New York  - Sudan on Tuesday agreed to let the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur take over the assets of 13 expelled international relief groups.

The decision was reached between the UN, the Sudanese government and AU representatives in El Fasher, Darfur, where the peacekeeping force is headquartered.

The three sides met to review progress in the deployment of the UN-AU force in Darfur, which is currently at 67 per cent of the authorized ceiling of 30,000 military and civilian personnel.

New York  - The UN General Assembly approved on Tuesday New Zealand's former prime minister Helen Clark as the new administrator of the UN Development Programme.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon nominated Clark last week to replace outgoing UNDP head Kemal Dervis of Turkey.

"Helen Clark was selected, amongst a group of excellent candidates, for her outstanding qualifications and numerous accomplishments in her long career," said UN spokeswoman Michele Montas in an official statement.

New York - The United Nations programme fighting AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria urged governments on Tuesday to replenish its coffer to make up a shortfall of 4 billion dollars for the 2008- 2010 assistance to victims of the epidemic.

The UNAIDS programme needed 13.5 billion dollars for the three- year period, but so far has only 9.9 billion dollars, which it attributed to the current economic crisis affecting the biggest donors to the global fight against HIV/AIDS.

New York  - The Sun-Times Media Group Inc, owner of the Chicago Sun Times and more than 50 other US newspapers, filed for bankruptcy protection Tuesday as it became the latest casualty of the advertising slump that is wreaking havoc throughout the newspaper industry.

The company said it would continue to operate as usual as it tries to stabilize its operations, though it said it was ordering all non- union employees to take a week of unpaid leave in April or May. The company listed assets of 479 million dollars and debts of 801 million dollars.

New York, March 31 : Oprah Winfrey's girls-only boarding school in South Africa has landed in another sex scandal in less than two years.

Seven students at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls now face suspension after being accused of sexually harassing their fellow pupils.

According to the newspaper Afrikaans on Sunday, a girl of 15 was found guilty of preying upon another student and forcing other girls to conceal the truth from investigators.

New York, Mar 31 : The Obamas are using their own money to renovate the White House, forgoing the 100,000 dollars in federal funds that is traditionally allotted to new presidents for such renovation projects.

First Lady Michelle Obama''s communications director Camille Johnston said that the Obamas, who are worth millions, will pay to overhaul the White House residence from their own pockets.

"The Obamas have determined now is not the time to use taxpayer funds and they will not be accepting any donations," the New York Daily News quoted Johnston, as saying.