Venezuela destroys two bridges at Colombian border

Venezuelan forces destroyed two bridges that cross the border with Colombia, an escalation of relations that have soured since Colombia agreed to allow the U.S. to expand its military activities within Colombian territory -- an agreement Venezuela views as a provocation and a threat. Though the agreement caps the number of soldiers that can be placed on Colombian soil at 800, it does appear to allow for U.S. troops to operate beyond Colombian borders. The Christian Science Monitor (11/20)

• UN celebrates 20 years of children's rights 
• UN: Afghanistan tops the world in infant mortality 
• De Boer outlines some goals for Copenhagen 
• Islamic nations seek accord against blasphemy 
• Karzai pledges NATO pullout timeline 
• Career Center 

• UN celebrates 20 years of children's rights
  Signed in 1989 by every UN member nation but the U.S. and Somalia, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child guarantees children to the right to life, education and protection from abuse. Since the advent of the treaty -- which enjoys the widest support of any international treaty -- some 30% more children live beyond 5 years old, while 80% more children attend primary school. BBC (11/20)

• UN rebukes North Korea, Myanmar over rights records
  A United Nations General Assembly committee focused on human rights approved nonbinding resolutions to condemn North Korea and Myanmar for widespread human-rights violations. North Korea and Myanmar rejected the resolutions as fabricated political attacks. Reuters (11/19)

• ElBaradei says Iran treaty rejection not yet final
  Iran has not yet officially responded to the UN-sponsored proposal that would oversee its nuclear fuel development despite reports from Iran that it has rejected the compromise deal. International Atomic Energy Agency Director Mohamed ElBaradei said a meeting of members of the UN Security Council plus Germany today in Brussels represented a desperate effort to salvage the international deal with Iran. Bloomberg (11/20)

• UN: Afghanistan tops the world in infant mortality
  Growing insecurity, endemic childhood diseases and lack of access to medical services and water combine to make Afghanistan the worst country in the world to be born, UNICEF said on the launch of its 2009 State of the World's Children report. Afghanistan has the world's highest infant-mortality rate, and nearly half of the country is off limits to aid and medical workers. Reuters (11/19)

• Biggest child killers on bottom of global health agenda
  Donor shifts toward funding efforts to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS and malaria have diminished attempts to tackle the biggest killers of children younger than 5 years old. Diarrhea and pneumonia kill an estimated 3.5 million children a year, more than HIV/AIDS and malaria combined. Google/The Associated Press (11/19)

• De Boer outlines some goals for Copenhagen
  Wealthy countries should pledge $10 billion a year for three years at the upcoming Copenhagen summit to help poor countries begin to address climate-related challenges, said Yvo de Boer, head of the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat. De Boer also will be looking for rich countries to detail what assistance they will provide to fight climate change and how funds can be raised to provide long-term, predictable funding. Reuters (11/19)

• Ukraine, Russia strike deal on natural gas
  A long period of tension regarding a payment dispute between Russia and Ukraine might have come to an end after the nations agreed to a new contract for natural gas. Meeting in Yalta, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian counterpart Yulia Tymoshenko agreed to a plan that will not fine Ukraine for using less gas than the agreed-upon amount as a result of the economic downturn. The nations agreed to set new volumes as Ukrainian consumption of natural gas has dropped sharply. BBC (11/20)

• Acceleration of global warming slows
  Climatologists are puzzled by an apparent slowdown in global warming that has stalled the climb in average temperatures the past 10 years. The Hadley Center for Climate Prediction and Research estimated global temperatures rose .07 degrees Celsius the past decade, an order of magnitude smaller than that predicted by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. But not all scientists agree about this data. An unusual lack of sunspots and a phenomenon that affects Pacific Ocean currents might explain the slowdown in rising temperatures. Der Spiegel (Germany) (English online version) (11/19)

• Islamic nations seek accord against blasphemy
  Algeria and Pakistan are among the Islamic nations leading a charge to bring a vote forward within the UN General Assembly on a treaty to protect religious symbols -- a ban on blasphemy that would conflict with free-speech values cherished in the West. The U.S. -- which has ignored other UN treaties, including one that protects migrant workers -- has expressed resistance to the treaty. Though a showdown is not expected at any point soon, experts believe a concentrated effort by a confederation of Islamic nations is likely to achieve some success eventually. CBC.ca (Canada)/The Associated Press (11/19)

• HIV-positive soccer team faces off against stigma in Zimbabwe
  A group of HIV-positive women associated with the Epworth Medecins sans Frontieres clinic in Zimbabwe have formed a soccer team in an effort to inspire others, publicly affirm that people infected with HIV can lead productive lives and win matches. A communications officer with MSF produced a documentary on the Positive Ladies Soccer Club, featuring interviews with the women to highlight their personal stories and dispel the stigma faced by people who publicly declare their status in Zimbabwe. CNN/Vital Signs (11/19)

• Karzai pledges NATO pullout timeline
  Opening his second term as Afghanistan's leader after a controversial election, Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced a target date for the withdrawal of NATO troops, saying the country's army should take responsibility for national security within three years. In his speech -- which was greeted warmly by supporters in the U.S. and EU who have just as often been his critics recently -- Karzai also promised to tackle corruption and improve the level of governance across Afghanistan. Financial Times (tiered subscription model) (11/19)

• Little-known leaders take first EU executive elections
  The European Union elected its first president and trade commissioner, inaugurating a new era for the continental bloc and ending a contentious nomination period -- if on an anticlimactic note. Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy and U.K. Baroness Catherine Ashton, elected unanimously to the roles of president and trade commissioner, respectively, are little known outside their countries. Observers believe the election of Rompuy and Ashton -- as opposed to a candidate with vast foreign-policy experience such as former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair -- signals the EU will remain more of an economic bloc than a political federation. BBC (11/20) , The New York Times (11/19) , BBC (11/20)

• Divide grows between Pakistani military, president
  Accusations of corruption and subordination to U.S. interests plague the administration of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, who faces pressures similar to those that have brought about the premature end of every elected civilian government in Pakistan's history. The uproar that followed the announcement of a massive U.S. aid package to Pakistan -- and the demands that it be placed on Pakistan's military -- surprised U.S. and Pakistani officials, bringing to the fore the long-running distrust between Zardari's Pakistan Peoples Party and the military. The New York Times (11/19)

• Other News

• More English-language Web sites spreading al-Qaida message
  Yahoo!/The Associated Press (11/20)

• Stiglitz calls Mexico's economic response weak
  Los Angeles Times/La Plaza blog (11/19)

• Micheletti to temporarily step down
  CBC.ca (Canada)/The Associated Press (11/19)

• Worries grow for Zambia's future
  The Economist (11/19)

Founding Head of School Gashora Girls Academy Gashora Sector, Rwanda National Director - Pakistan World Vision International Islamabad, Pakistan

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