Thalif Deen

In the middle of an intense debate on gun control, the UN will meet in March aiming to finalise an arms trade treaty.

The top five arms importers are all Asian countries, with India the single largest recipient.

Tourist arrivals have increased from about 674 million in 2000 to 939 million in 2010 and 980 million in 2011, UN says.

President Nouri al-Maliki has asked for billions of dollars worth of US weapons to bolster Iraq’s armed forces.

Island state was the second African nation to “graduate” from the ranks of the world’s least developed countries.

Brazil has been using its growing strength to forge ties with other countries in the global south.

Growth is a ‘challenge and an opportunity’ UN says, as activists campaign for easier access to family planning tools.

Some 20 million private operatives are deployed worldwide, twice the number of police officers, new survey says.

Releasing a UN report probing war crimes against rebels could cause ‘irreparable damage’, Sri Lanka’s government says.

Growing economies and political tensions led to a 5.8 per cent rise, outpacing North America, Africa and Asia.