Trade : Pluri-accord on e-com could reinforce lawlessness in digital trade   (D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva) (PRIV)
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The proposed informal plurilateral agreement on electronic commerce being negotiated by the participants of the Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) group at the World Trade Organization could further reinforce lawlessness in the global digital trade order by enabling the tech-giants to monetize data with abandon, trade envoys told the SUNS.

Trade : Korea seeks $350 million in sanctions against US in OCTG dispute   (Kanaga Raja, Geneva) (PRIV)
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Korea has sought authorization from the WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) to suspend the application to the United States of concessions or other obligations under the GATT 1994 in an annual amount of US$350 million.

UN : Will Palestinian refugees pay a heavy price for UNRWA bungling?   (IPS, New York) (PRIV)
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A crisis that has threatened to undermine the future of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is expected to have a devastating impact - not only on the credibility of the United Nations - but also on the lives of over five million Palestinian refugees whose very survival depends on the humanitarian services provided by the beleaguered UN agency based in Amman and Gaza.

Environment : Desertification a frontline against climate change - IPCC   (IPS, New York) (PRIV)
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A new United Nations report has described farming, land degradation and desertification as critical frontlines in the battle to keep the global rise in temperatures below the benchmark figure of 2 degrees Celsius.

Environment : Burning forests for rain, and other climate catastrophes   (IPS, Nairobi) (PRIV)
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The villagers living on the foothills of Mount Kenya have a belief - if they burn the forest, the rains will come.