UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged world leaders to shift spending away from wars and focus on fighting poverty and protecting the planet in 2026.
In his New Year’s message, Guterres said the world is facing mounting crises, including conflict, division, climate change and the erosion of international law, warning that these trends threaten the principles that bind humanity together.
He highlighted a sharp increase in global military spending, noting that worldwide defence expenditures have reached $2.7 trillion, a rise of around 10 percent. According to Guterres, this figure is 13 times higher than all global development aid combined and equals the total GDP of Africa.
He stressed that such spending comes at a time when global conflicts are at their highest level since the Second World War.
Guterres called on leaders to rethink global priorities, saying a safer world can only be achieved by investing in people rather than wars. He said humanity already has the resources needed to lift people out of poverty, restore the planet and secure a future based on peace and justice.
Looking ahead to 2026, he urged leaders to take a firmer stance and choose people and the planet over destruction and suffering, calling on governments and citizens alike to act with collective courage.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 17th of January, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The United Nations has called on Uganda to lift a nationwide internet blackout ahead of Thursday’s general election, describing the restrictions as “deeply worrying.”
Six Palestinian children have died from hypothermia in Gaza this winter, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday (13 January). The agency warned that more than 100 children have been killed since a ceasefire took effect in early October, 2025.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says that for many Afghans returning from Iran and Pakistan, the first plan made at the border rarely becomes reality.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Saturday (17 January) that concerns over security in Greenland should be addressed within the framework of NATO, describing a ground military intervention as highly unlikely.
Ashley St. Clair, mother of one of Elon Musk’s children, has filed a lawsuit against Musk’s company xAI, alleging that its AI tool Grok generated explicit images of her, including one portraying her as underage.
Egypt and Sudan have welcomed an offer by U.S. President Donald Trump to restart mediation with Ethiopia in a bid to resolve the long-running dispute over Nile River water sharing.
Elon Musk is seeking up to $134 billion from OpenAI and Microsoft, arguing that the companies profited unfairly from his early support of the artificial intelligence firm, according to a court filing made public on Friday.
Poland plans to expand its armed forces to 500,000 by 2039, including 300,000 active-duty troops and 200,000 reservists, officials said Friday. The enlarged force would feature a new high-readiness reserve unit.
Portugal is holding presidential elections with a record 11 candidates, as populist leader André Ventura emerges as a possible front-runner.
Two people were killed and dozens injured in overnight Russian drone attacks across Ukraine, as strikes on energy infrastructure left many regions without power amid freezing temperatures, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Iran’s state broadcaster was briefly hijacked on Sunday, airing footage of anti-regime protests and a message from exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi, according to opposition-linked outlets.
Ugandan authorities partially restored internet services after President Yoweri Museveni won a seventh term, extending his rule into a fifth decade.
At least five people have died and dozens were injured after two high-speed trains derailed on Sunday near Adamuz, southern Spain, railway operator ADIF and state media reported.
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