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New York: Visiting Ramallah, where he witnessed the challenges Palestinians face first-hand, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reiterated his commitment to help the Israeli and Palestinian sides reach a settlement in the next two years.

How swiftly is the power equation changing in Delhi. It was only a few weeks back that the Congress establishment seemed asserting its authority to rein in the UPA government on issues like Sharm-el-Sheikh joint statement and uncontrolled price rise. The government side was clearly on the defensive and squirming. A deliberate silence by the party spokesman or a vague hint by Sonia Gandhi at the Parliamentary Party meeting was enough to send shockwaves in South and North Blocs. This was the position even until last month.

NEW DELHI: Budget 2010-11, now before Parliament, has almost ignored the most serious problems of inflation and unemployment. By doing so, it has dismissed as of little consequence the urgent concerns of the country's three-fourth population. They include all those working in the industry, SEZs, SMEs. Agriculture besides vast mass of unorganised workforces who have no means to reach their voice to the policy-makers.

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed the fifth review of Georgia's economic performance under an 18-month Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) for an amount equivalent to SDR 477.1 million (about US$ 729.2 million) approved on September 15, 2008. On August 6, 2009, the Executive Board approved an augmentation of access under the SBA to an amount equivalent to SDR 747.1 million (about US$1,141.8 million) and an extension of the SBA until June 14, 2011. The completion of the fifth review allows for the immediate purchase of an amount equivalent to SDR 97.3 million (about US$148.7 million).

New York: Even the world's most homogeneous country faces the challenge of constructively managing diversity, the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide has said, calling on States to recognize the need to end discrimination and inequalities between different ethnic, racial and religious groups before they result in deadly violence.

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund granted additional interim assistance under the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative in an amount equivalent to SDR 4.2 million (about US$6.4 million) for the period March 18, 2010 through March 17, 2011 on a lapse of time basis.

New York: United Nations experts have recommended that two pesticides be added to a trade “watch list” under a UN-backed treaty aimed at helping poorer countries more effectively manage potentially harmful imported substances.

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed the fourth review of Mongolia's economic performance under a program supported by an 18-month Stand-By Arrangement (SBA). The completion of the review enables the immediate disbursement of an amount equivalent to SDR 15.33 million (about US$23.4 million), bringing total disbursements under the arrangement to an amount equivalent to SDR 122.64 million (about US$187.4 million). The Board also approved the request for the modification of performance criteria to reflect the revised macroeconomic data and framework.

New York: The efforts of Central African nations to consolidate peace and further development are being thwarted by weapons trafficking, top United Nations officials has warned, calling on Member States to do all they can to eradicate this scourge.

African countries are set to receive a boost in their ability to follow WTO work on food safety and animal and plant health — and to trade more effectively — following a 17-18 March 2010 decision to accept three regional organizations from the continent as observers in the WTO committee dealing with these issues.