WTO: Members tackle "foundational" reform amid deep divisions (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
The facilitator tasked with overseeing the World Trade Organization reform track on "foundational" issues is holding discussions on 12 October, in an alleged attempt to advance what is being seen as an assault on the core provisions of the Marrakesh Agreement that established the multilateral, rules-based, and member-driven global trade body in 1995, said people familiar with the development.

UN: Global growth to slow to 2.6% in 2026 as divergences deepen (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
Global growth is projected to ease from 2.9 per cent in 2025 to 2.6 per cent in 2026, amid sharp divergences across and within country groups, underscoring an increasingly uneven global recovery despite the resilience seen in aggregate output, according to UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

UN: Global trade to grow 4% in 2026 amid uneven AI-driven gains (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
Global trade in goods and services is expected to expand by about 4 per cent at constant prices in 2026, a mild deceleration from the 4.4 per cent growth in real terms in 2025, according to UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).