Negotiations at the COP30 summit in Brazil faced a major setback as a fire halted talks Thursday, one of the final scheduled days. Delegates had been working on a draft agreement addressing contentious issues, including climate finance, emissions and trade, but progress stalled amid the evacuation and uncertainty over when talks would resume. Observers warn that the lost time exacerbates existing divisions, making it unlikely that negotiations will conclude as planned and raising concerns that any resulting agreement could be watered down.

Editor's note: The summit has also faced disruptions from heavy rains -- which caused leaks, damaged presentation screens and left delegates struggling to communicate over the noise -- and intense heat, which prompted at least two delegates to faint.

The UN General Assembly is grappling with an overload of repetitive and outdated resolutions, many of which have accumulated over decades without being reviewed or retired. General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock has proposed reforms to revitalize UNGA operations -- including merging overlapping agenda items, limiting explanations of votes, adopting biennial or triennial cycles and streamlining adoption procedures -- but the success of these reforms hinges on member states' willingness to prioritize, make concessions and ensure follow-through in implementing new working methods.

The number of children facing severe deprivation -- lack of access to adequate housing, clean water, education, health care and sanitation -- has decreased by a third since 2000 -- but two in five still live without the essentials needed to survive and thrive, UNICEF's "State of the World's Children 2025" report reveals. Overlapping crises, including climate change, armed conflict and economic pressures, continue to threaten many children's well-being, UNICEF warns.

Almost one in three women worldwide have experienced sexual or intimate partner violence, a World Health Organization report released ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls reveals. In the past year, such violence affected some 316 million women and girls over 15, but only 0.2% of global aid goes to prevention. "Violence against women is one of humanity's oldest and most pervasive injustices yet still one of the least acted upon," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says.

The latest COP30 draft outcome text excludes any mention of a fossil fuel phase-out, despite mounting calls from over 80 countries for a clear transition roadmap. Deep divisions persist among countries at the summit, where a coalition of at least 29 nations has warned it will block any agreement that lacks a fossil fuel phase-out roadmap, while other countries -- including India, Russia and Saudi Arabia -- push to exclude such language. The tensions have escalated to threats of walkouts and intense negotiations, reflecting the ongoing struggle between progressive climate advocates and countries prioritizing fossil fuel interests.