WTO : Will WTO survive, amid Trump assault on MTS, EU's WTO alternative? (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
The continuation of the World Trade Organization to serve as a multilateral trade body based on rules and consensus-based decision-making appears to hang in the balance, amid United States President Donald Trump's seemingly unstoppable assault on the rules-based multilateral trading system (MTS) and the European Union's proposed alternative to the WTO, said people familiar with the development.

Climate : Fractious talks set the stage for COP 30 wrangles in Brazil (PRIV)
(S. Hui and Radhika Chatterjee, Penang)
Following fractious climate talks in Bonn, Germany, under the UNFCCC's Subsidiary Bodies (SBs) that began on 16 June and ended on 26 June, Parties agreed to undertake further negotiations in Belem, Brazil, setting the stage for major wrangles at COP30, to be held in November this year.

UN : Global public debt hits $102 trillion, South facing highest burden (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
Global public debt rose to $102 trillion in 2024, with the developing countries accounting for nearly one-third of that amount, and paying a record $921 billion in interest, straining budgets and putting vital public services at risk, according to UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).