Trade: South urges WTO to pursue positive trade & environment agenda (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
The World Trade Organization's Director-General, Ms Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, seems more inclined towards addressing issues such as carbon pricing on alleged grounds of avoiding glo bal trade frictions, said people familiar with the development.

UN: Significant rise in civilian casualties in Ukraine conflict, says repor t (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
With 589 civilians killed and 2,685 injured f rom conflict-related violence between 1 June and 31 August 2024, the number of civilian casualties in Ukraine over this period was 45 per cent higher than in the previous three-month period, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has said.

UN: West & Central Africa floods could aggravate food insecurity (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
Floods have reached catastrophic levels in W est and Central Africa, with more than 5 million people in 16 countries across the region having been affected so far this year, according to the UN Office fo r the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).