WTO projects slow global trade growth in 2026 against backdrop of rising Middle East tensions
The WTO’s new chief economist Robert Staiger told a press conference that the “unusually strong trade growth” in 2025 was mainly driven by the frontloading of imports in North America in anticipation of higher US tariffs, as well as a surge in AI-related goods. But the two forces are “unlikely to persist through 2026,” said Staiger.
Social responsibility: Mt Kenya University marks World Oral Health Day with free dental outreach in West Pokot County
Director of Public Health for West Pokot County Benson Chumankemer was the chief guest. Mr Chumankemer commended the initiative for its preventive focus, noting that such community efforts contribute significantly to reducing disease burden.
How passport colonialism manifests in salary discrepancies at UN, sets benchmark for aid agencies
It’s no secret that national humanitarian staff face greater risk for lower pay: These inequities have been coded into the aid system. UN agencies and INGOs should seize today’s drive for systemic change to shed colonial-era staffing policies: Include salary standardisation in UN80 and other reform efforts.
International human rights agencies on red alert as violence on refugees in Ugandan capital, Kampala, becomes commonplace
A statement by human rights defenders, Umutoni, which is affiliated to Pugna Malum International, says one of the victims Umulambe Kasim, “a Congolese refugee reportedly suffering from mental health distress, was violently assaulted and repeatedly stabbed by members of the local community in Bakuri Slum.”
Analysts say it is unlikely US and Israel will accede to Iran’s preconditions for ending war
The demand for reparations is highly unrealistic, as it would require the United States and Israel to admit war guilt, said political analyst from Gaza Mustafa Ibrahim. Ibrahim believes asking for reparations appears more like “a political bargaining position” to strengthen Iran’s negotiating leverage, rather than a condition that could “realistically be implemented in the near term.”
Still-born democracy: Expanding fighting in Jonglei state signals South Sudan’s power-sharing collapse
Kiir later dismissed Bol Mel and reappointed James Wani Igga as second vice president, but political insiders say that decision also caused frustration among certain sections of the fractious ruling party. Other controversial moves by Kiir include last year’s dismissal of powerful intelligence chief Akol Koor Kuc; the appointment of Kiir’s daughter, Adut Salva Kiir, as a special advisor; and a recent anti-corruption drive viewed as politically motivated.
Kenya marks 10 years of Upper Tana Water Fund with call increased outlay in nature-based water solutions
As Kenya celebrates a decade of the Upper Tana initiative, the government is aiming to expand similar programmes nationwide, including in Eldoret-Iten, Upper Tana, Nandi/Yala and the Coast region under Jumuiya ya Pwani.
Regional governments in north-western Kenya pitch for wider private sector role in refugee assimilation into local economies
KKCF Senior Operations Officer Luba Shara said the fund has invested $12 million, matched by private businesses and supported enterprise development in the refugee and host communities.
Kenya, with one of highest refugee numbers in the world, says it’s preparing report for safe, orderly and legal migration
Director of National Coordination Mechanism on Migration (NCM) Dan Opon said the report will be Kenya’s voice during the IMR Forum, noting that Kenya and Luxembourg were appointed by the President of the United Nations General Assembly to be the co-facilitators during the event.
Understanding Iran’s new Ayatollah Mojtaba: ‘It’s humiliation for US to kill an 86-year-old man only to have him replaced by his hard-line son’
Mojtaba Khamenei has spent years building influence within Iran’s political and security apparatus. Palestinian political analyst Abdul Qader Hammad of Al-Aqsa University in Gaza noted his close ties to the IRGC, which bolster his credibility and make it possible to secure support from hard-line factions.
