WTO: Sharp concerns over lack of transparency & inclusivity in DS reform (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
Several developing countries on 30 May apparently expressed sharp concerns over the manner in which the informal discussions on dispute settlement (DS) reforms are being conducted at a seemingly furious speed at the World Trade Organization, citing a lack of transparency and inclusivity as well as the pace of the discussions, said p eople familiar with the discussions.

Argentina: Cooperatives help drive expansion of renewable energy (PRIV)
(IPS, Buenos Aires)
When the residents of Armstrong , a town of 15,000 in western Argentina, began to meet to discuss a renewable energy project, they agreed that there could be many positive effects and t hat it was not just a question of doing their bit in the global effort to mitigate climate change.

Opinion: Urgency for a global fund for media & journalism (PRIV)
(IPS, Kathmandu)
There have been an array of proposals to sustain journalism around the world - from tax incent ives and subsidies to the idea of allocating 1% of governments' GDP to a drastic ally increased ODA for independent journalism in the global South.