United Nations

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UN Inspector Vows to Tally Burma's Dead

Demands 'full cooperation' from junta or 'I'll go out'

(Newser) - A UN inspector landed in Burma today to tally the junta's detained and dead protesters, the AP reports. And he vowed to leave if officials don't give him "full cooperation." So far, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro has met with officials and visited a town where the junta targeted monks...

Karzai Presses Taliban Talks
Karzai Presses Taliban Talks
Nov 9, 2007 11:58 AM CST

Karzai Presses Taliban Talks

Afghan president offers amnesty, roles in government

(Newser) - As bloodshed escalates in Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai is pressing for negotiations with senior members of the Taliban, writes the Los Angeles Times. Foreign diplomats and members of Karzai's own government now believe that peace cannot be achieved by military means, and the president is hoping to achieve some form of...

Darfur Boots UN Official
Darfur Boots UN Official
Nov 8, 2007 3:23 PM CST

Darfur Boots UN Official

Humanitarian-aid coordinator accused unspecified infractions

(Newser) - A UN official in charge of humanitarian efforts in Darfur has been ousted from the war-torn region of Sudan, the UN said yesterday. The state's governor accused the official, Wael al-Haj Ibrahim, of violating "the rules of humanitarian action." But both UN officials and members of Ibrahim's organization...

Burma Junta Nixes Talks With UN, Dissident

Suu Kyi must drop sanction support; UN not making progress

(Newser) - The junta ruling Myanmar—formerly Burma—today rejected a UN proposal for three-way talks that would have included detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Agence France-Presse reports. It is the latest disappointment to mar the visit of UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari, in which he has been denied an audience with...

So Many Men, So Much Frustration
So Many Men, So Much Frustration
Nov 2, 2007 8:48 PM CDT

So Many Men, So Much Frustration

Asian gender gap will see millions without mates, stall economies

(Newser) - A growing gender gap spells trouble for Asian markets, where scholars predict that a glut of men without partners—Chinese and Indian men will outnumber women by more than 20 million each in 2030—will have a cascade of unintended consequences, economic as well as social.  Sexual violence and...

US Sets 2-Week Deadline for Iran Sanctions

Vows to push UN for tougher nuke stance, faults Russia, China

(Newser) - The US vowed today to fight for new UN sanctions on Iran if its Mideast rival doesn’t stop nuclear activity within two weeks, Reuters reports. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns blamed Russia and China for delaying a third round of economic sanctions; those nations hold veto power on the...

With New US Sanctions, Iran Looks East

China poised to become Tehran's biggest trading partner

(Newser) - As Iran is increasingly squeezed by new US sanctions and pressure from the UN, the country looks east for new economic alliances. China is about to overtake Germany as Iran's largest trading partner, and with oil prices skyrocketing, it looks as though Iran will be able to weather the storm...

ITU Head Wants Broadband Net Help for Africa

Less than 1% on continent have high-speed access

(Newser) - Fewer than four per cent of Africans use the Internet and less than one per cent have broadband access, helping to keep Africa behind in education, medicine and business, the BBC reports. Dr Hamadoun Toure, head of the International Telecommunication Union, is asking world organizations to make sure a third...

Kremlin May Forge a Separate 2.0 Peace

Moscow mulling the creation of a Russian-only computer network

(Newser) - The Kremlin is going 2.0 by extending its reach into cyberspace, where dissidents have found refuge from the government’s tight censorship. While Putin allies mount pro-government websites and snatch up existing independent outlets, Moscow is considering the creation of a separate Russian network. “The attractiveness of the...

Child 'Slave' Laborers Fall Into the Gap

Kids seen making Gap garments in New Delhi sweatshop

(Newser) - Ten-year-olds were found stitching Gap apparel in a filthy New Delhi sweatshop, some without pay, in an investigation by the Guardian. The kids interviewed by the paper reported long hours of unpaid work, threats and beatings. Serial numbers on the beaded blouses they were working on were ID'd by the...

Sudan Declares Truce at Darfur Peace Talks

But two top factions aren't there, and a third has doubts

(Newser) - Sudan declared a ceasefire at Darfur peace talks today, but two top factions weren't there to hear it, and one other met the pledge with suspicion. “The government has said several times since 2004 that they observed a ceasefire,” said one rebel leader. “We have our doubts....

Main Rebel Groups to Skip Darfur Talks

Boycott of tomorrow's summit dims peace prospects for Sudan

(Newser) - Two of Darfur's main rebel groups said today they will not attend peace talks scheduled to start in Libya tomorrow, dealing a significant blow to hopes for a quick end to the nation's civil war, Reuters reports. The UN-sponsored talks are still expected to go on with several other rebel...

UN Report Paints Grim Portrait of Planet's Future

Environmental decline spurs poverty, disease

(Newser) - A major UN report says the health and wealth of millions of people around the world are at risk because of worsening environmental problems, BBC reports. The UN report cited deforestation, overfishing, shortages of drinking water, and rising greenhouse gas levels among the biggest problems. And it criticized a "...

Supporters Rally for Suu Kyi
Supporters Rally for Suu Kyi
Oct 24, 2007 6:59 AM CDT

Supporters Rally for Suu Kyi

Protests in 12 cities to mark 12th anniversary of her imprisonment

(Newser) - Protests are in progress in front of 12 Chinese embassies around the world today to mark the 12th anniversary of the incarceration of Burmese political prisoner and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. Six fellow female laureates also have written an open letter, published in today's Guardian, asking...

Sudan to Call Darfur Ceasefire Ahead of Talks

Government to meet rebels this weekend; peace prospects dim

(Newser) - Sudan will declare yet another ceasefire in Darfur this weekend, the Guardian reports, as the government sits down with the region’s rebel factions to try to hammer out a peace accord. Government officials called it a “confidence-building measure” designed to “give negotiators a chance to get out...

WiMax Gets Green Light from UN
WiMax Gets Green Light from UN
Oct 20, 2007 2:55 PM CDT

WiMax Gets Green Light from UN

Upstart wireless tech included in next generation standards

(Newser) - In a huge victory for Intel, the UN’s telecommunications agency yesterday gave WiMax a thumbs up, opening the way for member nations to devote public radio space to the upstart wireless internet technology. Intel lobbied hard for the WiMax, which can sling data 40 miles at up to 70...

UK Probes Charges That CIA Used Brit Prison for Torture

(Newser) - British officials will investigate persistent claims that the CIA secretly interrogated terrorism suspects at a UK prison in the Indian Ocean, the Guardian reports. Authorities have repeatedly questioned American officials, who deny the reports. But an organization representing detainees insists the claims are true, adding that the British may be...

Bush: Iran Risks 'World War III'
 Bush: Iran Risks 'World War III'
Oct 17, 2007 10:41 PM CDT

Bush: Iran Risks 'World War III'

Outspoken response to a warning from Russia

(Newser) - In a cantankerous press conference today, President Bush warned that Iran risks starting World War III if it develops nuclear weapons. His remarks came as reporters sought his reaction to Vladimir Putin's comments, after meeting with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday, that the West should not only rule out military action against...

Council Upbraids Myanmar Junta
Council Upbraids Myanmar Junta
Oct 11, 2007 4:50 PM CDT

Council Upbraids Myanmar Junta

China doesn't block UN panel's stance

(Newser) - The UN Security Council unanimously condemned the Myanmar junta's violent suppression of pro-democracy protests in an official policy statement today, demanding the prompt release of all political prisoners and serious negotiations with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The council's first official action on Myanmar highlights a shift by China,...

Shipping Tops Flying as Polluter
Shipping Tops Flying as Polluter
Oct 10, 2007 3:33 PM CDT

Shipping Tops Flying as Polluter

New figures prove that shipping produces more emissions than aviation

(Newser) - For armchair environmentalists, aviation seems the ultimate evil, but research from climatologists finds the shipping industry a "far more damaging" polluter. Maritime transportation emits twice the greenhouses gases of airplanes, the Independent writes, and the sector is growing so fast that earlier research underestimated its damage by at least...

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