WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaking at the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva, 27 May 2024. (Keystone/Salvatore Di Nolfi)

🎬With 10 days of talks left, it’s ‘now or never’ for pandemic agreement. A month after the US announced its withdrawal from pandemic treaty negotiations, week-long discussions on the draft treaty begin, the penultimate round of talks ahead of the World Health Assembly in May.

🇸🇩UN seeks $6 billion to ease 'appalling' suffering in Sudan. With half of the country’s population facing severe famine and a fifth displaced, the UN humanitarian emergencies chief, Tom Fletcher, is asking for 40 per cent more funding this year compared to 2024.

⛑US aid freezes escalate Syria’s crisis. Following the fall in December of former president Bashar al-Assad, the USAid funding halt is expected to hit millions of displaced people the hardest.

🚢Brazil asks UN to ditch proposed levy on global shipping. The host of this year’s annual climate conference, along with 14 other countries, says a proposed global CO2 tax meant to raise funds to help poor countries fight climate change would hurt their exports.