View Articles

New York: Nearly 40 chief executive officers representing companies from across the world became the first group of business leaders to endorse a United Nations-led initiative to empower women by promoting gender equality in corporate workplaces, markets and communities.

New York: An estimated 70,000 Afghan refugees have returned to their homeland so far this year, an indication that an increasing number of those who fled have confidence that they can live in the country despite the prevailing security and socio-economic challenges, according to the United Nations refugee agency.

Executive Directors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have noted that the global financial crisis has affected Chad mainly through the decline in oil prices, which caused a large deterioration in the balance of payments and the fiscal position. At the same time, GDP contracted as a result of a large drop in agricultural production. While agricultural output is expected to recover, there is an impending food shortage that needs to be addressed urgently. Over the medium term, the trend decline in oil resources will require significant fiscal policy adjustment.

New York: Iceland deserves credit for eliminating barriers to same-sex marriage, which will become legal in the Nordic country this weekend, the United Nations human rights chief says.

New York: The United Nations agriculture agency is implementing nine projects worth nearly $18 million in Niger in support of farmers and pastoralists who are facing an alarming food crisis as a result of the prolonged drought in the Sahel region of West Africa.

New York: Major cocoa exporting and importing countries have gathered in Geneva for a United Nations-hosted meeting to finalize the details of a new agreement designed to make trade in the commodity fairer and sustainable.

New York: Afghanistan, the world's leading producer of opium and hashish, is seeing an increasing number of its own citizens taking drugs, according to a new United Nations report, which found that around one million people - eight per cent of the population - suffer from addiction.

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed its first review of the Comoros' economic performance under a program supported by the Extended Credit Facility (ECF). Completion of the first review allows the disbursement of an amount equivalent to SDR 1.5575 million (about US$2.30 million), bringing total disbursements under the arrangement to SDR 5.785 million (about US$8.54 million).

Executive Directors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have observed that, although the [Global Financial] crisis had started in advanced economies, it had a pronounced impact on many emerging market countries, reflecting contagion and spillover effects across countries and economic sectors. Along with improved fundamentals in many of these countries and appropriate use of available policy space, coordinated measures to stimulate growth in advanced economies and the availability of large international financial support, including from the Fund, have helped emerging markets cope with the crisis and paved the way for recovery.

Stage is all set for the first World Classical Tamil Conference in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. The five day literary-cultural event starting from 23rd of this month is the biggest such gathering in the history of modern Tamil Nadu. President Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil will inaugurate the literary-cultural extravaganza in the presence of the world torch bearers of Tamil language and the Tamil Culture that include Dr.M. Karunanidhi, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.