UN: UNCTAD flags ten defining trends as global trade faces crossroads (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
Global trade is heading into 2026 amid a convergence of pressures - from weakening global growth and deepening geopolitical fragmentation to the rapid pace of digital and green transitions and increasingly restrictive national regulations, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said on 15 January.

UN: US must address unlawful lethal-force practices, says expert (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
A United Nations human rights expert has expressed grave concern that the United States is employing excessive and unlawful lethal force both abroad - including on the high seas and in Venezuela - and within its own borders, particularly in immigration-related law enforcement.

Sudan: Conflict driving unprecedented hunger as WFP resources run dry (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
The brutal conflict in Sudan has now dragged on for more than 1,000 days, fueling what is currently the world's largest hunger and displacement crisis, with conditions continuing to deteriorate and no relief in sight, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned on 15 January.