Geneva  - As a young girl, Elisapee Sheutiapik never wore short-sleeved shirts, but the weather in the summertime in recent years can reach 25 degrees in her hometown of Iqaluit, close to the Arctic Circle in northern Canada.

Climate change has also impacted the lives of winter hunters from the indigenous Inuit people in Canada.

"Our older hunters, who go out to the land regularly, are sometimes stuck now, and we are conducting more search and rescue missions" said Sheutiapik, the mayor of Iqaluit.

Geneva - There have been over 325,000 announced layoffs in the financial sector since August 2007, the International Labour Organization said Monday, noting that 40 percent of those cuts, or about 130,000 jobs, were made since October of last year.

More job cuts in the financial sector were to be expected as the full extent of the economic crisis became clear, the ILO said. The numbers did not include independent contractors and subcontractors.

Geneva - The United Nations' Human Rights Council adopted Monday a resolution on the financial crisis, calling for protection of the most vulnerable and for assurances on international aid to developing countries.

The resolution received 31 votes in favour from the council's 47 members but saw European Union states, Japan, Canada, Switzerland and others abstaining.

Some Western states had opposed a special session by the council on the economic situation in principle, saying it was not the right forum for dealing with the wider issue.

Geneva  - Shares in UBS tumbled badly Friday, a day after the United States authorities issued a lawsuit against the bank demanding that it hand over about 52,000 names of clients.

However, the Swiss federal administrative court later issued a temporary order banning the transfer of any data to the US until it heard a case brought by UBS clients against handing over their information.

Geneva  - The United Nations Human Rights Council deferred voting on a decision about the global economic and financial crisis Friday and instead said it would reconvene the debate on Monday.

The Council spent about six hours in session during the day, hearing from experts, UN agencies, member states and non-governmental organizations.

A proposed draft resolution had called on UN member states to not let the crisis lead to human rights violations, cuts in international aid or putting development goals, especially reducing poverty and hunger, on the back burner.

Geneva  - Shares in UBS tumbled badly Friday, a day after the United States authorities issued a lawsuit against the bank demanding that it hand over about 52,000 names of clients.

At one point in early morning trading the stocks dropped 17 per cent, and ultimately closed the day at 11 Swiss francs, down 14 per cent from its opening price.

The bank, the largest in Switzerland, said it would challenge the US lawsuit.