Beirut - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Beirut late Friday as part of his Middle East tour to discuss the situation in the Gaza Strip.
Ban landed amid heavy security at Beirut International Airport. He was scheduled to meet Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, premier Fouad Seniora and House Speaker Nabih Berri on Saturday.
He will also deliver a speech at the Lebanese Parliament, during which he will address the Israeli offensive in Gaza. Ban will then head to south Lebanon to visit the UN Interim Force in Lebanon.
New York - The United Nations Security Council on Friday asked the African Union to increase the strength of its peacekeeping force in Somalia to 8,000 military personnel, so that it can carry out its mission of protecting key installations in Mogadishu.
The African mission in Somalia has decided to remain in the Horn of Africa nation until mid-March, at which time the council will form a new UN mission to take over the task of maintaining order in Somalia.
Mexico City - The economies of Latin America and the Caribbean are set to grow at best by 2.3 per cent in 2009, while unemployment rates will rise to above 8 per cent, according to a report that the United Nations made public Thursday.
New York - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday condemned the aerial bombing of rebel positions by the Sudanese government and fresh clashes between rebel groups in the troubled Darfur region.
The Sudanese government confirmed that its air force bombed positions of the rebel group Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in south Darfur's Muhajeria area on Tuesday. The UN said JEM rebels also clashed with its rival, the Sudan Liberation Army/Minni Minawi, on Thursday.
New York - The UN General Assembly is scheduled to meet Thursday to debate the Israel-Hamas fighting in Gaza Strip, a move requested by the Non-Aligned Movement, whose members have expressed more sympathies to the Palestinians in the current conflict.
The Non-Aligned Movement, known as NAM, also has the majority of votes in the 192-nation assembly under the presidency of Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, a former foreign minister of the leftist Sandinista government in Nicaragua.
Beirut - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Beirut late Friday as part of his Middle East tour to discuss the situation in the Gaza Strip.
New York - The United Nations Security Council on Friday asked the African Union to increase the strength of its peacekeeping force in Somalia to 8,000 military personnel, so that it can carry out its mission of protecting key installations in Mogadishu.
Mexico City - The economies of Latin America and the Caribbean are set to grow at best by 2.3 per cent in 2009, while unemployment rates will rise to above 8 per cent, according to a report that the United Nations made public Thursday.
New York - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday condemned the aerial bombing of rebel positions by the Sudanese government and fresh clashes between rebel groups in the troubled Darfur region.
New York - The UN General Assembly is scheduled to meet Thursday to debate the Israel-Hamas fighting in Gaza Strip, a move requested by the Non-Aligned Movement, whose members have expressed more sympathies to the Palestinians in the current conflict.
