The World Urban Forum (WUF) opens this week in Baku, Azerbaijan, bringing together governments, city leaders, urban planners, researchers and civil society to exchange ideas on how cities can become more inclusive, resilient and sustainable.
Azerbaijan and Georgia have agreed to resume daily passenger train services on the Baku-Tbilisi-Baku route from 26 May, 2026, marking a major step in restoring regional rail connectivity after services were suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
World Urban Forum has become an important platform for expanding cooperation between Ukraine and Azerbaijan on post-war reconstruction, infrastructure and humanitarian initiatives, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba said on the sidelines of the global gathering in Baku.
Israeli forces intercepted dozens of Gaza-bound aid vessels in the eastern Mediterranean on Monday (18 May), prompting condemnation from the United Nations and Türkiye, while flotilla organisers said several ships continued sailing toward Gaza despite the operation.
Pakistan has deployed around 8,000 troops, fighter jets and air defence systems to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defence agreement, according to security officials and government sources familiar with the arrangement.
Global leaders gathered in Baku this week for the 13th session of the World Urban Forum, where heads of state and senior officials warned that rapid urban growth is placing increasing pressure on housing, infrastructure and climate resilience.
The thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) has opened in Baku, bringing together governments, international organisations, city leaders and civil society to address mounting global urban challenges.
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are negotiating summer water allocations as rising temperatures, agricultural demand and pressure on shared rivers intensify water security concerns across Central Asia.
A new trilateral energy partnership involving Uzbekneftegaz, Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR and BP has been announced during Uzbekistan Energy Week 2026 in Tashkent.
Uzbekistan has reported new fraud cases linked to employment in South Korea as investigators continue examining a wider migration corruption scheme estimated to have caused up to $90 million in losses.
When 36 nations signed up to prosecute Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, Georgia - a country partly occupied by Russia - declined to join. Tbilisi blamed strained relations with the EU. Critics blamed the government itself.
A new documentary by AnewZ Investigations titled 'Target Yerevan' is set to premiere in Baku soon, examining allegations surrounding former International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo, Armenian lobbying networks, and wider political influence campaigns.
As cities increasingly take on greater geopolitical significance amidst conflicts, climate change and shifting global alliances, discussions at the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Azerbaijan have gone beyond architecture and urban development according to a political analyst.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has held a series of high‑level meetings with world leaders and delegations on the sidelines of the World Urban Forum (WUF) in Baku, with discussions focusing on energy, economic cooperation and international partnerships.
The global housing crisis has reached what UN officials describe as “staggering” proportions, with nearly 2.8 billion people, around 40 per cent of the world’s population, lacking access to adequate housing, secure land, or basic services such as water and sanitation.
The 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) opened in Baku with ministers, UN officials and urban policy leaders. Participants call for action on housing, sustainable development and resilient cities, as rapid urbanisation is placing pressure on infrastructure, services and living conditions.
Thousands of displaced families in Gaza are facing growing infestations of rats and insects as worsening sanitation conditions and mounting waste deepen the humanitarian crisis across overcrowded camps, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
Uzbekistan has launched a nationwide environmental initiative titled ‘Day Without Cars’, which will take place twice a month as part of efforts to improve air quality and reduce vehicle emissions.
Jeffrey D. Sachs, an economist, public policy analyst, Columbia University professor, and UN advisor, said Azerbaijan and the wider South Caucasus could become one of the world’s key strategic connectors in an emerging multipolar order.
Israeli airstrikes killed at least seven Palestinians in Gaza on Friday (15 May), including a child, as Israel said it had launched an operation targeting Hamas military commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad.
