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
How prepared is Kenya for an Ebola outbreak?
16/10/2026: Kenya is rushing to respond to two confirmed Ebola cases linked to the recent outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Several prominent figures have raised urgent questions about the country's public health preparedness and border controls.
Source: DW
Arbitrary executions in Iran continue
13/10/2026: Iranian authorities have arbitrarily executed a further five people convicted in relation to the January 2026 protests. Amnesty International asserts that the men were sentenced to death after a grossly unfair trial involving forced confessions, torture, prolonged solitary confinement, beatings and electric shocks.
Source: Amnesty International
France shouldn’t return Afghans to Taliban rule
13/10/2026: France has confirmed that it has opened a “technical dialogue” with the Taliban authorities regarding forced returns to Afghanistan. The potential shift in policy could put France in contravention of its international human rights obligations, as there is compelling evidence that Taliban forces have detained and tortured people who have been forcibly returned to the country.
Source: Human Rights Watch
The UN Refugee Agency grapples with existential crisis
11/10/2026: In the last year, the Trump administration has launched a campaign to dismantle the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, whilst abolishing the US refugee resettlement program, by far the largest in the world. About 5,000 employees of the UN Refugee Agency have lost their jobs as donor countries have cut their contributions. The future is uncertain.
Source: PassBlue
How the Houthi-Saudi conflict is affecting African countries
9/10/2026: African economies are already suffering from the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, which is making fuel and fertilizer scarce and more expensive. If the Bab el-Mandeb Strait also becomes impassable, the situation could deteriorate further.
Source: DW
Guterres condemns new US sanctions on International Criminal Court
9/10/2026: The US has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court as an institution, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowing to “dismantle the ICC, brick by brick”. The UN Secretary-General has strongly criticised the US decision and independent human rights experts have called on countries committed to the rule of law to stand together in defence of the Court.
Source: UN News
Singapore increasingly isolated on death penalty
8/10/2026: A growing number of states across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are taking positive steps towards reducing the use and scope of the death penalty. Singapore remains the only ASEAN member state known to carry out executions regularly and to openly oppose substantive reform.
Source: Amnesty International
Can Africa’s biggest electrification drive keep its promise?
8/10/2026: In 2024, an ambitious plan was launched to deliver reliable power to 300 million more sub-Saharan Africans by 2030. Official figures state that 50 million people have been connected so far across 40 African countries but there are doubts over the accuracy of this figure.
Source: Dialogue Earth
Ethiopia’s return to conflict: a spiralling regional polycrisis
8/10/2026: The escalating violence in Tigray is a civilian catastrophe reflecting deep domestic rifts. Ethiopia needs relief, reconstruction and a political reconfiguration. But its conflict cannot be separated from the broader picture, as wars in Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, Iran and beyond enmesh to devastating effect.
Source: The Guardian