UN marks 81 years of global cooperation
23/10/2026: The United Nations has celebrated the anniversary of the entry into force of its Charter in 1945. The agenda has remained consistent over 81 years, settling disputes through diplomacy, combating poverty and hunger, and promoting human rights.
Source: UN News
Anger in Finland as Google illegally fells 250,000 trees for datacentre
22/10/2026: Google has been ordered by Finnish authorities to temporarily stop work on two data centre developments after it failed to complete the necessary environmental impact assessments. Revelations over Google’s misconduct have prompted public concern over what these deals mean for nearby communities.
Source: The Guardian
Humanitarian funding for El Niño critically insufficient
22/10/2026: Oxfam has warned that global funding for the preparation and response to El Niño, currently $450 million, is critically insufficient in relation to the harms it will bring to millions of people in lower income countries. By comparison, the appeal for previous strongest El Niño in 2015-2016 raised nearly $2 billion.
Source: Oxfam International
Kenya reports ninth Ebola case as Nigeria confirms first
21/10/2026: The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak is expanding into new geographies as two airplane passengers carried the virus to Kenya and Nigeria, heightening concerns of the virus spreading across the African continent. The situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo is spiralling faster than responders can contain it, as officials admit that contact tracing is not working.
Source: Devex
A lost year for climate finance at the World Bank
20/10/2026: The recent World Bank-IMF annual meetings were largely silent on the topic of climate change in the wake of the Bank's decision to remove the 45% climate target from its action plan. Environmentalists are concerned that, under pressure from the US, the Bank may redirect funds towards fossil fuel projects.
Source: Devex
Why sanctions are not stifling Sudan’s war economy
20/10/2026: Since the outbreak of the brutal civil war in Sudan in April 2023, the US, British, and Canadian governments, along with the European Union and UN, have imposed targeted sanctions on individuals and companies tied to the bloodshed. These measures have proved to be largely ineffective.
Source: African Arguments
Funding cuts force reduction in food rations in Gaza
19/10/2026: The World Food Programme has announced that funding shortages have forced it to reduce food assistance in Gaza. Food rations will be cut by half for over a million people, whilst half a million people will lose assistance altogether.
Source: World Food Programme
Can diplomacy stop another Ethiopia-Eritrea war?
19/10/2026: Ethiopia has installed a new administration in conflict-hit Tigray after federal forces pushed back Tigrayan fighters. But tensions with Eritrea continue to raise fears of a wider regional war. The US and UK have called on the two countries to exercise restraint and return to dialogue under their 2018 peace framework.
Source: DW
El Niño-related floods will threaten millions of people in Somalia
19/10/2026: For the past four years‚ drought has caused massive hardship in Somalia. Now the UN Food and Agriculture Organization has warned that strengthening El Niño conditions could raise the risk of severe flooding across the country. Latest analysis projects that about two million children aged under five years may be affected by acute malnutrition between July 2026 and June 2027.
Source: African Arguments
Takeaways from the World Bank-IMF meetings
17/10/2026: The annual meetings of the major international financial institutions exposed a widening gap between ambitions and the realities facing developing countries. Debates often espoused positive vibes about artificial intelligence and private capital mobilization despite the bleak reality many countries face as they navigate repeated shocks and rising debt.
Source: Devex