Israeli attack targeting Hamas leader leaves seven dead in Gaza City
Israeli airstrikes killed at least seven Palestinians in Gaza on Friday (15 May), including a child, as Israel said it had launched an operation ta...
Azerbaijani President met with UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach in Baku on 16 May ahead of the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), with both sides highlighting Azerbaijan’s preparations and expanding cooperation in urban development.
Rossbach praised Azerbaijan’s preparations for the forum, saying she was impressed by the innovative approaches being applied to the event.
During the meeting, she emphasised that Azerbaijan’s hosting of WUF13 shortly after COP29 was significant, describing both events as among the largest within the UN system.
Rossbach also praised Azerbaijan’s voluntary financial contributions to UN-Habitat and highlighted cooperation between the organisation and Azerbaijani institutions, including the country’s National Urban Planning Forums.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev stressed that Azerbaijan had taken all necessary steps to ensure WUF13 is held at a high level.
The president noted that he had recently reviewed preparations at the Baku Olympic Stadium and expressed hope that the forum would produce practical and long-term outcomes.
Aliyev also highlighted Azerbaijan’s post-conflict reconstruction efforts in the liberated territories, as well as the country’s experience in urban planning and infrastructure development.
The sides also discussed future cooperation between Azerbaijan and UN-Habitat and welcomed the continued partnership.
Following the meeting, a Letter of Intent was signed between Azerbaijan’s State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture and UN-Habitat.
The document aims to develop operational guidelines for future World Urban Forum host countries based on the standards and preparation model applied for WUF13 in Baku.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the United States and will only consider negotiations if Washington shows seriousness. His remarks came as talks on Iran’s nuclear programme continued, with Trump and Xi also opposing Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was fighting for his political survival on Thursday (14 May) after Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned, saying he had “lost confidence” in Starmer’s leadership.
Türkiye has issued 20,000 work visas to Afghan citizens for jobs in the livestock sector, the Turkish Embassy’s chargé d’affaires in Kabul said during talks with Afghanistan’s refugee minister on Wednesday.
The second semi-final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest 2026 takes place tonight in a rain-soaked Vienna, with the final 10 places in Saturday’s grand final still up for grabs.
Widespread protests erupted across Havana on Wednesday evening as Cuba faced its worst rolling blackouts in decades after the government announced it had run out of diesel and fuel oil amid a tightening U.S. blockade.
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