The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), announced today that it will provide $250,000 for emergency grants to the Philippine National Red Cross Society and other humanitarian organizations working in the area affected by Typhoon Durian (also know as Typhoon Reming). This assistance will help support relief commodities, basic livelihood assistance, road clearing and debris removal.

Exchanges among African countries of experiences on the two-year old Treatment Acceleration Project (TAP) was at the pinnacle of the World Bank's two-week long activities in observance of HIV and AIDS, which started on November 27 and will conclude tomorrow, December 7.

An updated Toolkit on Port reform - an extensive update of the first edition published in 2001 - was launched today by the World Bank. The publication is directed to government officials dealing with the modernization of ports in developing countries. The toolkit draws from the industry's experience over the past two decades in port reforms in both developing and industrialized economies.

'Hayastan' All-Armenian fund continues receiving donations and donation promises. 'Armenpress' was told at the Public Relations Department of the Fund that that donations continue to be submitted, including large contributions equal to $1 million and higher.

The OSCE Council of Ministers has adopted a statement on Nagorno Karabakh, noting that "in 2006 the negotiations brought the positions of the parties closer to the agreement on the main principles of settlement of the Karabakh conflict."

Former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker has called for a new diplomatic offensive in an effort to improve security in Iraq, including the opening of talks with Iran and Syria.

Baker was speaking as cochair of a report by Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan commission asked by the U.S. administration to review U.S. policy in Iraq.

World Vision Philippines is appealing for US $1 million to enable an immediate aid response to the devastating loss of life and property caused by Typhoon Durian. The Christian humanitarian agency plans to provide some 20,000 affected people with food and survival items within the coming week.

World Vision's expert on the illegal diamond trade, lauding Edward Zwick's new movie, "Blood Diamond," contends that, while Sierra Leone's war is over, diamonds continue to fund conflicts in Africa, and that the diamond industry and governments must do more to protect the legitimate diamond trade.

The World Bank today approved a US$250 million loan to the Indian state of Punjab for the rehabilitation and expansion of the State's road network.

The World Bank's Board of Directors today approved a $300 million loan for Colombia to promote business productivity and investment.

Vietnam's new Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP) represents a credible and financially-sustainable strategy to promote growth and poverty reduction over the next five years, the World Bank's Board of Executive Directors said at its meeting today.

British investigators traveled today to Moscow to search for clues in the apparent murder of Russian ex-intelligence officer Aleksandr Litvinenko. The case has also lead a second police contingent to the United States.