At a sprawling urban expo in Baku, visitors paused before giant digital screens flickering with flood simulations, subway control systems and virtual replicas of entire neighborhoods. Across the space, cities offered a vision of urban life reshaped by artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and real-time data – a glimpse of what many governments now call the … Read more
The Security Council meets today in New York for its annual open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict amid mounting concern over rising civilian casualties, attacks on humanitarian workers and widespread destruction of homes and critical infrastructure in wars around the world. Senior UN and Red Cross officials will brief members, calling … Read more
The Gamechanging Team Vividly highlights what is possible when displaced people condemned to a life on the run through no fault of their own, find safety, opportunity and a warm welcome. The UN refugee agency’s ‘first 11’ is made up of current professional footballers from across the world whose lives have been impacted by forced … Read more
The fallout is being felt far beyond the Middle East, with UN agencies warning that rising fuel prices, disrupted shipping routes and growing financial uncertainty are placing mounting pressure on economies, labor markets and vulnerable households across Asia and other developing regions. Before the latest tensions, the Strait of Hormuz handled roughly one-fifth of global … Read more
A former European Commission employee, Latyr had been living a stable middle-class life in Belgium. But that stability gave way to uncertainty almost overnight, as he found himself sleeping in a tent on the streets of Spain. There, he remained trapped for nearly four years while authorities investigated a fraud case. He was ultimately cleared … Read more
According to a new report released on Tuesday by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)the global economy remained resilient at the start of 2026, supported by trade, industrial production in developing countries and investment linked to artificial intelligence (AI). However, the report warns that geopolitical tensions have increasingly replaced trade tensions as the … Read more
A major new UN report says such efforts are more than isolated successes. With the right tools, it argues, easing the global housing crisis – affecting billions – may be within reach. Released by UN-Habitat and launched on Tuesday at the 13th World Urban Forum (wuf13), in Baku, Azerbaijan, the report also points to a … Read more
Over the past three days, frontline attacks killed at least 11 civilians and injured nearly 200 others, including five children, as reported by Ukrainian authorities. The cities of Dnipro and Odesa were among the most heavily affected. At the same time, in the regions of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro, attacks damaged residential buildings, civilian vehicles, … Read more
Health ministers and diplomats are in Geneva for the 79th World Health Assembly – a week of negotiations on key topics such as pandemic preparedness, health financing and how to manage public health across borders to save the most lives. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus used the opening session to argue that recent crises had … Read more
His video address set the tone for the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (wuf13), which comes at a critical moment as cities grapple with deepening inequalities, rapid urbanization and a growing climate crisis. Organized by UN‑Habitat in partnership with the Government of Azerbaijan, the forum, which has drawn a record number of participants, … Read more