UN: $7 billion needed for 2009 humanitarian work
Wed, 19 Nov 2008  The Associated Press GENEVA - The United Nations asked Wednesday for $7 billion (5.5 billion euros) to fund its humanitarian work around the world in 2009 , almost double last year's appeal as a result of soaring food prices and crises in Africa, among other factors. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged donor nations and private groups to support urgent aid for 30 million people in 31 countries who need drinking water, emergency shelter, medicines and other basic necessities of life. "Our aim is to help these most vulnerable people survive the coming year," said Ban, who left Geneva on Wednesday morning after visiting the European headquarters of the United Nations. Aid agencies have to...
 | An invitation to leave Iraq? Gladly accepted
Wed, 19 Nov 2008 Iraqi officials reportedly drove a hard bargain on the U.S. withdrawal they've just negotiated with American diplomats. To which we say: Let them take advantage of us as much as they want, if it gets our troops out of Iraq more quickly. The proposed new security pact - which was approved Sunday by the Iraqi cabinet - calls for a complete pullout of American forces by the end of...
| The Tibet talks have failed: At least on that the Chinese and Tibetan delegations agree
Wed, 19 Nov 2008 (The Tibet Post International) DHARAMSALA - On Sunday, the Tibetan delegation led by senior envoy Lodi Gyaltsen held its first press conference since returning to India from Beijing on 6 November after the eighth round of talks with Chinese leadership in which the Tibetan delegation presented its Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People. Gyaltsen said that the talks were an "absolute failure" after which the delegation "did not even discuss the possibility of further rounds" of talks with the Chinese. "Our biggest disappointment is the situation inside Tibet," he said. "The reason we've been sent year after year is to try to provide some relief to the suffering inside Tibet."...
| Suspected U.S. strike kills 5 militants in Pakistan
Wed, 19 Nov 2008 PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - A suspected U.S. drone aircraft fired two missiles at a house in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing five suspected militants, possibly including an Arab al Qaeda operative, intelligence officials said. The al Qaeda fighter was identified as Abdullah Azam al-Saudi by an intelligence official based in Dera Ismail Khan, hours after the missile attack in Janikhel tribal area of neighboring Bannu district in North West Frontier Province. "He used to coordinate between al Qaeda and Taliban in Pakistan, and had also been responsible for recruiting people," the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity because he is not...
|
