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- Security Council eases some Taliban sanctions
The United Nations Security Council has agreed to lift sanctions on five members of Afghanistan's former Taliban government on the basis they are not active insurgents. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has been pushing for a re-examination of the UN's Taliban blacklist and hopes to win broad backing for a plan to offer low- and medium-level Taliban fighters money and jobs in exchange for their weapons. BBC
(1/27)
- UN: Secret prisons, illegal detentions remain a global problem
Dozens of countries continue to abduct and detain terrorism suspects in secret detention centers despite clear prohibitions against such practices under international law, according to a report from United Nations expert investigators. Algeria, China, India, Russia, Sudan and the United States are among the countries employing or facilitating the practices. Reuters
(1/26)
- WHO defends H1N1 response
The World Health Organization defended its handling of an H1N1 flu pandemic that turned out to be fairly mild -- a response that prompted some criticism regarding the influence of drug firms on the WHO. The Council of Europe questioned the health organization on the WHO's alert, which prompted most European countries to prepare to receive thousands of patients and administer millions of doses of the H1N1 vaccine. WHO officials acknowledged the response was not perfect but reiterated its priority is to build a robust approach to prevention. BBC
(1/26)
- Haiti's children are left vulnerable after quake
Health, social, psychological and nutrition issues are mounting for the population of children left orphaned and homeless after the devastating earthquake in Haiti. UNICEF says it is concerned about the prospect some might press children no longer accompanied by adults into adoption, sex trade or domestic service. About 90% of Haiti's schools have been destroyed, leaving children disoriented and in need of interim care -- which UNICEF and other organizations are racing to provide. NYTimes.com
(1/26)
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- Who will watch the rainforests?
A report assembled by the Rights and Resources Initiative and conservation partners argues the failure to reach a concrete initiative at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen demonstrates the West does not have an adequate plan to implement or enforce Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, its program for curbing deforestation. Though REDD has attracted billions in pledges, critics say corruption in heavily forested nations could lead to indigenous peoples being deprived of their rights -- one reason the report recommends indigenous forest populations should be tasked with monitoring the forests. Der Spiegel (Germany) (English online version)
(1/26)
- U.K. science chief calls for skepticism on predictions for climate
U.K. chief science adviser John Beddington has called for a more frank look at the complexity of climate modeling and predictions in the wake of a damaging revelation regarding exaggerated claims on glacier melting published by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Beddington says a willingness among the scientific community to embrace skepticism about the outcomes of its climate-change predictions would improve confidence among the public about the science itself. The Times (London) (subscription required)
(1/27)
- North Korean defectors testify on gulag conditions
A conference held by the Antihuman Crime Investigation Committee in South Korea sought to shine light on the workings of the Yodok prison and other facilities in North Korea's gulag amid the release of a report on prison conditions based on interviews with defectors. Former inmates at Yodok say that among the inmates imprisoned there -- a fraction of the 200,000 prisoners throughout the North Korean gulag -- relatives of suspected criminals outnumber the accused and most have never seen trial. Los Angeles Times
(1/27)
- Sri Lanka: Rajapaksa wins in a romp
Mahinda Rajapaksa declared victory in his quest to win a second term as president, promising to unite Sri Lanka after decades of conflict. Rajapaksa's challenger, Sarath Fonseka, blasted the result as unfair and called for a new vote. Fonseka found himself under siege in his hotel, which was surrounded by government troops the day after the election. NYTimes.com
(1/27)
- Philippines peace talks resume
Peace talks between the Philippines government and the country's largest insurgency group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, have resumed in the hopes of hashing out a deal before President Gloria Arroyo steps down in July. A previous 2008 deal on territory control fell apart, sparking clashes and massive civilian displacement. The Christian Science Monitor
(1/26)
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