WTO: Divergent views and erosion of compromise mark downbeat TNC (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
Sharply divergent views marked a downbeat World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC) meeting on 1 October, with the WTO Director-General having apparently suggested that negotiations had lost their character as a process of compromise, according to people familiar with the development.

UN: Nepal floods trigger major shock to jobs and livelihoods, warns ILO (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
Catastrophic floods in Nepal have caused a major shock to employment and livelihoods, with consequences extending well beyond the areas directly affected, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Afghanistan: Women bear the heaviest burden as drought deepens (PRIV)
(IPS, Kabul)
Drought has depleted wells, withered fruit trees, and reduced crop yields across Afghanistan.