 |  Panel: Yushchenko should reform Ukraine quickly
Ukraine's President-elect Viktor Yushchenko must move quickly if he is to succeed in reforming the country away from Soviet-era corruption and cronyism, according to a report by a United Nations-appointed panel of 19 experts. The 96-page report urges Ukraine to take a series of steps, including overhauling the judiciary, enacting new tax laws and completing privatization. The Guardian (London) (1/13) 
Report: Iran prepared to monitor nuclear inspectors closely
International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors arrived yesterday in Iran and officials there are being "watchful not to allow any espionage or intelligence theft from these sites," according to a newspaper quoting Iranian nuclear officials. Television reports say the inspectors are there to look at the Parchin military facility outside Tehran. The Boston Globe/Associated Press (1/13)
Newspaper investigations: U.S., U.K. ignored warnings on Iraq oil smuggling
The U.S. and U.K. governments were aware of the "single largest and boldest smuggling operation" related to the United Nations' Iraq oil-for-food program at the time it took place but took no action to stop it, Britain's Financial Times reports. The newspaper says a joint investigation by it and Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore shows the U.S. and U.K. governments ignored warnings they received about the smuggling operation involving at least $150 million in illegal profits going to Jordanians and Iraqis, including allies of Saddam Hussein. Financial Times (London) (subscription required) (1/13)
 Editorial: UN was aware of problems with program: The Wall Street Journal writes in an editorial that the 58 internal United Nations audits of its Iraq oil-for-food program released this week show the world body was aware of mismanagement of the program at the time it feigned ignorance. The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) (1/13)
|
 |  Editorial: Momentum in favor of permanent clamp-down on child trafficking
Human traffickers who sell children for sweatshop labor or into the sex trade "have long operated in South Asia with near impunity," but their efforts seem to have been curbed by strong action by local governments in the wake of the tsunami disaster, offering hopeful signs, The New York Times writes in an editorial. It's now important this new effort to protect kids grows into a permanent "regionwide commitment" to stop child trafficking, the newspaper writes. The New York Times (free registration) (1/13)
|
 |  U.K.'s Brown proposes major funding increase to combat AIDS
A huge increase in international funding for the campaign to overcome the AIDS epidemic was outlined by British chancellor Gordon Brown, who said current funding is "not nearly enough faced with complex scientific challenges." Brown called for dramatic increases in donations to finance efforts on all fronts, from speeding up research on vaccines to providing currently available drugs for people already infected with AIDS. By doubling research funding, scientists could produce an AIDS vaccine three years earlier than currently expected, Brown said. The Guardian (London) (1/13), The Independent (London) (1/13), AlertNet.org/Reuters (1/13), The Times (London) (1/13)
Report: HIV/AIDS spreading rapidly in Russia
One million people in Russia are now estimated to be infected with HIV/AIDS, and the number is climbing rapidly, according to a report by Russian and U.S. experts. The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, which issued the report, urged the Russian government -- which officially pegs the country's HIV/AIDS numbers at 300,000 -- to do more to fight the disease. MSNBC/Associated Press (1/12)
|
 |  UN conference: Small islands pressing for action on climate change
Representatives of some 40 island countries, many of which are especially vulnerable to climate change, are pressing for tougher action against global warming at a United Nations conference in Mauritius. Delegates from 110 countries are meeting to review a 1994 plan to help small countries deal with problems such as climate change, natural disasters and trade losses; talks are "not easy," said a UN spokesman. Click here to read remarks by UN Under-Secretary-General Anwarul Chowdhury. Daily Times (Pakistan) (1/13)
Liberians forced to meet their own energy needs
A year and a half after the end of Liberia's civil war, severely damaged infrastructure has not been repaired yet, so residents of Monrovia remain dependent on their own resources and private generators, known as "Tigers," for basic energy and water needs. The Liberian government is soliciting private international firms, particularly in China, as well as the World Bank and the European Union to help repair ailing dams and power grids as soon as possible AllAfrica Global Media/IRIN (1/11)
|
 |  Tsunami could put millions into lives of poverty
The aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that hit South Asia and eastern Africa on Dec. 26, killing more than 150,000, could send 2 million people into poverty, according to an Asian Development Bank report released today. The United Nations is currently providing food for more than 1 million people in the region and UNESCO reported yesterday the Indian Ocean will have its own tsunami warning program by the middle of 2006.. Meanwhile, the Paris Club's announcement that is was freezing debt to affected countries was met with concern from Sri Lankan officials who are requesting a "longer moratorium" than the rumored year-long reprieve. The following stories are related to the disaster:
Aid groups come face to face with corruption in Indonesia: A United Nations-backed seminar on corruption, held this week for donor organizations and governments, revealed the challenges that many say start with top government officials in tsunami-afflicted Indonesia. The New York Times (free registration) (1/13)
Indonesia wants foreign military to leave in March: The U.S. military is scaling back plans to send more troops to help out in Indonesia after the tsunami-ravaged country said it wants all foreign military to leave by the end of March. Los Angeles Times (free registration) (1/13)
The debt relief debate: The Paris Club of creditor countries has offered to freeze some $5 billion in debt repayments from countries hit hard by the Asian tsunami disaster, but what may seem like an easy sell has sparked unexpected discussion among recipients and donors alike. The Economist (1/12)
Latest news on UN aid efforts: For more updates throughout the day on the UN response to the tsunami disaster, please click here.
Outgoing Powell offers candid assessment of Iraq
Outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell offered what the Financial Times called a "bleak" assessment of the situation in Iraq this week, noting in an interview with National Public Radio that it is too soon to tell whether or not U.S. troop levels in Iraq will diminish over the next year. Powell told NPR that U.S. officials were properly concerned with the ongoing Iraqi insurgency, and meetings on how to curb violence ahead of this month's elections were occurring "non-stop" in Washington and elsewhere. Financial Times (London) (subscription required) (1/12), National Public Radio (RealPlayer required) (1/12)
Editorial: Iraq WMD search a "nonevent"
As the Iraq Survey Group concludes its unsuccessful search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq with little fanfare, a New York Times editorial calls the American quest "one of the greatest nonevents of the early 21st century," likening it to the Y2K scare in 1999. The Times editorial also says the failure to find WMD lends credibility to international weapons inspections, and laments the fact that 40% of Americans still believe weapons were found. The New York Times (free registration) (1/13), The Philadelphia Inquirer/Associated Press (free registration) (1/13)
Commentary: Romania's example offers hope for Iraqi democracy
American Ambassador to Romania J.D. Crouch lauds Romania's recent democratic transition of power in the Wall Street Journal, pointing out the former East Bloc nation lived under the tyrannical rule of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu 15 years earlier, yet has made a huge stride in joining the community of democratic countries. Crouch offers Romania as a template of what could one day be in Iraq if the U.S. and others remain steadfast, noting that "the road to a free society is long and it is tough." The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) (1/13)
Commentary: Democratic elections and legitimacy in the Middle East
While recent Palestinian elections and polls slated for the end of this month in Iraq are commendable efforts, low voter turnout and limited candidates for voters to choose from indicate such events might not represent the "benchmark of democracy" that supporters claim they do, writes Daniel Sneider of the San Jose Mercury News. Still, writes Sneider, both events provide an increased level of legitimacy for elected representatives and are a positive step towards realizing democracy. The Philadelphia Inquirer (free registration) (1/13)
Editorial: Cooperate, but keep pressure on Khartoum
A Washington Post editorial praises the recent peace deal signed by the Sudanese government and southern rebels, brokered by Kenyan, American, British and Norwegian mediators, that could allow up to 4 million refugees to return home and offers considerable concessions to the alienated citizens of southern Sudan. While it will take sustained cooperation between all parties to enforce the peace, the Post notes the most pressing issue remains in Sudan's Darfur region, where fighting continues and external pressure on the Sudanese government should continue to be applied. The Washington Post (free registration) (1/13)
Commentary: Why debt relief works
A Christian Science Monitor report examines the growing acceptance of debt relief as a means towards assisting economically impoverished countries, citing a recent moratorium on debt relief announced by the Group of 7 countries and this week's Paris Club announcement that it will freeze the debts of countries hit hardest by the Asian tsunami. Supporters of debt relief argue poor countries are more likely to spend much-needed funds on education and health care when large-scale debt payments are removed, noting rich countries also benefit as consumer markets open up as a result of debt forgiveness. The Christian Science Monitor (1/13)
|
 |  |
AIDS is not unbeatable ... But to get on top of this pandemic, we need to think big and act boldly. We need to invest up front. Unless we reach a high threshold of action and financing, our efforts are wasted."
--Richard Feachem, executive director of the Global Fund. Click here to read the complete story. |
|
|
|
자유게시판
토론실소개
![[펌글]국적 잃을뻔한 다문화 남매...대법 "주민등록증…](http://toronsil.com/gnu5/data/editor/2404/thumb-20240412172340_a1d9ece4528b680b64621eb7dc35a6a4_pxd5_100x100.png)
![[펌글]2024. 4. 10. 각급법원(제1,2심) 판…](http://toronsil.com/gnu5/data/editor/2404/thumb-20240412172333_a1d9ece4528b680b64621eb7dc35a6a4_re9b_100x100.png)
