WTO : DG now proposes senior officials' meeting in October, instead of July (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
The World Trade Organization's Director-General Ms Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on 16 May proposed that the Senior Officials' meeting be held in October, in the face of severe opposition fro m many members to holding such a meeting at the end of July as suggested by her ea rlier, said people familiar with the discussions.

UN : USAID offers protection to journalists, NGOs facing defamation lawsuits (PRIV)
(IPS, New York)
The world's news media - both under authoritarian regimes and democratic governments - continue to come under relentless attacks and political harassment.

UN : Acute hunger "immediate threat" to over a quarter of a billion people (PRIV)
(IPS, Rome)
While King Charles III's coronation in Bri tain was hogging much of the international media's attention at the start of thi s month, it was easy not to notice another story that deserved at least as many head lines.

Afghanistan : Taliban reign of terror of flogging, rape & torture instils fe ar (PRIV)
(IPS, Kabul)
In October 2021, Alia Azizi left her offi ce in Herat province after receiving a phone call from a Taliban official and never returned home. She remains missing.