live WUF13 opening ceremony held in Baku as global forum advances sustainable urban development
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the of...
International pop singer Madonna appealed on Instagram for Pope Leo XIV to visit Gaza and “bring light to the children before it’s too late,” calling him “the only one of us who cannot be denied entry” and urged action to prevent child starvation.
Posting on social media for her son Rocco’s 25th birthday, Madonna said she wasn't assigning blame or taking sides, but felt compelled “as a mother” to act to protect innocent children and those suffering, including mothers of hostages.

The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, (UNICEF) estimates that more than 18,000 children have been killed in Gaza in the past 22 months, and about 28 children are dying per day, roughly the size of a full classroom.
However, Israel rejects claims of a famine, saying it has distributed sufficient aid, accusing Hamas of misusing it.
Madonna is the latest high-profile figure to speak out on the war in Gaza and humanitarian crisis. Earlier, members of U2, Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr., released statements condemning both Hamas’s 7 October attack and the Israeli government's response. Bono specifically called out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions as “immoral.” The Edge warned of potential ethnic cleansing, and the band pledged a donation to Medical Aid for Palestinians.
In recent weeks, the Pope renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire in the Strip and urged the international community to respect humanitarian laws and protect civilians.
Bulgaria has won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, taking victory in a final overshadowed by a boycott over Israel’s participation and the war in Gaza.
At least eight people were injured after a driver rammed a car into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena, authorities said on Saturday. Four of the victims were reported to be in serious condition.
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the official opening press conference, the WUF13 Urban Expo opening and a ministerial dialogue on the Nairobi Declaration to advance Africa's urban agenda.
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.
U.S. President Donald Trump says China's Xi Jinping agreed Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran prepares a new shipping mechanism. Tensions over the U.S. blockade and stalled nuclear talks continue to disrupt global oil supplies.
Spain’s High Court has cleared Colombian pop star Shakira of tax fraud and annulled a €55 million ($64 million) penalty imposed by Spanish tax authorities in 2021, according to a court document.
Eurovision Song Contest once again proved how unpredictable its outcome can be, with Bulgaria’s Dara turning a late surge into a dominant win while several expected contenders collapsed early. At the same time, the absence of the South Caucasus region from the final raised questions.
Bulgaria has won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, taking victory in a final overshadowed by a boycott over Israel’s participation and the war in Gaza.
The Eurovision Song Contest's final takes place in Vienna on Saturday, with the organisers hoping the annual show of glitz and Europop will be a success despite five countries' withdrawal over Israel taking part.
Children laughed, applauded and watched wide-eyed as animated characters lit up the screen at the opening of the ninth Animafilm International Animation Festival in Baku, where filmmakers and audiences from around the world gathered to celebrate the growing influence of animated cinema.
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