New York  - The economic crisis crippling the world has a direct impact on its 200 million migrant workers, putting them at risk of destitution, stigmatization, discrimination and abuse, the United Nations said Thursday on International Migrant Day.

It said reports of layoffs and lower remittances have been just the beginning of what could be a long story of human suffering. At the same time, migration policies of some governments have become more restrictive.

New York - FedEx said Thursday it would trim salaries and take other cost cutting measures as the economic recession cuts into business at the second-largest US package shipper.

The announcement came as FedEx said earnings rose 3 per cent to 493 million dollars in the company's second quarter that ended in November. Revenue rose 1 per cent to 9.5 billion dollars, the smallest increase in nine years amid what chief executive Frederick Smith called the "some of the worst economic conditions" in the firm's
35-year history.

Baghdad  - Iraqi security forces arrested 35 high-ranking security officials who, they said, were attempting to revive the Baath Party of former president Saddam Hussein, al-Arabiya TV reported on Thursday quoting sources in the Iraqi ministry of interior.

The 35 officials were accused of attempting a secret coup d'etat against the Iraqi government of Nuri al-Maliki.

The officials were arrested over the last three days under a judicial order. Their arrest was confirmed by the ministry of Interior and al-Maliki's office.

Geneva - Agreement was reached Thursday to allow humanitarian aid workers and assistance to reach some of the most vulnerable refugees from the Russian-Georgian war this past summer, senior diplomats said.

While the agreement said the sides would strive to let the aid into areas within South Ossetia and Abkhazia to aid internally displaced people there before the end of the year, no rigid timeline was agreed upon, the negotiators told dpa.

Brussels  - Talks between the European Union and Latvia on providing financial aid to the Baltic country have reached the final stretch, with a decision expected in the coming hours, EU Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said Thursday.

"We are pursuing ways in which we can contribute to financing the (aid) package with the International Monetary Fund and other partners," Almunia said in Brussels.

"We are in the last phase," he said.

Kabul - Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari is scheduled to visit Kabul for the first time on Friday for talks with his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai amid increased Taliban-led attacks in their countries, Afghan presidential palace said.

"Discussions will be mainly concentrated on expansion of bilateral relations, cooperation in the fight against terrorism and promotion of trade between the two countries," the palace statement said.

The two leaders are scheduled to hold a press conference after the talks, the statement said.