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New York: The United Nations humanitarian arm is seeking urgent assistance for Niger, where recent flooding has displaced nearly 200,000 people and aggravated a food crisis in which almost half of the country's 15 million people are experiencing hunger.

New York: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the head of the United Nations-backed panel tasked with preparing scientific reports on the impact of climate change today welcomed the findings of an independent review which called for major changes in management and procedures to enable the group to strengthen the quality of its assessments.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) today expanded and enhanced its lending tools to help contain the occurrence of financial crises. As part of the efforts to enhance the institution's crisis-prevention toolkit, the Fund's Executive Board decided to increase the duration and credit available under the existing Flexible Credit Line (FCL) and to establish a new Precautionary Credit Line (PCL) for members with sound policies who nevertheless may not meet the FCL's high qualification requirements.

New York: The United Nations experts tasked with assisting families determine the fate or whereabouts of disappeared relatives is urging States to define enforced disappearances as a crime and to help bring the international treaty dealing with this scourge into force.

New York: Hundreds of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have gathered in the Australian city of Melbourne for today's start of the annual United Nations conference aimed at boosting the participation of civil society, with global health the focus of this year's event.

New Delhi: The Union Home Minister, Shri P. Chidambaram made a statement in the Parliament on the need to include Bhojpuri and Rajasthani languages in the Eighth schedule to the Constitution.

The Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, Shri K. Mohandas today chaired a meeting of senior officers on Maritime State Development Council (MSDC) in Chennai today. The Secretary emphasised the need for ports to augment capacity and increase it to several times more than the present capacity. This he said would help in curbing all kinds of delays and queuing at ports.

New Delhi: Government of India have announced the sale (re-issue) of (i) “7.46 percent Government Stock 2017” for a notified amount of Rs.4,000 crore (nominal), (ii) “8.08 percent Government Stock 2022” for a notified amount of Rs.5,000 crore (nominal) and (iii) “8.30 percent Government Stock 2040” for a notified amount of Rs.3,000 crore (nominal) through price based auctions. The auctions will be conducted using uniform price method. The auctions will be conducted by the Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai Office, Fort, Mumbai on September 3, 2010 (Friday).

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a welcome display of pragmatism, Kerala has averted a confrontation with the Centre on National Highway development by reversing the decision taken by an all-party meeting on the issue a few months ago.

History, it is said, repeats itself. But not always in its entirety. The two terms - first 2005-2009 and the second beginning in 2009 — of Haryana's Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government are the latest example. Its first term was marked by abundance of positives. Although the first term's many positives find repetition in the second term, the government is being increasingly haunted by negatives.