U N member states lifted a $950 million spending cap on the United Nations budget Wednesday, averting a financial crisis for now but dealing a blow to the U S which had pushed for the limits as a lever to pressure for reforms. Members will likely put off many of Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s most important management reform proposals until the next session of the General Assembly, which begins in Sept a decision sure to disappoint the U N chief. The decision to lift the spending cap was a defeat for U S Ambassador John Bolton, who played a key role in getting the General Assembly to adopt it last year as a way to increase pressure for reform. Most U N member states were never committed to their promise to achieve reform before lifting the spending limit. The decision now shifts the spotlight to the U S Congress, which has threatened to block U S funding for the U N if it does not enact serious reform. The U S pays more than 20 % of the $2 billion annual U N budget.... http://www.msnbc.msn.com censor News |
Editor - 21:38:00 06-28-06 |
Floods Force Up To 200,000 Evacuations Rising Susquehanna River Forces Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Residents To Leave Homes |
| Up to 200,000 people in the Wilkes-Barre area were ordered to evacuate their homes Wednesday because of rising water on the Susquehanna River, swelled by a record-breaking deluge that has killed at least 10 peo.. full News |
Editor - 14:03:00 06-28-06 |
Clinton Opposes Democrats' 2nd-Caucus Plan |
| Former President Clinton says both he and his wife oppose a change to the Democratic presidential primary calendar that would allow another state to hold a caucus after Iowa and before the New Hampshire primary.. full News |
Editor - 14:00:00 06-28-06 |
Belgium to probe US monitoring of international money transfers |
| Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt has ordered a probe into whether a Brussels-based banking consortium broke the law when it provided US anti-terror authorities with confidential information about internat.. full News |
Editor - 13:38:00 06-28-06 |
German Cabinet OKs opening of Nazi archive |
| Germany's Cabinet agreed Wednesday to open to researchers an archive of millions of Nazi files that describe the mechanics of the Holocaust. The accord will likely be signed July 26 in Berlin, Foreign Ministry .. full News |
Editor - 13:34:00 06-28-06 |
Bush admin to offer $170 mln for solar energy |
| The Bush administration said on Wednesday it would offer $170 million to public and private partnerships to make solar energy more competitive with conventional electricity sources by 2015.The funding would be .. full News |
Editor - 13:22:00 06-28-06 |
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