WTO: In a twist, US appeals to Appellate Body that it keeps non-functional (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
For the 95th time, the United States on 24 February blocked a joint proposal from 130 countries to begin the selection process to fill all seven vacancies in the World Trade Organization's Appellate Body to revive its main adjudicatory function.

UN: Impunity rules four years into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
Four years into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a large group of United Nations human rights experts warned that the war has entrenched a devastating human rights crisis that stretches far beyond the battlefield.

Somalia: Drought, conflict, soaring food prices drive surge in acute hunger (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
A staggering 6.5 million people in Somalia are estimated to be facing high levels of acute food insecurity between February and March 2026, marking a near doubling from the 3.4 million people affected in early 2025, according to the latest analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) initiative published on 24 February.