Africa : Deeper regional integration needed in response to crisis (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Geneva)
The global economic crisis, which has reached the African continent, requires the re-examination of existing approaches to international development, with one important response being deeper regional integration to address the long-standing structural weaknesses of African economies, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said Thursday.

Trade : WTO SPS Committee discusses trade responses to swine flu (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Geneva)
The current swine flu pandemic, officially known as influenza A(H1N1), with 55,867 confirmed cases and 238 deaths worldwide as of 24 June, featured at a meeting of the WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) Committee, with several exporting countries complaining about some of the restrictions imposed by importing countries on live pigs and pork products in response to the flu outbreak.

UN : Economic Conference agrees not to reopen negotiation on draft text (PRIV)
(Bhumika Muchhala, New York)
The three-day conference of the United Nations on the world economic and financial crisis commenced on 24 June with speeches by the President of the General Assembly (PGA), Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, with high-level political leaders making their statements after that.

United Nations : Some drug trades easing up, says UN (PRIV)
(IPS, Washington)
While worldwide production of heroin and cocaine appears to be slowing, there has been an increase in the use of synthetic drugs, especially in the Middle East, according to the latest report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released Wednesday.

Middle East : US to name ambassador to Damascus after four years (PRIV)
(IPS, Washington)
After informing the Syrian embassy in Washington on Tuesday night, the US State Department announced on Wednesday that President Barack Obama will be sending an ambassador to Damascus for the first time since 2005.

Argentina : Huge loan to flow into "open sewer" river (PRIV)
(IPS, Buenos Aires)
Local residents and environmentalists are eyeing with cautious optimism a major loan from the World Bank to the Argentine government to clean up the Matanza-Riachuelo river that runs through Buenos Aires - the country's most polluted waterway.