United States of America
United States of America
Call for Better AU-UN Cooperation
President Jacob Zuma says Africa must never again be a playground for furthering the interests of other regions.
Speaking at the council in New York, Zuma presented an argument for stronger relations between the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN).
His comments came as South Africa assumed the presidency of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, which rotates alphabetically, and immediately pushed for recognition of the African agenda, which is often out of step with the rest of the world.
To read the article, “Zuma urges better co-operation between AU and UN,” click here.Source:Business DayUS Urged Not to Cut Foreign Aid
While the United States debt talks are making the headlines, the battle over the 2012 budget is already underway and the NGO community fears cuts to crucial foreign aid programmes.
According to a blog by Samuel A Worthington on the PovertyMattersBlog, the current budget battles in Washington could result in an erosion of our country's ‘soft power’ as US agencies, who implement core foreign assistance programmes, come under financial attack.
Worthington says that the US NGO community fears associated cuts to what is known as ‘discretionary spending’ will translate into less for poverty-focused development and humanitarian assistance.
To read the article titled, “US must learn from Britain and not cut foreign aid,” click here.Source:PovertyMattersBlogUS Rights Report Sees Concern in NGO Law
The United States of America has issued its annual Human Rights Report, voicing concern among other things, about an impending law to regulate NGOs.
US assistant secretary of state, Michael Posner, says the law will make it harder for civil society to operate and could run counter to the nation’s constitution.
Posner says Cambodia is among some 90 other countries that have adopted laws or regulations that will potentially curtail rights of civic organisations.
“It is, to me, in some ways emblematic of this trend that I talked about, where governments are not happy with their critics, and so they decide to make it difficult or impossible for them to operate,” explains Posner.
To read the article titled, “US rights report sees concern in NGO law,” click here.Source:VOA NewsAmnesty Calls on US to Prosecute Bush
Rights group Amnesty International has urged the United States to prosecute former President George W Bush for torture if his admission in a memoir that he authorised waterboarding holds true.
Amnesty International's senior director, Claudio Cordone, points out that, "Under international law, anyone involved in torture must be brought to justice, and that does not exclude former President George W Bush.”
Cordone states that if Bush is substantiated, the USA has the obligation to prosecute him, adding that in the absence of a US investigation, other states must step in and carry out such an investigation themselves.
In Decision Points, published this week, Bush defended his decision to authorise waterboarding, a form of simulated drowning condemned by some as torture.
To read the article titled, “Amnesty: Prosecute Bush for waterboarding,” click here.Source:News24Obama Criticised Over Anti Gay Bill
Uganda's ethics and integrity minister dismisses virulent criticism of his country's proposed anti-gay law by United States President, Barack Obama.
Uganda's Ethics and Integrity Minister, James Nsaba Buturo, has dismissed virulent criticism of his country's proposed anti-gay law by United States President, Barack Obama, and warned that any interference will be unacceptable.
Buturo argues that, "Somebody should tell President Obama that the parliament is doing its legislative duty in the interest of the people of Uganda."
Buturo, who is one of the main Ugandan proponents of the bill which will further criminalise homosexuality and even gay rights advocacy, vowed that Ugandan MPs will not be swayed by US or any outside criticism.Source:News24UNESCO Launches Global Monitoring Report
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has launched the Global Monitoring Report.
The focus of the report this year is ‘reaching the marginalised’ and how to bring basic education to the world's most forgotten people.
The report shows that while steady progress has been made in improving worldwide education, there is still significant work to be done.
To read the article titled, “UN launches 2010 education for all Global Monitoring Report,” click here.
Source:All AfricaUS Suspends US$7m Education Programme
The United States has suspended a five-year US$7 million programme for Kenya's education ministry over a massive corruption scandal.
Washington's ambassador, Michael Ranneberger, who points out that the programme was scheduled to begin this year, says that the suspension will be effective until there is a credible, independent audit and full accountability.
"Those culpable for the fraud should not merely be sacked; they should be prosecuted and put behind bars," says Ranneberger.
To read the article titled, "Kenya: US suspends aid," click here.Source:News24Free GPS for Google Cellphones
Internet giant Google has unveiled a free navigation system for cellphones in a move seen as a potential challenge to the makers of standalone GPS navigation devices.
However, industry analysts say the free Google feature could pose a threat to the personal navigation devices for drivers made by companies such as Garmin of the US and TomTom of the Netherlands.
In the same vein, US telecom carrier Verizon Wireless and the United States handset maker, Motorola, announced simultaneously that a smartphone going on sale in the United States, the Droid, will be the first to feature Google Maps Navigation.
To read the article titled, “Google adds free GPS to cellphones,” click here.Source:IOL TechnologyIrrefutable Proof ICTY Is Corrupt Court/Irrefutable Proof the Hague Court Cannot Legitimately Prosecute Karadzic Case
Irrefutable Proof ICTY Is Corrupt Court/Irrefutable Proof the Hague Court Cannot Legitimately Prosecute Karadzic Case http://lpcyu.instablogs.com/entry/nato-says-the-hague-tribunal-or-icty-b... http://picasaweb.google.com/lpcyusa/ViewMyHagueInternationalCriminalCour... (The Documentary Secret United Nations ICC Meeting Papers Scanned Images) This legal technicality indicates the Hague must dismiss charges against Dr karadzic and others awaiting trials in the Hague jail; like it or not. Unfortunately for the Signatures Of the Rome Statute United Nations member states instituting the ICC & ICTY housed at the Hague, insofar as the, Radovan Karadzic, as with the other Hague cases awaiting trial there, I personally witnessed these United Nations member states openly speaking about trading judicial appointments and verdicts for financial funding when I attended the 2001 ICC Preparatory Meetings at the UN in Manhattan making the iCTY and ICC morally incapable trying Radovan Karazdic and others. I witnessed with my own eyes and ears when attending the 2001 Preparatory Meetings to establish an newly emergent International Criminal Court, the exact caliber of criminal corruption running so very deeply at the Hague, that it was a perfectly viable topic of legitimate conversation in those meetings I attended to debate trading verdicts AND judicial appointments, for monetary funding. Jilly wrote:*The rep from Spain became distraught and when her country’s proposal was not taken to well by the chair of the meeting , then Spain argued in a particularly loud and noticably strongly vocal manner, “Spain (my country) strongly believes if we contribute most financial support to the Hague’s highest court, that ought to give us and other countries feeding it financially MORE direct power over its decisions.” ((((((((((((((((((((((((( ((((((((((((((((((((((((( Instead of censoring the country representative from Spain for even bringing up this unjust, illegal and unfair judicial idea of bribery for international judicial verdicts and judicial appointments, all country representatives present in the meeting that day all treated the Spain proposition as a ”totally legitimate topic” discussed and debated it between each other for some time. I was quite shocked! The idea was "let's discuss it." "It's a great topic to discuss." Some countries agreed with Spain’s propositions while others did not. The point here is, bribery for judicial verdicts and judicial appointments was treated as a totally legitimate topic instead of an illegitimate toic which it is in the meeting that I attended in 2001 that day to establish the ground work for a newly emergent international criminal court.)))))))))))))))))))))))))))) In particular., since "Spain" was so overtly unafraid in bringing up this topic of trading financial funding the ICC for influence over its future judicial appointments and verdicts in front of every other UN member state present that day at the UN, "Spain" must have already known by previous experience the topic of bribery was "socially acceptable" for conversation that day. They must have previously spoke about bribing the ICTY and ICC before in meetings; this is my take an international sociological honor student. SPAIN's diplomatic gesture of international justice insofar as, Serbia, in all of this is, disgusting morally! SPAIN HAS TAUGHT THE WORLD THE TRUE DEFINITION OF AN "INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT." I remind everyone, when I attended those ICC Preparatory Meetings in 2001, witnessing first hand the country plenipotentiary representatives present with me discussing so openly, trading judicial funding of a new international criminal court, for its direct judicial appointments and judicial verdicts, those same state powers were concurrently, those same countries and people were already simultaneously, funding the already established ICTY which was issuing at that time, arrest warrants for Bosnian Serbs under false primary diplomatic pretenses. The ICTY and ICC is just where it should be for once. Cornered and backed into and an international wall, scared like a corned animal (and I bet it reacts in the same way a rabid cornered animal does too in such circumstances). (ICTY associates) http://picasaweb.google.com/lpcyusa /DuringTheTrialOfRamushHaradinajIn2006TheHagueWarCrimesTribunalForTheFormerYugoslavi# (Documents: Hague war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has destroyed all material evidence about the monsterous KLA Albanian/KLA organ trade in Kosovo) I believe strongly that ICYU assocaites murdered former Serb President, Slobodan Milosevic, tried to murder me, as well and other Serbs prisoners and presently places , Doctor Radovan Karadzic’s life in direct danger as well as Ratko Mladic’s life in danger should he be brought there. The ICTY has no other choice than to halt all further court proceedings against, Doctor Radovan Karadzic, and others there both serving sentences and awaiting trials. Miss JIll Louise Starr (The UN Security Council has no choice but to act on this now). I accuse the Hague ICTY war crimes tribunal of attempted assassination on my life and others, contempt of court and obstruction of international justice and "international witness tampering" in complicity with Richard Holbrook and Bill Clinton (Former US President of the USA) as well as political playersin Spain and the Netherlands . I represented the state interests' of the Former Yugoslavia, in Darko Trifunovic’s absence in those meetings and I am proud to undertake this effort on Serbia’s behalf.Microsoft Introduces OneApp in South Africa
Microsoft has unveiled software that lets Twitter, Facebook and other hot Internet services to be delivered to low-cost ‘feature phones’ common in developing countries.
Corporate vice-president of the Unlimited Potential Group and Startup Business Accelerator at Microsoft, Amit Mital, points out that, "We designed OneApp from the ground up on feature phones with very limited memory and processing capabilities."
The US technology giant will debut OneApp in South Africa and hopes to swiftly roll it out in India, China and other countries where millions of people use feature phones instead of powerful smartphones.
To read the article titled, “MSoft debuts OneApp in SA,” click here.Source:<br /> News24

