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New York: The world is facing an important shift in global history which is “no less transformative” than the “epochal” year of 1989, when numerous governments fell across Eastern Europe, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.

New York: Fresh fighting erupted today in a strategic town in western Côte d’Ivoire, the United Nations peacekeeping operation reported, amid mounting international concerns about the humanitarian situation in the West African country.

New York: The vital role of new information technology in responding rapidly to sudden onset emergencies is highlighted in a new United Nations study released today, identifying best practice and lessons learned from last year’s devastating Haitian earthquake.

New York: Africa is well poised to take advantage of a host of opportunities on the continent for building a ‘green economy,’ one that generates decent jobs in an environmentally sustainable way, a senior United Nations official said today.

Executive Directors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have commended the authorities for their strong policy response to the crisis, which succeeded in stabilizing the economy and restoring confidence. The economy is recovering at a solid pace, the fiscal position has improved substantially, and core inflation remains subdued. Directors noted that fiscal consolidation, exchange rate flexibility, and effective monetary policy would help tackle the challenges ahead and lay the foundations for sustained growth.

New York: The number of asylum-seekers seeking to live in the industrialized world continues to fall and is now almost half the level it was a decade ago, the United Nations refugee agency reported today as it released its annual snapshot of asylum trends.

New York: The top United Nations relief official today called for restraint by all sides in Yemen, warning that the ongoing violence is worsening an already dire humanitarian situation.

Switzerland is experiencing a strong expansion. While inflation remains muted, slack in the economy is disappearing. Absent significant shocks, the monetary authorities should be in a position to tighten in the near term. As normalization of interest rates may not fully correct mortgage market tensions, the authorities will need to curb risky lending practices through macro-prudential policies. More fundamentally, there is a need for the authorities to strengthen legal clarity on how system-wide (“macro-prudential”) risks should be identified and addressed. Ongoing efforts to strengthen financial supervision and regulation are commendable and should be pursued. Swift adoption by Parliament of the “too big to fail” proposal would be a major contribution in reducing the risks created by the two large banks.

New Delhi: The Pakistan Prime Minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani will be reaching India to see the World Cup cricket semi-final match between India and Pakistan. But he will not land in Delhi.

New Delhi: South Africa has sought India’s cooperation in micro, small and medium enterprise sector.