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By Mitch Vandenborn, International News Services

As the international community converges on Haiti, many are fearful that the small Caribbean country will become another victim of promised international aid that falters amongst bickering and petty squabbles between donor countries and agencies.

But, in truth, this disaster could serve as a model for international aid done right, with large scale cooperation and organisation that not only relieves the immediate suffering of the Haitian people, but reestablishes the shattered remains of their infrastructure and society.

The European Union (EU) council on foreign affairs has already issued a statement asking for a “EU-wide response to post-emergency rehabilitation and recovery.”

The council also insisted on the need for an assessment on the “long-term development needs of Haiti, which makes full use of all resources, expertise and funding available from EU and Member States.”…

By Alan Osborn and Mitch Vandenborn, International News Services

BY PHILIPPA JONES

WITH so much competition in design and price within the apparel and textile sector, manufacturers are always looking for an edge. One way in which they can steal a march on competitors is with fibre innovation. And with new technology allowing the incorporation of increasingly complex arrays of chemicals and particles, even on the nano-scale, the opportunities to develop a revolutionary new fibre or mix of fibres are maybe greater today than ever before.…

BY ANCA GURZU, MARK ROWE, PAUL COCHRANE AND KARRYN MILLER

THE COPENHAGEN conference on global warming may failed to have delivered a comprehensive global warming deal, but it did at least highlight an international consensus on the need to fight climate change and conserve energy: as a result, the global sales of paints and coatings that reflect heat and hence reduce the need for air conditioning are likely to rise.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

A WORLD Trade Organisation (WTO) disputes panel has told the USA that it should reform its assessment of anti-dumping duties on Thai exports to America of Polyethylene retail carrier bags. Concluding that the USA had "acted inconsistently with [the WTO’s] Anti-Dumping Agreement" by rounding down valuations of Thai exports or ‘zeroing’.…

BY MARK ROWE and KEITH NUTHALL

THIS April, the UK will launch a feed-in tariff for electricity, which the government said will accelerate take-up of green energy among the general public. According to the European Commission’s energy directorate-general, the European Union (EU) already uses at least 20% more energy than is justified, which has led to twin concerns – the need to reduce consumption of fossil fuels and to encourage consumers to switch to green energy tariffs and sources.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

FRANCE’S appointee as European Union (EU) internal market Commissioner could face tough questioning this Wednesday appearing before a panel of MEPs at the European Parliament in Brussels. The nomination of Michel Barnier, a close ally of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, has raised criticism in the UK especially, over fears that he could burden The City of London and its financial institutions with red tape.…

BY MITCH

As the international community converges on Haiti, many are fearful that the small Caribbean country will become another victim of promised international aid that falters amongst bickering and petty squabbles between donor countries and agencies.

But, in truth, this disaster could serve as a model for international aid done right, with large scale cooperation and organisation that not only relieves the immediate suffering of the Haitian people, but reestablishes the shattered remains of their infrastructure and society.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

EUROPEAN Union (EU) imports of dyes, textile finishing chemicals, clothing and textiles from Fiji and Papua New Guinea will all become duty free under a new trade agreement negotiated with their governments by the European Commission. Under a schedule released by Brussels, imports by these Pacific states of EU textile and clothing imports will also become duty free: immediately in the case of Papua New Guinea and with tariffs phased out between 2018 and 2023 for Fiji.…

BY ALAN OSBORN

While many had hoped December’s Copenhagen Conference would be the necessary first step in the global fight against climate change, in the wake of the signed partial accord, we are left with many more questions than answers. Now, 2010 is the new deadline for whether the world can agree a practical response to the dangers of global warming.…