Trade : India-South Africa call for re-examination of e-com tax moratorium (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
India and South Africa have called for "re-examining" the implications of the current temporary moratorium on electronic transmissions from a "development" perspective at the World Trad e Organization because of the changed realities in electronic commerce during the last two decades and the staggering revenue loss for the developing countri es, trade envoys told SUNS.

Trade : US initiates disputes against five nations over retaliatory tariffs (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Geneva)
The United States has initiated disputes ag ainst Canada, China, the European Union, Mexico and Turkey at the World Trade Organisation over the additional duties imposed by these five WTO Members o n imports of certain products from the United States.

India : Fast becoming a pillar of global growth & stability (PRIV)
(IPS, New York)
It is with great pleasure and pr ide that I interact with you this afternoon as India's Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, to share some thoughts on India's extremely ambitious, and arguabl y the world's largest planned urbanization programme under the leadership of our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

Q&A : "The sustainable bioeconomy, a path towards post-extractivism" (PRIV)
(IPS, Quito)
Ecuador has decided to move towards a bioeconomy-based development model, "which must be sustainable," because otherwise "the remedy could be worse than the disease," said the country's Environment Minister Tarsicio Granizo, who is spearheading this innovative approach.