WUF13 in Baku highlights public-private cooperation on sustainable urban development
The World Urban Forum 13 (WUF13) in Baku has placed a strong emphasis on strengthening cooperation between the pub...
Afghanistan’s interim administration unveiled a five-year 'Development Strategy' on Tuesday aimed at creating jobs and promoting balanced development.
Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the strategy is built around three core pillars: good governance, international relations, and security and public order.
He added that the plan covers ten sectors: economy and agriculture; natural resources and energy; housing and social cohesion; transport and communications; education (both religious and contemporary) and cultural affairs; health; social protection; and environmental conservation.
Mujahid outlined 15 priority programmes, including the implementation of Sharia law and ensuring Islamic justice, as well as strengthening governance, transparency, regional cooperation, and border security.
The strategy also focuses on expanding agriculture, energy supply, healthcare, education, transport infrastructure, and telecommunications. Mujahid assured citizens that the plan will be implemented progressively and deliver improved outcomes.
The announcement comes amid Afghanistan’s ongoing economic challenges. The United States has frozen $7 billion of Afghan assets since the Taliban regained power in August 2021. In total, Afghanistan holds $9 billion in foreign assets, with $7 billion in the U.S. and the remainder in Germany, the United Arab Emirates, and Switzerland.
United Nations World Urban Forum 13 continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 19 May with sessions and roundtable discussions focused on strengthening dialogue and advancing cooperation in urban development. Organisers say there are nearly 3 billion people globally who face some form of housing inadequacy.
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.
Day four of the World Urban Forum (WUF) in Baku brings a packed agenda on sustainable cities and the global housing crisis, with sessions on green housing, smart cities, public spaces and urban rights taking place on Wednesday (20 May) at Baku Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan.
Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya warned on Tuesday (19 May) that Moscow could retaliate against Baltic states if Ukraine launches military drones from that region. Latvia, the United States and Ukraine responded strongly during a UN Security Council meeting.
Russia is considering the possibility of joint projects with the United States and China, Kirill Dmitriev, Head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, (Russia's sovereign wealth fund), was quoted as saying by state media on Wednesday.
FormeFormer Cuban President Raúl Castro has been indicted in the United States, according to a senior Trump administration official. The move marks a significant escalation in Washington’s pressure campaign against Cuba’s communist leadership.
The red carpet had barely been rolled up after Donald Trump’s departure before Beijing was laying it out again. Vladimir Putin arrived in the Chinese capital on Wednesday for talks with Xi Jinping, just days after Trump’s own high-profile visit.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discussed Türkiye-EU relations and rising Middle East tensions during a phone call on Tuesday.
The visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China, just days after U.S. President Donald Trump left Beijing, has highlighted intensifying great-power signalling amid a rapidly fragmenting global order.
The European Union has moved closer to implementing tariff cuts under last year’s U.S. trade agreement after negotiators agreed on a provisional legislative text.
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