WTO : DG's move to bring "Fish 1" into force in September sparks concerns (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
Several countries remain sharply concerned over the World Trade Organization Director-General's alleged attempts to de-link the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies ("Fish 1") from the "second wave" of the agreement, or "Fish 2", containing additional provisions dealing with subsidies contributing to overcapacity and overfishing, at an upcoming special General Council (GC) meeting in September, said people familiar with the development.

Health : Economic sanctions claim over half a million lives each year - study (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
A new study published in the British medical journal The Lancet Global Health has revealed that unilateral economic sanctions are causing 564,258 deaths around the world each year, similar to the total death toll from wars, including civilian casualties.

Afghanistan : UN fast-tracks support amid surge in Afghan returnees (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, has allocated $10 million from the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund to scale up life-saving assistance at Afghanistan's border, amid an alarming surge in returns from Iran in recent weeks, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).