Trade : Doha stocktaking end-March won't be at Ministerial level (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Geneva)
It now appears that a forthcoming stocktaking exercise at the end of March, to assess whether concluding the Doha Round of trade negotiations in 2010 is doable, will not involve the participation of trade ministers, but rather of senior officials.

Trade : Australia, Brazil, Thailand voice concerns on EU sugar exports (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Geneva)
Three major sugar producers and exporters - Australia, Brazil and Thailand - have again voiced their serious concerns over the recent decision of the European Union to authorize the export of an additional 500,000 tonnes of out-of-quota sugar.

Development : Free hungry mouths of red tape (PRIV)
(IPS, Rome)
Developing countries must tone down the booming voice bureaucrats have in policies and target corruption if commitments to defeat hunger are to be turned into action, leaders and experts at a United Nations meeting said Wednesday.

United Nations : To focus on global epidemic of gender abuse (PRIV)
(IPS, New York)
The statistics relating to the world's socially and economically distressed women are staggering.

United States : Jailed Taliban leader still a Pakistani asset (PRIV)
(IPS, Washington)
Contrary to initial US suggestions that it signals reduced Pakistani support for the Taliban, the detention of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the operational leader of the Afghan Taliban, represents a shift by Pakistan to more open support for the Taliban in preparation for a peace settlement and US withdrawal.