BERLIN (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear watchdog chief urged Iran on Friday to accept an offer to process its enriched uranium abroad by the end of 2009, and advised Western powers not to impose further sanctions on Tehran.
Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said a plan brokered by the IAEA in which Iran would send low-enriched uranium to Russia and France for conversion into fuel for a Tehran medical reactor was a rare chance to defuse mistrust over its nuclear program.
"I would hope definitely that we'll get an agreement before the end of the year," he told a news conference in Berlin. "I believe frankly the ball is very much in the Iranian court. I hope they will not miss this unique but fleeting opportunity."
ElBaradei, who retires on November 30 after 12 tough years trying to stop the spread of nuclear weapons know-how, praised the role in talks with Iran played by U.S. President Barack Obama, saying he had an initiated a "complete change of policy."
Noting that under Obama the United States had taken a "creative and pragmatic" approach to resolving the impasse over Tehran's nuclear program, ElBaradei used the news conference to send a message directly to the Iranian leadership.
"You need to engage in creative diplomacy, you need to understand that this is the first time that you will have a genuine commitment from an American president to engage you fully, on the basis of respect, with no conditions.
GENEVA, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Eight years after a U.S.-led invasion ousted the Taliban from power in Afghanistan, the war-ravaged state is the most dangerous place in the world for a child to be born, the United Nations said on Thursday.
It is especially dangerous for girls, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in launching its annual flagship report, The State of the World's Children.
Afghanistan has the highest infant mortality rate in the world -- 257 deaths per 1,000 live births, and 70 percent of the population lacks access to clean water, the agency said.
As Taliban insurgents increase their presence across the country, growing insecurity is also making it hard to carry out vital vaccination campaigns against polio, a crippling disease still endemic in the country, and measles that can kill children.
"Afghanistan today is without a doubt the most dangerous place to be born," Daniel Toole, UNICEF regional director for South Asia, told a news briefing in Geneva.
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Some 317 schools in Afghanistan were attacked in the past year, killing 124 and wounding another 290, Toole said.
"We have seen a drop in the number of children who are attending schools and particularly young girls," he added.
School enrollment in Afghanistan had risen to 5 million, including 2 million girls, against 1 million with virtually no girls in 2001 when the Taliban were ousted from power, he said.
"In both countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, we've made some progress but we're starting to worry about back-tracking on that progress given the high rates of insecurity and the ongoing conflict," Toole said.
"The most dramatic indication of back-tracking is the deliberate attacks against girls' schools," he added.GENEVA, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Eight years after a U.S.-led invasion ousted the Taliban... more
"A report following a catastrophe-heavy year in 1991 found that the death rate among females was 71 per 1000, compared to 15 per 1000 for men. Beyond fatality, disasters also have more of a lingering impact on women in the country—they destroy both the agricultural landscape and the homes in which they work."YPNation Contributor Nikki Gloudeman highlights a recent report from the UN Population... more
"With the faltering climate change talks set to open in Copenhagen next month, the latest figures from the Global Carbon Project show carbon dioxide emissions rising another 2 per cent last year as coal became the dominant source of fossil fuel emissions, taking over from oil for the first time in 40 years."
The United Nations nuclear watchdog has expressed fears that Iran may have other secret nuclear sites following the discovery of the facility hidden in a mountain near the holy city of Qom.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, in a report published today, said the previously secret site at Fordo was in "an advanced state of construction" and was scheduled to start up in 2011.
The IAEA reprimanded Iran for failing to inform it until September about the site, even though construction had begun at least two years ago.
Washington, 16 November (WashingtonTV)—A group of 109 human rights and civil society organizations from around the world have called on the United Nations to condemn human rights violations in Iran, an Iranian human rights group reported on Monday. http://televisionwashington.com/floater_article1.aspx?lang=en&t=1&id=15687Washington, 16 November (WashingtonTV)—A group of 109 human rights and civil society... more
WASHINGTON — International inspectors who gained access to Iran’s newly revealed underground nuclear enrichment plant raised questions in a report released on Monday about whether the country may have also concealed other nuclear factories.
So far Iran has denied that there are other hidden sites in addition to the one built deep underground on a military base north of the holy city of Qum. The inspectors were given access to the half-built plant late last month and reported that they had found it in “an advanced state” of construction, but that no centrifuges — the fast-spinning machines needed to make nuclear fuel – had yet been installed.
They confirmed American and European intelligence reports that the site was built to house about 3,000 centrifuges, enough to produce enough material for one or two nuclear weapons a year. But that is too small to be useful in the production of fuel for civilian nuclear power, which is what Iran insists was the intended purpose of the site.
The plant’s existence was revealed in September, as many as seven years after construction had begun.
The report by the International Atomic Energy Agency’s inspectors came just two days after President Obama, expressing increasing impatience with Iran’s responses in nuclear negotiations, indicated that he would begin to plan for far more stringent economic sanctions against Tehran. He was joined during that announcement by President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia, but Mr. Medvedev was vague about whether Russia was now prepared to join in those sanctions. Mr. Obama was expected to take up the issue on Tuesday with President Hu Jintao of China, where Mr. Obama is on a state visit. China, like Russia, has historically resisted sanctions on Iran.
In its report, the agency said that Iran’s belated “declaration of the new facility reduces the level of confidence in the absence of other nuclear facilities under construction, and gives rise to questions about whether there were any other nuclear facilities in Iran which had not been declared to the agency.”
Both I.A.E.A. officials and American and European diplomats and nuclear experts have argued that the existence of the hidden facility at Qum would make little sense unless there was a network of related facilities to feed it with raw nuclear fuel.
Iran denied that it had any other facilities that it had failed to report to the agency. But in a letter to the nuclear inspectors, parts of which were quoted in the report to the board of the I.A.E.A., Iranian officials said they were motivated to build the underground plant because of “the threats of military attacks against Iran,” a reference to the assumption that Israel, the United States or other Western powers might take military action against its main plant for uranium enrichment, located at Natanz.
ake Hands with the Devil first premiered at the Toronto Film Festival way back in 2007. In fact, director Roger Spottiswoode actually directed another film (The Children of Huang Shi) while waiting for this to be released. Regent Releasing is finally bringing Shake Hands with the Devil to theaters in 2010 and has debuted a trailer for it on Apple. It stars Roy Dupuis and Deborah Unger.
The heavy punishment of illegal file sharers on the web will be counter-productive in the global fight against Internet piracy and copyright infringement, the director-general of a United Nations agency said on Thursday.
The heavy punishment of illegal file sharers on the web will be counter-productive in the global fight against Internet piracy and copyright infringement, the director-general of a United Nations agency said on Thursday.The heavy punishment of illegal file sharers on the web will be counter-productive in... more
PeaceKeeper launched a 75% organic lip gloss with the UNIFEM – The United Nation’s Development Fund For Women and its Trust Fund To Eliminate Violence Against Women – to raise awareness about UNIFEM’s important global work. UNIFEM is the women's fund at the United Nations, dedicated to advancing women’s rights and achieving gender equality. It provides financial and technical assistance to innovative programs and strategies that foster women's empowerment. UNIFEM works on the premise that it is the fundamental right of every woman to live a life free from discrimination and violence, and that gender equality is essential to achieving development and to building just societies. UNIFEM works in the following thematic areas:
* Enhancing women’s economic security and rights
* Ending violence against women
* Reducing the prevalence of HIV and AIDS among women and girls
* Advancing gender justice in democratic governance in stable and fragile states
over 1200 youth gathered from all over Latin America for the International Conference of the Americas in the Dominican Republic last week.
Part Model UN, part UN conference, the students and guest speakers discuss salient topics in international development, the MDGs and share the challenges and successes associated with global issues.
Most notably, CILA took part in the "Seal the Deal" campaign for climate change - part of the UNs outreach program on climate related issues as they gather momentum for the Copenhagen Climate Change summit in December.
As part of an International Student Journalism program Tyler Batson (UCLA) and Sandra C. Roa (CUNY Journalism Grad School) produced this video to demonstrate how youth at the CILA 2009 conference are dealing with climate change issues.over 1200 youth gathered from all over Latin America for the International Conference... more
The UN's nuclear watchdog has asked Iran to explain evidence suggesting that Iranian scientists have experimented with an advanced nuclear warhead design, the Guardian has learned.
The very existence of the technology, known as a "two-point implosion" device, is officially secret in both the US and Britain, but according to previously unpublished documentation in a dossier compiled by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iranian scientists may have tested high-explosive components of the design. The development was today described by nuclear experts as "breathtaking" and has added urgency to the effort to find a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear crisis.
The sophisticated technology, once mastered, allows for the production of smaller and simpler warheads than older models. It reduces the diameter of a warhead and makes it easier to put a nuclear warhead on a missile.
Documentation referring to experiments testing a two-point detonation design are part of the evidence of nuclear weaponisation gathered by the IAEA and presented to Iran for its response.Looks like the US wasn't so wrong about Iran developing nuclear weapons...now multiple... more
Vanguard correspondent Mariana van Zeller travels to Sri Lanka during the final days of the country's civil war to see how one of the world's most powerful insurgencies, the Tamil Tigers, was finally defeated. While some security experts are hailing Sri Lanka as a case study in how to defeat an insurgency, Mariana finds that it comes at a steep price.
***Vanguard is Current TV's original documentary series. Led by correspondents Laura Ling, Mariana van Zeller, Christof Putzel, Adam Yamaguchi and Kaj Larsen, Vanguard features enterprising reports from around the globe. It airs every Wednesday at 10pm on Current TV. And you can view all Vanguard stories by visiting current.com/vanguard.***
Channel guide:
In the U.S.
DIRECTV 358
Comcast Nationwide 107
Dish Network 196
Time Warner: NY 103
Time Warner: LA 142
Time Warner: Other Cities: check local listings
AT&T U-verse Nationwide 189
Verizon FIOS 130
In the U.K.
Sky 183
Virgin Media 155
In Italy
Sky Italia 130Vanguard correspondent Mariana van Zeller travels to Sri Lanka during the final days... more
The OIC is empowered by a muhammadan in the White House. We are seeing and hearing things we have never heard before in the civilized world, because Obama has elevated this fascist blocof Islamic countries to cult-like status here and here. The OIC, using the UN as its mouthpiece, warns of the coming holocaust of the Jewish people. I am sick of their Jew hatred and the assent of world asshats.
They are warning the Jews and have made 'Al Aqsa' their bully club. Al Aqsa was built on stolen land, on top of the Jewish temple, also known as the Temple Mount and considered the holiest site in Judaism. They only want it because it is so Jewish. Period. It was a tiny prayer house and they made it into some shrine only to encroach and advance Islam on Jewish land, the holiest site inJudaism, no less. Da noive! It's a desecration.
Islamic supremacism is relentless. Their imperialism must be crushed. And just as there are no Jews or Christians allowed in Mecca, no Muslims should be allowed in Jerusalem until there is reciprocity. This enforced dhimmitude cannot stand.
This century's Hitler, Ahmadinejihad, is on his way to convene with this war's nazis: Ahmadinejad to visit İstanbul for OIC gathering
Ayn Rand said evil is made possible by the sanction you give it. Israel should withdraw its sanction and withdraw from the UN, as all free nations should. Heinous, all of it.
Here's the venom:
''JEDDAH: The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) on Sunday warned Israel that the Muslim world would no longer tolerate its aggressive practices against Al-Aqsa Mosque.
“Al-Aqsa represents the red line ... Causing any harm to this mosque will have dangerous consequences,” it said.
The final communiqué, issued by a meeting of the executive committee of OIC foreign ministers here, also called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council to discuss Israeli violations in Al-Quds (Jerusalem).
The meeting, which was held at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah, supported the establishment of a Palestinian state on Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem, which was occupied by Israel in 1967.
The OIC committee also called on the Security Council to prevent the building of Jewish settlements in Jerusalem and other occupied Arab territories on the basis of Resolution 446.
“Israeli measures aimed at changing the statuesque and demography of Jerusalem is a clear violation of international resolutions and charters,” the communiqué said, urging the international community to pressure Israel to abide by international resolutions.
“Israel should not be allowed to make any geographical or demographic changes in Jerusalem, it should also lift the siege on the city and stop demolishing Palestinian homes and its policy of ethnic cleansing,” it said.
The OIC meeting urged the general conference of UNESCO to issue a decision to halt Israeli actions to change the status quo of Jerusalem and historical monuments in the city.
The meeting set up a technical committee that includes OIC members and the Islamic Development Bank to study the present situation of Jerusalem in association with the Palestinian organizations. It also urged OIC members to contribute to the Al-Quds fund and the Bait Al-Mal of Al-Quds to finance preservation projects.
The communiqué called upon the Vatican and the Council of Eastern Churches to cooperate with the Islamic world to put an end to tribulations in Jerusalem and the misery of its people. It also welcomed the Goldstone report on Israeli war crimes in Gaza.''The OIC is empowered by a muhammadan in the White House. We are seeing and hearing... more
The Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office (UU-UNO) has declared Climate Change one of this year's pressing issues! Their newly-formed Climate Change Initiative is charged with finding ways to preserve the Earth and to examine the global inequities caused by climate disruption. They have formed a Task Force website at http://www.digitaluniverse.net/uuuno/ where you can follow current events related to climate change, discuss plans with other members, and join events to help the cause.
One event currently being promoted is the Intergenerational Spring Seminar in April 2010. Still in the planning stages, this event will bring together UUs from all over North America. At the New York City United Nations Office, participants will gain an understanding of why climate change is happening, the global dangers it poses, how this relates to the Unitarian Universalist faith, and what actions should be taken in the face of this change. There will be speakers from a wide variety of backgrounds, including scientists, social advocates, activist leaders, and ministers. At the end of the three-day conference, participants will work together to draft a statement to the Secretary General of the United Nations. This statement will determine the future mission of the UU-UNO Climate Change Task Force.
The office is still recruiting a variety of volunteers to help plan the Spring Seminar. Volunteers will gain great experience in leadership and event planning and can participate in the Seminar free of charge. It is possible to volunteer from anywhere in the US, since the work can be done over the phone and internet. The office currently needs volunteers familiar with web programming and audio/video broadcast to help set up a live feed of the Seminar which will be put on the web for all to see. This is the first year the web will be used to widen the audience of the Seminar, so even if you can't attend in person, you will still be able to view the event and discuss it with other UUs in real-time on the UU-UNO website!
There are other kinds of volunteers needed as well; including Food Organizers, Youth Leaders, and more. You can read more about the Seminar and how to become a volunteer on the event page linked to at the top of this article.
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written by Jessica Ansel, Spring Seminar Planning Co-ChairThe Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office (UU-UNO) has declared Climate Change... more
Taliban militants wearing suicide vests stormed a guest house used by U.N. staff in the heart of the Afghan capital early Wednesday, killing 12 people - including six U.N. staff - in the biggest in a series of attacks intended to undermine next month's presidential runoff election.Taliban militants wearing suicide vests stormed a guest house used by U.N. staff in... more
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on behalf of the Obama administration, issued a strong rejection of UN efforts to impose an international anti-defamation of religion policy. The policy is being pushed by Muslim nations intent on muzzling any criticism of religious belief.
Clinton made her rejection of the proposed policy as she unveiled the State Department’s Annual Report on International Religious Freedom.Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on behalf of the Obama administration, issued a... more
No bias here, right.... Oh, wait til she goes to the next country on her list... guess which one...
The wrong target
The National Post, Editorial Page, October 19, 2009
Gay McDougall is like a cop obsessed with ticketing jaywalkers, while all around her murders, rapes and muggings are being committed on the street she patrols.
The United Nations' Independent Expert on minority issues has been on the job for four years. Much of that time she has spent investigating the way humane, pluralistic, industrialized democracies handle their racial and cultural minorities, while foregoing similar inspections of truly abusive regimes. At present, she is busy crisscrossing Canada for 10 days grilling government officials about possible racism in this country -- as if this country's situation were worth worrying about in a world beset by the likes of Iran, Congo and Guinea.
Since Ms. McDougall is free to pick the countries she examines, we feel compelled to ask: Can she truly not think of a more deserving subject for her enquiry? Is there no better use of her time and those of the federal, provincial and local officials she will pester during her stay?
Ms. McDougall will undoubtedly find lots to reprimand regarding Canada's handling of its First Peoples. Too many of our Aboriginals live in remote, squalid communities and in the poorest neighbourhoods of our largest cities. But as we have long argued, this is as much the fault of Canada's overgenerous native welfare system and paternalist federal laws, both of which Aboriginals themselves resist changing.
We hope the UN's minority inspector enjoys her time here. (She is not venturing beyond the four-star hotels and salons of Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver.) But we urge her next time to pick a country truly in need of a rights rebuke.
If she dares.
more at linkNo bias here, right.... Oh, wait til she goes to the next country on her list... guess... more
KABUL (AP) -- Gunmen with automatic weapons and suicide vests stormed a guest house used by U.N. staff in the heart of the Afghan capital early Wednesday, killing at least seven people including three U.N. staff, officials said. A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility, saying it was meant as an assault on the upcoming presidential election.
Heavy gunfire reverberated through the streets shortly after dawn and a large plume of smoke rose over the city following the attack on the hostel in the Shar-e-Naw district. Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahman said seven people were killed, including some attackers.
U.N. spokesman Adrian Edwards confirmed that three U.N. staff were among the dead and one was seriously wounded. He said 20 U.N. staff were living at the guest house, some of them known to be registered there but he was unsure whether all were there at the time of the attack.
Flames could be seen on the roof of the guest house. Hours after the attack began, three explosions could be heard but it was unclear if they were from that location.
Following the attack, a rocket slammed into the grounds of the luxury Serena Hotel, which is favored by many foreigners. The device failed to explode but filled the lobby with smoke, forcing guests and employees to flee to the basement, according to an Afghan witness who asked that his name not be used for security reasons.
The guesthouse attack was the third major one in the capital in recent weeks.
On Oct. 8, a suicide car bomber detonated his vehicle outside the Indian Embassy, killing 17 people - mostly civilians - and wounding at least 76 more. The Afghan Foreign Ministry hinted at Pakistani involvement - a charge Pakistan denied.
On Sept. 17, a suicide car bomber killed six Italian soldiers and 10 Afghan civilians on one of Kabul's main roadways.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for Wednesday's attack in a telephone call to The Associated Press, saying three militants with suicide vests, grenades and machine guns carried out the assault.
He said three days ago the Taliban issued a statement threatening anyone working on the Nov. 7 runoff election between President Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah.
"This is our first attack," he said.
Afghans vote Nov. 7 in a second round election after U.N.-backed auditors threw out nearly a third of Karzai's votes from the Aug. 20 ballot, determining widespread fraud. That pushed Karzai's totals below the 50 percent threshold needed for a first round victory in the 36-candidate field.
The Taliban warned Afghans to stay away from the polls or risk attacks. Dozens of people were killed in Taliban attacks during the August balloting, helping drive down turnout.KABUL (AP) -- Gunmen with automatic weapons and suicide vests stormed a guest house... more
