Washington, US President Barack Obama has warned that a premature attack on Iran would allow it to play the "victim" in the nuclear crisis just days before key talks with Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu. In some of his toughest comments yet on Tehran's nuclear drive, Obama also warned that Israel and Iran should take seriously possible US action against Iranian nuclear facilities if sanctions fail to stop the country's atomic ambitions. "I think that the Israeli government recognizes that, as president of the United States, I don't bluff," Obama told the Atlantic Monthly magazine in remarks published Friday. "I also don't, as a matter of sound policy, go around advertising exactly what our intentions are. But I think both the Iranian and the Israeli governments recognize that when the United States says it is unacceptable for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, we mean what we say." Netanyahu arrived in Canada early Friday ahead of key discussions Monday with Obama at the White House, against a backdrop of growing fears that Israel could unilaterally strike suspect Iranian nuclear facilities. Tehran insists its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only but ...
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Washington, The United States says it is developing a new model Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) and had intensified its engagement with potential partners like India and China to conclude such a treaty with them. The US is in talks with a range of countries for bilateral investment treaties and US officials would soon travel to India to conclude one, US Trade Representative (USTR) told a Congressional hearing. "We have, in fact, intensified our engagement, at the same time though, with important potential partners like India and China," Kirk said. The US, he said, had "built on the successful visits" of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the US and President Barack Obama to India. "And (we have) got India to agree to a more robust engagement. We had one session in India, in December. We are travelling to India within the next several weeks for the next meeting of BIT." "We've had over five sessions with China. We concluded a BIT with Rwanda, and we hope to again conclude the model BIT within the very near future that will allow us to go forward more aggressively," Kirk said. Earlier Congressman Wally Herger said that US should be pursuing BITs to help ensure ...
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New York, A new partnership involving the United Nations will ensure the rapid dissemination of weather updates from African meteorological experts to disaster managers in vulnerable communities. Pedro Basabe, the head of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) Regional Office for Africa, announced on Monday that the UN’s partnership with the African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development would potentially help millions of Africans at risk from hunger and malnutrition. “The failure to mobilize an adequate and timely response to the food crisis on the Horn of Africa when the alarm was first raised 18 months ago has led to many unnecessary deaths,” said Basabe. “This scenario is in danger of repeating itself across the Sahel this year where more than one million children are at risk of severe malnutrition and 10 million people face hunger,” he warned. The Sahel has regularly been afflicted by food insecurity as drought, poor harvests and rising food prices have left the region on the brink of a humanitarian crisis. Last year, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that several areas of the Sahel had ...
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Damascus, The deadly violence in Syria threatens to permanently divide the country along sectarian and ethnic lines, a senior United Nations official warns, urging community and religious leaders and civil society groups to lead the way in reducing communal tensions. Edward Luck, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect, told the UN News Centre yesterday that he was deeply concerned that the situation in Syria – where thousands of people have died in the Government’s crackdown against a pro-democracy uprising – was becoming “more of a sectarian conflict,” with targeted attacks against certain groups. “There are signs that the nature of the conflict has changed, and that is very worrisome,” he said, citing reports of fresh attacks in recent days, particularly in the city of Ho On Monday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay briefed the UN General Assembly on the latest developments in Syria, and urged the world to take action to protect the civilian population. “The longer the international community fails to take action, the more the civilian population will suffer from countless atrocities ...
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New York, The Secretary-General’s Special Adviser for Myanmar arrived in the country on Monday for a five-day visit in which he will meet with Government authorities, political parties and civil society representatives, as the Asian nation moves ahead with planned refor The United Nations recently welcomed the decision by Myanmar’s President Thein Sein to grant amnesty and set free a significant number of prisoners of conscience, and acknowledged other reform measures, including dialogue between the Government and the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Special Adviser Vijay Nambiar told participants at a conference on development and policy options in Naypyitaw, the capital, that this is a crucial time for the country as it has the opportunity to address many development issues that will shape its future. “Since the launch of the reform agenda, we have seen progress in various areas,” Nambiar said. “The challenges ahead are many and complex. The reform agenda might be ambitious, but it is achievable,” he said, adding that participation, partnerships and solidarity – not only between Myanmar’s various sectors but also with other countries – ...
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Washington, India and the United States have signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a framework for conducting a dialogue and to cooperate on future labour and employment issues. The MoU signed here Thursday by Indian Minister of Labour and Employment Mallikarjun Kharge and US Secretary of Labour Hilda L. Solis will enable Indian and US experts to begin a dialogue on issues like skills development, youth employment, mine safety and health, and occupation safety and health. "The road map laid down in the Memorandum of Understanding will facilitate very close cooperation and interaction between our two countries and bring about improvements in the life of workers and their working conditions," said Kharge. "Our governments share a firm commitment to workers and their rights," said Solis. "Today marks the launch of a new programme to share valuable information that will ensure that workers' rights are respected." The memorandum is an outgrowth of a 2010 meeting between Kharge and Solis following a conference of the G20 Labour and employment ministers hosted by the US Department of Labour. Kharge also expressed interest in increasing Indian know-how in the ...
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New York, Criminal gangs are becoming a threat to the world’s glaciers, which are already receding as a result of climate change, the United Nations said on Thursday, citing a case in Chile where police are investigating the theft of some 5,000 kilograms of millennia-old ice from the Jorge Montt glacier. Mining for ice could pose a major additional threat to the 454 square-kilometre glacier, which is situated in Chile’s Bernardo O’Higgins National Park, and is part of the 13,000-square kilometre Southern Patagonian Ice Field, the third largest frozen land mass in the world after Antarctica and Greenland, according to the UN International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). The Jorge Montt glacier is melting at a rate of one kilometre per year, making it one of the world’s most iconic symbols of global warming, UNISDR noted. “The authorities in Chile are to be congratulated on clamping down on this illegal activity,” said Margareta Wahlström, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction and head of UNISDR. “The Jorge Montt glacier and other major ice-fields are a precious part of our common world ...
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Washington, The United States wants its relations with Pakistan to remain positive, but their interests sometimes differed as Pakistan considered India as an existential threat, according to Washington's intelligence chief. Testifying before the Senate Select Intelligence Committee Tuesday, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said the US relationship with Pakistan was a "challenging relationship but an important one," as the interests of the two countries are "not always congruent." Noting that Afghanistan remains a hot spot, Clapper said: "During the past year, the Taliban lost some ground, but ...Taliban's senior leaders continued to enjoy safe haven in Pakistan." To be successful, Afghanistan must have support from coalition forces and its neighbours-particularly Pakistan, he said. Asked by panel vice-chairman Saxby Chambliss about what was being done about safe havens of terrorists in Pakistan, Clapper said that they were talking to Pakistan about it. "Al Qaeda will increasingly rely on ideological and operational alliances with Pakistani militant factions to accomplish its goals with Pakistan and to conduct transnational attacks," he ...
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NEW YORK/VIENNA : The United Nations (UN) on Monday announced that a group of international experts is assessing the radiation damage caused by the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan last year. The group of sixty experts kicked off a week-long meeting in the Austrian capital of Vienna on Monday in order to identity critical gaps in the data which is available, where additional focus is required, and how to ensure the quality and reliability of what the assessment is based on. "We are putting together a jigsaw puzzle, evaluating the exposures of the general public, of workers, and radiation effects, and looking for the missing pieces," said Wolfgang Weiss, Chair of the UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). The power plant was damaged in March 2011 when a massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami struck to eastern coast of Japan. The disaster knocked out water cooling systems at the plant, contaminating air, water, plants and animals with radioactive plumes dozens of kilometers (miles) from the site. Data is being collected and evaluated from different sources, including Japan, the UN Food and ...
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Washington, Dec 21 : The United States has imposed sanctions on ten Iranian shipping firms affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), including Irano Hind, a joint venture with Shipping Corporation of India. Announcing the sanctions, seen as part of expanded efforts to isolate Tehran, the US Department of the Treasury said Tuesday the ten sanctioned shipping and front companies and one individual based in Malta were affiliated with the IRISL. Accusing the firms of "involvement in Iran's efforts to advance its missile programmes and transport military cargoes," the Treasury said they "have increasingly relied upon multiple front companies and agents to overcome the impact of US and international sanctions and increased scrutiny of their behaviour." "As IRISL and its subsidiaries continue their deceptive efforts to escape the grasp of US and international sanctions, we will continue to take action-as we are today-to expose the front companies, agents and managers working with IRISL and work to stop this illicit business," said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen. The entities and individual designated Tuesday ...
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London, Upto 13,500 security personnel, which is twice of the expected figure, will be deployed in 150 venues and training sites across the United Kingdom for the 2012 London Olympics. UK Defence Ministry said over 5,000 personnel would support police, 7,500 will secure venue during peak hours and another 1,000 will provide logistical support. An additional 1,000-member unarmed contingency force would also be maintained for tackling "Olympics-related civil emergency". The UK Government would also station crack bomb disposal experts and specialist dog teams to maintain tight security during the Games. The Royal Navy''s largest warship, HMS Ocean at Thames and HMS Bulwark based at Weymouth would secure venues, where sailing events would be held. The UK Government would also station typhoon war jets at RAF Northolt, and Puma and operate Lynx helicopters from HMS Ocean. "Next year''s Olympic and Paralympic Games are once-in-a-generation events for the UK. We want them to be secure, so that all those competing and attending can enjoy the Games for the celebration of sporting achievement and cultural celebration that it is," The Sun quoted Defence Secretary Philip ...
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New York, Hong Kong SAR overtakes the United States and the United Kingdom to top the World Economic Forum’s fourth annual Financial Development Report released on Tuesday. As the first Asian financial centre to achieve this rank, Hong Kong’s position was bolstered by strong scores in non-banking financial services such as IPO activity and insurance. Although it fell one spot to 2nd place, the United States’ overall score remains almost unchanged compared to last year. While financial stability continues to be a concern, the US was able to offset this weakness with strong financial intermediation results. Particular strengths in this area include highly developed foreign exchange and derivatives markets, as well as comparatively robust M&A and securitization activity. The United Kingdom declined in both score and rank, placing 3rd overall. The greatest contributing factors to the United Kingdom’s decline are lower scores on securitization and IPO activity. The results remained relatively stable among the rest of the top 10 in this year’s Report. Singapore’s decline to 4th place is a result of the securitization markets drying up and a weakening banking ...
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Washington, In a dozen key swing states across the United States, Democratic President Barack Obama is trailing his two leading Republican rivals hoping to challenge him in 2012 presidential election, according to a new opinion poll. While former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney led Obama by 5 percentage points, former House speaker Newt Gingrich led by 3 percentage points, according to Gallup/USA Today poll released Tuesday. The survey, which included Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin, found that Obama is running behind Romney, 43-48 percent, while he is losing to Gingrich, 45-48 percent. The results from the dozen swing states are worse for Obama than his performance nationwide, where he leads Gingrich by 6 percentage points and Romney by a single point, the poll says. Meanwhile, the survey also showed the number of Democrats declined in the swing states while the number of Republicans rose since 2008, painting a drastically different electoral landscape for the president's 2012 re-election efforts. In the dozen key states, the number of self-identified Democrats in ...
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Baghdad, The NATO’s training mission in Iraq is on the verge of being closed because the alliance failed to win assurance from the government that its forces would not be liable for persecution. Iraq officials said they had been informed that NATO troops would withdraw by the end of this month after failing to reach a consensus on the issue. A NATO official, however, said no decision has formally been made regarding the withdrawal of troops, The Telegraph reports. NATO’s military advisers were supposed to remain in Iraq until 2013 to train the country’s police and armed forces though the former played no role in combat missions. The United States would withdraw the remaining combat troops at the end of this month because Iraq failed to win parliamentary support for offering them legal immunity. Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, is, however, trying to strike a deal with NATO to retain foreign troops in the country to train the country’s air and naval forces in defend against a potential attack. Both sides had earlier spoken about ‘protection privileges’ proposal but failed to finalize the details of the agreement. Analysts have predicted that ...
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United Nations, UN has hailed a series of decisions made at the Climate Change Conference in the South African city of Durban, stating the meeting represented a major achievement that would redefine the way the global community would tackle the issue (climate change) in the future. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said yesterday the new accord is "essential for stimulating greater action and for raising the level of ambition and the mobilisation of resources to respond to the challenges of climate change." Following extended talks over the weekend, the 194 participants in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) agreed on a package of decisions, known as the Durban Platform, which include the launch of a protocol or legal instrument that would apply to all members, a second commitment period for the existing Kyoto Protocol and the launch of the Green Climate Fund. Mr Ban also welcomed the agreement to establish a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, stating it will "increase certainty for the carbon market and provide additional incentives for new investments in technology and the infrastructure necessary to ...
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Washington, The United States has said foreign direct investment in retail trade would be beneficial to both India and the US but it would wait for the debate over it to play out in a democracy like India. "We understand that this is a domestic Indian issue. We understand the government's decision to allow time for a consensus to be forged. We believe that this is a deal that's in both our countries' interests," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters Thursday. Asked if the US was not disappointed that major American retailers are not going to have access to the world's second-largest market, he parried: "The debate that's going on now in India is similar to debates over economic policy in the United States." "It's a domestic debate right now. We're very clear on our position. This is good for both our countries. We believe it should go forward, but we'll allow that debate to play out in India." "I think it's self-evident that by saying we believe this is in the interests of both our countries that we believe this is a big deal," Toner said when pressed. "The Indian government knows how we feel about this." When a reporter citing the civil nuclear deal ...
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New Delhi, The logjam at the Indian Parliament continued on Thursday as both the houses were adjourned for the eighth consecutive day over the FDI issue. The opposition parties and certain section of the key allies of the ruling United progressive Alliance (UPA) government kept protesting against the central government's decision to allow Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail, which ultimately stalled the normal proceedings of the house. In the Lok Sabha, some Members of Parliament (MP) of Trinamool Congress came to the Well and started shouting slogans against FDI on Thursday, while the opposition demanded a roll back of FDI. The Lok Sabha was disrupted immediately on Thursday after Speaker Meira Kumar made obituary reference to former member Harish Kumar Gangawar of the Congress Party and read out a message to mark the World AIDS Day. Meanwhile, the government has made their stance clear on the FDI issue that they would not roll back the decision taken by cabinet to allow FDI in retail, media reports said. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) members from Tamil Nadu also disrupted the Parliament as they demanded for the implementation of the ...
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United Nations, The world body has expressed concern about the continued violence in Egypt and asked the Middle Eastern nation's military authorities to make sure that all residents can enjoy basic rights. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who spoke to Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, head of the Supreme Council of the Egyptian armed forces, deplored the loss of many lives and injuries to a large number of people. According to information released here yesterday by the spokesperson for the UN chief, Mr Ban restated his view that the ruling military should protect basic human rights. He also urged that credible elections should be held leading to the establishment of a democratic society. The first phase of parliamentary elections, since the overthrow of the regime under President Hosni Mubakarak, are slated to begin tomorrow. Mubarak stepped down in February, after ruling the country for three decades, following weeks of protests in the now famous Tahrir Square over his rule. Regimes were changed in other Middle Eastern nations like Tunisia and Yemen. Unrest has been reported elsewhere in region, including ...
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New York, United Nations human rights experts spoke out on Thursday against newly adopted legislative amendments in Belarus, warning that the changes could severely curtail basic rights such as those of freedom of assembly, association and expression. The three independent experts issued a joint statement in Geneva in which they said the amendments recently adopted by the Eastern European country’s National Assembly could worsen the "current climate of fear and intimidation" in Belarus. Under the new laws, organizing public assemblies without the prior and explicit consent of the authorities is a criminal offense, and organizers also face reporting liabilities regarding the financial resources used for any assemblies. Public calls for initiating assemblies and disseminating information -- including through social media platforms -- about assemblies without permission is also banned. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are prohibited from storing funds in banks on foreign territory, and receiving foreign grants or donations could also be a criminal offense in some circumstances. One of the experts, Maina Kiai, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of ...
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New York, A new United Nations study released on Wednesday provides policy-makers with technical and economically feasible guidelines on how to cut down greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions so governments can meet their environmental targets by 2020. Bridging the Emissions Gap, released by the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP), argues that the world already has the solutions to avert damaging climate change, and gives specific recommendations to put these into action, highlighting the need for changes in the energy system and examining various economic sectors such as electricity production, transport, aviation, forestry and agriculture to consider for emissions reductions in the next 10 years. “The annual UNEP Gap Report is a vital contribution to the global effort to address dangerous climate change,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “It shows that we have much to do, both in terms of ambition and policy, but it also shows that the gap can still be closed if we act now. This is a message of hope and an important call to action.” The report also examines research on the gap between the pledges made by countries to cut their GHG emissions and what measures will be ...
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