Crucial Prayer Topics : United Nations

UN panel: Libyan weapons spread at alarming rate
- April 10, 2013

Libyan weapons are spreading at "an alarming rate" to new territory in west Africa and the eastern Mediterranean including Syria and the Gaza Strip where they are fueling conflicts and increasing the arsenals of armed groups and terrorists, a U.N. panel said....[view article]

Iraqi al Qaeda wing merges with Syrian counterpart
Reuters - April 10, 2013

Iraq's al Qaeda wing has united with a kindred Syrian group in the frontline of a struggle to oust President Bashar al-Assad, sharpening a dilemma for nations that back the revolt, but fear rising Islamist militancy....[view article]

Beijing rejects North’s envoy request
- April 4, 2013

Pyongyang has allegedly asked Beijing to send them an envoy in order to improve their soured relations, but Beijing turned it down, seen as a warning regarding the regime’s recent warmongering rhetoric....[view article]

North Korea 'burning with hatred' for US after stealth bomber missions
Telegraph - March 28, 2013

North Korea claimed its people were "burning with hatred" for the US after Washington confirmed it had flown B-2 stealth bomber "deterrence" missions over South Korea....[view article]

Erosion of Syrian power accelerating, top U.S. intelligence official says
The Washington Post - March 13, 2013

The erosion of the Syrian regime’s authority is accelerating, and the “increasingly beleaguered” government, which has been unable to defeat insurgents with conventional weapons, might be prepared to use chemical weapons, the top U.S. intelligence official said Tuesday....[view article]

Rebels in Syria Release U.N. Peacekeepers to Jordan, Easing Crisis in Border Zone
The New York Times - March 11, 2013

Syrian rebels released 21 detained UN peacekeepers to Jordanian forces on Saturday, ending a three-day standoff that raised new tensions in the region and new questions about the fighters just as the United States and other nations were grappling over whether to allow more arms to flow to the rebel movement....[view article]

China Says It Won’t Forsake North Korea, Despite Support for U.N. Sanctions
The New York Times - March 11, 2013

China's foreign minister said Saturday that Beijing would not abandon North Korea, reiterating China's longstanding position that dialogue, not sanctions, is the best way to persuade the North to abandon its nuclear weapons....[view article]

China moves mobile missiles near coast amid tensions with Japan over islands
Washington Free Beacon - February 27, 2013

United States intelligence agencies recently detected China’s military shifting road-mobile ballistic missiles closer to its southern coast near the disputed Senkaku Islands amid growing tensions between Beijing and Japan over the islands dispute....[view article]

Islamists on the move in Mali as army digs in
BBC - January 10, 2013

Malian soldiers have fired on Islamist fighters in the centre of the country, military sources say....[view article]

U.N. Conference Slyly Introduces Resolution to Gain Control of Internet—in Middle of Night
Weekly Standard - December 13, 2012

In the middle of the night at a U.N. conference in Dubai, the presiding chairman of the International Telecommunication Union conference surveyed the assembled countries to see whether there was interest in having greater involvement in the U.N. governing the Internet. A majority of countries gave their approval....[view article]

Russia acknowledges Assad is losing control and rebels might win in Syria
The Washington Post - December 13, 2012

Syria’s most powerful ally, Russia, said for the first time Thursday that President Bashar Assad is losing control of his country and the rebels might win the civil war, dramatically shifting the diplomatic landscape at a time of enormous momentum for the opposition....[view article]

North Korea launches rocket , raising nuclear arms stakes
Reuters - December 12, 2012

North Korea successfully launched a rocket on Wednesday, boosting the credentials of its new leader and stepping up the threat the isolated and impoverished state poses to opponents....[view article]

Syria's situation could be worse
OneNewsNow.com - December 11, 2012

A national defense analyst and Pentagon advisor does not believe supporting Syria's rebels to overthrow President Bashar Assad is going to help the Syrian people....[view article]

Iraq conflict: Crisis of an orphaned generation
BBC - November 29, 2012

A recent survey in Iraq found that between 800,000 to a million Iraqi children have lost one or both of their parents. According to aid workers this figure is a conservative estimate of the many thousands growing up in the shadow of violence....[view article]

Anti-Israel group hacks UN nuclear agency server
BBC - November 29, 2012

The UN nuclear agency has acknowledged that one of its computer servers was hacked by an anti-Israeli group....[view article]

Iowa warns international observers of arrest
POLITICO.com - November 1, 2012

Iowa has joined Texas in warning international election observers of possible criminal prosecution if they violate state laws and get near polling places on Election Day....[view article]

Texas sparks international row with election observers
The Hill - October 25, 2012

Texas authorities have threatened to arrest international election observers, prompting a furious response from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Don't mess with Texas....[view article]

Talks with Iran looming? Garbage, says military vet.
OneNewsNow.com - October 22, 2012

A 23-year military intelligence veteran is casting strong suspicion on weekend statements from Obama's re-election campaign that talks with Iran are imminent....[view article]

Iran's secret nuclear-bomb plant revealed
WorldNetDaily - October 10, 2012

Iranian scientists are nearing completion of a nuclear warhead, having already successfully tested an implosion system and neutron detonator at a secret site while enriching uranium to weapons grade, according to a former Iranian intelligence officer....[view article]

Turkish president says "worst case" unfolding in Syria
Reuters - October 9, 2012

Turkish President Abdullah Gul said on Monday the "worst-case scenarios" were now playing out in Syria and Turkey would do everything necessary to protect itself, as its army fired back for a sixth day after a shell from Syria flew over the border....[view article]

Turkey Assembly to Vote on Military Action Against Syria
Bloomberg - October 4, 2012

Turkey's parliament approved a motion allowing the government to order military action against Syria, after a shell fired across the border killed five Turks....[view article]

U.S. warns Europe on Palestinian U.N. move
UPI - October 4, 2012

Washington told European leaders backing a Palestinian bid for enhanced U.N. status would hurt peace and likely lead to U.S. cuts in Palestinian Authority aid....[view article]

The more we learn, the more Benghazi looks like a gross Obama security failure.
Wall Street Journal - September 27, 2012

In his United Nations speech on Tuesday, Obama talked about the September 11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya and declared that "there should be no doubt that we will be relentless in tracking down the killers and bringing them to justice." What he didn't say is how relentless he'll be in tracking down the security lapses and intelligence failures that contributed to the murders. Let's say there's some doubt about that....[view article]

US to boycott Iran leader's speech at UN summit
AFP - September 26, 2012

The United States on Wednesday slammed "repulsive slurs" against Israel by Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and said it would boycott his speech at the UN General Assembly....[view article]

Israeli delegation walks out of Ahmadinejad's UN speech — but the U.S. doesn't?
Family Security Matters - September 25, 2012

Video...[view article]

UN leader Ban Ki-moon calls Syria a 'calamity' and threat to world peace
Globe and Mail - September 25, 2012

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is demanding international action to stop the war in Syria, which is now "a regional calamity with global ramifications." said Tuesday that the Syrian civil war is a "calamity" that now threatens world peace and demands action by the divided UN Security Council....[view article]

Iran deploys Russian-made submarine in Gulf
AP - Associated Press - September 18, 2012

Tehran has deployed one of its Russian-made submarines in the Persian Gulf, just days after the United States and more than two dozen allies began naval exercises nearby, Iranian state television reported Tuesday....[view article]

UN agency has new intelligence Iran worked on nuclear arms, diplomats say
The Star - September 12, 2012

The UN atomic agency has received new and significant intelligence over the past month that Iran has moved further toward the ability to build a nuclear weapon, diplomats tell The Associated Press....[view article]

China Sends Patrol Ships to Islands Held by Japan
AP - Associated Press - September 11, 2012

A territorial flare-up between China and Japan intensified Tuesday as two Beijing-sent patrol ships arrived near disputed East China Sea islands in a show of anger over Tokyo's purchase of the largely barren outcroppings from their private owners....[view article]

U.N.: Syrian refugees top 250,000
USA TODAY - September 11, 2012

The U.N. refugee agency says the number of Syrian refugees seeking its help now tops a quarter-million....[view article]

Iran denies plans to show nuclear sites to diplomats
Reuters - August 28, 2012

Iran said on Tuesday it has no plans to show its nuclear sites to diplomats visiting Tehran for this week's Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit, despite an earlier offer by a deputy foreign minister....[view article]

New Syria envoy Brahimi hints at difficult mission ahead during UN appearance
The Washington Post - August 28, 2012

The new U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria hinted Friday at the immense challenges he faces trying to negotiate an end to that country's civil war amid rapidly escalating violence, saying the mission left him "flattered, humbled and scared."...[view article]

Assyrians Commemorate Martyrs Day Worldwide
- August 8, 2012

Assyrian International News Agency Chicago (AINA) -- Assyrians (also known as Chaldeans and Syriacs) worldwide commemorated Assyrian Martyrs Day today, August 7th, which is the official day for remembering fallen Assyrians. On August 7, 1933, Iraqi soldiers and Arab and Kurdish tribesmen surrounded the Assyrian village of Simmele, in north Iraq, and three days later killed all 3,000 men, women and children living there and in the surrounding area. The...[view article]

Iran Denies Syria Captives Are Revolutionary Guards
RIANOVOSTI - August 6, 2012

The Iranian foreign ministry denied on Monday that the 48 Iranians kidnapped in Syria on Saturday were members of the elite Iranian Revolutionary Guards, the Arab-language Al-Alam TV said....[view article]

Russia tests new missile after NATO summit
AFP - May 23, 2012

Russia staged Wednesday the first successful test-launch of a new intercontinental missile designed to pierce the defence system now being deployed by NATO despite Moscow's fierce complaints....[view article]

N. Korean army vows to turn Seoul to ashes
AFP - April 23, 2012

North Korea's military Monday threatened "special actions" soon to turn parts of the South Korean capital to ashes, accusing Seoul's conservative government of defaming its leadership. Like father, like son...not much intelligence in that gene pool it appears....[view article]

UN to investigate plight of US Native Americans for first time
Guardian - April 23, 2012

The UN is to conduct an investigation into the plight of US Native Americans, the first such mission in its history. The human rights inquiry led by James Anaya, the UN special rapporteur on indigenous peoples, is scheduled to begin on Monday....[view article]

South Korea Places New Cruise Missile in Service
RIANOVOSTI - April 19, 2012

South Korea has put into service a new long-range cruise missile, capable of striking missile sites or nuclear installations in any part of neighboring North Korea, local news agency Yonhap said on Thursday quoting a general in the South Korean defense ministry....[view article]

Is China Playing a Double Game?
The Diplomat - April 19, 2012

Reports that a missile launcher originating from China may have been spotted in North Korea could have worrying implications for Beijing's foreign policy....[view article]

Africa's impoverished Sahel down to its last grains; 15 million including 1.5 million children are suffering malnutrition.
- April 11, 2012

GENEVA - Children's aid organisation UNICEF on Tuesday led a cross-agency appeal for funds for the Sahel region where 15 million are suffering from malnutrition, it said....[view article]

Five ways to advance a Responsibility to Protect agenda in Syria
The Daily Star - March 20, 2012

The brutal assault on the civilian population by Syria's government continues, employing tanks, mortars and rockets....[view article]

The U.N. Threat to Internet Freedom
Wall Street Journal - February 22, 2012

On Feb. 27, a diplomatic process will begin in Geneva that could result in a new treaty giving the United Nations unprecedented powers over the Internet. Dozens of countries, including Russia and China, are pushing hard to reach this goal by year's end. As Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said last June, his goal and that of his allies is to establish "international control over the Internet" through the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a treaty-based organization under U.N. auspices....[view article]

Russia, NATO May Hold Missile Defense Drills in March
RIANOVOSTI - February 2, 2012

Russia and NATO are planning to hold joint computer-simulated missile defense exercises in Germany in March, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said on Thursday....[view article]

European Union agrees on Iran oil embargo
Telegraph - January 23, 2012

European Union nations have agreed on an oil embargo against Iran as part of sanctions over its nuclear programme....[view article]

Nigerian Christians on High Alert After Vicious Boko Haram Attacks
Christian Newswire - January 19, 2012

Since the week before Christmas, Open Doors workers have been swamped in efforts to confirm and address the most urgent needs of Christian believers affected directly by the latest onslaught of attacks against the church by Boko Haram, a militant Islamist sect demanding the rule of strict Muslim law in Nigeria....[view article]

Western intervention in Arab Spring could end in 'very big war,' Russia warns
NBC News - January 19, 2012

MOSCOW - Russia's foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, warned Wednesday that outside encouragement of antigovernment uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa could lead to "a very big war that will cause suffering not only to countries in the region, but also to states far beyond its boundaries." ...[view article]

Turkey says Russian ship delivered 60 tons of 'dangerous cargo' to Syria
Today's Zaman - January 18, 2012

Turkey has confirmed that a Russian ship suspected of delivering munitions to Syria in violation of an EU arms embargo after an unscheduled stop in Greek Cyprus docked at Turkey's coast on Monday after offloading nearly 60 tons of what it called "dangerous cargo."...[view article]

U.S. eyeing Iran leader's Latin America trip
Washington Times - January 9, 2012

U.S. officials will closely watch the Iranian president's visit to Latin America this week, concerned that he is seeking to forge alliances amid growing international support for U.S.-led sanctions against Iran's nuclear program....[view article]

Lieberman: Palestinian Authority not looking to make peace
The Jerusalem Post - January 9, 2012

Foreign minister tells Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee "The only way forward is to manage the conflict, and not to end the conflict"; peace talks set to take place in Amman....[view article]

UN accuses Syria forces of crimes against humanity
Today's Zaman - November 29, 2011

A UN investigation released Monday accused Syrian forces of killing and torturing children and other crimes against humanity over the past eight months as President Bashar Assad's regime tried to crush an unprecedented uprising....[view article]

US, UK, Canada to announce new sanctions on Iran
YNet News - November 21, 2011

Washington, London and Ottawa set to impose new, coordinated financial sanctions on Islamic Republic. Measures to exclude Tehran's Central Bank...[view article]

Israel says Iran closer to atom bomb than thought
Reuters - November 14, 2011

(Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday the full extent of Iran's nuclear program was not reflected in a recent U.N. report, which said that Tehran appeared to have worked on designing an atomic bomb....[view article]

U.S. Cuts Funds to UNESCO
AP - Associated Press - October 31, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) -- US says it is cutting off funding for UNESCO because of Palestinian membership vote! Happy Halloween UNESCO!...[view article]

Hamas boosting anti-aircraft arsenal with looted Libyan missiles
Haaretz.com - October 27, 2011

Anti-aircraft missiles smuggled into Gaza at Iran's initiative, but fall of Muammar Gadhafi regime provided Hamas with higher quality missiles; rocket hits south Israel Wednesday night after period of relative calm....[view article]

Merkel wants 'permanent' supervision of Greece, warns of war
- October 26, 2011

Brussels - Peace should not be taken for granted if the euro fails, German chancellor Merkel told MPs Wednesday (26 October) ahead of the eurozone summit where an increase of the bail-out fund firepower may lead to Germany's own state assets being taken as collateral....[view article]

Euro Zone to Quadruple Bailout Fund: Sources
NBC News - October 26, 2011

Euro zone leaders intend to scale up their emergency fund, the European Financial Stability Facility, to around 1.0 trillion euros, EU sources said on Wednesday....[view article]

In Europe, new fears of German might
The Washington Post - October 24, 2011

BERLIN - For decades, Germany's role in Europe has been to supply the cash, not the leadership. With fresh memories of war, the continent was cautious about German domination - and so were the Germans themselves....[view article]

Gaddafi killed as Libya's revolt claims hometown
Reuters - October 20, 2011

(Reuters) - Former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi died of wounds suffered on Thursday as fighters battling to complete an eight-month-old uprising against his rule overran his hometown Sirte, Libya's interim rulers said....[view article]

Russia-China Relations Fragile and Pragmatic 04 October 2011
The Moscow Times - October 4, 2011

BEIJING — China is gaining the upper hand in its much-vaunted friendship with Russia due to Beijing's shift away from relying on Moscow for advanced weapons and deep problems with energy cooperation, a report released Monday said....[view article]

U.S. Decries Salaries, Staffing in New UN Budget
Bloomberg - September 30, 2011

The Obama administration told the United Nations that too few of its 10,307 workers are being cut and average salaries, currently $119,000 a year, have risen "dramatically."...[view article]

Palestinians prepared to delay statehood bid by 'several months'
Telegraph - September 22, 2011

Palestinian officials on Wednesday signalled its willingness to delay a United Nations Security Council vote on their bid for statehood by "several months", as Hussein Obama publicly rejected their plans to seek nation status....[view article]

Hussein Obama advised to 'stand with Israel'
OneNewsNow.com - September 22, 2011

A pro-Israel group has used a major mainstream media outlet to lambast Hussein Obama's record on the Jewish state. If it were not for the vote......[view article]

US Walks Out as World-Class Idiot Ahmadinejad Delivers Anti-US Speech
AP - Associated Press - September 22, 2011

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - American diplomats led a walkout at the U.N. General Assembly Thursday as Iran's Idiot President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad fiercely attacked the United States and major West European nations as "arrogant powers" ruled by greed and eager for military adventurism....[view article]

Israel Floats 'Interim Solution' Proposal At UN To Stem Palestinian Statehood Tension
CBSNews.com - September 21, 2011

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - There were frantic efforts at the United Nations on Tuesday to avoid a Friday face-off over Palestinian statehood....[view article]

Rep. Walsh Urges Palestinian Authority to End Bid for Statehood at United Nations
Christian Newswire - September 19, 2011

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Today, Congressman Joe Walsh (IL-08) urged the Palestinian Authority to drop its bid for unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood at the United Nations. Palestinian Authority Leader Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly on September 23. Walsh has introduced H.Res. 394 to support Israel's right to annex Judea and Samaria in the event that the Palestinian Authority continues to push for this vote at the United Nations. It has...[view article]

UK's Cameron urges Gadhafi, followers to 'give up'
My Way News - September 15, 2011

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) - British Prime Minister David Cameron has sent a strong message to Moammar Gadhafi and his followers still waging war in Libya to "give up" the fight, warning that NATO's mission will continue "as long as it is necessary" to protect Libyans....[view article]

Traitorous Jimmy Carter backs Palestinian UN bid
Breitbart - September 14, 2011

ATLANTA (AP) - Jimmy Carter says he supports the Palestinians' effort to gain international recognition of their independence at the United Nations this month....[view article]

Israeli officials: Jordan hanging by a thread
YNet News - September 14, 2011

As the US steps up its effort to prevent a Palestinian unilateral bid to declare statehood, Israeli officials fear a new eastern front in the form of Jordan. State officials warn that Jordan is in an extremely precarious state and effectively "hanging by a thread."...[view article]

Eurozone crisis could rip EU apart: officials
AFP - September 14, 2011

AFP - The eurozone crisis could wreck the European Union, top EU officials warned on Wednesday as the leaders of Germany and France held talks with Greece to avoid a default and widespread chaos....[view article]

NATO 'welcomes' Romania agreement to host U.S. interceptors
RIANOVOSTI - September 14, 2011

NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen has welcomed Romania's agreement to host missile interceptors as part of a new U.S. missile defense shield for Europe....[view article]

U.S. Protests U.N. Salary Increases, Citing Global Austerity Measures
Fox News - September 1, 2011

The United States has issued a strong protest to the United Nations about a cost of living increase for U.N. employees in New York City, and demanded that the U.N. roll back the pay hike....[view article]

Republicans to Unveil Bill to Force Major Changes at the UN
Bloomberg - August 30, 2011

House Republicans are planning to introduce today legislation that seeks to force major changes at the United Nations, using as leverage the U.S.'s 22 percent contribution to the world body's operating budget....[view article]

.S., U.K., France Said to Seek UN Sanctions Against Assad
Bloomberg - August 24, 2011

The U.S., Britain and France are preparing to ask the United Nations Security Council this week to freeze the foreign financial assets of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, a Western diplomat said....[view article]

After months of death and destruction, UN Security Council finally rebukes Syria
Jewish World Review - August 4, 2011

The United Nations Security Council overcame deep divisions Wednesday to unanimously approve a statement condemning "widespread violations of human rights and the use of force against civilians by the Syrian authorities."...[view article]

Emergency Hearing on Sudan… Ethnic Cleansing, Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan
Christian Newswire - August 4, 2011

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Ethnic cleansing and a new humanitarian crisis in Sudan will be the topic of a congressional hearing Thursday to be held by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), chairman of the House congressional panel that oversees international human rights and African issues....[view article]

New era hailed in India-Pakistan ties
Gulf News - July 28, 2011

New Delhi: The foreign ministers of India and Pakistan Wednesday insisted relations were back on track after talks that highlighted a "new era" of cooperation in bilateral ties....[view article]

Riyadh will build nuclear weapons if Iran gets them, Saudi prince warns
Guardian - June 30, 2011

A senior Saudi Arabian diplomat and member of the ruling royal family has raised the spectre of nuclear conflict in the Middle East if Iran comes close to developing a nuclear weapon....[view article]

UN HIV/AIDS Negotiations Reveal False Consensus
C-Fam - June 14, 2011

NEW YORK, June 9 (C-FAM) - At the biannual UN HIV/AIDS conference this week, delegates scurried to keep some semblance of a consensus after the chairman several times prematurely declared negotiations complete several times....[view article]

Sudan's South Kordofan: 'Huge suffering from bombs'
BBC - June 14, 2011

The UN has accused the Sudanese government of carrying out an "intensive bombing campaign" near the north-south border....[view article]

Gates Says NATO Alliance Faces 'Dim' Future
NPR.org - June 13, 2011

America's military alliance with Europe - the cornerstone of U.S. security policy for six decades - faces a "dim if not dismal future," U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday in a blunt valedictory address....[view article]

U.N. Agreement Should Have All Gun Owners Up In Arms
Forbes.com - June 8, 2011

It may not come as surprising news to many of you that the United Nations doesn't approve of our Second Amendment.... You can be quite certain that an even more insidious threat is being targeted - our Constitutional right for law-abiding citizens to own and bear arms....[view article]

Euro Crisis Looms for Group of 8
The New York Times - May 26, 2011

PARIS - The euro crisis hangs over the meeting of the Group of 8 industrialized countries that begins on Thursday, with Greece's renewed problems destabilizing markets, worrying Washington and influencing the debate over who should be the next managing director of the International Monetary Fund....[view article]

Medvedev says Russia 'won't back' UN Syria resolution
RIANOVOSTI - May 18, 2011

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday that Russia will not back a UN resolution on Syria....[view article]

China Facing Worst Energy Crisis in Years
Fox News - May 18, 2011

China is currently facing its worst energy crisis in years. It's so bad that their central planners must be having sleepless nights in Beijing worrying if the lights are about to go out and the factories will stop pumping out goods....[view article]

Passengers Pray for Safety as Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Singapore
Fox News - May 16, 2011

Passengers on board an Indonesia-bound Cathay Pacific Airbus prayed for safety as their plane was forced to make an emergency landing with one of its engines ablaze, Reuters reported Monday....[view article]

John Demjanjuk guilty of Nazi death camp murders
BBC - May 12, 2011

A German court has found John Demjanjuk guilty of helping to murder more than 28,000 Jews at a Nazi death camp in World War II....[view article]

NATO air strikes hit Gaddafi compound in Tripoli
Reuters - May 12, 2011

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - NATO air strikes hit Muammar Gaddafi's compound Thursday, hours after the Libyan leader was shown on television for the first time since another aerial attack killed his son nearly two weeks ago....[view article]

Japan unplugged
The Economist - May 12, 2011

Two months after nuclear disaster struck, the buzzword has become setsuden, or energy saving. With power in Tokyo in short supply, people take pride in walking up stairs from the underground because the escalators are off. Summer dress codes in government and other offices have begun a month early to save on air conditioning....[view article]

Egyptian Christians Occupy Cairo Square to Protest Religious Violence
VOA News - May 9, 2011

Thousands of Coptic Christians protesting Egypt's latest round of deadly sectarian violence are calling for the removal of the country's top military ruler, and are vowing not to leave a sit-in outside the state television building in Cairo....[view article]

Qaddafi's Forces Bombard Rebel Cities as Allies Seek Next Steps
Bloomberg - May 5, 2011

Foreign ministers from NATO and allied nations taking part in Libyan operations are meeting in Rome to discuss financial aid for Libya's opposition as Muammar Qaddafi's forces bombarded rebel-held cities....[view article]

Canada's Conservatives score massive election win
Reuters - May 3, 2011

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's Conservatives stormed to a decisive victory in Monday's federal election, winning 54 percent of the seats in Parliament and securing a stable four-year term in power after vowing to focus on the economy....[view article]

Internet 'Right to be Forgotten' debate hits Spain
AP - Associated Press - April 20, 2011

MADRID (AP) -- Their ranks include a plastic surgeon, a prison guard and a high school principal. All are Spanish, but have little else in common except this: They want old Internet references about them that pop up in Google searches wiped away....[view article]

Israel under pressure to offer peace plan
LA Times - April 20, 2011

If Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn't act soon, the Mideast 'quartet' may try to jump-start the process by endorsing a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem its capital....[view article]

Northern Nigeria: Deadly Violence Erupts after Election of Christian President
Christian Newswire - April 19, 2011

SANTA ANA, Calif., April 19, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Open Doors has confirmed fresh reports that the deadly violence erupting across the northern states of Nigeria since results of the April 16 presidential election were announced is taking a deadly toll on churches, Christian homes and businesses, mission compounds and pastors....[view article]

Berlin's stance on Libya has isolated Germany in NATO
Deutsche Welle - April 14, 2011

It's decision not to support military action against Moammar Gadhafi puts into question German leadership at NATO, says former US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns. It has also isolated Berlin in the alliance....[view article]

Libyan government forces launch rockets on Misrata
The Jerusalem Post - April 14, 2011

BEIRUT - Libyan government forces struck the coastal city of Misrata with dozens of Grad rockets on Thursday, killing eight people, a rebel spokesman said....[view article]

Côte d'Ivoire: From potentate to prisoner
The Economist - April 14, 2011

After more than four months of devastating factional violence, Laurent Gbagbo, Côte d’Ivoire’s former president, has at last surrendered. But.......[view article]

COMMENTARY: From Moscow to Mecca
The Economist - April 13, 2011

Only the call to prayer disturbs the morning air in the small Dagestani village of Novosasitli. Dogs do not bark here. All "unclean" animals have been exterminated. Apart from an occasional counter-terrorist raid, life is quiet....[view article]

Space exploration remains priority for Russia, Medvedev
BBC - April 12, 2011

Space exploration remains a priority for Russia, President Dmitry Medvedev has said, as the country marks the 50th anniversary of the first human space flight by cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin....[view article]

Iran Is the Biggest Danger
Ashaq Alawsat - April 12, 2011

Let us reflect on some of what Ahmadinejad said yesterday in more detail, in order to show how the Iranian threat is extremely alarming both for the region and the wider world, and not only in terms of political issues....[view article]

UN document would give 'Mother Earth' same rights as humans
- April 12, 2011

UNITED NATIONS - Bolivia will this month table a draft United Nations treaty giving "Mother Earth" the same rights as humans - having just passed a domestic law that does the same for bugs, trees and all other natural things in the South American country....[view article]

COMMENTARY: Did We Give Up on Libya?
National Review Online - April 7, 2011

Obama has announced that America will stop attacking Col. Moammar Qaddafi's forces in Libya. He instead hopes that others can force Qaddafi out - or that the dictator will leave because of economic and diplomatic pressure....[view article]

Arab unrest makes Israeli-Palestinian peace harder, Netanyahu says
The Washington Post - April 7, 2011

JERUSALEM - The democratic uprisings that have swept through the Middle East will make it harder for Israel to reach a peace deal with Palestinians, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said this week....[view article]

Ouattara forces enter Gbagbo's Ivory Coast stronghold
CNN - April 6, 2011

(CNN) -- Forces loyal to Ivory Coast's elected President Alassane Ouattara stormed the residence of his rival Laurent Gbagbo Wednesday, an Ouattara spokeswoman said, potentially heralding the end of a bloody conflict in the West African country....[view article]

SUDAN: Conflict in the south and troop movements in the north escalate tensions
WORLD Magazine - April 6, 2011

For South Sudanese citizens looking forward to their first Independence Day, rebellion is overshadowing revelry. Nearly six years after the end of a brutal civil war with the oppressive northern government, South Sudan faces another threat to its stability and newfound freedom: rebels from within....[view article]

Syrian Rights Groups Raise Toll From Unrest
The New York Times - April 6, 2011

CAIRO - Human rights groups on Tuesday raised their estimates of the death toll from unrest in Syria, as protest organizers there continued their call for more demonstrations against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad....[view article]

Gadhafi's inner circle beginning to crack
Washington Times - April 5, 2011

Cracks are emerging in Col. Moammar Gadhafi's inner circle, raising the possibility that the Libyan dictator's grip on power may be weakening after 42 years....[view article]

Ozone layer faces record loss over Arctic
USA TODAY - April 5, 2011

GENEVA (AP) - The depletion of the ozone layer shielding Earth from damaging ultraviolet rays has reached an unprecedented low over the Arctic this spring because of harmful chemicals and a cold winter, the U.N. weather agency said Tuesday....[view article]

Head of U.N. Panel Regrets Saying Israel Intentionally Killed Gazans
- April 4, 2011

JERUSALEM - The leader of a United Nations panel that investigated Israel's invasion of Gaza two years ago has retracted the central and most explosive assertion of its report - that Israel intentionally killed Palestinian civilians there....[view article]

Israel pressing UN to halt new Gaza aid flotilla
Haaretz.com - April 4, 2011

More than 1,000 leftists and pro-Palestinian activists are expected to take part in the flotilla, which sources say will include more than 20 vessels of various sizes....[view article]

Amadinejad: UN should stop Western 'interference'
The Jerusalem Post - April 4, 2011

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that the UN should stop the "interference" of Western governments in Middle Eastern affairs, Iranian news agency ISNA reported on Monday....[view article]

Iranians, Israelis join forces in Japan
YNet News - April 4, 2011

An unusual cooperation amidst Japanese catastrophe: An Israeli team of 12 ZAKA (Disaster Victim Identification) volunteers sent to Japan to help out with rescue efforts worked alongside an unlikely team on Sunday - the official Iranian delegation....[view article]

Special Report: How Libya is a showcase in the new arms race
Reuters - April 4, 2011

PARIS (Reuters) - The photograph shows a French Rafale warplane at the Mitiga air base outside Tripoli. A small crowd of men, women and children mill around the fighter, its tail fin lit up by the North African sun....[view article]

Bodies of victims of Air France flight 447 finally found in the wreckage at bottom of the Atlantic after two-year mystery
Mail Online - April 4, 2011

The bodies of some of the 228 victims of the worst air crash in Air France's history have been found some two-and-a-half miles below the Atlantic Ocean....[view article]

Libya rebels struggle, as more Gadhafi officials defect
Haaretz.com - March 31, 2011

After defection of Libyan FM, Gadhafi's pick for new UN envoy says it was his country's 'right to live in freedom, democracy.'...[view article]

Israel threatens unilateral steps if UN recognizes Palestinian state
Haaretz.com - March 29, 2011

Israel informed the 15 members of the United Nations Security Council last week, as well as several other prominent European Union countries, that if the Palestinian Authority persists in its efforts to gain recognition in September as a state within the 1967 borders, Israel would respond with a series of unilateral steps of its own....[view article]

New U.N. Resolution on Religious Freedom Drops 'Defamation' Concept
Christian Newswire - March 29, 2011

SANTA ANA, Calif., March 29, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Last Thursday the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a new resolution on worldwide religious intolerance while taking a significant step away from the controversial, restrictive "Defamation of Religions" resolution....[view article]

Terrorist group vows to fight Holocaust programming
OneNewsNow.com - March 28, 2011

A bestselling author and terrorism expert says the United Nations shouldn't be surprised that the terrorist group Hamas is protesting its plans to teach about the Holocaust....[view article]

Quarter of North Koreans starving, warns UN
FT - Financial Times - March 25, 2011

A quarter of North Korea's 24m people are starving and the public food distribution system could run dry as early as May, the UN has concluded....[view article]

Who's in charge? NATO members squabble over who leads Libyan bombings...and they can't even agree whether to assassinate Gaddafi
Mail Online - March 22, 2011

U.K. government officials said killing the Libyan leader would be legal if it prevented civilian deaths as laid out in a U.N. resolution. But U.S. defence secretary Robert Gates hit back at the suggestion, saying it would be 'unwise' to target the Libyan leader and that the bombing campaign should stick to the 'U.N. mandate'....[view article]

Costs of Libya Operation Already Piling Up
National Journal - March 22, 2011

With U.N. coalition forces bombarding Libyan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi from the sea and air, the United States' part in the operation could ultimately hit several billion dollars -- and require the Pentagon to request emergency funding from Congress to pay for it....[view article]

Specter of Rebel Rout Helps Shift U.S. Policy on Libya
The New York Times - March 17, 2011

WASHINGTON - The prospect of a deadly siege of the rebel stronghold in Benghazi, Libya, has produced a striking shift in tone from the Obama administration, which is now pushing for the United Nations to authorize aerial bombing of Libyan tanks and heavy artillery to try to halt the advance of forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi....[view article]

Britain, France draft Libya no-fly resolution at UN Security Council
Deutsche Welle - March 16, 2011

Efforts by Britain, France and the Arab League, acting through Lebanon, to impose a no-fly zone have met with stiff resistance at the United Nations as Moammar Gadhafi's forces pushed eastwards toward the Libyan rebel stronghold of Benghazi late Tuesday....[view article]

Syria "can't be allowed" to block nuclear probe -US
Reuters - March 10, 2011

VIENNA, March 9 (Reuters) - The United States warned Syria on Wednesday it "can't be allowed" to stonewall a U.N. watchdog investigation into a desert site where covert atomic activity may have taken place before it was destroyed by Israel in 2007....[view article]

Rebel leader calls for 'immediate action' on no-fly zone
CNN - March 10, 2011

Benghazi, Libya (CNN) -- The head of the interim government in eastern Libya pleaded Wednesday for the international community to move quickly to impose a no-fly zone over Libya, declaring that any delay would result in more casualties....[view article]

North Korea Nears Completion of Electromagnetic Pulse Bomb
ABC News - March 9, 2011

North Korea appears to be protesting the joint U.S. and South Korean military maneuvers by jamming Global Positioning Devices in the south, which is a nuisance for cell phone and computers users -- but is a hint of the looming menace for the military....[view article]

SLAVES: The challenges of counting a 'hidden population'
CNN - March 9, 2011

Slavery still exists. Of that there isn't much dispute, if any. But how widespread is what many experts call modern-day slavery? Estimates range from about 10 million to 30 million, according to policymakers, activists, journalists and scholars....[view article]

Libya unrest: UK diplomatic team released by rebels
BBC - March 8, 2011

A British diplomatic team, including six soldiers believed to be SAS, have been freed two days after being detained in eastern Libya....[view article]

Qaddafi's Inner Circle Divided on Libyan Leader's Future
Fox News - March 8, 2011

Muammar Qaddafi's inner circle was debating whether the man in charge of Libya since 1969 should remain in power or relinquish his role, as his government invited rebels and tribal leaders to negotiate a political solution, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday....[view article]

Swedish FM: We won't unilaterally recognize PA state
The Jerusalem Post - March 3, 2011

Sweden is not considering going the way of a number of South American countries and unilaterally recognizing a Palestinians state within the 1967 lines, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday....[view article]

UN: food prices hit record high in February
AP - Associated Press - March 3, 2011

ROME (AP) - A U.N. food agency says that global food prices reached new highs in February and warns that oil price spikes could provoke further increases....[view article]

Gadhafi Forces Bomb Brega, Keep Control of Zawiya Refinery
Wall Street Journal - March 3, 2011

Libyan warplanes Thursday struck the rebel-held oil port in the eastern town of Brega, as mutinous army units with machine guns and rocket launchers deployed around the town's strategic oil installations, securing the site after the opposition repelled an attempt by government loyalists to retake the port Wednesday, the Associated Press reported....[view article]

Ivory Coast
The New York Times - March 3, 2011

The strife-torn West African nation of Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) was once a beacon of prosperity for the region. But since a 2002 civil war, the country has been divided between north and south and wracked by years of political confrontation, coups and countercoups, and street violence.  ...[view article]

Tennessee bill would make following Shariah a felony
AP - Associated Press - March 2, 2011

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee is considering making it a felony to follow some versions of the Islamic code known as Shariah, the most severe measure yet put forth by a national movement whose members believe extremist Muslims want Shariah to supersede the Constitution....[view article]

China uses whistles, water, police on protests
My Way News - February 28, 2011

SHANGHAI (AP) - Large numbers of police - and new tactics like shrill whistles and street cleaning trucks - squelched overt protests in China for a second Sunday in a row after more calls for peaceful gatherings modeled on recent democratic movements in the Middle East....[view article]

South Korean war games prompt threats from North Korea
Guardian - February 28, 2011

South Korean and US troops have begun annual military drills that North Korea has warned could trigger a nuclear war on the divided peninsula....[view article]

Arab revolutions, China and oil
Daily News and Economic Review - February 28, 2011

Muammar Gadhafi’s speeches grow ever more delusional: Last Thursday he accused al-Qaeda of putting hallucinogenic pills into the coffee of unsuspecting Libyan 17-year-olds in order to get them to attack the regime....[view article]

World Bank chief cautions over food prices
Alert News - February 28, 2011

World Bank chief Robert Zoellick on Tuesday said global food prices have reached "dangerous levels," and warned that their impact could complicate fragile political and social conditions in the Middle East and Central Asia....[view article]

Report: NATO may attack Libya if violence continues
YNet News - February 24, 2011

After Obama says 'suffering and bloodshed is outrageous, unacceptable,' European official tells al-Quds al-Arabi NATO, US warplanes stationed in Italy may be ordered to take down Libyan planes. Wall Street Journal: Washington fears Gaddafi may use mustard gas against protestors...[view article]

EU faces test in dealing with under-pressure Arab regimes
Deutsche Welle - February 22, 2011

The EU finds itself presented with an opportunity to lead in helping a number of Arab states move toward democracy, but stubborn dictators who cling to power may expose the frailties of the EU's common foreign policy....[view article]

Syria still stonewalling UN nuclear probe: diplomats
AFP - February 17, 2011

VIENNA (AFP) - Syria has snubbed a request by UN atomic watchdog chief Yukiya Amano for prompt access to a suspect nuclear site and a number of other locations, diplomats said on Tuesday....[view article]

Food prices hit "dangerous levels": World Bank chief
Reuters - February 16, 2011

(Reuters) - World Bank chief Robert Zoellick on Tuesday said global food prices have reached "dangerous levels," and warned that their impact could complicate fragile political and social conditions in the Middle East and Central Asia....[view article]

Russia, NATO 'on verge of breakthrough'
RIANOVOSTI - February 14, 2011

Russia and NATO are about to achieve a new quality of relations, a Russian Foreign Ministry official said on Monday....[view article]

Egypt military dissolves parliament, suspends constitution
LA Times - February 14, 2011

The Egyptian army has tightened its grip over the country by suspending the constitution, dissolving parliament, and calling for elections within six months, key demands of the protest movement that ousted President Hosni Mubarak....[view article]

US vows to oppose UN resolution on Israel
AFP - February 14, 2011

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States, a veto-wielding permanent UN Security Council member, will use "the tools that we have" to block a resolution condemning Israeli settlements, a top US diplomat said Thursday....[view article]

'Europe must demand commitment to democracy'
Deutsche Welle - February 7, 2011

Critics have accused European politicians of lacking credibility for supporting Hosni Mubarak's regime. But what can foreign policy actually achieve? DW's Fabian Schmidt talked to Christian Democrat Ruprecht Polenz....[view article]

Munich conference to discuss Russia-NATO missile defense network
RIANOVOSTI - February 7, 2011

The creation of a joint Russia-NATO missile defense network will be a key issue on the agenda of the upcoming global security conference in Munich, a German diplomat said on Monday....[view article]

Southern Sudan votes to split from the north
CNN - February 7, 2011

Khartoum, Sudan (CNN) -- Final results of last month's referendum show an overwhelming majority of southern Sudanese voted to split from the north, a result that will lead to the creation of the world's newest nation, the referendum commission said Monday....[view article]

UN 'concerned' by world population growth trends
BBC - February 3, 2011

The world population growth rate must slow down significantly to avoid reaching unsustainable levels, says a new UN report....[view article]

Yemen's president says he won't seek re-election or hand power to son
CNN - February 2, 2011

(CNN) -- Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh will not seek re-election once his current term ends in 2013, he said Wednesday, after more than three decades in office....[view article]

Southern Sudanese vote overwhelmingly for independence: SSRC
- January 31, 2011

January 30, 2011 (JUBA) - The people of Southern Sudan, at home and abroad, have voted in favor of secession with a 99% margin after counting 100% of the ballots, Sudan Tribune have learned....[view article]

US warns Palestinians over Security Council resolution
AFP - January 20, 2011

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - Palestinian envoys on Wednesday stepped up lobbying for a Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement building but the United States spoke out strongly against the initiative....[view article]

World needs $100 trillion more credit, says World Economic Forum
Telegraph - January 20, 2011

The world's expected economic growth will have to be supported by an extra $100 trillion (£63 trillion) in credit over the next decade, according to the World Economic Forum.  ...[view article]

South Korea accepts North's proposal on top military talks
RIANOVOSTI - January 20, 2011

South Korea has accepted the North's proposal to hold high-level military talks, Yonhap news agency said on Thursday....[view article]

Scientists Warn Iran Could Produce Enough Nuclear Material for Warhead in 5 Months
Fox News - January 20, 2011

ISTANBUL -- The U.S. is joining five other world powers for talks with Iran this week publicly confident that international efforts have slowed Tehran's capacity to make nuclear arms and created more time to press Tehran to accept curbs on its atomic activities....[view article]

Will a new $40 billion maternal and child health fund include abortion?
C-Fam - January 20, 2011

NEW YORK, January 20 (C-FAM) Will a new $40 billion maternal and child health fund include abortion? A just-announced UN commission will decide. The new commission is supposed to "make transparent" funds slated for the UN Secretary General's Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health, announced last September at a UN summit....[view article]

Palestinian bid to take Israeli settlement row to UN
BBC - January 19, 2011

Arab nations have formally submitted a resolution to the UN Security Council that condemns Israeli settlement building in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, which the United States will almost certainly veto if it is brought to a vote....[view article]

Medvedev's Middle East tour: Baptism in Jordan
RIANOVOSTI - January 19, 2011

Don't be surprised if you see President Medvedev taking a dip in the Jordan River during his ongoing tour of the Middle East. His trip happens to coincide with the Christian holiday Epiphany, celebrated on January 18 and 19. The president's hosts have even prepared a special robe in case he is willing to wade into the chilly water of the Jordan River at the same site where Jesus was baptized almost 2,000 years ago....[view article]

Guyana becomes 7th South American state to recognize Palestinian independence
Haaretz.com - January 19, 2011

The country's foreign ministry says decision comes in keeping with Guyana's support of the 'legitimate aspirations of the people of Palestine for the exercise of their right to self-determination.'...[view article]

Lawyer: 'Baby Doc' Duvalier plans to stay in Haiti
CNN - January 19, 2011

Port-Au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) -- Though he faces charges of financial wrongdoing and possibly human rights abuses, former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier has no plans to leave his homeland, one of his lawyers said Wednesday....[view article]

Urgent Prayer Needed Today to End the Killing of 37+ Million Girls in China
Christian Newswire - January 19, 2011

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Today, two-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee Chai Ling and her team at All Girls Allowed are calling faithful followers of Christ around the world to turn to God in fervent prayer for an end to the largest crime in history against the weakest of society....[view article]

China's lending hits new heights
FT - Financial Times - January 18, 2011

China has lent more money to other developing countries over the past two years than the World Bank, a stark indication of the scale of Beijing's economic reach and its drive to secure natural resources....[view article]

Lebanon enters a tunnel, the end of which can't be seen
The Jerusalem Post - January 18, 2011

Analysis: The irresistible force of Hariri's refusal to abandon UN Tribunal is set against the immovable object of Hizbullah's physical domination....[view article]

Is China's rise overrated?
CNN - January 18, 2011

Washington (CNN) -- Chinese president Hu Jintao arrives in Washington this week at a time of American pessimism. A recent Pew poll finds that 47% of Americans regard China as the world's pre-eminent economic power. Only 31% rate the United States as No. 1, even though its economy, at today's exchange rates, is almost triple the size of China's....[view article]

Cyber-attacks could cause global 'catastrophe'
Telegraph - January 18, 2011

Coordinated attacks on critical computer systems could create a perfect storm with "catastrophic" global effects, a study found today....[view article]

Ivory Coast: Mobs, security forces attack UN cars
AOL News - January 14, 2011

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast -Mobs and security forces allied to Ivory Coast leader Laurent Gbagbo attacked at least six U.N. vehicles Thursday, setting some ablaze and injuring two people in the latest round of violence sparked by this West African nation's disputed election....[view article]

N. Korea seen as drawing bead on both Seoul, U.S.
Washington Times - January 13, 2011

SEOUL | Their Soviet-style uniforms and goose-stepping parades through Pyongyang may make the Korean People's Army (KPA) appear outmoded, but defense experts warn that the North Korean military is a strategic threat and will soon be equipped to target the U.S. mainland....[view article]

Global Nazi investigations rise for a second year
BBC - January 13, 2011

The number of ongoing investigations into Nazi war criminals increased last year, says a report by the Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC). From April 2009 to March 2010 there were 852 investigations being conducted worldwide, compared with 706 during the same period in 2008/09....[view article]

Millions voting in south Sudan independence poll
Today's Zaman - January 10, 2011

Millions of jubilant south Sudanese started voting on Sunday in a long-awaited independence referendum that is expected to see their war-ravaged region emerge as a new nation....[view article]

16 Potential 2011 Wars
Foreign Policy - January 10, 2011

Across the globe today, you'll find almost three dozen raging conflicts, from the valleys of Afghanistan to the jungles of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the streets of Kashmir. But what are the next crises that might erupt in 2011? Here are a few worrisome spots that make our list....[view article]

North Korea proposes talks with South, Seoul put forward conditions
RIANOVOSTI - January 10, 2011

North Korea proposed South in an official letter to hold talks between the countries, while Seoul put forward its own conditions for the talks the Yonhap news agency reported citing a government source as saying....[view article]

Sudan border clashes kill 36 as south votes
Reuters - January 10, 2011

(Reuters) - At least 36 people have died in clashes between Arab nomads and southerners near Sudan's north- south border, leaders in the contested Abyei region said on Monday, on the second day of a vote on southern independence....[view article]

China Takes Hard Line With U.S. on Taiwan
Wall Street Journal - January 10, 2011

BEIJING-China rebuffed a U.S. proposal for a clear timetable of strategic defense talks on the first day of a long-delayed visit to Beijing by Robert Gates, the U.S. defense secretary, and indicated that Taiwan remains the single biggest obstacle to improving the world's most important bilateral relationship....[view article]

Seoul rejects North Korea talks offer
RIANOVOSTI - January 6, 2011

South Korea dismissed on Thursday an offer from the North of talks to ease rising tensions as "propaganda."...[view article]

Why Iran left the US off invite list for tour of nuclear sites
Christian Science Monitor - January 6, 2011

Iran's invitation to Russia, China, and other nations to visit its nuclear facilities is seen as an attempt to magnify divisions in the international community ahead of talks later this month....[view article]

Next Flashpoint in Mideast Could Be Gas Fields Off Mediterranean Coast
The Sun - January 6, 2011

UNITED NATIONS - The next flashpoint in the Middle East could be the gas fields off Israel's Mediterranean coast, where the discovery of large cashes of natural gas is raising homes that Israel could soon become energy-self-sufficient but where a dispute with Lebanon could be ignited....[view article]

A growing list of Latin American nations moving to recognize a Palestinian state
LA Times - January 5, 2011

Joining a widening trend across Latin America, Chile and Paraguay are poised to recognize a Palestinian state based on borders before the 1967 Middle East War, reports in Israel and Latin America said....[view article]

Crisis envoys meet with Gbagbo as pressure mounts
CNN - January 4, 2011

Abidjan, Ivory Coast (CNN) -- Three representatives of the Economic Community of West African States and an African Union representative met twice Monday with self-declared Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo in an attempt to persuade him to step down, but there was no indication late in the day that they were near their goal....[view article]

Nazi-era graves to be dug up in Austria
BBC - January 4, 2011

The remains of 220 people are buried at a cemetery in Hall in Tyrol province and the hospital believes many died as part of the Nazi euthanasia programme....[view article]

Ivory Coast: Africa mediation fails to end stalemate
BBC - January 4, 2011

"There is still a stalemate," Mr Jonathan, who heads the West African bloc Ecowas, told reporters after talks with envoys who on Monday met the two men claiming Ivory Coast's presidency....[view article]

Alexandria church bomb: Egypt Coptic pope urges calm
BBC - January 4, 2011

The head of Egypt's Coptic Church has appealed for calm as protesters clashed with police for a third day after a New Year's Day blast killed 21 churchgoers....[view article]

Forex-Euro up broadly as risk appetite improves
Reuters - January 4, 2011

(Reuters) - The euro rose broadly on Tuesday, hitting a three-week high versus the dollar, after upbeat euro zone and U.S. data boosted risk appetite, although gains could be temporary given doubts over the euro region's bond issuance....[view article]

Police step up protection of Coptic Christians in Germany
Deutsche Welle - January 4, 2011

Coptic Christians across Europe are on high alert as they continue to receive terror threats in the run up to their Christmas celebrations which climax later this week....[view article]

With Situation in Haiti Still Dire, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Offers Hope
Christian Newswire - January 4, 2011

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 4, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- As the first anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti approaches, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association continues to offer desperately needed support to the country and has plans to expand those efforts in 2011....[view article]

What the Future Might Hold for Southern Sudan
Spiegel Online - December 29, 2010

All signs point to the secession of Southern Sudan following a referendum in early January. But what would happen next? Despite significant oil reserves, the region is among the poorest in the world. And there is no guarantee that the north won't meddle....[view article]

Somali Insurgents: Obama Must Convert to Islam or Attacks on U.S. Will Come
Fox News - December 28, 2010

MOGADISHU, Somalia -- A leader of Somalia's Islamist insurgency threatened to attack America during a speech broadcast Monday. "We tell the American ... Obama to embrace Islam before we come to his country," said Fuad Mohamed "Shongole" Qalaf....[view article]

Ivory Coast: Africa trio hold crisis talks with leaders
BBC - December 28, 2010

est African heads of state have met Laurent Gbagbo in Ivory Coast to persuade him to cede power after the disputed presidential election....[view article]

45 people lynched amid Haiti cholera fears: officials
AFP - December 24, 2010

PORT-AU-PRINCE - Angry Haitian mobs have lynched at least 45 people in recent weeks, accusing them of spreading a cholera outbreak that has killed over 2,500 people across the country, officials said Wednesday....[view article]

Iran Recruiting Nuclear Scientists for Weapons Program
Telegraph - December 23, 2010

Iran is operating a worldwide recruitment network for nuclear scientists to lure them to the country to work on its nuclear weapons programme, officials have told the Daily Telegraph....[view article]

Ivory Coast: France warns nationals to leave
BBC - December 22, 2010

France has urged its nationals in Ivory Coast to leave, as a crisis over a disputed presidential poll continues. Government spokesman Francois Baroin said the measure was "precautionary". There are approximately 15,000 French citizens in the West African country....[view article]

UK training Bangladesh 'death squad'
BBC - December 22, 2010

British officials in Bangladesh have confirmed Wikileaks reports that the UK is training a police force in the country accused of being a death squad. Rapid Action Battalion members have been taught "interviewing techniques" and "rules of engagement" by the UK authorities, said the leaked cables....[view article]

EU to boost status of Palestinian diplomats
Telegraph - December 22, 2010

Britain is preparing to confer diplomatic status on the Palestinian delegation in London for the first time, renewing fears in Israel that Europe is moving closer to recognising and independent Palestinian state....[view article]

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Leaves NY Hospital in Good Health
AOL News - December 22, 2010

NEW YORK -- Saudi Arabia's 86-year-old King Abdullah has been discharged from a New York City hospital in good health after two back operations and, one expert says, faces a painful recovery that will likely involve weeks of physical therapy....[view article]

North Korea Threatens War Over South's Christmas Lights
AOL News - December 22, 2010

It's the season of goodwill to all mankind, but not on the Korean peninsula. The two rival neighbors are once again threatening to go to war -- this time over a gaudy display of Christmas lights....[view article]

Congress: No to Palestinian statehood declaration
YNet News - December 16, 2010

House of Representatives unanimously decides to remind Obama it supports Israel, passes motion saying US will not recognize Palestinian state declared without Israel's approval, veto UN resolution to this effect if it is brought forth...[view article]

Palestinians turn to Europe for statehood recognition
The Jerusalem Post - December 16, 2010

PA officials say they've asked France, Britain, Sweden, Denmark to recognize "Palestine" with 1967 borders; Septet to meet on indirect talks....[view article]

U.N. Calls for Probe into Origin of Haiti Cholera Outbreak
Fox News - December 16, 2010

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - The United Nations secretary-general plans to call for an independent commission to study whether U.N. peacekeepers caused a cholera outbreak that has killed more than 2,400 people in Haiti, an official said Wednesday....[view article]

Haiti candidates move toward direct confrontation
WORLD Magazine - December 10, 2010

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) -- Haitians prepared for armed clashes and more days of flaming barricades as rival candidates called on supporters to take to streets and tip the balance in a sharply disputed presidential election....[view article]

International Effort Brings Attention to Gao Zhisheng's Case
Christian Newswire - December 9, 2010

OSLO, Dec. 8, 2010 /Christian Newswire/ -- On International Human Rights Day this Friday, Dr. Liu Xiaobo will be awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize at a ceremony in Oslo. President of ChinaAid Bob Fu was given the honor of an invitation to attend the ceremony....[view article]

North Korea warned of 'severe consequences' for further attacks
CNN - December 7, 2010

Washington (CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her South Korean and Japanese counterparts jointly condemned North Korea on Monday for recent attacks and nuclear arms proliferation that the three diplomats said threaten stability and peace in the Korean peninsula and, more broadly, the Far East....[view article]

Haiti Cholera Likely From UN Troops, Expert Says
AP - Associated Press - December 7, 2010

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Dec. 7) -- A contingent of U.N. peacekeepers is the likely source of a cholera outbreak in Haiti that has killed more than 2,000 people, a French scientist said in a report obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press....[view article]

Cash Flow to Terrorists Evades U.S. Efforts
The New York Times - December 6, 2010

WASHINGTON - Nine years after the United States vowed to shut down the money pipeline that finances terrorism, senior Obama administration officials say they believe that many millions of dollars are flowing largely unimpeded to extremist groups worldwide, and they have grown frustrated by frequent resistance from allies in the Middle East, according to secret diplomatic dispatches....[view article]

U.S. Sees Greater N. Korea Nuclear Threat
Wall Street Journal - December 3, 2010

VIENNA-The Obama administration told the United Nations nuclear watchdog that North Korea likely has built more than one uranium-enrichment facility, significantly raising the proliferation threat posed by the secretive communist state....[view article]

Haiti: Cholera could affect 650,000, says UN
BBC - December 3, 2010

The United Nations has warned that the cholera epidemic in Haiti could affect many more people than previously believed....[view article]

OPINION: Why America Needs Hanukkah In 2010
Fox News - December 2, 2010

Hanukkah 2010 begins Wednesday night, December 1. As Americans celebrate Hanukkah 5771 on the Jewish calendar, we also begin to wind up the first decade of the 21st century, and what a decade it has been....[view article]

America's Surprisingly Rich History of Hizballah Prosecutions
Investigative Project on Terrorism - December 2, 2010

  While the United Nations tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri is expected to indict members of Hizballah, the terrorist organization has had a surprisingly deep history with the American judicial system. In fact, Hizballah's interaction with the American criminal justice system pre-dates its 1997 designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. While the organization operates out of the suburbs of Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon, it has ...[view article]

A 63-year search for Mideast peace
AJC.com - December 2, 2010

Imagine a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict: a Jewish state living alongside a Palestinian state in permanent peace, with open borders, and even economic union. Sound like fantasy? It wasn't, 63 years ago tomorrow, when the U.N. General Assembly voted in favor of Resolution 181, dividing what was then known as Palestine into independent Jewish and Arab states. The Arab world was to welcome the Jews, after 2,000 years of exile, back to their homeland. There would have been...[view article]

Israel, Gulf states conducted secret diplomacy
Washington Times - December 2, 2010

Israel and its adversaries in the Persian Gulf in recent years carried out extensive secret diplomacy to coordinate policy and exchange information on the threat posed by Iran, despite both sides' public posture of mutual hostility....[view article]

Zip it! Military slams door on mystery missile questions ...
WorldNetDaily - December 2, 2010

The Department of Defense is slamming the door on questions about the mysterious contrail filmed Nov. 8 by a KCBS television crew near Los Angeles after questions were raised about a warning from the National Geo-Spatial Intelligence Agency that there could be missiles fired in that area at that time....[view article]

Darfur mediators face violent protests
Reuters - December 1, 2010

(Reuters) - Hundreds of angry students threw stones at Darfur mediators, including a Qatari minister, on Wednesday in a tour of the region that was marred by violence, protests and reports that police killed two people....[view article]

U.N. Secretary General Eyes New Aid, Better PR Campaign, for North Korea
Fox News - November 24, 2010

Even as the world struggles to find workable ways to constrain North Korea's expanding nuclear weapons program and unpredictable belligerence, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is planning how to channel new streams of aid and development money to the dangerous regime....[view article]

North Korea Fires Rockets at Island
Wall Street Journal - November 23, 2010

SEOUL-North Korea fired artillery rockets at a South Korean island near a disputed western maritime border Tuesday, in a clash that killed two South Korean marines and set numerous buildings on fire....[view article]

North Korea Nuclear Find Raises Fear on Tehran
Wall Street Journal - November 23, 2010

WASHINGTON-North Korea's apparent upgrade to its nuclear-fuel production capabilities is raising fears among lawmakers and proliferation experts about Pyongyang's potential role in supplying Iran and others with the sophisticated machinery....[view article]

Hundreds Die During Stampede in Cambodia
Wall Street Journal - November 23, 2010

At least 349 people were killed in a stampede in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh late Monday after a wildly popular water festival turned into a death trap as thousands of people attempted to cross a bridge leading from a river island back to the city....[view article]

North Korean Attack: How Will China React?
Wall Street Journal - November 23, 2010

China's response to news of the North Korean firing of dozens of rounds of artillery at a South Korean island has been cautious so far, with a foreign ministry spokesman saying Tuesday that Beijing had "noticed the reports" and was "concerned about the issue."...[view article]

HIV epidemic 'halted', says UN
BBC - November 23, 2010

The number of new HIV infections and deaths from Aids are falling globally, according to new statistics from the UN's programme on HIV/Aids....[view article]

N Korea Warns Of More Attacks After Clashes
- November 23, 2010

North Korea has warned it will continue to launch attacks if the South violates its disputed sea border and blamed Seoul for starting major clashes that killed two soldiers. South Korea said around 200 North Korean artillery shells hit one of its islands, prompting Seoul to return fire....[view article]

World Edgy on Korea, Russia Sees 'Colossal Danger'
NBC News - November 23, 2010

Among North Korea's neighbors, Russia said it saw a "colossal danger" of an escalation in fighting on the Korean peninsula and China said it was imperative to resume six-party talks aimed at ending the north's nuclear weapons program....[view article]

EU to Launch Dedicated Broadband Satellite
PC World - November 23, 2010

There is light at the end of the tunnel for the estimated 20 million Europeans who cannot get high-quality broadband access. On Friday a new satellite will be launched that will deliver broadband Internet access to consumers and businesses across the European Union....[view article]

IFA Exclusive Report: Eye Witness Report from Cap Haitien
Gary Bergel - November 19, 2010

Early morning radio reports indicate that things have calmed somewhat in Cap Haitien in the north, but that demonstrations and violence are moving to and increasing in the southern capital, Port au Prince. I was texted last evening from Cap Haitien in the north saying it was too dangerous to leave one's house - that many were out throwing stones at the UN peacekeepers - that common belief among the poor is that the UN intentionally brought Cholera...[view article]

U.N. committee slams Iran over human rights record
Reuters - November 19, 2010

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - A U.N. General Assembly committee Tuesday accused Iran of serious human rights violations in a move that an incensed Iranian delegate said was orchestrated by the United States and its allies....[view article]

Lieberman tells UN envoy to file complaint on Gaza rockets
The Jerusalem Post - November 19, 2010

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman instructed UN envoy Meron Reuben to file a complaint with the international body over the barrage of rockets and mortar shells fired into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip on Friday, Israel Radio reported....[view article]

Lame Duck Senate to Push Anti-Constitutional U.N. Treaty
Christian Newswire - November 17, 2010

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 /Christian Newswire/ -- A Senate subcommittee will hold a hearing on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) on Thursday, November 18. Concerned Women for America (CWA) has led the fight for 15 years to oppose this anti-woman, unconstitutional U.N. treaty....[view article]

Indian Building Collapse Kills 65; Survivors Trapped
AOL News - November 16, 2010

(Nov. 16) -- Rescuers in India are feverishly digging through rubble today in hopes of extracting survivors trapped under what's left of a four-story apartment building that collapsed in a slum in the capital city of New Delhi, killing at least 65 people....[view article]

NATO To Offer Russia Access To US Satellite Data
AFP - November 12, 2010

AFP - NATO will offer Russia access to some US military satellite data in exchange for its participation in a missile shield project for continental Europe, a Moscow newspaper reported Friday....[view article]

Security Council Gets North Korea Nuke Report
Fox News - November 11, 2010

UNITED NATIONS -- A report by U.N. experts saying North Korea is exporting banned nuclear and missile technology to Iran, Syria and Myanmar has been sent to the Security Council after China dropped its objections, U.N. diplomats said Wednesday....[view article]

Cholera Outbreak Spreads to Haiti's Capital
AP - Associated Press - November 9, 2010

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - The cholera epidemic has spread into Haiti's capital, imperiling nearly 3 million people living in Port-au-Prince, nearly half of them in unsanitary tent camps for the homeless from the Jan. 12 earthquake....[view article]

Fed bond move spurs backlash from Asia to Europe
AP - Associated Press - November 5, 2010

BEIJING (AP) - China, Germany and Brazil warned the Federal Reserve's move to inject money into the U.S. economy might harm the rest of the world, though Beijing said Friday the tactic was understandable because of the slow recovery....[view article]

Mail Bomb Defused 17 Minutes Before Set to Explode, French Official Says
Fox News - November 4, 2010

PARIS -- One of two mail bombs sent from Yemen last week was defused just 17 minutes before it was set to explode, the French interior minister said Thursday....[view article]

Qantas Grounds All A380s After Midair Scare
AP - Associated Press - November 4, 2010

SINGAPORE-- Qantas grounded its Airbus A380 fleet after one of the superjumbo jets blew out an engine Thursday, shooting flames and raining large metal chunks before making a safe emergency landing in Singapore with 459 people aboard....[view article]

Turkey's "Moslem" identity
- October 29, 2010

The recent visit by the German president to Turkey was a major event in more ways than one. Apart from underlining Turkey's growing economic and political clout, the visit was the first time the country's first lady, Hayrunissa Gul, welcomed foreign guests at a state function....[view article]

UN Problems: Sudan, Gaza Flotilla ... Bedbugs
AOL News - October 28, 2010

(Oct. 28) -- New York City's bedbug epidemic has gone global, striking the United Nations with an onslaught of the creepy, crawly creatures. After biting their way through other Big Apple landmarks, from the Empire State Building to the Metropolitan Opera House, the tiny insects have made it to the U.N....[view article]

Commentary: I Worry that Lebanon is About to Collapse.
The New Republic - October 27, 2010

Everybody, quite literally everybody is irked by Bibi Netanyahu's refusal to give the peace processors another two months of a ban on construction in the West Bank. As if such a prohibition would produce more than the last ten months when Israel unilaterally precluded construction in the territories and the Palestinians responded with squat....[view article]

Iran loads fuel into the Bushehr nuclear reactor
BBC - October 26, 2010

Iran has begun loading fuel into the core of its first nuclear power plant, state television has reported....[view article]

After 69 Days, All 33 Chilean Miners Rescued
Fox News - October 14, 2010

SAN JOSE MINE, Chile -- The last of the Chilean miners, the foreman who held them together when they were feared lost, was raised from the depths of the earth Wednesday night -- a joyous ending to a 69-day ordeal that riveted the world. No one has ever been trapped so long and survived....[view article]

Hunger index shows one billion without enough food
BBC - October 11, 2010

The 2010 Global Hunger Index shows that child malnutrition is the biggest cause of hunger worldwide, accounting for almost half of those affected....[view article]

Revolutionary Guards, Iranian flags capture S. Lebanon for Ahmadinejad visit
DEBKA - October 7, 2010

US diplomat Fred Hof is due in Beirut Thursday, Oct. 7, to try and get Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Lebanon cancelled. debkafile's sources say he is too late. With six days to go, Beirut and South Lebanon up to the Israeli border are Ahmadinejad-land, taken over by an estimated 2,500 airlifted Revolutionary Guardsmen and covered in Iranian flags....[view article]

Going Cyber Against Nuke Program
Newsweek - October 7, 2010

In recent months there's been a lot of speculation about a possible military attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. Now it appears the attack has come in an unexpected form: Stuxnet, a computer worm that can take over industrial systems and was found in Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant....[view article]

Call for new global currencies deal
FT - Financial Times - October 5, 2010

The world's leading countries should agree a new currency pact to help rebalance the global economy, a leading association of financial institutions has urged....[view article]

Chavez: Venezuela Studying Nuclear Program
Fox News - September 28, 2010

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Monday that his government is carrying out initial studies into starting a nuclear energy program....[view article]

Historic N. Korea Political Meeting Under Way
Fox News - September 28, 2010

SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea's biggest political gathering in 30 years began Tuesday hours after leader Kim Jong Il appointed his youngest son as a military general in what was seen as part of a succession plan....[view article]

J'lem defeats IAEA resolution targeting Israel
The Jerusalem Post - September 24, 2010

Arab-backed measure calling for Israel to accede to Nuclear Proliferation Treaty narrowly defeated at meeting of UN watchdog; FM: Important victory for the moral position against an extreme and hypocritical one....[view article]

Ashton: Ahmadinejad's speech 'outrageous and unacceptable'
The Jerusalem Post - September 24, 2010

EU foreign minister Catherine Ashton called Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's claim that the US government planned the attacks on the World Trade Center "outrageous and unacceptable," AFP reported on Friday....[view article]

Senators to Obama: Don't let Abbas slink away from peace talks
ForeignPolicy.com - September 24, 2010

A bipartisan group of senators are circulating a new letter urging President Obama to speak out publicly to pressure the Palestinian leadership not to abandon the Middle East peace talks....[view article]

BEIJING (AP) -- Japan urged China to remain calm and not inflame their diplomatic spat further Monday after Beijing severed high-level contacts and then called off a visit by Japanese youth over the d
AP - Associated Press - September 20, 2010

BEIJING (AP) -- Japan urged China to remain calm and not inflame their diplomatic spat further Monday after Beijing severed high-level contacts and then called off a visit by Japanese youth over the detention of a Chinese fishing boat captain near disputed islands....[view article]

Arabs to Target Israel At U.N. Atom Body, Resist West
Reuters - September 17, 2010

VIENNA (Reuters) - Arab states pledged on Thursday to step up pressure on Israel to join a global anti-nuclear arms pact, defying U.S. warnings their action could harm Middle East peace talks....[view article]

Congress wants tough stance with China over trade
AP - Associated Press - September 16, 2010

WASHINGTON - Congress is pressuring the Obama administration to take a tougher stand with China over trade practices that they say have cost Americans millions of jobs....[view article]

N. Korea in Turmoil as Power Transfer Possible
Christian Newswire - September 16, 2010

MEDIA ADVISORY, Sept. 16 /Christian Newswire/ -- North Korea is quietly preparing for a successor to leader Kim Jong-Il while the country is in turmoil with many dying from hunger, according to Open Doors, a Christian organization which secretly supports persecuted believers in 60 of the most dangerous and restrictive countries in the world....[view article]

Obama asks thug nations to judge America
OneNewsNow.com - September 16, 2010

Does America engage in massive and widespread violations of human rights? The Obama administration thinks so. That's the takeaway of the "Report of the United States of America Submitted to the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights." The introduction says it "gives a partial snapshot of the current human rights situation in the United States, including some of the areas where problems persist in our society."...[view article]

Signatures Needed for UN Pro-life Petition
C-Fam - September 15, 2010

A few weeks ago at the World Conference on Youth in Mexico the International Youth Coalition released a pro-life and pro-family document. The document was intended as a counter document to a disgusting document released by young people recruited and paid for by International Planned Parenthood Federation and the UN Population Fund, the group that helped create the Chinese forced abortion policy. The radical document can be read HERE. It calls for comprehensive sex education and abortion, for kids! It treats...[view article]

UN nuclear chief chides Iran, defends monitors
The Washington Post - September 14, 2010

VIENNA -- The U.N. nuclear agency cannot confirm that all of Iran's atomic activities are peaceful because of Tehran's selective cooperation with nuclear inspectors, the agency's chief said Monday....[view article]

U.S. to Arabs: Don't make Israel a "pariah" at IAEA
Reuters - September 14, 2010

VIENNA (Reuters) -The U.S. envoy to the U.N. atomic watchdog urged Arab states on Monday to withdraw a resolution calling on Israel to sign an anti-nuclear arms treaty, warning it would send a negative signal to Middle East peace talks....[view article]

Ahmadinejad to visit NY for UN meeting
- September 14, 2010

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is scheduled to visit New York to attend a UN General Assembly meeting on disarmament, the UN chief says....[view article]

U.N. report says Iran is stockpiling enriched uranium
The Washington Post - September 7, 2010

Iran is steadily stockpiling enriched uranium, even in the face of toughened international sanctions, according to a U.N. inspection report that raises new concerns about the ability to monitor parts of the nation's nuclear program that could be used to make a bomb....[view article]

Pakistan says it's not aware of India's $20M offer for flood relief
CNN - August 31, 2010

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- India offered another $20 million in aid to its rival neighbor Pakistan on Tuesday, but an official in the flood-ravaged country says he has no knowledge of the aid....[view article]

They Are Coming for Our Daughters
Friday Fax - August 11, 2010

They are coming for our adolescent daughters... August 11, 2010 Dear Friday Fax Reader, Sorry for this long letter, but I am angry, as angry as I have ever been in this job. Our Friday Fax team of UN watchers has uncovered an alarming new scheme to advance the global abortion movement, a scheme aimed specifically at adolescent girls. The United Nations - especially the notorious United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) - is preparing a massive worldwide campaign...[view article]

U.S. Considers Push for U.N. Action in Syria
Wall Street Journal - August 6, 2010

WASHINGTON-The Obama administration is considering pressing the United Nations to pursue a "special inspection" of alleged Syrian nuclear sites, a senior U.S. official said Thursday, a move that could leave Damascus facing a Security Council reprimand if it doesn't comply....[view article]

U.N. Supports Israeli Account of Border Clash
The New York Times - August 5, 2010

JERUSALEM - The United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, Unifil, said Wednesday that it had concluded that Israeli forces were cutting trees that lay within their own territory before a lethal exchange of fire with Lebanese Army troops, largely vindicating Israel's account of how the fighting started....[view article]

PALESTINIANS CARRY Lebanese and Palestinian flags during a protest in front of the Lebanese Parliame Photo by: Associated Press Analysis: Why is Lebanon so tense?
The Jerusalem Post - August 5, 2010

Lebanese leaders referred to Israeli "aggression" - a "violation of Lebanese sovereignty" in which an Israeli patrol crossed into Lebanon to trim trees despite orders from UN peacekeepers to stop....[view article]

AP Exclusive: Iran defiant in nuclear documents
AP - Associated Press - August 5, 2010

VIENNA - As Iran and world powers prepare for new nuclear talks, letters by Tehran's envoys to top international officials and shared with The Associated Press suggest major progress is unlikely, with Tehran combative and unlikely to offer any concessions....[view article]

UN, North Korea meet again to discuss sinking of South Korean ship
CNN - July 23, 2010

(CNN) -- The second round of talks between North Korea and the U.S.-led U.N. Command on the peninsula ended Friday....[view article]

N. Korea Threatens 'Physical Response' to U.S. Drills; Clinton Blasts 'Belligerent' Acts
Fox News - July 23, 2010

HANOI, Vietnam -- North Korea on Friday threatened the United States and South Korea with a "physical response" to planned weekend naval exercises as tensions with the communist nation rose in the aftermath of the sinking of a South Korean warship blamed on the North....[view article]

U.N. condemns sinking of South Korean warship
CNN - July 9, 2010

The United Nations formally condemned Friday the sinking of a South Korean warship in March but made no mention of North Korea, which has been found culpable in the attack....[view article]

New Space Policy Calls for Global Cooperation
Wall Street Journal - June 28, 2010

The Obama administration as early as Monday is expected to call for significantly greater international cooperation than ever before in outer space, covering a wide range of civilian and national-security programs....[view article]

Global Effort to Halt 'Blood Diamond' Trade Stalls
AOL News - June 25, 2010

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (June 25) -- An international effort to stop the trade of "blood diamonds" stalled this week over whether to allow Zimbabwe to sell millions of newly cut rough diamonds after allegations of human rights abuses in its mines....[view article]

Ethnic Unrest Grips Southern Kyrgyzstan
VOA News - June 18, 2010

Hundreds are dead and hundreds of thousands have been driven from their homes following a week of ethnic violence in Kyrgyzstan. The victims have been ordinary people, including women and children....[view article]

Ethnic violence spreads in Kyrgyzstan, raising fears of humanitarian crisis
The Washington Post - June 14, 2010

MOSCOW -- Deadly riots spread across southern Kyrgyzstan on Sunday as police with shoot-to-kill orders failed to stop the nation's worst ethnic violence in two decades and aid agencies reported that as many as 80,000 people had fled across the border to Uzbekistan....[view article]

Clashes and Protests Reported in Iran
The New York Times - June 13, 2010

TEHRAN - The first anniversary of Iran's disputed presidential election passed largely without violence on Saturday, as protesters generally stayed off the streets amid a heavy presence of the riot police....[view article]

North Korea: It can turn South's capital into a 'sea of flame'
AP - Associated Press - June 12, 2010

SEOUL (AP) - North Korea vowed Saturday to launch an all-out attack against South Korean loudspeakers and other propaganda facilities along their heavily fortified border, warning it can even turn Seoul into a "sea of flame."...[view article]

Russia now says Iran sanctions ban S-300 missiles
AP - Associated Press - June 11, 2010

MOSCOW - The new U.N. sanctions prevent Russia from delivering S-300 air-defense missiles to Iran, a Kremlin official said Friday, in a reversal of the position announced by Russia's Foreign Ministry the day before....[view article]

UN Security Council Approves New Iran Sanctions
VOA News - June 9, 2010

The United Nations Security Council has approved a fourth round of sanctions against Iran for its controversial nuclear program....[view article]

Iran Revolutionary Guards ready to escort Gaza ships
Reuters - June 8, 2010

(Reuters) - Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards are ready to provide a military escort to cargo ships trying to break Israel's blockade of Gaza, a representative of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday....[view article]

US Defense Secretary Optimistic UN Will Pass New Iran Sanctions
VOA News - June 8, 2010

Robert Gates says he is optimistic the United Nations Security Council will approve new sanctions against Iran. Gates made the comments after talks in London and as the Security Council prepared to take up the sanctions issue in New York....[view article]

NKorea threatens SKorea for hauling it to UN over deadly warship sinking
Fox News - June 6, 2010

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea threatened Sunday to retaliate against South Korea for taking it to the U.N. Security Council over the deadly sinking of a warship, calling the action an "intolerable provocation."...[view article]

Clinton Says World Must Respond to Sinking of S. Korean Warship
VOA News - May 26, 2010

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the world has a duty to respond to the sinking of a South Korean warship that has been blamed on North Korea....[view article]

U.S. Orders Covert Military Action in Mideast
Fox News - May 25, 2010

Gen. David Petraeus, the head of U.S. Central Command, is said to have signed a directive authorizing Special Operations troops to conduct surveillance missions in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia....[view article]

Clinton Condemns Attack on S. Korean Warship
The New York Times - May 21, 2010

TOKYO - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton harshly condemned North Korea on Friday for a deadly torpedo attack on a South Korean Navy warship last March, and promised to marshal an international response in the coming week with Japan, China and other countries....[view article]

Russia to Sell Iran Missiles Despite UN Sanctions
VOA News - May 21, 2010

A senior Russian lawmaker says proposed United Nations sanctions against Iran will not affect Russia's plans to sell Tehran surface-to-air missiles....[view article]

'Obvious' North Korea Sank South Korean Ship
- May 19, 2010

A North Korean torpedo was responsible for the March 26 sinking of a South Korean navy ship and the deaths of 46 sailors aboard, South Korean officials said....[view article]

Riots Begin in Bangkok after Thai Protest Leaders Surrender
VOA News - May 19, 2010

Violence has spread through the Thai capital Bangkok, in the wake of Wednesday's deadly crackdown by security forces to end the weeks-long occupation by anti-government demonstrators in the city's upscale commercial district....[view article]

US Presents Iran Sanctions Draft to Security Council
VOA News - May 19, 2010

The United States on Tuesday presented to the U.N. Security Council a draft resolution containing a fourth round of tough new sanctions aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear activities. The draft is the product of weeks of negotiation among the five permanent veto-wielding members of the council plus Germany. And comes just a day after Iran agreed to a deal brokered by council members Brazil and Turkey to export some of its enriched uranium in return for fuel for a medical...[view article]

Jamaican Imam Said To Inspire Times Square Suspect
NPR.org - May 19, 2010

The man accused in the failed Times Square bombing attempt has been talking to authorities for more than two weeks. And one of the things he told them, according to people close to the case, is that he was inspired to act by two Internet clerics - one in Yemen and another in Jamaica....[view article]

Mexico's Drug War: A Rigged Fight?
NPR.org - May 19, 2010

When President Felipe Calderon visits Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Mexico's brutal drug war will be high on the agenda. Fighting among the cartels - and between government forces and the cartels - has cost nearly 24,000 Mexican lives since Calderon took office in late 2006....[view article]

Farris Criticizes Use of International Law in Supreme Court Decision
Christian Newswire - May 18, 2010

PURCELLVILLE, Va., May 18 /Christian Newswire/ -- Yesterday, by a 6 to 3 vote the Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional for the United States to sentence juvenile offenders to life in prison without parole in non-homicide cases in Graham v. Florida, released May 17, 2010. The Court cited the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and other international law to buttress its constitutional interpretation....[view article]

Israel won't move on U.N. call for nuclear-free zone
AP - Associated Press - May 7, 2010

(Reuters) - Israel has no plan to review its nuclear policies, a government official said on Friday, playing down efforts by world powers at a U.N. non-proliferation conference to promote a Middle East free of atomic arms....[view article]

U.S., Iran Expected To Spar At U.N. Nuclear Meeting
NPR.org - May 3, 2010

Delegations from 189 nations convene Monday in New York for a month-long U.N. conclave on the spread of nuclear weapons. The states are all signatories to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and they gather periodically to discuss how the treaty is working and whether it needs fixing....[view article]

U.S. Is Pushing to Deter a Mideast Nuclear Race
The New York Times - May 3, 2010

The opening Monday of a monthlong United Nations conference to strengthen the main treaty meant to halt the spread of nuclear arms is likely to be dominated by Iran's president denouncing the West and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton warning that if Tehran gets the bomb, the rest of the Middle East will soon follow....[view article]

Israel-Palestine conflict: Imposing solutions
Guardian - April 26, 2010

Peace talks in the Middle East could be about to resume this week after a gap of 16 months. The optimism, if such a concept applies to this moribund lifeform, is contained in hints last week that Palestinian negotiators were considering inducements to start talking: the release of 1,000 prisoners, the lifting of some roadblocks, the easing of the Gaza blockade....[view article]

Africa Reboots
The New York Times - April 19, 2010

I SPENT March with a delegation of activists, entrepreneurs and policy wonks roaming western, southern and eastern Africa trying very hard to listen - always hard for a big-mouthed Irishman. With duct tape over my gob, I was able to pick up some interesting melody lines everywhere from palace to pavement ......[view article]

Sudan Holds First Elections in 24 Years
ifapray.org - April 13, 2010

As the second day of polling began Monday in Sudan’s historic elections, officials scrambled to reduce the confusion that marred Sunday’s voting process. Polls opened hours late, and many voters could not find their names on the official list. Adding to the confusion was a 12-tier ballot, especially difficult to decipher for the large number of illiterate Sudanese....[view article]

At Loggerheads: Karzai and the White House
AOL News - April 7, 2010

(April 6) -- White House spokesman Robert Gibbs today pointedly avoided calling Hamid Karzai an ally of the United States and suggested that his invitation to Washington on May 12 will depend on "whatever continued or further remarks President Karzai makes."...[view article]

$5.3 billion pledged over 2 years at U.N. conference for Haiti reconstruction
The Washington Post - April 1, 2010

UNITED NATIONS -- The international community pledged $5.3 billion Wednesday for earthquake-shattered Haiti over the next two years, launching an ambitious effort not just to rebuild the hemisphere's poorest nation but also to transform it into a modern state....[view article]

Russia may scrap ruble
The Washington Post - March 29, 2010

The Moscow Times quoted First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov as saying that Russia may abandon the ruble in favor of a single currency with neighbors Belarus and Kazakhstan. All three countries are seeking to lessen their dependence on the dollar....[view article]

SKorea: Mine from NKorea may have sunk naval ship
AP - Associated Press - March 29, 2010

BAENGNYEONG ISLAND, South Korea - South Korea's defense minister says North Korea may have intentionally floated a mine to damage a naval ship that exploded and sank this week....[view article]

Iran: Russia's Strategic New Client
The Washington Post - March 29, 2010

Iran is fast becoming one of Russia's best business clients. While Russia is not entirely comfortable with Iran acquiring advanced nuclear technology and is concerned about combating terrorism, Russia is more concerned about becoming a broker in the Middle East, independent of the West. Strategic economic relations with Iran are quickly becoming a top priority....[view article]

Israeli Officials Rally Around Netanyahu in Dispute With US
AOL News - March 26, 2010

JERUSALEM (March 25) - Top Israeli officials on Thursday rallied behind embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his dispute with the U.S., deepening the rift between the two allies over Israeli construction in east Jerusalem....[view article]

South Korean navy ship sinks near sea border with North
BBC - March 26, 2010

A South Korean navy ship with about 100 personnel on board has sunk off the west coast near North Korea....[view article]

New Evidence Confirms Girl Scouts Distributed Sex Guide at UN
C-Fam - March 16, 2010

STATEMENT BY AUSTIN RUSE PRESIDENT, CATHOLIC FAMILY AND HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTE (NEW YORK - C-FAM) Late last week we reported in our weekly Friday Fax that the Girl Scouts allowed the distribution of an explicit and dangerous sex guide - produced by the International Planned Parenthood Federation - in a Girl Scout panel for adolescent girls at the UN. We have been inundated with responses from Girl Scout moms, Girl Scout leaders and others angered and confused that such...[view article]

'Islamic nations will back Iran strike'
The Jerusalem Post - March 12, 2010

An Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities would be quietly supported by a wide coalition of Islamic nations, including a number of extremist states, Deputy Minister of the Negev and Galilee Ayoub Kara said Saturday....[view article]

'They Need to Be Liberated From Their God'
Wall Street Journal - March 8, 2010

'I absolutely know that in anybody's eyes I was a traitor," says Mosab Hassan Yousef. "To my family, to my nation, to my God. I crossed all the red lines in my society. I didn't leave one that I didn't cross."...[view article]

'They Need to Be Liberated From Their God'
Wall Street Journal - March 8, 2010

'I absolutely know that in anybody's eyes I was a traitor," says Mosab Hassan Yousef. "To my family, to my nation, to my God. I crossed all the red lines in my society. I didn't leave one that I didn't cross."...[view article]

Yemeni Separatists Flaunt Stars and Stripes
AOL News - March 8, 2010

ADEN, Yemen (March 6) -- Sheikh Abdu Alrib al-Naqib, a gray-haired separatist leader from Yemen's rural south, sat on his couch in this ramshackle port city, waving two American flags and humming an approximate version of "The Star-Spangled Banner."...[view article]

Pakistani Christian Serving Life for 'Blasphemy'
Assist News Service - February 18, 2010

WASHINGTON D.C. (ANS) -- An organization that advocates for persecuted Christians is calling on Pakistani officials to release a Christian man serving life imprisonment in Hajwairi, Pakistan following false allegations of blasphemy....[view article]

Is al Qaeda Bankrupt?
Forbes.com - February 16, 2010

Desperate for funds, the terrorist group has turned to affiliates that rely more and more on crime....[view article]

Keynote Address at the 58th National Prayer Breakfast
State.gov - February 5, 2010

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. Thank you very much. I have to begin by saying I'm not Bono. (Laughter.) Those of you who were here when he was, I apologize beforehand. (Laughter.) But it is a great pleasure to be with you and to be here with President and Mrs. Obama, to be with Vice President Biden, with Chairman Mullen, with certainly our host today, my former colleagues and friends, Senators Isakson and Amy Klobuchar. And to be with so many...[view article]

Bulk of Anti-Terror Funding Pegged to 9/11 Suspect
- February 1, 2010

(Feb. 1) -- At first glance, the $213 million that the Obama administration wants to add to the federal budget in anti-terrorism funding for high-risk cities next year seems like a substantial increase. It would boost the pot of urban homeland security money by 24 percent over the current level....[view article]

Leading Religious Newswire Republishes Controversial Muhammad Cartoons
Christian Newswire - January 5, 2010

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 /Christian Newswire/ In 2006 Christian Newswire was criticized for publishing the controversial Muhammad cartoons. Christian Newswire was the only US based newswire to publish the cartoons....[view article]

Why Does Interpol Need Immunity from American Law?
NRO - December 23, 2009

You just can't make up how brazen this crowd is. One week ago, President Obama quietly signed an executive order that makes an international police force immune from the restraints of American law....[view article]

Selective Thoughts #3 by Bruce Bialosky
TownHall.com - December 7, 2009

If the United States dollar is replaced as the reserve currency for the world, you can kiss our standing as "global top dog" goodbye. The reason for our current status is that everyone wants our money, just as it was with the British Empire in the 19th Century....[view article]

Iran earmarks $20 million to support terrorists
OneNewsNow.com - November 29, 2009

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's parliament passed a law on Sunday earmarking $20 million to support terrorist groups opposing the West and investigate alleged U.S. and British plots against the Islamic Republic....[view article]

U.N. Watchdog in 'Kafkaesque' Limbo After Criticizing World Body
UCI - November 20, 2009

The United Nations detained an outspoken critic and booted her from its New York headquarters in what the woman, a human rights watchdog, is calling an effort to silence her opposition to the world body....[view article]

Beinecke: Major Progress Is Being Made
Roll Call - November 12, 2009

With momentum building for U.S. action on global climate change, nearly 200 countries will take part in a United Nations summit on the issue next month in Copenhagen....[view article]

Help C-FAM Gather 1,000,000 Signatures
C-Fam - November 11, 2009

Welcome to the UN Petition for the Unborn Child and the Family! With your help we are going to present one million names to the UN this December asking Member States to begin interpreting the Universal Declaration as protecting the unborn child from abortion....[view article]

International observers say states out of line
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We do not answer to the U.N. period. States are sovereign and not held hostage by a world organization....[view article]