Global Hunger Eased for a Third Year. Africa Now Carries the Highest Burden.

The UN SOFI 2026 report shows global hunger declined for a third consecutive year in 2025, but Africa has overtaken Asia in the absolute number of undernourished people, and more than half its population faces food insecurity.

UN States Vow to Fix $4 Trillion SDG Funding Gap as Major Donors Slash Aid

UN member states pledged reforms to close a vast $4 trillion annual SDG funding gap, even as a new OECD report shows official development assistance from major donors fell by over 23 percent last year.

The US Slaps a Flat 12.5% Tariff on Swiss Goods Over Forced-Labour Allegations

A flat 12.5% US tariff hits Swiss goods on July 24 as part of a Section 301 sweep targeting nations without formal import bans on forced-labour supply chains; Bern and industry groups immediately reject the premise, citing existing constitutional and criminal prohibitions.

The PROMISE Act Forces Congress to Confront Social Security’s 2032 Deadline

A bipartisan group of eight senators introduced the PROMISE Act on July 14, directing the Social Security Advisory Board to draft a 50-year solvency plan and forcing congressional action before the trust fund faces projected insolvency in 2032.

Switzerland's Heat Death Toll Is 174. Its Green Party Leader Wants Her Colleague Fired for It.

Green Party leader Lisa Mazzone wants Environment Minister Albert Rösti removed over heatwave failures after 174 excess elderly deaths in June — but she's making the demand largely alone, even as a second heat wave and ongoing ecological crisis give her argument concrete weight.

European Court of Human Rights Condemns Switzerland Over Prison Visitation Denial in Pregnancy Case

The ECHR ruled unanimously that Switzerland violated Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights by preventing a father-to-be from visiting his pregnant partner during her pretrial detention.

One Year After the Birch Glacier Buried Blatten, a Smaller Village Climbs Higher

One year after a glacier collapse buried the Swiss village of Blatten under 9 million cubic metres of debris: CHF255 million in insured damage, 75% of residents staying, and a smaller village rising higher up the slope by 2030.

Switzerland Rejects Right-Wing Initiative to Cap Population at 10 Million

Swiss voters defeated the SVP's proposal to limit population growth at 10 million, rejecting a measure that would have capped residency permits and forced a withdrawal from the EU free-movement agreement.

Hundreds of Economists Warn AI Is Outpacing Economic Understanding

A stark open letter organized by Stanford's Digital Economy Lab, signed by 16 Nobel laureates and more than 200 economists and AI researchers, warns that institutions must prepare for sweeping economic disruption — not in decades but now.

When a Government Deletes Your AI Best Friend

China's new AI anthropomorphism law forced Doubao and Qwen to shut off their companion features overnight, cutting off hundreds of millions of users from something that had been remembering them.

When the Grid Goes Down: Amateur Radio's Quiet Digital Revival

Ham radio is one of the oldest hobbies in electronics, and it's finding new relevance as digital modes make it more capable during real emergencies.