WTO : Brazil flags reversal of Geneva texts at MC14, raises integrity concerns (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
Brazil on 7 May seemingly presented a sharp conclusion of how the Minister- Facilitator processes at the failed World Trade Organization's 14th ministerial conference (MC14) in Yaounde, Cameroon, in March drastically altered the texts dispatched from Geneva on WTO reform and agriculture, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the conduct of MC14, said people familiar with the development.

UN : Non-tariff measures now outweigh tariffs as major driver of trade costs (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
Trade policy is becoming increasingly interventionist, with tariffs rising but no longer the primary barrier to exports; instead, non-tariff measures (NTMs) such as regulations, standards and product requirements now account for most trade costs, shaping who can trade, what is traded and to which markets, according to UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

UN : Cuba facing "energy starvation" under US blockade, warn experts (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
Cuba is facing "energy starvation," with a fuel blockade imposed by the United States severely crippling the essential services needed for a dignified life, United Nations human rights experts warned on 7 May.