United Nations

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Dozens Dead in Turkish Ground Raid
Dozens Dead in Turkish Ground Raid
Feb 23, 2008 6:39 AM CST

Dozens Dead in Turkish Ground Raid

Troops continue to pursue Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq mountains

(Newser) - Turkish forces pursued Kurdish militants in northern Iraq for a third day today, with the Turkish military reporting least 24 militants and five Turkish soldiers killed since they sent troops across the border to attack separatist strongholds Thursday night. At least 20 other Kurds died in the air assault that...

Iran Nukes Raise 'Serious Concern' for UN

Watchdog group says Tehran has failed to explain its programs

(Newser) - The UN’s nuclear overseers warned today that Iran hadn’t explained various intelligence reports suggesting it was making atomic weapons and called the matter a “serious concern.” Tehran dismissed the intelligence data as "fabricated" and provided unacceptable answers, the UN report says. The developments could lead...

Seabed Rights Add Up to Long Division

UN team weighs international claims on underwater territory

(Newser) - The UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf has a big job. As some 60 countries rush to claim the ocean seabed—and the oil reserves beneath—the 21-person team of part-time scientists must settle disputes, relying on geology and the sometimes arcane Law of the Sea. “...

Violence Erupts in Split Kosovo
Violence Erupts in Split Kosovo
Feb 19, 2008 10:25 AM CST

Violence Erupts in Split Kosovo

New country 'inches away from partition'

(Newser) - Hundreds of Serbs torched government and UN buildings in Kosovo today in the worst violence since the country declared independence on Sunday, raising fears of an ethnic split, Reuters reports. Seemingly well-organized gangs rampaged near the border, driving off peacekeepers who tried to intervene. No injuries were reported. “We...

Serbia Calls Home US Envoy
Serbia Calls Home US Envoy
Feb 18, 2008 8:26 PM CST

Serbia Calls Home US Envoy

PM vows to pull diplomats from all nations that support Kosovo independence

(Newser) - Serbia called home its US ambassador today to protest America's recognition of Kosovo's independence, the BBC reports. Serbian PM Vojislav Kostunica called the move Serbia's "first urgent measure," and warned that envoys in other countries that recognize Kosovar autonomy will soon be withdrawn.

Kosovo Independence Splits EU
Kosovo Independence Splits EU
Feb 18, 2008 6:11 AM CST

Kosovo Independence Splits EU

Some fear feisty new nation could inspire separatists elsewhere

(Newser) - A meeting of EU officials today to discuss Kosovo is likely to reveal deep-seated divisions within the European Union. While Britain, France and Germany are expected to recognize the newly independent Kosovo immediately, other states like Cyprus, Greece, Romania and Spain worry about the message such recognition will send to...

Gore to Investors: Ditch Guzzlers
Gore to Investors: Ditch Guzzlers
Feb 15, 2008 7:36 AM CST

Gore to Investors: Ditch Guzzlers

Costs risk market crash, he warns

(Newser) - Nobel prize-winner Al Gore yesterday urged financial leaders at a United Nations conference in Manhattan to unload their investments in businesses reliant on carbon-intensive energy. Gore likened such investments to the subprime mortgage market, warning that "the assumption you can safely invest" in business models that assume carbon is...

Bush Envoy Wants to Rule Afghanistan, Rumors Say

Ambassador lets political buzz persist

(Newser) - Diplomatic circles are abuzz about a US envoy who reportedly wants to rule Afghanistan next year. Zalmay Khalilzad, ex-US diplomat to Afghanistan and Iraq, hasn't squelched the gossip about his presidential aspirations either. He even joked at Columbia University recently that “I didn’t come here to collect contributions...

Rebel Soldier Shoots East Timor Prez

Nobel Prize-winner expected to live; assassin shot dead

(Newser) - A rebel soldier shot East Timor's president today in an attack on his home, the BBC reports. President Jose Ramos-Horta, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, underwent surgery at an Australian army hospital and is expected to live. The president’s guards shot and killed the assailant, Alfredo Reinado, who had...

Rainforests Still Fall at Shocking Rates

Summit proposes financial rewards for conservation efforts

(Newser) - Rainforests continue to vanish at "alarming" rates worldwide despite decades of scientific warnings, experts say. Tropical trees are falling at 60 acres per minute—up 10 from a generation ago—accounting for roughly 20% of Earth's carbon emissions. Environmental leaders plan to preserve forests with a carbon trading system,...

Afghan Senate Revokes Call for Execution

About-face is lifeline for journalism student convicted of blasphemy

(Newser) - Following international outcry, the Afghan Senate has withdrawn its call for the execution of Sayed Pervez Kambaksh, a 23-year-old student convicted of blasphemy for downloading a report on women's rights. The Senate now calls its previous endorsement of the death penalty for Kambaksh "a technical mistake," raising hopes...

Rebels Storm Chad's Capital in Coup Attempt

French, US embassies prepare to evacuate amid fighting

(Newser) - Rebels looking to overthrow Chad's president stormed the capital today, advancing toward the African nation’s presidential palace and ransacking its parliament building, CNN reports. Ndjamena has been the site of fierce clashes between rebels and government forces, and today, a military source told the AFP it “is in...

Kenya Leaders Agree to Peace Talk Structure

Immediate issues could be resolved within 15 days, Annan says

(Newser) - Kenya's rival leaders have agreed on an outline for peace talks, Kofi Annan said today. Larger problems could take a year to iron out, but the ex-UN chief said the most pressing issues--ending the killings, aiding those hit by the turmoil, and fixing "immediate" political woes--could be solved within...

New Peace Envoy Clooney Pleads for Darfur

Sees 'hope' after first mission to Africa

(Newser) - Actor George Clooney was officially designated a United Nations peace envoy yesterday—but he had already wrapped up his first mission. "If I'm going to go somewhere that cameras are going to follow me, they might as well follow me to places that people should be looking at,"...

Kenya Upheaval Could Reach 'Catastrophic Levels'

As violence continues, UN boss will join predecessor in talks

(Newser) - Kenya's political turmoil continues to wreak havoc, and it is "threatening to escalate to catastrophic levels," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today. After the killing of another member of Raila Odinga's opposition party yesterday, the country faced renewed violence, Reuters reports. The death toll has reached 850 since...

In Kenya, Annan Denounces Violent 'Abuses'

Former UN head finds crisis 'tragic'; dozens more deaths reported

(Newser) - Kofi Annan, in Kenya to mediate a settlement to the brutal conflict rocking the country, condemned the "gross and systematic abuses of human rights"  he had seen on a tour of the country's worst flashpoints, the BBC reports. Dozens more gruesome deaths were reported today. Annan spoke of...

Former UN Boss Tackling Kenya Crisis

Kofi Annan flying in to mediate as election violence continues

(Newser) - Former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan will fly to Kenya today to try to mediate the nation's political crisis and stop the violence. He faces a difficult task. Members of President Mwai Kibaki's cabinet are hostile to mediation, and opposition leader Raila Odinga is in no mood to back down....

Gaza City Shuts Off Power Amid Claimed Fuel Shortage

Israelis say move meant to create crisis

(Newser) - Gaza City’s sole power plant has shut down due to what Palestinian officials claim are insufficient fuel supplies, the BBC reports. Israel—which provides 60% of Gaza’s electricity—closed its border last week with the Gaza Strip, preventing the import of virtually all supplies. The move followed a...

Nigerian Rebels Seek Help From Clooney

Militants offer invite after UN names him 'messenger of peace'

(Newser) - Nigeria’s top rebel group urged George Clooney to come heal their war-torn land today, the AP reports. The militants, who often pressure officials by blowing up oil pipelines, promised to work with Clooney “and other credible peace makers" to cool off fighting in Nigeria. Clooney gave no immediate...

United Nations U Seeks to Make Grade as Real College

Boss aims to turn institution into a global degree-awarding university

(Newser) - If you’ve never heard of the United Nations University, don’t feel bad. The institution, or, really, network of institutions, is more of a think tank: Spread across 13 academies around the world, it researches matters important to the global village. Now, the institution's new rector Konrad Osterwalder seeks...

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