News headlines in May 2026, page 5

WASHINGTON D.C. & HYDERABAD, India, May 19 (IPS) - As governments prepare for the Eighth Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) – scheduled to be held from May 30 to June 6 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan – the stakes are unusually high.

CASTRIES, Saint Lucia , May 19 (IPS) - Faster-than-average sea level rise, intensifying hurricanes, extreme heat and worsening swings between drought and flooding are increasing pressure on Latin America and the Caribbean, according to a new report released Monday, May 18 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

PRETORIA, South Africa / WASHINGTON DC, USA , May 19 (IPS) - The World Bank made history in 1994 by creating the Inspection Panel, the first independent accountability mechanism, at any international organisation. Its function is to investigate complaints from communities who allege they were harmed because the bank failed to comply with its own policies and procedures.

A symbolic team of famous footballers with first hand experience of life as a refugee was announced on Tuesday by UNHCR, just weeks ahead of the world’s biggest sporting event - the FIFA Men’s World Cup.

The global economy is entering a more fragile period as geopolitical conflicts, rising energy costs and financial instability threaten global growth and trade.

The UN Security Council is meeting in emergency session in New York to discuss the situation in the Middle East following reports of a drone strike near the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the United Arab Emirates. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi briefed members as concerns grow over nuclear safety and security in the region. Follow our live coverage below for updates and for coverage of all key meetings at UN Headquarters, go here.

The fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran may have eased fears of a wider regional war, but persistent instability around the Strait of Hormuz continues to disrupt global trade, drive up energy costs and fuel a growing jobs and cost-of-living crisis.

The war in Ukraine, now well into its fifth year, “is becoming deadlier by the day”, a senior UN official warned in a briefing to the Security Council on Tuesday.

A missed warning sign. A forged cheque. A passport confiscated in a foreign country. Within months, the life Latyr Thioye had built began to unravel.

From Thailand to Jordan, from Brazil to Germany, new approaches to housing are quietly taking shape. Residents of informal settlements once facing eviction are rebuilding their communities with state support. Refugees and host communities are reclaiming neglected spaces, turning them greener and safer. In Brazil, favelas are being upgraded rather than torn down, while in Germany, rent controls are helping to steady the market.