Trade : MC12 in Kazakhstan no longer "feasible" due to coronavirus (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
The Kazakhstan government has informed the World Trade Organization (WTO) that it is not "feasible" to host the 12th ministerial conference (MC12) in June due to "the current situation with COVID-19 and the WHO declaration of a pandemic."

United Nations : World food prices fall on fears of impact of coronavirus (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Geneva)
The international prices of a basket of key agricultural food commodities fell for the first time in four months in February partly due to fears that the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) will impact negatively on global demand, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has said.

Trade : US and France significantly increase arms exports (PRIV)
(IPS, Stockholm)
There has been a significant increase in arms exports from the United States and France, according to a new report.

Health : Why Pakistan isn't taking that final step towards polio eradication (PRIV)
(IPS, Karachi)
Dr. Rana Muhammad Safdar, the coordinator for Pakistan's National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication, has sleepless nights thinking about what needs to be done for his country to eradicate polio.

Opinion : The world's religions launch strategic priorities for peace (PRIV)
(IPS, New York)
As a growing public health crisis becomes increasingly urgent, prominent global actors and institutions, including the United Nations, are confronted by the realisation that all hands on deck are required to address the cross-cutting challenges faced by our world today.