WTO : Cairns Group faces backlash for "hijacking" agri-talks before MC13 (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
Members of the World Trade Organization o n 21 November apparently remained sharply divided on several key issues in th e agriculture negotiations, dimming the prospects for any outcome on this iss ue at the upcoming WTO's 13th ministerial conference (MC13), to be held in Abu Dhabi in February 2024, said people familiar with the discussions.

United States : Oil & gas production set to grow under IRA, says report (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
Oil and gas production in the United States will continue to grow despite the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)'s support for cl ean energy, with oil production rising by 13% and gas production by 7%, accordi ng to a new report by Oil Change International, a US-based research and advocacy organization.

UK : No magic wand - review of new international development white paper (PRIV)
(Celine Tan, Coventry)
The UK government has released its much-awaited International Development White Paper on Monday, 20 November 2023, the first White Paper for 14 years, entitled "International Developme nt in a Contested World: Ending Extreme Poverty and Tackling Climate Change".