Trade: Paraguay issues stark warning over WTO reform proposals (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
Paraguay, a middle-income and landlocked South American developing country, has severely criticized the three reform issues - changing the practice of consensus-based decision- making, weakening special and differential treatment provisions, and level-playing field issues - proposed by the Norwegian facilitator overseeing the reform of the World Trade Organization.

UN: World food prices fall for fifth consecutive month, says FAO (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
World food commodity prices fell for the fifth consecutive month in January, driven mainly by declining international prices for dairy, sugar, and meat products, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

UN: Global cereal stocks set to hit highest level in 25 years, says FAO (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
Global cereal production in 2025 is now forecast at 3,023 million tonnes, with record harvests expected for wheat, coarse grains and rice, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).