COVID-19 pandemic could lead to HIV surge in West & Central Africa, says UNAIDS chief
Around 200,000 people in West and Central Africa became newly infected with HIV last year out of a global total of 1.5 million
Britain to set out how finance can help meet net-zero goals
UK companies will be required to set out plans by 2023 for a transition to a low-carbon economy, as part of steps to make Britain the world's first net-zero financial centre
Australia says U.S. facial recognition software firm Clearview breached privacy law
Privately owned Clearview, collected Australians' sensitive information without consent says Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Indonesia could phase out coal by 2040 with financial help, finmin says
The world's biggest coal exporter says a target to phase out coal-fired power plants by 2040 is conditional on getting financial help from multilateral institutions, the private sector and developed countries
China's U.N. ambassador slams 'empty slogans' at COP26
Chinese President Xi Jinping is not attending the COP26 talks in person, and has delivered only a written statement to the heads of state session
Islanders sue Australia for inaction on climate change
The Torres Strait Islanders face the threat of floods and salt ruining their soil as global warming leads to more storms and rising sea levels
Pledge to protect oceans to fight climate change is 'weak' - NGO
The pledge makes no mention of ending massive annual government subsidies that prop up activities such as industrial fishing, a major driver of over-exploitation of the seas
IMF head says faster emissions cuts can curb 'dramatic' adaptation needs
"If we don't take charge of our own destiny in this decade, it doesn't matter how beautiful our plans for 2050 are," says Kristalina Georgieva
Over 100 global leaders pledge to end deforestation by 2030
The joint statement at the COP26 climate talks is backed by countries including Brazil, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo - which collectively account for 85% of the world's forests
Facebook will shut down facial recognition system
The removal of facial recognition by the world's largest social media platform comes as tech industry faced reckoning over ethics of using the technology