Washington - President-elect Barack Obama will meet with none of the 20 world leaders descending on Washington this weekend for an emergency financial summit, the head of Obama's transition team said Tuesday.

Obama will remain in his home town of Chicago for the weekend continuing preparations to enter the White House on January 20 and will host no foreign dignitaries, according to John Podesta, co-chair of Obama's transition team.

New York - The world's richest governments should draw on their political will to assist poor countries as the amount of bail- out money in developed countries have far exceeded the funds wealthy nations have provided for development in poor ones, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday.

London - Manche

Belgrade - Ailing Patriarch Pavle is to remain the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) as long as he lives, despite his plea to be relieved, the Beta news agency reported Tuesday.

Serbian bishops made the decision in a marathon debate at their conference, the Sabor, holding its regular autumn session. The marathon debate continued into the late evening without a statement announcing a decision.

San Jose, Costa Rica - Chinese President Hu Jintao is set to visit Costa Rica beginning Sunday, as part of the first visit by a Chinese leader travels to Central America.

"It will be a historic visit," a Costa Rican Foreign Ministry official told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

The trip is part of a five-nation trip by Hu to the United States, Costa Rica, Cuba, Peru and Greece that will include attendance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation 

New York - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the Kosovo government to show flexibility and agree to a revamped UN mission there following its secession from Serbia.

A six-point plan to reorganize the UN mission was accepted by Belgrade, but opposed by Pristina. Ban had decided to change the UN mission's mandate in Pristina and draw down its personnel after Pristina declared independence from Serbia.