New York  - World leaders called for a revival of global institutions on Tuesday as economic crises have undermined development and growing violence and conflicts have threatened peace and stability.

In a stark address before more than 100 world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned that the world was facing countless crises at a time when the leadership to address the turmoil was lacking.

London  - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Tuesday took on his critics in an emotional and highly personal speech aimed at re- establishing his authority after months of poor opinion poll ratings and an attempted "rebellion" against his leadership.

In what had been termed a "make or break" speech to the Labour Party's annual conference in Manchester, northern Britain, Brown acknowledged there was "concern" over the future of the party and his own presentation skills.

Johannesburg  - South Africa's ruling African National Congress' (ANC) was in full damage control mode Tuesday following the shock resignation of 11 cabinet ministers and three deputy ministers after President Thabo Mbeki's ousting by the party.

"We think that this is under control. There's no crisis," ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe told a hastily-convened news conference in Johannesburg, despite the mass walkout by Mbeki loyalists appearing to catch the party off guard.

New York  - President George W Bush sought to allay worries about the US economy during a speech at the United Nations on Tuesday, while reminding the body of its obligations to confront terrorism and promote democracy around the world.

Bush was addressing the UN General Assembly amid turmoil in international markets over the faltering economy, caused by the crisis in financial institutions that has prompted the largest US government intervention in history.

Kathmandu, Sept 23: Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda attended a reception hosted by US President George W. Bush and Laura Bush on the ocassion of the sixty-third session of United Nations General Assembly in New York last evening.

Prachanda is leading a Nepali delegation to United Nations General Assembly.

Prachanda, who reached US via Germany also held meeting with Nepalis there. Non-Resident Nepali (NRN) in Germany held an interaction with Prachanda at a luncheon programme held by Nepali Ambassador to Germany Dr. Madan Kumar Bhattarai on Sunday.

Berlin - Persistently high corruption in low-income countries amounts to an "ongoing humanitarian disaster," global watchdog Transparency International said Tuesday.

"In the poorest countries, corruption levels can mean the difference between life and death, when money for hospitals or clean water is in play," said the organization's chairperson, Huguette Labelle.

"The continuing high levels of corruption and poverty plaguing many of the world's societies amount to an ongoing humanitarian disaster and cannot be tolerated," she said in presenting the organization's annual corruption perceptions index in Berlin.