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Is there a kind of negativism enveloping the political parties, which should worry the common man? For the past year or so the two national parties – the Congress and the BJP- are locked in confrontation on various issues. They are targeting each other’s weak spots. As political opponents they should but not beyond a point. There is no sign of either party softening towards each other.

New York: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on the world’s sole multilateral disarmament negotiating forum to overcome its decade-long deadlock and begin substantive work, warning that the very credibility of the United Nations body is at stake.

New York: The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is calling on countries to carefully examine the implications of high food prices and not to take any policy actions that might appear useful in the short term but could have harmful, longer-term effects or even aggravate the situation.

New York: The United Nations and the African Union will hold a high-level meeting in a few days to review efforts to achieve peace, security and reconciliation in strife-torn Somalia, which has been suffering through two decades of conflict and numerous humanitarian challenges.

New Delhi: The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has decided to immediately constitute a group to suggest the scope and methodology to be adopted for conducting a fresh survey of Manual Scavengers in the country. This was decided at the conclusion of the two-day Consultation Meeting on Eradication of Manual Scavenging and Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers yesterday. The Meeting was organized by the Ministries of Social Justice & Empowerment, Urban Poverty Alleviation and Urban Development.

Executive Directors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) welcomed Algeria’s good economic performance supported by the authorities’ prudent fiscal and monetary policies and the favorable external environment. Directors noted that notwithstanding the favorable developments, the country faces important challenges of preserving macroeconomic stability, restoring fiscal prudence and diversifying the economy. They encouraged the authorities to build on the progress thus far. A more assertive structural reform agenda would improve the business climate and boost private investment-led growth, creating job opportunities. Further reducing unemployment, especially among the young, remains a pressing need. Modernizing and strengthening the financial sector would be vital for supporting private investment.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is to help the Philippines overhaul its social protection programs to make them more effective and targeted at the poor.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is an effective, transparent, client-focused organization, and should continue with current efforts to further improve its effectiveness, says a new donor assessment report. At the same time, the report highlighted that ADB could improve in linking resources allocation to intended results, and in managing its human resources.

New York: The new United Nations agency promoting women’s rights and their full participation in global affairs will reinforce its presence in individual countries, as opposed to relying on regional representation, to more clearly understand the specific problems, its chief said today.

New York: The international community must translate its increased interest in helping Yemen tackle the challenges it faces into concrete steps that promote development in the impoverished country, a senior United Nations official said today.