— Developing economies are projected to grow by 4% in 2026, down from 4.7% in 2025, as they face new technological and policy barriers. Asia is projected to contribute 59% of global growth in 2026. But the industrial path that powered its rise is becoming harder for others to follow. AI: profits after tax account for 68% of traced value added, while workers receive less than 15%.
— Beyond documented arrests, UNAMA reported verbal abuse, beatings and threats against women including female shopkeepers, with detentions exposing victims to severe social stigma; actual cases likely far exceed 52 due to underreporting.
— PassBlue: Rebeca Grynspan, nominated by her country Costa Rica, retained her lead in the race, but she dipped to 9 "encourage" votes on Oct. 7 from 10 encourage in the most-recent poll, on Sept. 29. Opposition to her candidacy doubled (6 "discourage") as well, according to the results of the Wednesday straw poll seen by PassBlue. The next straw poll is scheduled for Oct. 16.
— Candidates from Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Qatar, Botswana, Indonesia, and Spain have already disclosed their nominations publicly, with the WHO expected to release the complete nominee list in early November.
— Obesity prevalence among those aged 5 to 19 has quadrupled since 1990; about 400 million people were overweight in 2024, including 170 million living with obesity. For children under 10, WHO endorsed diet, physical activity, and behavioral support instead of medication, while adolescents aged 10 to 19 may consider drugs only after supervised interventions fail. Luz Regil, director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, noted there is "currently insufficient evidence" on GLP-1 drugs, though researchers are monitoring efficacy trials for potential reassessment.
— Twenty-Two of 26 nations surveyed by the UNDP rated the crisis as high or medium priority, while the strongest El Niño since 1950 threatens to plunge an expected 49 million more people into food insecurity by the end of 2027.