UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Wednesday welcomed the ratification by the U.S. Senate of a new nuclear arms treaty with Russia. The passing of the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) 'sends a firm and clear message in support of nuclear disarmament, ' said Ban in a statement issued by his spokesman. (UN-U.S.-Russia-Nuke) UNITED NATIONS -- The UN Security Council on Wednesday set up a new body to finish the remaining tasks of the United Nations war crimes tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, while calling on the courts to conclude their work by the end of 2014. By a vote of 14 in favor, with one abstention vote from Russia, the 15-nation Security Council established the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals with two branches. (UN-War Crimes) WASHINGTON -- The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to pass a healthcare package and economic aid for people who fell sick after inhaling toxic fume from the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York City's World Trade Center. The package, which cleared the Senate earlier with a voice vote, passed the House with a 206-60 vote. The 4.2-billion-dollar package provides free health care and compensation for lost wages and other economic losses to first- responders for the 9/11 terrorist attacks and survivors who fell ill after being exposed to toxins from the ground zero ruins. (U.S.-9/11) WASHINGTON -- The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the 2011 defense authorization bill which cleared the Senate hours earlier, sending it to President Barack Obama for his signature. The House retook the measure after the Senate made revisions to the language of a House-passed version early Wednesday. The upper chamber stripped one provision about payments to World War II residents and survivors in Guam. (U.S.-defense budget) PARIS -- World Bank President Robert Zoellick reaffirmed his proposal to use gold as a 'reference point' to reform the current international monetary system on Wednesday in Paris. 'What I suggested is that gold serves as a key reference point to allow people to assess the relations between different currencies,' Zoellick told the press here at the end of his meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in the Elysee Palace. (World Bank-gold) 