Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand (video statements)
Ebola: emergency facilities established #ebola #outbreak #doctor
Source: United Nations (video statements)
UN agencies and humanitarian groups are mobilizing rapidly as the WHO Director-General lands in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to spearhead Ebola containment efforts.
Since 15 May, UN agencies have been supporting the DRC and neighbouring Uganda to contain the outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is no treatment.
UN80, Ukraine, Lebanon & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (28 May 2026) | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– UN Peacekeepers Day
– UN80
– Ukraine
– Lebanon
– Democratic Republic of the Congo
– Uganda
– Haiti
– World Meterological Organization
– Senior Personnel Appointment/UNOCA
—————————————————————–
UN PEACEKEEPERS DAY
Tomorrow is the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. This year’s theme for the Day is “Invest in Peace.” In his message to mark the day, the Secretary-General said that we honour peacekeepers past and present and reaffirm our shared responsibility to respect and strengthen their work.
As usual, there will be ceremonies to mark the day here, but they are scheduled to take place next week, on 5 June. In the meantime, we can already tell you about the recipients of prizes awarded each year on Peacekeepers Day.
The Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage will be awarded to the late Sergii Prykhodko of Ukraine as well as to Corporal Matias Reyes of Uruguay.
Major Abhilasha Barak of India will receive the Military Gender Advocate Award and Inspector Stephanie Königs of Germany will receive the Woman Police Officer of the Year Award. These awards will be officially presented to them next Friday. You can find more details about those receiving awards and about the ceremonies in press releases that we are sharing with you as I speak.
UN80
The Secretary-General briefed the General Assembly this morning on his UN80 initiative and said that the UN Secretariat has realized a 21 percent reduction in posts for 2026 – while also minimizing impact on staff, facilitated by actions we began taking in early 2024.
Among other steps, he said the Secretariat launched a Digital Hub in Valencia to support Secretariat-wide digital service delivery; consolidated 10 payroll centres into a single global team; and relocated 220 Secretariat posts from high-cost locations, plus approximately 1,900 more across the UN system.
Mr. Guterres added that the UN has begun piloting the New Humanitarian Compact – a push for innovation, impact, and integration as we grapple with soaring needs and plummeting resources. This includes simplifying humanitarian planning and unifying humanitarian supply chains, which account for 70 percent of overall humanitarian spending.
The Secretary-General reminded the Member States that decisions about structural reforms rest in their hands. He reminded them that change is a given, but the question is whether it will be reform that is planned and strategic, or change that is haphazard, costly, and driven by events beyond anyone’s control.
UKRAINE
The Secretary-General will make some introductory remarks on Ukraine to Security Council members at their formal meeting at 3:00 pm today. He will discuss the recent escalation of the conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation and will call for de-escalation and for a full and unconditional ceasefire. Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari will also brief the Council this afternoon.
Meanwhile, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that the UN and our humanitarian partners continue to provide life-saving assistance across Ukraine, while increasingly coming under attack, with several incidents of violence against aid workers and their assets reported over the past few days.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-05-28
Household Income
Source: International Monetary Fund – IMF (video statements)
What counts as household income? In this episode of The Economy – How Do You Measure That?, Jim Tebrake and Jorrit Zwijnenburg explore what is included in household income in the national accounts — from wages and pensions to dividends and government transfers. They also discuss why headline totals alone may not tell the full story about how households are actually doing, and why distribution matters when understanding economic well-being.
Gaza’s children mark Eid amid severe humanitarian crisis
Source: United Nations (video statements)
This year’s Eid al-Adha comes as Gaza faces one of its worst humanitarian crises since the beginning of the war. Residents say this has transformed the holiday, making survival and securing basic necessities their primary concern.
Secretary-General says UN80 Initiative is improving the United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Secretary-General António Guterres says the wide-ranging UN80 Initiative, a major reform and restructuring project, is helping the United Nations better serve people and the planet.
UN80 Initiative – UN Chief’s remarks | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Remarks by António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, on the Informal meeting of the plenary to hear a briefing on the UN80 Initiative – General Assembly, 80th session.
Chief Economists Outlook: counting the cost of the Hormuz crisis, with Maersk’s Ilaria Maselli
Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)
As the World Economic Forum published its latest Chief Economists Outlook, Maersk’s Head of Macro & Market Insights Ilaria Maselli gives her view on the state of the global economy.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, “the aorta of global fossil fuel trade”, is one of the “biggest crises” in the history of capitalism, with huge implications for economies around the world, Maselli says.
And we discuss how the impact of the Hormuz crisis compares to the shock that the COVID pandemic imposed on the world, in terms of economic growth and inflation.
Links:
Chief Economists Outlook May 2026: https://www.weforum.org/publications/chief-economists-outlook-may-2026
Previous editions: https://www.weforum.org/publications/series/chief-economists-outlook/
Related podcasts:
The Iran oil shock: will it force the world to re-think the future of energy?: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/oil-shocks-hormuz-iran-columbia-energy-exchange-jason-bordoff/
The rise of industrial policy – why governments are back in the business of business: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/industrial-policy-trade-choke-points/
"Everything has changed" – Gita Gopinath on the global economy in 2026: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/gita-gopinath-global-economy-2026/
Chief Economists’ Outlook January 2026: reassuring resilience and a ‘good’ bubble?: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/chief-economists-outlook-barclays-christian-keller/
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Meet the Leader – subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560
Agenda Dialogues – subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552
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International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers 2026 (29 May) – UN Chief Message | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Video Message by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on the International Day of Peacekeepers.
"Right now, more than 50,000 UN peacekeepers are deployed across the globe protecting civilian lives.
Far from home, in some of the world’s most dangerous settings, they deescalate tensions between hostile parties, oversee aid delivery, support elections, and create space for political solutions to grow.
On this International Day, we honour peacekeepers past and present, and reaffirm our shared responsibility to respect and strengthen their work.
We pay tribute to the nearly 4,500 peacekeepers who have lost their lives since 1948, including 59 last year.
No one should die serving the cause of peace.
Attacks on peacekeepers are grave violations of international humanitarian law, and Member States must uphold their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel at all times.
In an era of rising tensions, peacekeeping is a proven and cost-effective way to restore stability and hope.
But it requires steady political backing – and reliable financial support.
This year’s theme, Invest in Peace, calls for decisive action to ensure peacekeepers have the resources to carry out their vital mandates.
An investment in peacekeeping is an investment in a safer future.
Let us always support the people who help make peace possible.
Thank you."
More info: https://peacekeeping.un.org/en
EU Fines Temu €200M under DSA Crackdown
Source: European Commission (video statements)
The European Commission has fined Temu €200M under the Digital Services Act for failing to properly assess risks linked to illegal products on its platform.