| While market turmoil impacted pretty much every economy in the world this week emanating from Washington DC, we secured an important interview with the UN's top trade and development official, Rebeca Grynspan. She told us uncertainty was a prime corrosive factor and advocated – in line with her mandate – for vulnerable developing countries to be spared the pain of major tariff hikes, even if the highest punitive import tax rates have been deferred for 90 days. Following on from this Friday, the head of the UN's International Trade Centre warned there could be a three per cent dip in global trade overall due to the tariff wars. The wars, disasters and crises which present a more imminent threat to millions of lives worldwide continued unabated. In Myanmar, the military junta continues to bomb its own citizens even as desperate earthquake recovery efforts are ongoing. In DR Congo, children account for nearly half of 10,000 new rape and sexual violence cases documented in just two months. Days ahead of the start of Sudan's third year of brutal fighting between rival militaries, the civilian suffering is described by UN aid chiefs as industrial in its scope and intensity. We've featured insightful interviews with many of the main UN agencies trying to keep lifesaving support flowing in Darfur and elsewhere. Each day this week we've also continued to highlight the mounting horrors inside Gaza with Israel now seemingly intent on clearing more and more of the shattered enclave of civilians, as our Friday update covers, even as they dodge new intense airstrikes and denial of aid due to weeks of border closures. Hamas also continues to fight with too many civilians engulfed in the violence. The UN is pledging to stay for as long as it takes, calling for a renewed ceasefire and a two-State solution as the only option for long term peace and stability. | 
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