Trade : US continues to block appointment of new AB members (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Geneva)
The impasse at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over the appointment of new Appellate Body (AB) members continues with the United States once again blocking a joint proposal sponsored by some 64 WTO members that called for the launch of the selection processes to fill three current vacancies on the seven-member body as soon as possible.

United Nations : Conflicts force up global hunger levels (PRIV)
(IPS, New York)
Largely driven by conflict, the number of hungry people has dramatically increased around the world, reversing decades of progress, according to a new report.

Bangladesh : Celebrations herald a new set of hurdles (PRIV)
(IPS, Dhaka)
Bangladesh's great strides in human development were widely celebrated this month, although they come at the potential cost of Western trade benefits that have helped underpin the nation's export success for decades.