their plans to reform the organisation in a livestreamed session at the World Health Summit in Berlin.

💰US pledges tens of millions to UN bodies in Geneva, sources say. The contributions coincide with the arrival of the new ambassador to the UN, Todd Steggerda.

🎾UN human rights office slams racist abuse of Coco Gauff and calls for solidarity to help fight it. The tennis champion says she was the victim of racist attacks following a controversial point in her China Open match against home player Sun Xinran on Monday.

🚢Children among 139 dead after boat capsizes off Djibouti, UN says. The International Organization for Migration’s Displacement Tracking Matrix reported more than 20,000 “dispalcements” across the Bab Al-Mandab Strait between Djibouti and Yemen since mid-September.

🫸Trump administration opposes all options for new UN chief – and wants new candidates. Two people familiar with internal conversations said none of the candidates in the running for the top UN post are sufficiently on board with President Donald Trump’s worldview and desire for drastic changes to the body.