Peter Ungphakorn
@coppetainpu.bsky.social
In 🇨🇭, from all over. Mainly trade. Journalist. WTO Secretariat 1996-2015. Usual disclaimers. Member: http://fmg-geneva.org. Web: https://tradebetablog.wordpress.com/ (follow for alerts)
Over at LinkedIn (sorry) I have posted this for those of you that partake: www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-tr...
Why Trump’s lawsuit against the BBC is not going well for him
One point which was emphasised in the litigation department of what was then (and still should be) Herbert Smith was to always prepare for trial. Each step of the litigation process, from pre-action c...
linkedin.com
"Most businesses and rival governments have concluded that it is better to go along and get along than to stand up for themselves. But Trump is just like any other authoritarian leader: he needs to be feared. The longer the world gives him what he needs, the greater the disaster that awaits us all."
Trump’s hypocritical new tariffs are a chance for the world to fight back | Joseph Stiglitz
The president’s pretext of stopping forced labour is only a ruse – he is trying to grab a share of global trade for the US
theguardian.com
At first I thought Switzerland had simply built a better version of vocational qualifications. I still had the ingrained Academic is best I was wrong. It took me nearly two years to realise I wasn’t looking at a different qualification. I was looking at a different philosophy of education.
For days, Reform politicians claimed that significant numbers of migrants who surged into Ceuta would be heading to Calais and onwards to Britain Not only have most already returned to Morocco, but Moroccans have made up just 0.07% of small boat arrivals since 2021 inews.co.uk/news/no-thou...
No, thousands of migrants won't come to the UK from Ceuta - here's why
Fears of a new migration crisis impacting the UK are misplaced despite the chaotic scenes witnessed in Ceuta, an expert has said
inews.co.uk
Exactly. Parity of esteem isn’t created by government slogans. It’s created when vocational routes offer comparable pay, genuine progression and equal opportunity. Switzerland has built a system where choosing an apprenticeship doesn’t mean choosing a second-class career with lower comparable pay
UEFA is right to remind us what Infantino promised and how he went on to break the promise. UEFA itself has not always been great. Keeping FIFA, its regional unions/federations and the national FAs clean will be a battle when so much money us involved. www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...
Fifa World Cup plans: Uefa has 'lost confidence' in current leadership
Uefa says it has lost confidence in Gianni Infantino's Fifa leadership as the fallout from the scrapped controversial investment plan intensifies.
bbc.co.uk
Ifantino should note that included in this unanimity is the football association of Switzerland 🇨🇭 his nationality, and the host of FIFA itself (in Zurich) and UEFA (in Vaud). Uefa to boycott tournament if Gianni Infantino's investment plans go through - BBC Sport www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...
Fifa World Cup: Uefa to boycott tournament if Gianni Infantino's investment plans go through
Uefa's 55 member associations vote to boycott the World Cup if Fifa proceeds with its plan to sell stakes in its competitions.
bbc.co.uk
UK's competition regulator investigates Microsoft over 365 subscriptions reut.rs/4bOpxa6
UK's competition regulator investigates Microsoft over 365 subscriptions
Britain's antitrust regulator said it will investigate Microsoft over its marketing of subscription plans, specifically over whether personal and family customers were misled about Microsoft 365 subscription options and paid more as a result.
reut.rs
Please tell @evanhd.bsky.social that FIFA is not in Geneva but among the German-speaking gnomes in Zürich. UEFA is close to Geneva but in Nyon, in the neighbouring French-speaking canton of Vaud.
1/2 WTO DISPUTE SETTLEMENT REFORM: The chair’s report on his June 23 consultations has been released after it was presented to the July 24 Dispute Settlement Body meeting. It contains a lot of detail, but no indication that the differences are narrowing. THE REPORT ➡️ docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages...
docs.wto.org
Encouraging violence against minorities, journalists and basically anyone who disagrees with him. There's no convincing reason to stay on there whilst he remains in charge
Sunder Katwala (sundersays)@sundersays.bsky.social · 2w agoElon Musk, owner of X, has called the editor of the Economist "a traitor to the West, plain and simple" after her recent interview with him. He now argues that "anyone who opposes remigration is a traitor" Musk has been socialising violence since Aug25: "fight or die, that's what it comes down to"
"Liverpool do not need rescuing. Bezos and Bhatia would not be doing the club a favour by investing; they are interested because Liverpool already possess something their money cannot manufacture."
This Is Anfield@thisisanfield.com · 2w agoNEW: Jeff Bezos, Amit Bhatia and Liverpool FC: Be careful what you wish for #lfc
It's not just one publisher, though. The payout seems pretty big. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Harry Potter publisher to receive millions in Anthropic copyright settlement
Bloomsbury has 14,087 titles listed within settlement between AI startup and authors over use of protected work
theguardian.com
Larry the cat's commitment to public service remains strong.
a reminder: the single most impactful action the world could take to help global fisheries to stop providing harmful subsidies to their fishing fleets some countries really dragged their feet even getting to this point (cough~India!~cough) and still lots left do do #stopfundingoverfishing
Peter Ungphakorn@coppetainpu.bsky.social · 2w ago1/2 — FISHERIES SUBSIDIES: India, the world’s fifth largest fishing nation with a 5% share of global catch, ratified the WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement today, over four years after it was agreed by consensus. Less than two weeks ago, Thailand (13th, 2% of the catch) also ratified the agreement.
1/2 — FISHERIES SUBSIDIES: India, the world’s fifth largest fishing nation with a 5% share of global catch, ratified the WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement today, over four years after it was agreed by consensus. Less than two weeks ago, Thailand (13th, 2% of the catch) also ratified the agreement.
Ratifications tracker: slow for the WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement
Over four years after consensus was reached, and almost a year after it partially entered into force, too many members still have not ratified it, leaving a quarter of the global catch outside the …
tradebetablog.wordpress.com
Spain became the first nation to hold both the men's and the women's World Cup at the same time!
🇪🇸 Congratulations to Spain 🇪🇸 !! 👏👏👏 You truly deserved it. 👏👏👏 Now, I'm sorry, I'm not hanging around for the presentation. Not today. Not this presentation. See you at the Euros
That was the most ridiculous football final I have ever watched.
I was about to say: if they go to penalties Argentina may have its first shot at goal, if not the first on target. They might finish with no shots at goal now.
I'm not going to repost all the negative comments about the half-time "entertainment" that are popping up. Just to say I agree with them all.
Small boats to UK now down 45% year on year to mid-July. The BBC continues to (mistakenly) tend to hypothesise a weather effect. It is neither weather nor UK govt policy. It is a change in EU-wide flows.
One thing I find fascinating about the immigration narrative is it's so easy to see what will happen because of lag times and yet even when it does happen the BBC and others get it wrong.
Sunder Katwala (sundersays)@sundersays.bsky.social · 2w agoSmall boats to UK now down 45% year on year to mid-July. The BBC continues to (mistakenly) tend to hypothesise a weather effect. It is neither weather nor UK govt policy. It is a change in EU-wide flows.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 has raised one question after another. The Council of Europe has helped turn past sporting crises into binding rules. It's time to begin the third half and strengthen the integrity of sport. Read my full statement: www.coe.int/en/web/porta...
Council of Europe@coe.int · 3w agoAhead of the FIFA World Cup final, Council of Europe SG @alain-berset.coe.int calls for a “third half”, a global dialogue on protecting the game from political, financial and betting-related pressures before 2030. Read the full statement: www.coe.int/en/web/porta...
The Council of Europe secretary-general is a former Swiss 🇨🇭 government minister, meaning he was Switzerland's president (twice) under its rotating system. FIFA's president is also Swiss 🇨🇭.
Tom Jenkins@tomoljenkins.bsky.social · 2w agoThey are. And @coe.int President @alain-berset.coe.int is right to call for integrity www.coe.int/en/web/porta...
Imagine what would have happened if France had turned up in the first half. Or even: what would have happened if France had turned up in the semi?