Azerbaijan Housing crisis is a matter of governance and not funding, city leaders tell World Urban Forum
Economy The UN has bad news for global growth as Middle East crisis continues As the Middle East conflict drives up energy costs and clouds outlooks, the UN warns the world economy faces one of its weakest years since the 2008 financial crisis — with Europe among the hardest hit. 20/05/2026
Azerbaijan Cities struggle to keep pace as war and climate define urban futures, WUF13 delegates warn Delegates at the World Urban Forum in Baku warned on day three that war and climate change are affecting cities faster than governments can respond, urging a shift away from standardised housing models. 19/05/2026
Azerbaijan 'No society is immune' to housing crisis, UN chief warns at Baku forum António Guterres told the World Urban Forum in Baku that no country is immune from the housing crisis, as 40,000 delegates gathered for the second day of talks. 18/05/2026
Azerbaijan World Urban Forum opens in Baku with warning on global housing divide Ministers and experts opened the World Urban Forum in Baku on Sunday with stark warnings about the global housing divide, calling for international cooperation to tackle a growing crisis. 17/05/2026
North Korea North Korea says not bound by nuclear non-proliferation treaty North Korea has insisted that it will not give up its nuclear arsenal, describing its path as "irreversible" and vowing to strengthen its capabilities. 07/05/2026
USA UN demands Israel 'immediately' release Gaza aid flotilla activists The flotilla's vessels set sail from France, Spain and Italy with the aim of breaking Israel's blockade of Gaza and delivering humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. 06/05/2026
Switzerland Iran war's impact on shipping affecting refugee aid, UNHCR says The agency has re-routed sea cargo via Jordan's Aqaba Red Sea port and has switched to land corridors including truck routes from Dubai across the Arabian peninsula and Turkey. 01/05/2026
Tech News 'Virtual rape': AI is silencing women in public life, UN report More than 41% of women said they had self-censored on social media to avoid abuse, while 19% had pulled back from speaking out in a professional context. 30/04/2026
Gaza Gaza’s transport grinds to a halt amid spare parts crisis Severe restrictions on spare parts entering Gaza have paralysed transport, fuelled a black market and sent repair and travel costs soaring for residents, Euronews has learned. 28/04/2026
Europe News Brussels calls on EU countries to get tough on net-zero shipping goals The high-level talks come after a disastrous meeting in October, when a proposal to tax shipping emissions was blocked by the United States. Within the EU, Greece, Italy and Malta remain hesitant to support the proposal. 28/04/2026
Europe News UN watchdog rebukes Sweden for deporting disabled child twice The committee, a body of 18 independent experts, monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by its state parties and conducts regular country reviews. 27/04/2026
Europe News Norway police launch joint cooperation with France on Epstein probe According to Norwegian media, police are investigating financial assistance the couple received to purchase an Oslo apartment in 2018 at a price below market value. 27/04/2026
Europe Today The UN should 'reform, transform or die', says UN representative María Fernanda Espinosa, who is being floated as a potential successor to Secretary-General António Guterres, says the UN must "reinvent itself" in a shifting geopolitical context. 27/04/2026
Lebanon Peacekeeper dies of wounds suffered in Lebanon last month, UNIFIL says His death brings the number of peacekeepers killed since the start of the most recent war between Israel and Hezbollah on 2 March to six. 24/04/2026
Brussels, My Love? A vote on trade ties with Israel: Why is the EU so divided? The rejection by some EU member countries of a renewed proposal to suspend the EU-Israeli trade pact once again exposed persistent divisions within the EU27 over the Middle East. Why is the bloc so split on this issue? 24/04/2026
Lebanon UN 'working on' keeping presence in Lebanon in 2027 The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon has served fulfilled peacekeeping duties between Israel and Lebanon since 1978 but finds itself caught in the crossfire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. 23/04/2026