Trade : US blocks Indian request for compliance panel in solar cell dispute (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Geneva)
A request for establishment of a panel by India to determine India's compliance with the recommendations and rulings of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) in its dispute with the United States over certain Indian measures relating to solar cells and modules was blocked by the US at a meeting of the DSB on 9 February.

Finance : Stock market turmoil may expose flaws in global finance (PRIV)
(Martin Khor, Penang)
Was last week's global stock market sell-off only a "correction" or does it signify a new period of financial instability, caused by major flaws in the world financial system?

Rights : BDS campaign not anti-Israel but pro-Palestinian, says Norwegian MP (PRIV)
(IPS, New York)
When Norwegian parliamentarian Bjornar Moxnes recently nominated the BDS movement for the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, the leader of Norway's Red Party faced the inevitable: a furious backlash from pro-Israeli and anti-Palestinian groups.

Opinion : Efficient water management in Central Asia (PRIV)
(IPS, Dushanbe)
In Tajikistan and other countries of Central Asia, local water user associations have proved vital for efficient irrigation management, and reasonably prolonged training is the key for enabling the associations to perform well.