WTO : Reform talks sideline dispute settlement, split on development issues (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
The reform of the World Trade Organization appears to exclude the dispute settlement system - the crucial enforcement pillar - while focusing on curtailing special and differential treatment for developing countries and the principle of consensus-based decision-making, according to people familiar with the development.

WTO : US blocks Appellate Body appointments, highlighting its sovereignty (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
For the 90th time, the United States on 26 September blocked a joint proposal by Colombia on behalf of 130 countries to expeditiously fill the vacancies at the World Trade Organization's Appellate Body, declaring unilaterally that Washington will advance its interests while preserving US sovereignty, said people familiar with the development.

Opinion : Beware independent central banks (PRIV)
(IPS, Johannesburg)
US President Trump's snide barbs against his appointee, US Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Jerome Powell, have revived support for central bank independence - long abused by powerful finance interests against growth and equity.