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NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, for the first time in so many years of his helmsmanship, chose to emphasise the need to strike a balance between the needs of growing economy and interests of working people and said: “we will move ahead only in those areas where a broad ‘consensus’ for reform is built and will ensure that the interests of our workers are fully protected in doing so.”

The Congress appears to have recovered partly from the setbacks it suffered as a result of the scams and the widespread perception that it has lost the will to govern. It still has some distance to go before it can turn the corner but, barring an unexpected mishap, it can he said to be on the way. The reason why it is in somewhat better shape is a familiar one in Indian politics – the inadequacies of adversaries rather than any special effort of one’s own.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Asian cities need to make continuous efforts to become livable, competitive, inclusive and environmentally sustainable cities, Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Haruhiko Kuroda told a forum here today.

New York: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today expressed deep concern about the escalating tensions between neighbouring Sudan and South Sudan, especially recent incursions into each other’s territory and cross-border support of rebel groups.

New York: The Security Council today strongly condemned ongoing attacks carried out by the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) across Central Africa and demanded an immediate end to the atrocities.

China’s financial system is robust overall, but faces a steady build-up in vulnerabilities. While significant progress has been made towards developing a more commercially-oriented financial sector, and supervision and regulation are being strengthened, risks stem from the growing complexity of the system and the uncertainties surrounding the global economy. Further reforms are needed to support financial stability and encourage strong and balanced growth, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says in its first formal evaluation of China’s financial sector published today.

New York: Royalties and licence fees based on intellectual property rights have outpaced global economic growth in recent years to generate an estimated $180 billion in revenue a year, according to a new United Nations report which says growing demand for such rights is stimulating innovation at businesses worldwide.

New York: The living conditions of millions of children across East Asia and the Pacific will be worsened by climate change, says a United Nations report released today, which argues that rising temperatures put children at greater risk of contracting diseases such as cholera and malaria, and natural disasters negatively affect their livelihoods and increase malnutrition rates.

New York: The implementation of United Nations-mandated energy-efficiency measures will lead to a significant reduction in carbon emissions from ships and an increase in savings in fuel costs to the shipping industry, according to a study released today by the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO).

New York: Up to 3.2 million South Sudanese children have received vaccinations against polio in a United Nations-backed campaign to ensure the new country remains free of the deadly disease, more than two years after the last case was reported.