The UN General Assembly late on Friday passed a budget with an unprecedented spending cap aimed at pressuring countries into approving management and other reforms within six months.Under the deal between wealthy and developing nations, the assembly adopted a resolution for a two-year, $3.8 billion administrative budget, thereby averting a financial crisis. But the resolution capped UN spending at $950 million—enough only for the first six months of 2006—after which Secretary-General Kofi Annan has to ask the assembly for more funds to pay staff.The 191-nation General Assembly's decision, after months of arduous negotiations, was taken by consensus, without a vote.Several nations, including Egypt, India and Jamaica, refused to link reforms to the budget. But US Ambassador John Bolton said this was implicit since the assembly would have to approve additional funding in six months time. —Reuters
