Belgrade - Serbian newspapers on Thursday announced a "great diplomatic victory" following a UN decision to seek an advisory legal opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence.

"Serbia's first diplomatic triumph in New York," "Great diplomatic victory" and "Serbia's win: Kosovo at the Court of Justice," mass- circulation dailies Blic and Vecernje Novosti trumpeted.

New York - Many poor countries are saddled with defence debts that obstruct efforts to develop their economies and end poverty, Britain's largest aid charity Oxfam International said Wednesday.

In a report released at United Nations headquarters in New York, the group cited South Africa as a typical case, as it has to pay 530 million dollars a year until 2011 on defence expenditures related to weapon purchases.

At the same time, South Africa would need 425 million dollars a year to pay for free water for its population.

New York - Serbia on Wednesday asked the UN General Assembly to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the legality of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence.

Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic told the 192-nation assembly that sending the request to the ICJ at The Hague would "prevent the Kosovo crisis from serving as a deeply problematic precedent in any part of the globe where secessionist ambitions are harboured."

United Nations, Oct 8 : UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has reportedly declined to give a specific timeframe of appointing an Inquiry Commission to look into the assassination of PPP leader Benazir Bhutto.

He also clarified that the Commission to be appointed would be a fact-finding body and not an investigative body.

Appointing such a commission would take “a little bit more time”, the Dawn quoted the UN Secretary General as saying.

New York - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday he would cancel a planned visit to Myanmar unless the government there shows progress in democratization and humanitarian programmes.

Ban last visited Myanmar in May in the wake of the destruction caused by Cyclone Nargis in a bid to convince the military government to accept international relief aid and admit foreign workers. The government did soften its stance against international aid workers by loosening up visa restrictions.

New York - The world is reeling from the "earthquake on Wall Street" but the United Nations remains confident that governments will keep their promises to assist the earth's poorest, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Monday.

At the UN General Assembly in September, nations pledged 16 billion dollars toward programmes to fight poverty and disease. With the world economy tumbling in the past weeks, there have been doubts whether donors will deliver what they promised.