United Nations : Maritime trade growth slows over trade tensions, uncertainty (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Geneva)
International maritime trade lost momentum in 2018 with the US-China trade tensions and protectionism topping the list of downside risks that contributed to the slowdown in maritime trade growth last year, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has said.

Environment : Red alert for blue planet and small island states (PRIV)
(IPS, Rome)
Barely a week passes without alarming news of the most recent scientific research into the global climate crisis compounding a growing sense of urgency, particularly the impact on small island states from rising sea levels and extreme weather.

Development : As urbanisation grows, cities unveil sustainable solutions (PRIV)
(IPS, New York)
Over half of the world's population now live in cities, with numbers expected to double by 2050, but while urbanization poses serious challenges, cities can also be powerhouses for sustainable development; something the UN is spotlighting on World Cities Day, marked 31 October.