EU external relations, diplomacy, and security
Pope Francis visited Lampedusa on Sunday and called on European leaders to open more legal migration pathways, laying a wreath at a cemetery holding unidentified migrants who drowned at sea. It was his second visit to the island, and his message was no less urgent than the first.
Europe’s window to build a credible military deterrent may be closing faster than its leaders acknowledge. Security analysts warn that a narrow timeline — potentially expiring by 2028 — demands urgent action on defense spending and political will.
Europe’s defense spending is set to surpass $400 billion in 2025, marking a historic shift in how the continent thinks about security. Leaders are betting that arming up is now the only credible path to lasting peace.
Five aid workers were killed after gunmen ambushed a clearly marked convoy in Jonglei State, South Sudan. The attack has forced humanitarian organisations to suspend operations in the corridor as an investigation gets underway.
Australian man Simon Carman has been charged with murdering 17-year-old Tunchanok Donhomla after her body was found concealed in a suitcase in Pattaya. The suspect denies all involvement as Thai police say the investigation is ongoing.
Armed group clashes displaced more than 2,600 people in Haiti’s Artibonite department last week, deepening a humanitarian emergency that now affects hundreds of thousands across the country. From Lebanon to Gaza and DR Congo, this week’s global crisis update paints a troubling picture of compounding emergencies and stretched aid systems.
The UN Peacebuilding Fund turns 20 in 2026, having disbursed over $1.6 billion across more than 60 countries navigating the fragile path from conflict to stability. As new wars persist, its record offers a rare counter-narrative of societies that held together.
Europe’s five most powerful leaders met this week to prove the continent can meaningfully shoulder Ukraine’s security burden without Washington. Concrete pledges topped €21 billion, but the gap between promises and battlefield deliveries remains a stubborn problem.
A drone strike injured students at a school in Sudan’s El Obeid as the UN warned of mounting civilian casualties in the besieged city. From dangerous homecomings in south Lebanon to a global push for women diplomats, here’s what’s happening around the world.
The UN’s top envoy for Sudan warned Wednesday that violence closing in on El Obeid could devastate one of the last functioning humanitarian hubs in the country. With half of Sudan’s population already facing food insecurity, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
