An 8.8 magnitude Earthquake struck Chile this morning. The New York Times reports that at least 83 people are dead. That toll is likely to rise.
This was to be expected. The resolution (below) gives both Israel and the Palestinian side five months to conduct investigations that are "independent, credible and in conformity with international standards into the serious violations of international humanitarian and international human rights law," that were alleged in the Goldstone Report. A similar resolution passed in November by a vote of 114 Yes votes, 18 No votes, and 44 abstentions (mostly from Europe).
Grist's Amanda Little talked to Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla) after the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee's Feb. 23 hearing about his views on climate change, which he believes to be a hoax perpetrated by the UN and the IPCC. The interview is an amazing insight into how his mind works.
A few days ago there was an odd juxtaposition of Yemen-related news. On the one hand, U.S.
As Matt noted, reigning Idol champ Kris Allen traveled to Haiti last week with UN Foundation CEO Kathy Calvin to visit the relief efforts. (Recall: We posted some exclusive video of that trip.) Well, Thursday night, on Fox at 8pm EST (7 Central) you can see more from the Haiti trip when Idol airs a special episode dedicated to Haiti.
Tomorrow, the General Assembly is scheduled to vote on the Goldstone Report that criticizes both Hamas and the Israeli Defense Forces for alleged war crimes during Operation Cast Lead. The resolution that is up for a vote is partly symbolic -- it will show that the Goldstone Report (which will not be taken up by the Security Council) is not gone and forgotten. But it also gives both sides five months to implement some of the report's key findings and assures that there will be another vote on the matter this summer. This helps keep the pressure on both sides to imple
Eleven days ago, I heard a rumor that the office of President Hamid Karzai had re-written Afghanistan’s Election Law in ways that would deal a blow to the country’s beleaguered democrats. The changes had gone into force through a presidential decree, I was told. While the international press was still quiet, ripples of alarm were already spreading through Kabul-based civil society.
The story is out now, and the worst has been confirmed.
Consumers in the developing world are rapidly increasing their purchases of electronics – computers, cell phones, toys, cameras. Disposal capacity isn’t keeping pace. The UN Environmental Program just issued a new report that predicts a massive increase in e-waste in the developing world.