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)
Web: https://tradebetablog.wordpress.com/ (follow for alerts)
Pinned
Daniel Hope & Simon Mulligan - Spiegel im Spiegel
YouTube video by bnk57
youtu.be
Arvo Pärt: Spiegel im Spiegel
Daniel Hope, Simon Mulligan.
It's in F major in 6/4 time, with the piano playing rising crotchet triads and the violin playing slow scales, alternately rising and falling, of increasing length, which all end on the note A.
youtu.be/Xm74Lejt01I?...
Daniel Hope, Simon Mulligan.
It's in F major in 6/4 time, with the piano playing rising crotchet triads and the violin playing slow scales, alternately rising and falling, of increasing length, which all end on the note A.
youtu.be/Xm74Lejt01I?...
Reposted by Peter Ungphakorn
Trump Is Sending Myanmar Nationals to ‘Prisons, Torture, and Death’ by Ending Their Protected Status: zeteo.com/p/trump-noem...
Trump Is Sending Myanmar Nationals to ‘Prisons, Torture, and Death’ by Ending Their Protected Status
Human rights groups slammed DHS’s decision to end TPS for nearly 4,000 Myanmar nationals, as the country continues to face a brutal military dictatorship and bloody civil war.
zeteo.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Trump Is Sending Myanmar Nationals to ‘Prisons, Torture, and Death’ by Ending Their Protected Status: zeteo.com/p/trump-noem...
Reposted by Peter Ungphakorn
The Media Show should be available for listen-again outside the UK via this page
www.bbc.com/audio/brand/...
www.bbc.com/audio/brand/...
BBC Audio | The Media Show
Listen to the latest episodes of The Media Show on BBC Audio
www.bbc.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:47 PM
The Media Show should be available for listen-again outside the UK via this page
www.bbc.com/audio/brand/...
www.bbc.com/audio/brand/...
The Media Show (R4) has become one of the BBC's best radio programmes. Today's is no exception. It includes an item on the censored Reith Lecture plus other issues
Outside the UK we have to listen live. It's repeated tomorrow at 20:15 GMT. Otherwise available listen-again on BBC Sounds.
Outside the UK we have to listen live. It's repeated tomorrow at 20:15 GMT. Otherwise available listen-again on BBC Sounds.
BBC Radio 4 - The Media Show, The Reith Lecture row, Telegraph sale & CNN documentary MisinfoNation: White Genocide
Reith Lecture row, Telegraph sale and CNN documentary MisinfoNation: White Genocide.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 4:52 PM
The Media Show (R4) has become one of the BBC's best radio programmes. Today's is no exception. It includes an item on the censored Reith Lecture plus other issues
Outside the UK we have to listen live. It's repeated tomorrow at 20:15 GMT. Otherwise available listen-again on BBC Sounds.
Outside the UK we have to listen live. It's repeated tomorrow at 20:15 GMT. Otherwise available listen-again on BBC Sounds.
The EU v Colombia dispute over frozen chips was the first to use ad hoc appeal-by-arbitration instead of the blocked WTO Appellate Body.
It has now become the first such case to have a ruling adopted by WTO members. What, if anything, does it mean?
tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2025/11/26/r...
It has now become the first such case to have a ruling adopted by WTO members. What, if anything, does it mean?
tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2025/11/26/r...
WTO report’s adoption and the binding nature of appeal-by-arbitration
The dispute has crossed back and forth between the paths of conventional WTO dispute settlement and the ad hoc Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement
tradebetablog.wordpress.com
November 26, 2025 at 4:21 PM
The EU v Colombia dispute over frozen chips was the first to use ad hoc appeal-by-arbitration instead of the blocked WTO Appellate Body.
It has now become the first such case to have a ruling adopted by WTO members. What, if anything, does it mean?
tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2025/11/26/r...
It has now become the first such case to have a ruling adopted by WTO members. What, if anything, does it mean?
tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2025/11/26/r...
Reposted by Peter Ungphakorn
I can’t think of a skeet I’d agree more with. It’s so much better to have the actual written down information.
November 26, 2025 at 12:19 PM
I can’t think of a skeet I’d agree more with. It’s so much better to have the actual written down information.
Reposted by Peter Ungphakorn
The OBR publishing early is bad news for a) the person who carries the can b) the political debate around the OBR but maybe good for those of us who think Budget documents should be published before, not after, the Chancellor speaks as a matter of course when the world doesn't end at 13:30 today?
November 26, 2025 at 12:18 PM
The OBR publishing early is bad news for a) the person who carries the can b) the political debate around the OBR but maybe good for those of us who think Budget documents should be published before, not after, the Chancellor speaks as a matter of course when the world doesn't end at 13:30 today?
Reposted by Peter Ungphakorn
Horse, stable door.
November 26, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Horse, stable door.
'Prescott said his memo was a “reasonable edit” of concerns raised, but conceded it was “unbalanced” because it did not include examples of where an internal review had praised the coverage.'
November 25, 2025 at 12:02 AM
'Prescott said his memo was a “reasonable edit” of concerns raised, but conceded it was “unbalanced” because it did not include examples of where an internal review had praised the coverage.'
Reposted by Peter Ungphakorn
Twitter accounts are based in Russia. BlueSky accounts are based in homes with, frankly, too many books, plants, obsolete cables, and pieces of rustic pottery, that could do with a bit of a tidying up, to be honest.
November 23, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Twitter accounts are based in Russia. BlueSky accounts are based in homes with, frankly, too many books, plants, obsolete cables, and pieces of rustic pottery, that could do with a bit of a tidying up, to be honest.
Reposted by Peter Ungphakorn
great thread on UN-speak and why there is even less than meets the eye in COP30 text
COP30 TEXT ANALYSIS: One way to read dense COP text is to focus on the verbs. These are helpfully italicised – and for good reason.
MOSTLY INACTIVE: Carbon Brief analysis of the “global mutirão” text finds 69 inactive verbs, requiring no action, against 32 active verbs.
1/4
MOSTLY INACTIVE: Carbon Brief analysis of the “global mutirão” text finds 69 inactive verbs, requiring no action, against 32 active verbs.
1/4
November 23, 2025 at 2:15 PM
great thread on UN-speak and why there is even less than meets the eye in COP30 text
Good 🧵⬇️ but I question "more radical". They are different; work differently.
1. Customs union = goods only. EU single market = goods, services (a UK strength), capital and people.
2. Customs union = a common set of tariffs, less flexibility, as ⬇️
There are other options for closer trade relations
1. Customs union = goods only. EU single market = goods, services (a UK strength), capital and people.
2. Customs union = a common set of tariffs, less flexibility, as ⬇️
There are other options for closer trade relations
There's a prevailing idea in the UK that a customs union with the EU would be a compromise solution if single market membership is not possible, e.g @eddavey.libdems.org.uk and @jonathanfreedland.bsky.social recently. But a customs union is, from a trade policy, a more radical step. (1/N)
November 23, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Good 🧵⬇️ but I question "more radical". They are different; work differently.
1. Customs union = goods only. EU single market = goods, services (a UK strength), capital and people.
2. Customs union = a common set of tariffs, less flexibility, as ⬇️
There are other options for closer trade relations
1. Customs union = goods only. EU single market = goods, services (a UK strength), capital and people.
2. Customs union = a common set of tariffs, less flexibility, as ⬇️
There are other options for closer trade relations
From AP. Senators say Rubio told them the plan was a Russian wishlist.
www.huffpost.com/entry/senato...
www.huffpost.com/entry/senato...
U.S. Senators Say They Spoke With Rubio About Trump’s Ukraine Peace Plan Who Denied It Is A U.S. Plan
Senators said Rubio told them the peace plan Trump is pushing Kyiv to accept is a “wish list” of the Russians and not the actual U.S. plan.
www.huffpost.com
November 23, 2025 at 1:23 AM
From AP. Senators say Rubio told them the plan was a Russian wishlist.
www.huffpost.com/entry/senato...
www.huffpost.com/entry/senato...
Reposted by Peter Ungphakorn
Trump v the BBC cont'd: an odd and desperate letter from the US media regulator
Or: why you should have your evidence in place before you threaten a law suit
A new post by me:
emptycity.substack.com/p/trump-v-th...
Or: why you should have your evidence in place before you threaten a law suit
A new post by me:
emptycity.substack.com/p/trump-v-th...
Trump v the BBC cont'd: an odd and desperate letter from the US media regulator
Or: why you should have your evidence in place before you threaten a law suit
emptycity.substack.com
November 22, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Trump v the BBC cont'd: an odd and desperate letter from the US media regulator
Or: why you should have your evidence in place before you threaten a law suit
A new post by me:
emptycity.substack.com/p/trump-v-th...
Or: why you should have your evidence in place before you threaten a law suit
A new post by me:
emptycity.substack.com/p/trump-v-th...
Reposted by Peter Ungphakorn
The only news is rather desperate attempt by US regulator to find if the programme was provided to US outlets: www.bbc.com/news/article...
You would have thought US president and his lawyers would have this evidence *before* they sent their legal threat.
Oh well.
Whoopsie.
You would have thought US president and his lawyers would have this evidence *before* they sent their legal threat.
Oh well.
Whoopsie.
US broadcast regulator writes to BBC over Panorama edit of Trump speech
The letter is reportedly also sent to the BBC's US partners, and seeks to find out if any US rules were broken.
www.bbc.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:00 PM
The only news is rather desperate attempt by US regulator to find if the programme was provided to US outlets: www.bbc.com/news/article...
You would have thought US president and his lawyers would have this evidence *before* they sent their legal threat.
Oh well.
Whoopsie.
You would have thought US president and his lawyers would have this evidence *before* they sent their legal threat.
Oh well.
Whoopsie.
One feature of the 2022 WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement is now up and running after two thirds of members ratified it on Sep 15—the Fish Fund has approved its first grants to help developing countries implement the agreement. 26 requests, $2.9mn, approved.
1/2
www.wto.org/english/news...
1/2
www.wto.org/english/news...
WTO Fish Fund approves USD 2.9m in first grants, gears up for next Call for Proposals
At its meeting on 18 and 19 November, the WTO Fish Fund Steering Committee approved 26 requests for project grants - totalling USD 2.9 million - to support developing and least-developed country (LDC)...
www.wto.org
November 20, 2025 at 1:56 PM
One feature of the 2022 WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement is now up and running after two thirds of members ratified it on Sep 15—the Fish Fund has approved its first grants to help developing countries implement the agreement. 26 requests, $2.9mn, approved.
1/2
www.wto.org/english/news...
1/2
www.wto.org/english/news...
Reposted by Peter Ungphakorn
Andy Robertson (BBC): "I've been in bits. I couldn't get my mate Diogo Jota out of my head today. We spoke so much together about the World Cup. We always discussed what it would be like going to this World Cup. I know he'll be somewhere smiling over me tonight." 🏴
November 18, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Andy Robertson (BBC): "I've been in bits. I couldn't get my mate Diogo Jota out of my head today. We spoke so much together about the World Cup. We always discussed what it would be like going to this World Cup. I know he'll be somewhere smiling over me tonight." 🏴
Reposted by Peter Ungphakorn
Unbelievable game of football 🏴
International football >>>
November 18, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Unbelievable game of football 🏴
Reposted by Peter Ungphakorn
Complaints against China on trade are raining in from across Europe. Will collect them in this rolling thread
Austria to launch EU initiative by end of this year to regulate against “cheap imports” from Chinese state-backed rolling stock manufacturers.
Austria to launch EU initiative by end of this year to regulate against “cheap imports” from Chinese state-backed rolling stock manufacturers.
Austria wants new EU regulations to keep out Chinese trains
As CRRC’s long-distance trains were rolled out for the first time in Western Europe last week, Austria’s transport minister Peter Hanke said Vienna will launch an EU initiative…
www.railtech.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Complaints against China on trade are raining in from across Europe. Will collect them in this rolling thread
Austria to launch EU initiative by end of this year to regulate against “cheap imports” from Chinese state-backed rolling stock manufacturers.
Austria to launch EU initiative by end of this year to regulate against “cheap imports” from Chinese state-backed rolling stock manufacturers.
David Aaronovitch argues that the document at the heart of the BBC’s crisis is unfairly selective and ignores most of the corporation’s output.
@theobserveruk.bsky.social
observer.co.uk/news/opinion...
@theobserveruk.bsky.social
observer.co.uk/news/opinion...
The Prescott memo flunks the impartiality test | The Observer
observer.co.uk
November 17, 2025 at 3:58 PM
David Aaronovitch argues that the document at the heart of the BBC’s crisis is unfairly selective and ignores most of the corporation’s output.
@theobserveruk.bsky.social
observer.co.uk/news/opinion...
@theobserveruk.bsky.social
observer.co.uk/news/opinion...
A long account of what's been happening inside the top levels of the BBC from @theobserveruk.bsky.social
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
Boardroom dramas, backstabbing and the BBC‘s darkest hour | The Observer
observer.co.uk
November 17, 2025 at 3:19 PM
A long account of what's been happening inside the top levels of the BBC from @theobserveruk.bsky.social
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
"How can the WTO foster ...?" A lot more complicated than it sounds. The WTO is not an aid or financial agency. It's a sytem of negotiated agreements specifying members' rights and obligations. For recommendations to strengthen existing rules, "the WTO" means its members. They wd have to negotiate.
Our recent policy brief by @fcalvo.bsky.social on strengthening climate-resilient food systems in least-developed countries is featured in the latest edition of #WTO News Harvest 👉 bit.ly/3XyABk8
👀Read the brief here: www.iisd.org/publications...
👀Read the brief here: www.iisd.org/publications...
November 17, 2025 at 1:06 PM
"How can the WTO foster ...?" A lot more complicated than it sounds. The WTO is not an aid or financial agency. It's a sytem of negotiated agreements specifying members' rights and obligations. For recommendations to strengthen existing rules, "the WTO" means its members. They wd have to negotiate.
Reposted by Peter Ungphakorn
this @WTO report provides some evidence on the value of committee discussion--many issues are indeed resolved. Next question: which countries/issues get resolved?
A bit nerdy, but a reminder that organisations like the WTO are useful for discussing concerns multilaterally and for defusing trade tensions. Not always, but it's better than not having the WTO at all.
tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2025/11/16/h...
tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2025/11/16/h...
About half of trade concerns reported ‘resolved’ to WTO Goods Council
The paper sheds additional light on how the WTO can reduce trade tensions by providing a place for countries to discuss and share the issues they experience with each other in trade.
tradebetablog.wordpress.com
November 16, 2025 at 4:18 PM
this @WTO report provides some evidence on the value of committee discussion--many issues are indeed resolved. Next question: which countries/issues get resolved?
A bit nerdy, but a reminder that organisations like the WTO are useful for discussing concerns multilaterally and for defusing trade tensions. Not always, but it's better than not having the WTO at all.
tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2025/11/16/h...
tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2025/11/16/h...
About half of trade concerns reported ‘resolved’ to WTO Goods Council
The paper sheds additional light on how the WTO can reduce trade tensions by providing a place for countries to discuss and share the issues they experience with each other in trade.
tradebetablog.wordpress.com
November 16, 2025 at 4:05 PM
A bit nerdy, but a reminder that organisations like the WTO are useful for discussing concerns multilaterally and for defusing trade tensions. Not always, but it's better than not having the WTO at all.
tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2025/11/16/h...
tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2025/11/16/h...
What does it mean for a "country" to be "safe"? Asylum takes many forms. Individuals can seek asylum because the government goes after them, when others in the country are not in the same situation and therefore safe. So it's whether "a person" is safe. That's more complicated to establish.
"The moment your country is safe to return to, you will be removed", a Home Office source said.
An obviously false claim - a deportation fantasy - to over-spin "send them back" claims to the media
Whatever the merits of the policies on Monday, some of this OTT language is beyond any defence.
An obviously false claim - a deportation fantasy - to over-spin "send them back" claims to the media
Whatever the merits of the policies on Monday, some of this OTT language is beyond any defence.
November 15, 2025 at 9:57 PM
What does it mean for a "country" to be "safe"? Asylum takes many forms. Individuals can seek asylum because the government goes after them, when others in the country are not in the same situation and therefore safe. So it's whether "a person" is safe. That's more complicated to establish.
There was I ready to shut everything down when Scotland go from 3-0 down to 3-2 with bizarre things happening in Copenhagen
November 15, 2025 at 9:17 PM
There was I ready to shut everything down when Scotland go from 3-0 down to 3-2 with bizarre things happening in Copenhagen