International
Climate disasters to cost trillions more without prevention, UN warns
Natural disasters have led to real economic losses of up to $2.3 trillion—ten times higher than previously estimated direct costs—due to their cascading impacts and the widespread damage they inflict on ecosystems, according to a United Nations report released on Tuesday.
The study warns that these costs will continue to rise as the climate crisis worsens, with developing countries bearing the brunt. Many of these nations are forced to take on additional debt to cover emergency response and post-disaster recovery expenses.
The report emphasizes that decisions made today—especially concerning land-use planning, investment strategies, and energy systems—will play a decisive role in determining future risk exposure for communities worldwide.
Among the most alarming examples is the accelerated melting of the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica. This could raise sea levels by more than half a meter, threatening coastal infrastructure valued at over $1.8 trillion.
Island nations like Kiribati and the Marshall Islands, as well as major coastal cities such as New York and Jakarta, are among those at serious risk, the report notes.
Another consequence of more frequent and intense disasters is the rising cost of insurance premiums, shrinking coverage, and insurers pulling out of high-risk areas. In Australia, for example, more than half a million homes could become uninsurable by 2030 due to the growing flood risk.
Despite these escalating threats, the report shows that the majority of funding still goes toward emergency response. Of the $137 billion in disaster-related development assistance disbursed between 2005 and 2017, 96% went to relief, reconstruction, and recovery. Only 4%—around $5.2 billion—was invested in prevention and preparedness.
The report also highlights stark disparities: while North America incurred $69.57 billion in direct disaster losses in 2023, this only represented 0.23% of its GDP. In contrast, Micronesia’s $4.3 billion in losses amounted to a staggering 46.1% of its GDP.
“This reveals the disproportionate burden that disasters place on small and vulnerable economies,” the UN concluded.
International
Authorities capture CJNG financial chief in international airport operation
A man identified as the main financial operator of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) was arrested Thursday at Mexico City’s international airport, authorities reported.
The individual, named by Mexican media as Óscar Antonio Álvarez, was apprehended during an operation involving the army, navy, National Guard, police, and the attorney general’s office, according to a joint statement.
Álvarez is considered the primary financial operator of a criminal group originating in Jalisco, and the capture took place at Benito Juárez Airport as he arrived on a flight from Barcelona, Spain.
Authorities stated that Álvarez faces charges of organized crime and money laundering, specifically for receiving and transferring illicit funds. His work with the CJNG reportedly included purchasing properties and managing businesses in the tequila and livestock sectors.
According to El Universal, Álvarez was directly under the command of Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho”, the cartel’s top leader, for whom the U.S. offers a $15 million reward.
The CJNG, which operates throughout Mexico and in various parts of the world, was designated earlier this year as a “foreign terrorist organization” by the U.S. government.
Álvarez was handed over to the federal public prosecutor to determine his legal situation, the report added.
International
Jair Bolsonaro sentenced for leading armed criminal plot after 2022 election loss
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, 70, has been sentenced for leading an armed criminal organization that attempted to cling to power after losing the 2022 elections to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The alleged coup plot, which reportedly included a plan to assassinate Lula, was not carried out due to lack of support from the military leadership.
By a four-to-one vote of the judges overseeing the case, seven co-defendants, including former ministers and military chiefs, were also convicted.
“A criminal armed organization was formed by the defendants, who must be sentenced based on the factual circumstances I consider proven,” said the final judge to cast a vote, Cristiano Zanin.
Bolsonaro, who has been under house arrest since August, did not attend the court hearings, citing health issues.
Reacting on X, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the former president’s son, said: “They call this a trial a process whose outcome everyone already knew before it began.”
One of the first international reactions came from the White House. Former U.S. President Donald Trump called the sentence “very surprising,” while Senator Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State, stated that the United States will “respond accordingly” to the “unjust” ruling.
International
Poland invokes NATO Article 4 after russian drone incursion
The violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones on Wednesday triggered the most serious clash between Russia and NATO since the start of the war in Ukraine, prompting Poland to invoke Article 4 of the NATO Treaty, which calls for consultations among allies.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk addressed Parliament on Wednesday, describing an unprecedented “aggression” in which at least 19 Russian drones breached Polish airspace, creating a situation that the Prime Minister described as “the closest to an open conflict since World War II.”
Speaking at the start of an extraordinary Council of Ministers session, Tusk stated that “this is the first time Russian drones have been shot down over the territory of a NATO member state, and that is why all our allies are taking the situation very seriously.”
Although he affirmed that “there is no reason to claim that we are in a state of war,” he labeled the incidents as “a large-scale provocation” and ordered the invocation of NATO’s Article 4 to call for consultations with allied nations.
Tusk also noted on X (formerly Twitter) that he had received “not only expressions of solidarity with Poland but, above all, concrete proposals to support the country’s air defense” during discussions with European leaders throughout the day.
The Polish leader specifically mentioned conversations with the leaders of the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands—Keir Starmer, Giorgia Meloni, Friedrich Merz, and Dick Schoof—along with French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
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