30 September 2026
The UN refugee agency UNHCR has voiced concern over Malaysia's decision to return 1,476 people to Myanmar. Deportation of Rohingya refugees began on Tuesday. Malaysian authorities said the process was voluntary, but those returned had been held in immigration detention. UNHCR said it did not have access to the individuals to assess their cases. It urged robust safeguards such as individual assessments and access to protection procedures.
People returned to Myanmar:
1,476
UNHCR official quoted:
Edem Wosornu, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection
Why it matters for exams: Tests knowledge of refugee protection, UNHCR's role and the Rohingya crisis.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees — The UN agency that protects refugees and supports their return, integration or resettlement.
Rohingya Mainly Muslim ethnic minority of Myanmar — Forced to flee Rakhine state in large numbers in 2017; over a million now live in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
30 September 2026
UNICEF says children go to bed hungry in at least one in five households in Lebanon, and four in five households struggle to afford basic necessities. Its report An Enduring Nightmare says about 770,000 children have experienced psychological distress over the past six months. Since 2 March 2026 at least 261 children have been killed and 1,056 injured. A total of 436 schools have been damaged or destroyed. A Lebanon-Israel ceasefire agreement was reached on 17 April, but airstrikes and demolitions continue.
Children killed since 2 March 2026:
at least 261
Schools damaged or destroyed:
436
Children with psychological distress:
about 770,000
Why it matters for exams: Child welfare, conflict impact reporting and UNICEF's role are recurring exam themes.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund — The UN agency that works for children's rights, health, nutrition and education.
OCHA UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs — The UN body that coordinates emergency humanitarian response.
30 September 2026
A new UN report, Crime and Justice in a Changing World, was presented at the 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi. It was prepared by the UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI). Homicides fell from 5.9 per 100,000 people in 2015 to 5.2 in 2023. Latin America and the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa together account for roughly two thirds of all homicide victims. Criminal networks are diversifying into trafficking, migrant smuggling and the exploitation of natural resources.
Homicide rate 2015:
5.9
Homicide rate 2023:
5.2
Venue of the Crime Congress:
Abu Dhabi
Why it matters for exams: UN bodies, global reports and crime statistics are regular exam topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNICRI UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute — A UN research body on crime prevention and criminal justice.
30 September 2026
Children have been killed and injured in fresh fighting in Baidoa, the largest city of Somalia's South West State, UNICEF said. Clashes have broken out between Government forces and fighters loyal to the former regional president, who was ousted in March. In Baidoa alone, 26,000 people face catastrophic food insecurity, the highest level on the hunger scale. Across Somalia two million children are acutely or severely malnourished. The World Food Programme can now support just over 670,000 people, down from more than four million monthly a few years ago.
People in catastrophic food insecurity in Baidoa:
26,000
Acutely or severely malnourished children in Somalia:
two million
People WFP can now support:
just over 670,000
Why it matters for exams: Africa's conflicts, famine risk and the role of WFP and UNICEF are frequent exam topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
WFP World Food Programme — The UN agency that delivers food assistance in emergencies.
El Niño Periodic warming of the central Pacific — A weather pattern that can intensify rains or droughts in different regions.
30 September 2026
The World Health Organization says deaths wholly attributable to heavy drinking in Latvia decreased by 27 per cent after new restrictions took effect. The measures reduce the times when alcohol can be bought, end instant deliveries on online purchases, and restrict promotions and sales in gambling venues. Mortality from alcohol poisoning, liver disease and acute pancreatitis fell significantly. WHO says alcohol use is responsible for approximately 800,000 deaths across Europe every year. Karina Zalite heads WHO's Country Office in Latvia.
Fall in deaths wholly attributable to heavy drinking:
27 per cent
Alcohol-related deaths across Europe each year:
approximately 800,000
Why it matters for exams: Public health policy evidence and WHO's alcohol work feature in health and governance questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
WHO World Health Organization — The UN specialised agency for international public health.
30 September 2026
UN teams are racing to protect families in Gaza from the coming rainy season, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said. Partners have assessed three possible sites for temporary shelters and are examining more than 450 existing displacement sites at high risk of flooding. Those sites are home to about a fifth of Gaza's population. The main obstacle is restrictions on access to 65 per cent of Gaza's land, while the remaining 35 per cent is already overcrowded. Explosive ordnance must be cleared from new sites before voluntary relocation can happen at scale.
Gaza land with restricted access:
65 per cent
Displacement sites at high risk of flooding:
more than 450
Possible new shelter sites assessed:
three
Why it matters for exams: Humanitarian access and the UN's field role in Gaza are recurring international-affairs topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Explosive ordnance Unexploded bombs, shells and similar munitions — Must be cleared before land can be used safely for shelter.
28 September 2026
The IMF Executive Board has concluded the 2026 Article IV consultation with Cambodia (Press Release No. 26/307). The IMF says growth is projected to slow to 3 percent in 2026. It cites higher energy costs, weaker tourism and remittances, slowing garment exports, subdued domestic demand and tighter financial conditions. The review covers fiscal stabilisation, inflation and energy prices.
Projected growth in 2026:
3 percent
IMF press release number:
26/307
Why it matters for exams: IMF surveillance and Article IV consultations are standard international-economy material.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Article IV consultation IMF bilateral surveillance of a member's economy — A regular review of a member country's economic and financial policies by IMF staff and the Executive Board.
30 September 2026
China's official manufacturing purchasing managers' index climbed to 50.1 in September 2026 from 49.8 in August, the National Bureau of Statistics said. A reading above 50 reflects expansion. Of the 21 industries surveyed, 12 reported a PMI above the expansion threshold. The production sub-index rose to 51.7 and the new orders index stood at 50.5. A separate private survey, the RatingDog PMI, rose to 52.1 from 51.5.
Manufacturing PMI, September:
50.1
Manufacturing PMI, August:
49.8
Production sub-index:
51.7
Why it matters for exams: PMI is a standard economic indicator; knowing the 50 threshold is a common exam point.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PMI Purchasing Managers' Index — A monthly survey-based index where above 50 means expansion and below 50 means contraction.
Background
A proposed International Panel on Inequality would bring together independent evidence on the causes and consequences of widening disparities. The idea was in the spotlight at a 23 September event on the margins of the UN General Assembly's high-level week, convened by Brazil, Norway, South Africa and Spain. Secretary-General António Guterres said the richest 10 per cent of the world's population own 75 per cent of all wealth. Nobel laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz chairs the founding committee. The model is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC.
Share of wealth held by richest 10 per cent:
75 per cent
Event convened by:
Brazil, Norway, South Africa and Spain
Why it matters for exams: SDG 10 and the IPCC model for science-based global panels are useful for UN and economy questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change — The UN body that assesses the science of climate change for governments.
SDG 10 Sustainable Development Goal 10 — The goal to reduce inequality within and among nations.