Civilians across eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are facing collapsing health services and mass displacement as fighting spreads, undermining recent peace efforts and raising fears of a wider regional crisis.
The seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) concluded in Nairobi, Kenya, on Friday with Member States adopting 11 resolutions, three decisions and a ministerial declaration aiming to advance solutions for a more resilient planet.
Pressure on freshwater resources is growing as demand increases in regions marked by scarcity, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a report published on Friday.
After more than two decades working alongside Iraq through war, political upheaval and the fight against ISIL terrorists, the UN Assistance Mission there (UNAMI) ends its mandate on 31 December – a closure its top official describes as "honourable, dignified, and earned".
The UN Security Council meet this morning in New York to discuss the rapidly deteriorating situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), amid intensified fighting and mass displacement. The UN Peacekeeping chief briefed on recent peace efforts – including the Washington Accords between the DRC and Rwanda, signed just days before violence surged again – heightening fears of a worsening humanitarian emergency and regional spillover. Follow live below and UN News app users can click here. Find our recent reporting here on the crisis and go here for all our in-depth meeting coverage.
In Sudan, deep concerns persist for the many tens of thousands of people believed to still be trapped in El Fasher in the Darfur region, but UN aid agencies believe they may soon get access to the embattled city.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth joined numerous members of Congress and a handful of senior military officials today to mark the official relocation of U.S. Space Command from Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, to Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.
Prior to assisting in unveiling three large signs denoting that the future Spacecom headquarters will be built on site at Redstone Arsenal, Hegseth delivered brief remarks in support of its relocation.
"Air Force Secretary made the right choice recommending to me recommending to that this is the place to continue to establish space dominance — right here in Alabama," Hegseth said.
Along with Meink's support, building the new Spacecom headquarters at Redstone Arsenal — which is adjacent to the city of Huntsville — was also championed by the previous two Air Force secretaries, according to U.S. Rep. Mike Rodgers of Alabama's 3rd District, who also spoke briefly at the ceremony.
Hegseth said that, along with the values of peace through strength and putting America first, the Trump administration and the War Department also view using common sense as crucial to success.
"It's common sense that this is precisely where Space Command should be; it's common sense that we need to move rapidly and expeditiously, and we will," he said.
"We are deadly serious in committing to cutting every piece of red tape and bureaucracy to get this headquarters established as quickly as humanly possible," he added.
Hegseth noted that today's relocation ceremony was more than just symbolic and served as a recognition that ground needs to be broken for Spacecom's new headquarters quickly, so it can be built and provided with the people and capabilities it needs as soon as possible.
"Because first it was 'He who controls the skies,' now it's 'He who controls the space domain' understands what the future of warfare will look like, and who controls that dominance," he said.
"That's why I'm here today; because the quicker we establish this, the more robust the capabilities are, the more likely we are to deter the next conflict and — if necessary — stand prepared to overwhelmingly defeat our enemies," he continued.
Trump officially announced the relocation of Spacecom — which is one of the U.S. military's 11 unified combatant commands — to Alabama, Sept. 2, 2025.
The command was initially created in September 1985 before being disestablished in October 2002, and its forces and responsibilities were transferred to the U.S. Strategic Command.
Trump reestablished the command in August 2019 during his first term.
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