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New York: Noting that over 70 countries still consider homosexuality a crime, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appealed for its complete and universal decriminalization, stressing that human rights must always trump cultural attitudes and societal strictures.

New York: Somalia remains in a state of “chronic catastrophe” with two million people in need of humanitarian assistance, high levels of internal displacement and indications that a creeping drought could push more people into hunger, the senior United Nations relief official for the country said today.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is extending $3 million to assist in aid efforts in the wake of the Mount Merapi volcano eruptions, which destroyed homes and displaced hundreds of thousands of people in Central Java province and Yogyakarta Special region in October and November 2010.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan has executed a political masterstroke with his letter to the Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram seeking a CBI inquiry into the raging lottery controversy rocking the state.

NEW DELHI: Indian Government is giving special importance to the three day visit of the Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao beginning December 15. Indian officials say that the Government will take up the issues of contention with the Chinese PM in a mature manner with the aim of facilitating the process of further meaningful negotiations in the coming days. The controversial issues are so old and vexed that the officials do not expect any big breakthrough, they will be happy with some improvement from the existing positions and no addition of fresh contentious issues.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide up to $10 million for a private equity fund that aims to expand microfinance and small bank lending to poor, underserved groups across the region.

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission headed by Mr. Juha Kähkönen visited Moscow during December 2–9. The team met with Deputy Prime Minister Kudrin, Bank of Russia Governor Ignatiev, other senior officials, and representatives of the banking community, academics, and think tanks. The discussions focused on Russia’s economic policy priorities as the authorities exit from the extraordinary measures they put in place in response to the international economic crisis.

New York: Genocide is still continuing in Darfur and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, already indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), is undertaking “enormous efforts” to cover up the crimes and manipulate the world community, the Court’s prosecutor said today.

New York: The Security Council today underlined the need for the Nepalese Government and all political parties to take advantage of the United Nations mission’s last weeks there to work in a spirit of compromise to ensure progress on outstanding issues in the peace process.

Against the backdrop of a challenging domestic and global environment, Directors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) underscored the need to maintain macroeconomic stability, address infrastructure bottlenecks, and reduce poverty. Given the large development needs and the importance of maintaining debt sustainability, Directors welcomed the authorities’ determination to safeguard capital and social spending while minimizing the use of domestic financing.