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Posts Tagged Political

North Korea Releases Aijalon Mahli Gomes

Aug 27

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Philip J. Crowley
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Public Affairs

We welcome the release of Aijalon Mahli Gomes and are relieved that he will soon be safely reunited with his family. We appreciate former President Carter’s humanitarian effort and welcome North Korea’s decision to grant Mr. Gomes special amnesty and allow him to return to the United States. We also want to express our gratitude to the Swedish Government for their tireless consular services and efforts on the U.S. Government’s behalf in their role as our Protecting Power in North Korea.

President Carter’s trip was a private, humanitarian, and unofficial mission solely for the purpose of bringing Mr. Gomes home and reuniting him with his family. The former President traveled at the invitation of the DPRK Government. The U.S. Government did not propose or arrange the trip. Based on our assessment that Mr. Gomes’ health was at serious risk if he did not receive immediate care in the United States, the U.S. Government concurred with former President Carter’s decision to accept the North Korean proposal.
state.gov

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UN honours former anti-apartheid leader on first-ever Nelson Mandela Day

Jul 17

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The United Nations is marking Nelson Mandela International Day for the first time this year in honour of the former South African leader’s contribution to the struggle for peace and freedom.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was most impressed by Mr. Mandela’s humility when he met the former anti-apartheid leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Mr. Mandela preferred to talk not about himself but about what other people had done in the struggle for human rights and dignity, Mr. Ban said in a message to a special commemorative ceremony held at UN Headquarters in New York.

“That is just one reason why Nelson Mandela is such an inspiration to millions. He was not backed by money or power. As he constantly reminds us, he is an ordinary man. But he has achieved extraordinary things.
un.org

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UN rights chief welcomes Cuba’s planned release of political detainees

Jul 10

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United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay has welcomed the announcement that Cuba plans to release 52 political detainees, her spokesperson said today.
She hopes that this will be “the start of a series of significant steps to advance the protection of human rights in Cuba,” Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), told reporters in Geneva.

Mr. Colville added that it will be particularly good news when the phased release of the 52 detainees has actually been completed.

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos and the Roman Catholic Church reportedly helped arrange the deal under which the detainees will be released and then head to Spain.
un.org

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Conflict Kitchen Helps Locals Learn About “Enemy” Countries

Jun 8

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With a restaurant that serves dishes from countries the U.S. is in conflict with, Conflict Kitchen aims to help people understand other cultures’ perspectives through food.

Most of the news we hear about Iran has to do with its nuclear weapons and terrorist groups. But if you ever sat down for a meal with someone from Iran, you might find a far more complex understanding of the culture—and an appreciation for the fantastic food.
kubidehkitchen.com

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Marriage across borders

Apr 1

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She is Indian. He is Pakistani. Both are young and glamorous sports stars.

But Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza and Pakistani cricket player Shoaib Malik are making headlines off the sports field. They’re getting married, despite six decades of hostility between their nations.

That makes them what’s known in South Asia as a “cross-border” couple, whose romance transcends rival national arguments over disputed Kashmir and religious extremism.
Listen to story

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Afghan women lead protest against government corruption

Dec 11

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kabul
In an unusual display of female political activism, several hundred demonstrators demand that President Hamid Karzai purge those connected to corruption, war crimes or the Taliban.

Kabul, Afghanistan – Several hundred women, many holding aloft pictures of relatives killed by drug lords or Taliban militants, held a loud but nonviolent street protest today, demanding that President Hamid Karzai purge from his government anyone connected to corruption, war crimes or the Taliban.

“These women are being very brave,” said the protest leader, her face hidden by a burka. “To be a woman in Afghanistan and an activist can mean death. We want justice for our loved ones!”
latimes.com

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China Joins U.S. in Pledge of Hard Targets on Emissions

Nov 27

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emissions
By EDWARD WONG and KEITH BRADSHER

BEIJING — The Chinese government announced Thursday that it had set a target to slow the growth of its greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, a day after the Obama administration set a provisional target for reducing United States emissions.

The Chinese offer, which focuses on energy efficiency, contrasts with the strategy of the United States and most other nations to reduce total emissions. China has resisted demands from American and European negotiators to adopt binding limits on its emissions, arguing that environmental concerns must be balanced with economic growth and that developed countries must first demonstrate a significant commitment to reducing their own emissions.

With its enormous population and breathtaking pace of economic development, China surpassed the United States two years ago as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
nytimes.com

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Denmark says 65 leaders enrolled for climate talks

Nov 22

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By John Acher

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – Sixty-five world leaders have confirmed they will attend next month’s U.N. climate conference in Copenhagen which Danish officials hope will bring strong political commitment for a new treaty to combat global warming.

Though hopes of reaching a legally binding agreement have slipped into next year, Denmark 10 days ago upgraded the December 7-18 climate talks by inviting 191 heads of state and government to attend the final two days of the Copenhagen meeting to muster forces for a political deal.
reuters.com

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Nobel winner Barack Obama: ‘I am surprised and humbled’

Oct 9

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Nigerian rebel leaders give up arms in amnesty deal

Oct 5

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By Nick Tattersall

PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria (Reuters) – Hundreds of Nigerian rebel fighters gave up their weapons and accepted an amnesty deal on Saturday in the most concerted effort yet to end years of fighting in the oil-producing Niger Delta.

Militant commanders Ateke Tom and Farah Dagogo, both responsible for years of attacks on the oil industry in the eastern Niger Delta, led gunmen from camps in the mangrove creeks to the oil hub of Port Harcourt to disarm.

Government Tompolo, the final prominent militant, meanwhile signed an amnesty agreement in the capital Abuja after meeting with President Umaru Yar’Adua. His followers, the main rebel faction in the western delta, are expected to disarm on Sunday.

“Now the stage is set for the post-amnesty period,” Yar’Adua said after the signing ceremony. “Government will now meet with all the militants and leaders to have their input into the rehabilitation and reorientation programme.”
thestar.com

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