NEW YORK: The UN General Assembly has postponed until late June the high-level gathering aimed at assessing the global economic crisis and seeking solutions, which take the interests of all nations into account.Originally scheduled to take place from June 1-3, the 'UN Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development' will now be held in New York from June 24-26.Delegates had voiced concern that they needed more time to negotiate the draft outcome document to be adopted at the gathering, according to spokesperson for Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto, who is also the summit's organiser.The President has appealed for negotiations on the draft outcome document to be wrapped up by June 15, underscoring at an Assembly session that the three-day meeting's success will hinge on "the active engagement of the political leadership of the Member States at the highest possible level." He further expressed confidence that "Member States will demonstrate the necessary political will and good faith regarding the complex negotiations" at the summit, which was called for by participants at a financing for development meeting held in Qatar in late 2008.
BEIRUT: Thousands of people converged Saturday on central Beirut to mark the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Lebanese former premier Rafiq Hariri.Waving Lebanese flags and carrying pictures of the slain leader, men, women and children gathered under sunny skies in Martyr's Square where members of the parliamentary majority were to address the crowd. The rally comes as final preparations are underway in The Hague for the launch of the international tribunal set up to bring Hariri's killers to justice. It also comes as the country prepares for legislative elections in June that will pit Western-backed political parties against a Hezbollah-led alliance backed by Syria and Iran.Hariri died in a massive car bombing on February 14, 2005 that also killed 22 others. The assassination was widely blamed on then Lebanese power-broker Syria, which has denied any involvement. The attack on the Beirut seafront was one of the worst acts of political violence to rock Lebanon since t...
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