The world as it changes

Understanding what is happening. Not just knowing that it happened.

Every day we are reached by thousands of news items. Some describe episodes destined to disappear quickly; others show changes that can influence our future. No-Extinction selects and contextualises the most significant events linked to the big global problems and possible solutions.

Fewer stories.More context.

Featured

A good place to start

Global cooperation · Pollution13 August 2026
The global plastics treaty remains stuck on key sticking points
International negotiations for a global agreement against plastic pollution continue to face strong disagreement, particularly on production, chemicals and binding measures. The previous negotiating round failed to reach an agreement, and the path towards a global deal remains difficult.
Why it matters
Even on a problem recognized as global, national interests can block a shared response.
ProblemRead in context
Source: The Guardian(opens in a new tab)
AI and technologies2 August 2026
New AI transparency obligations enter into force in the European Union
From 2 August, new obligations under the European AI Act become applicable: in various cases users must be informed when interacting with an AI system, and content generated or manipulated by AI must be recognizable or labelled.
Why it matters
Rules and oversight tools try to keep pace with the spread of AI.
ProgressRead in context
Source: European Commission(opens in a new tab)
AI and technologiesSeptember 2025 · initiative still active
Growing calls to halt the race towards superintelligence without safety guarantees
A statement promoted by the Future of Life Institute calls for not developing superintelligence until there is broad scientific consensus that it can be built safely and controllably, and strong public consensus. The initiative is backed by numerous scientists and figures with very different positions.
Why it matters
Asking that the capacity for control grow alongside the power of the technology.
To watchRead in context
Source: Future of Life Institute(opens in a new tab)

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Category

18 August 2026Climate and environment
Climate change makes the warming of European seas exceptional
An analysis by World Weather Attribution concludes that human-caused climate change played a decisive role in the exceptional sea temperatures recorded in summer 2026. In the Mediterranean, the average surface temperature in July reached around 27 °C, and vast areas of European seas were affected by marine heatwaves.
Why it matters
Ocean warming can alter ecosystems, fisheries and weather phenomena all at once.
ProblemRead in context
Source: Reuters(opens in a new tab)
13 August 2026Global cooperation · Pollution
The global plastics treaty remains stuck on key sticking points
International negotiations for a global agreement against plastic pollution continue to face strong disagreement, particularly on production, chemicals and binding measures. The previous negotiating round failed to reach an agreement, and the path towards a global deal remains difficult.
Why it matters
Even on a problem recognized as global, national interests can block a shared response.
ProblemRead in context
Source: The Guardian(opens in a new tab)
2 August 2026AI and technologies
New AI transparency obligations enter into force in the European Union
From 2 August, new obligations under the European AI Act become applicable: in various cases users must be informed when interacting with an AI system, and content generated or manipulated by AI must be recognizable or labelled.
Why it matters
Rules and oversight tools try to keep pace with the spread of AI.
ProgressRead in context
Source: European Commission(opens in a new tab)
August 2026Biodiversity · Global systems
Biodiversity, climate, water, food and health are even more connected than they seem
A new scientific synthesis linked to IPBES work has analyzed the interactions between biodiversity, water, food, health and climate. Biodiversity emerges as a key element of many positive synergies, while climate change contributes to losses that can spread across multiple systems.
Why it matters
Addressing these problems separately makes us lose sight of shared consequences and benefits.
To watchRead in context
Source: iScience / ScienceDirect(opens in a new tab)
20 July 2026Global health · Cooperation
Negotiations continue to make the global Pandemic Agreement operational
WHO member states have made further progress in negotiating the PABS system, meant to govern the rapid sharing of pathogens with pandemic potential and a fairer distribution of the benefits arising from their use, including vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics. Issues remain unresolved, however, and negotiations will resume in September.
Why it matters
Pandemics show why some problems cannot be tackled alone.
To watchRead in context
Source: World Health Organization (WHO)(opens in a new tab)
9 July 2026Climate and environment
El Niño strengthens: possible effects until spring 2027
NOAA confirms that El Niño is under way and forecasts further strengthening by the end of 2026, with a high probability that it will persist into early spring 2027. A strong El Niño does not automatically determine what will happen in every region, but it can increase the probability of climate anomalies and extreme events in various parts of the world.
Why it matters
Natural variability and global warming can overlap: understanding their interaction is essential for preparedness.
To watchRead in context
Source: NOAA Climate Prediction Center(opens in a new tab)
6 May 2026Biodiversity · Food
Pollinators directly support nutrition and income
A study published in Nature and conducted in farming communities in Nepal directly measured the link between pollinating insects, harvests and household conditions. In the communities studied, pollinators contributed significantly to both farm income and the intake of essential nutrients.
Why it matters
Biodiversity loss can become a direct problem for food, health and poverty.
To watchRead in context
Source: Nature(opens in a new tab)
May 2026Climate · Health
The human body has precise limits when facing extreme heat
Experimental studies on extreme heat show that, beyond certain combinations of temperature and humidity, the body may no longer be able to dissipate enough heat, and internal temperature keeps rising. Age, physical condition and duration of exposure further modify the risk.
Why it matters
Adaptation is essential, but it does not make human beings limitlessly adaptable.
ProblemRead in context
Source: Environment International(opens in a new tab)
September 2025 · initiative still activeAI and technologies
Growing calls to halt the race towards superintelligence without safety guarantees
A statement promoted by the Future of Life Institute calls for not developing superintelligence until there is broad scientific consensus that it can be built safely and controllably, and strong public consensus. The initiative is backed by numerous scientists and figures with very different positions.
Why it matters
Asking that the capacity for control grow alongside the power of the technology.
To watchRead in context
Source: Future of Life Institute(opens in a new tab)
10 January 2025Climate and environment
2024 was the first calendar year above 1.5 °C compared to pre-industrial levels
Copernicus confirmed that 2024 was the hottest year on record and the first calendar year with a global average temperature of around 1.60 °C above pre-industrial levels. A single year above 1.5 °C does not, however, by itself equate to a stable breach of the Paris Agreement target, which is assessed over longer periods.
Why it matters
An important signal of the climate system's direction, not to be confused with the long-term trend.
ProblemRead in context
Source: Copernicus Climate Change Service(opens in a new tab)
December 2024 · study reference dateClimate · Arctic
A nearly ice-free summer day in the Arctic could arrive before 2030
A study published in Nature Communications shows that the first day on which Arctic sea ice falls below the conventional threshold of one million square kilometres could occur before 2030. It is not a certain forecast for a specific year, but a possible scenario emerging from climate simulations.
Why it matters
The Arctic is one of the clearest indicators of climate change, with effects beyond the polar region.
To watchRead in context
Source: Nature Communications(opens in a new tab)

From fact to meaning

A news item is a starting point

An event tells us what is happening today. To truly understand its meaning we need to connect it to its causes, its consequences and possible responses.

News
What is happening
In Depth
Why it is happening and what we know
Solutions
What we can do
Action

How we choose the news

Not everything newsworthy is important

We select a few events that can help us understand the evolution of the big global problems, of solutions and of international cooperation.

Relevance
Could it have significant consequences?
Reliability
Do we have sufficiently solid sources?
Context
Can we explain why it matters?

Being first matters less than being correct.

Balance

We don't only report what goes wrong

Understanding the world means observing risks, but also recognizing the solutions that work, scientific progress, effective decisions and forms of cooperation that produce results.

Problem
Signals primarily a worsening situation, a risk or an obstacle.
Progress
Signals primarily a solution, an improvement or a significant decision.
To watch
Flags an important development whose consequences are not yet clear.

These are not definitive judgements. They only help indicate the prevailing meaning of the news item at the time it is published.

Understanding the present to choose the future

News shows us the world as it changes. Knowledge helps us understand where it might go.

News
Go deeper
Assess the solutions

Explore In Depth Discover the possible solutions

Understanding what is happening. Not just knowing that it happened.

A good place to start

All News

A news item is a starting point

Not everything newsworthy is important

Relevance

Reliability

Context

We don't only report what goes wrong

Problem

Progress

To watch

Understanding the present to choose the future