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New York: A new United Nations report highlights progress made by the Palestinian Authority in building institutions necessary for a functioning State, while stressing the need for Israel to roll back “measures of occupation” and for an urgent resumption of negotiations between the two sides.

New York: Attacks against humanitarian personnel have tripled over the past decade, rising to more than 100 deaths each year, with the most of the fatalities occurring in areas where violence has increased significantly, such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia, according to a United Nations-backed study unveiled today.

New York: The United Nations atomic agency today confirmed that Japanese authorities had provisionally raised the severity level for the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that was damaged in last month’s earthquake to 7, the same level given to the 1986 Chernobyl accident.

New York: The United Nations telecommunications agency today launched a contest that will reward the winner with $10,000 for devising the most innovative “app,” or mobile telephone application, that tackles the subject of climate change.

New York: More than 500 ethnic Berbers fleeing conflict in western Libya have reached neighbouring Tunisia, the United Nations refugee agency reported today as it steps up support for the new arrivals.

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission, headed by Dimitri Demekas, visited Moscow during March 30-April 12, to conduct a financial stability assessment under the IMF’s Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP). The mission met with Central Bank of Russia (CBR) Governor Ignatiev, Deputy Finance Minister Savatyugin, Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA) General Director Turbanov, senior officials from the Federal Service for Financial Markets (FSFM) and other agencies, and representatives of financial institutions and professional bodies.

Slovakia has swiftly recovered from a deep recession, and is facing a favorable medium-term macroeconomic outlook, with real GDP projected to grow by around 4 percent per year. The policy focus should shift from crisis response to enhancing the foundations for long-term growth and stability. The main challenges will be to correct the crisis-induced underlying deterioration in the fiscal position, prevent credit boom-bust cycles, reduce the high unemployment and maintain strong productivity growth. Following important fiscal adjustment this year, consolidation will need to continue during 2012–13 with a view to bringing the government deficit below 3 percent of GDP in 2013. Achieving this challenging target will require a careful consideration of the composition of the adjustment efforts.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) today signed trade finance agreements with Bank of Georgia and TBC Bank that are expected to bolster the trade sector and Georgia's role as a strategic hub between Europe and Asia.

What do social scientists Romila Thapar, Ramachandra Guha and Jean Dreze, dancers Leela Samson and Malavika Sarukkai, former bureaucrats/diplomats SP Shukla, Nirupam Sen and EAS Sarma, retired Navy chief L Ramdas, writers Arundhati Roy and Nayantara Sahgal, scientists MV Ramana and PM Bhargava, artists Krishen Khanna and Vivan Sundaram, and former vice-chancellors Mushirul Hasan and Deepak Nayyar, have in common?

The government’s acceptance of Anna Hazare’s demands has been seen as a retreat, but it is not impossible that there is a cynical plan behind the seeming capitulation. It is already evident, for instance, that unanimity of views may elude the members of the committee that will be set up to formulate the Lokpal bill. Even if its two heads – Pranab Mukherjee representing the government and Shanti Bhushan the activists – manage to work together, mainly because of the finance minister’s long experience in running such groups and Shanti Bhushan’s background as a law minister making him amenable to the official viewpoint, there will be other, more volatile members who may prove to be obstructionists.