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Health :: Middle East
The Economist: Middle East and Africa
Iran’s disputed presidential election: A hollow victory
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:54:22 -0000
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad keeps power but loses legitimacy, particularly among the middle classTHE case is closed. The landslide claimed by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the June 12th presidential election was real, says Iran’s government, and anyone who doesn’t like it can lump it or, indeed, risk going to jail. After weeks of unrest, the state has reasserted its power. Heavy policing has blunted public protests, while a more targeted campaign of arrests, intimidation and controls on communications has hamstrung attempts to organise and sustain opposition. But with accusations of foul play still being voiced, even within the religious establishment that supports the Islamic Republic, Iran’s hardliners will struggle to re-establish legitimacy.The Guardian Council, an appointed body dominated by clerics allied to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was in charge of investigating allegations of electoral fraud. Considering that it has a record of barring reformist candidates and that its chairman publicly endorsed the arch-conservative Mr Ahmadinejad before the ballot, the result was preordained: the council announced on June 29th that its researches, including a partial recount, had produced no sign of wrongdoing, so closing the last legal channel to contest the outcome. Pro-regime news outlets even suggested that the revised tally showed gains for Mr Ahmadinejad. The president declared not just a personal triumph but the defeat of an enemy plot to overthrow the regime. ...
Fighting AIDS in Sudan: Imams, tea ladies and condoms
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:54:20 -0000
A killer of another sort stalks one of Africa’s most conflict-riven countriesFOR six years, Najun Eldin Muhammad Ahmed has been living with HIV. But he is an unusual man. In the pious and conservative Muslim north of Sudan, he not only admits it, but campaigns actively to raise awareness of the virus. He has corralled 42 fellow sufferers in Port Sudan, on the Red Sea, to form one of the country’s most active AIDS-support groups. Mr Ahmed willingly concedes that his group represents only a tiny fraction of those infected with HIV, the AIDS-causing virus, in a city of almost half a million people.On top of Sudan’s myriad other problems, such as the bloody war in Darfur, the country also has a full-blown epidemic of HIV on its hands. Reliable figures on any subject are hard to come by in Sudan, let alone one as sensitive as this. Nonetheless, enough research has been done to confirm some of the worst fears about the spread of HIV in the country. The last big study in 2003 revealed a prevalence rate of 1.6%, but experts say that is probably now approaching 3%. The rate in neighbouring Egypt, by contrast, is just 0.1%; anything over 1% is counted by the World Health Organisation as an epidemic. ...
Royalist politics in Morocco: The king’s friend
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:54:20 -0000
A new leader emerges, but how credible will he be?A NEW political force is emerging in Moroccan politics. The Authenticity and Modernity Party, known by its French acronym, PAM, with a centrist non-ideological platform open to all comers, has been in existence for less than a year. Yet it already seems destined to win the general election in 2012. In its electoral debut in last month’s municipal poll, PAM won the ballot with 22% of the vote. Yet for all its success, the ascent towards the prime ministership of its founder, Fouad Ali El Himma (pictured), is the chronicle of a political elevation foretold. In 2007 Mr El Himma resigned from his job as deputy interior minister and announced his intention to run as an independent in the parliamentary election that year. Where a few saw a fall from royal grace— he was known to be a close political adviser to King Muhammad VI—others sensed the beginning of a reconfiguration of monarchist parties. ...
Meeting Somalia’s Shabab: The next jihad
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:54:20 -0000
Fear and beheadings in the heartland of the militantsTHE Juba river region, in Somalia, is hard country. Women are regularly eaten by crocodiles while fetching dirty water. The sandy farmland is either in drought or flooded. And the militants known as the Shabab, who rule the area, exact brutal justice. Your correspondent had to turn back from the town of Wajid (see map) this week because, within, a man was being beheaded. A day later, a clan leader was shot dead. As The Economist went to press, three more were to be beheaded in Wajid, and two more had suffered the same fate in a nearby village.All were suspected of being “collaborators” with the internationally recognised, but largely powerless, transition government in Mogadishu that is protected by a small African peacekeeping force. It is led by Sharif Ahmed, a moderate Islamist, who once headed the Islamic Courts Union. This had imposed a tenuous calm in the city, but was swept from power by Ethiopian forces in 2006 because its erstwhile allies in the Shabab, or “Youth”, had ties with al-Qaeda. If anything, the intervention strengthened the Shabab and hardened their link with global jihadism—not least because of an influx of foreign fighters who see Somalia as the next battleground for holy war. ...
South Africa and football’s World Cup: On goal for 2010
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:54:20 -0000
The doubters are so far being proved wrong WHEN, in 2004, South Africa was chosen to be the first African country to host football’s World Cup many fans around the world were doubtful. South Africa would mismanage it, they said. It would be a commercial flop. They mooted Australia as an alternative should South Africa’s organisers fail to get their act together. Five years on, the doubts have diminished as new stadiums rise up across the country. Indeed, next year’s tournament may turn out to be the most profitable yet, thanks to the sale of broadcasting rights.As a dress rehearsal for the big event, South Africa hosted the Confederations Cup, featuring the champions of the world’s six regional football federations, plus Italy (the current holder of the World Cup) and South Africa (the host). It was won by Brazil by 3-2 in a thrilling final against the United States on June 28th. ...
Chinese aid to Africa: Spreading its bets, and its gold
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:54:20 -0000
Beijing finds new friends in ZimbabweCHINA has had friendly ties with Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s president, since his days as a Maoist guerrilla leader fighting white rule in the 1970s. Decades later, as he suppressed the opposition and ruined his country, China helped to protect him from sanctions at the United Nations, sold him weapons and even built his palace. But its favour, never unconditional, seems to be shifting.On June 30th it was Mr Mugabe’s biggest foe, Morgan Tsvangirai—with whom he has awkwardly shared power in a unity government since February—who announced that China had offered Zimbabwe $950m in loans. This is well in excess of the nearly $500m Mr Tsvangirai said he had obtained in pledges of various kinds during a tour of Western capitals. ...
L.A. Times - Middle East
Iraq's Maliki declines U.S. offer on national reconciliation
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
The Iraqi prime minister tells visiting Vice President Joe Biden that Iraqis must overcome their political differences on their own and that U.S. involvement would not be welcome. Vice President Joe Biden's mission to promote national reconciliation in Iraq was rebuffed Friday by Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, who told him that the issue was a domestic Iraqi affair and that U.S involvement wouldn't be welcome.
Iran plans to put British Embassy staffers on trial
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
Ahmad Jannati, head of the Guardian Council, says Iran's enemies 'made an effort to poison the people' during postelection unrest. European Union nations consider pulling ambassadors from Tehran. A senior Iranian cleric said Friday that the British Embassy employees arrested in Tehran in recent days would be put on trial on unspecified charges of acting against Iran's national security, a move immediately denounced by members of the European Union.
U.S. drone attacks said to kill 17 at Taliban outposts in Pakistan
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
The missiles target the network of Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mahsud, who escaped a similar attack a week earlier. Missile attacks believed to be carried out by U.S. drone aircraft Friday targeted a training center and a communications base run by one of Pakistan's most wanted militant leaders, killing 17 people and injuring 27.
Marines push against Taliban
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
U.S. Marines pushed deeper into Taliban-held areas of southern Afghanistan on Friday, seeking to cut insurgent supply lines and win over town elders on the second day of the biggest U.S. military operation here since the invasion of 2001.
GI apparently seized in Afghanistan
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
The capture of the soldier would be a first for militants in the war. The incident in the east of the country comes just as an anti-Taliban offensive involving U.S. Marines has begun in the south. Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan, and Istanbul, Turkey -- The apparent capture of an American soldier by insurgents in eastern Afghanistan, believed to be the first such case in nearly eight years of warfare, presents U.S. military officials with potentially agonizing choices just as a major military offensive is underway in one of the most guerrilla-filled areas of the south.
Iran's Ahmadinejad faces diplomatic isolation
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
After a disputed election and crackdown on protesters, the Iranian president maybe be feted in some anti-U.S. corners, but he faces slights and snubs from other nations. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad can in one instant appear the diplomatic equivalent of damaged goods and in the next a confident leader whose bellicose speeches leave the West wondering how to deal with him and his perplexing nation now that he's won a much-disputed reelection.
NPR Topics: Middle East
New Generation Of Iraqi Military Pilots Looks To Sky
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:46:00 -0400
Iraq's military pilots once enjoyed elite status in the country's armed forces. But the Iraqi airforce hasn't really flown for 18 years. At an American airbase outside the city of Kirkuk, a young generation of pilots is learning to fly again.
Iranian Cleric: British Embassy Staff To Be Tried
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:00:00 -0400
A top Iranian cleric said Friday that some of the detained Iranian staffers of the British Embassy in Tehran will be put on trial. Britain is seeking a clarification of the status of the employees.
The Crackdown In Iran, As Seen From Europe
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:45:00 -0400
Journalist Christopher Dickey provides a European perspective on the continuing crackdown on protesters in Iran following the recent election.
Government Spending Keeps Abu Dhabi Building
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:01:00 -0400
Thanks to heavy public spending, the special traffic lanes reserved for construction vehicles in Abu Dhabi are every bit as crowded as they were before the global financial crisis hit. With oil prices near $70 a barrel, Gulf states are in a relatively strong position to weather the downturn, but analysts warn that more trouble could be ahead.
Bomb-Sniffing Dogs Deploy In Afghanistan
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:29:00 -0400
Roadside bombs are the greatest threat facing troops in Afghanistan. Metal detectors can find many of these bombs. But increasingly, insurgents are using homemade explosives that contain little metal. Now, U.S. Marines are training bomb-sniffing dogs to detect this type of explosive.
U.S. Combat Troops Leave Iraqi Cities
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:15:00 -0400
For the first time in six years, Baghdad and other Iraqi cities are almost completely free of U.S. combat troops. Iraq's government declared a national holiday to celebrate the occasion, but a deadly car bomb in the city of Kirkuk provided a grim reminder of the challenges ahead.
UN News Centre - Middle East
UNESCO chief backs G8 call on Iran to respect human rights
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500
The head of the United Nations agency tasked with upholding freedom of expression and press freedom today voiced his strong support for the recent call issued by the foreign ministers of the Group of Eight (G8) nations on Iran to respect fundamental human rights.
Independent UN rights expert criticizes seizure of aid boat by Israeli forces
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500
An independent United Nations human rights expert today denounced what he described as "the unlawful naval seizure" by an Israeli gunboat of a ship carrying medicine and reconstruction material for the people of Gaza.
Greater efforts needed to rid Iraq of landmines, says UN report
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500
A new United Nations report warns that Iraq may not be able to meet its obligations under an international treaty to rid the country of the deadly scourge of anti-personnel landmines, and calls for greater efforts to ensure a safe environment for the population.
Latest Iraqi bombing another attempt to incite violence, UN mission says
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500
The United Nations mission in Iraq has condemned yesterday's deadly bombing in al-Shourga market in Kirkuk, which killed and injured dozens of people, calling it yet another attempt to stoke up sectarian and ethnic conflict.
Ensuring quality education among challenges for Syria, UNICEF chief says
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500
Syria has made advances in achieving globally agreed development targets related to women and children, but still faces challenges in ensuring quality education, according to the head of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Marking 60 years of UN assistance, Ban honours courage of Palestinians
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon paid tribute today to Palestinian refugees, who he said had shown great courage in the face of conflict, as well as to the efforts over the past 60 years of the United Nations agency tasked with assisting them.
NYT > Middle East
Iran Cleric Says British Embassy Staff to Stand Trial
By JOHN F. BURNS and STEPHEN CASTLE Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:33:45 -0000
Iran's plan to put some British embassy staff members on trial could provoke a tightening of European sanctions.
Top Reformers Admitted Plot, Iran Declares
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:40:36 -0000
The Iranian government has made it a practice to publicize confessions from political prisoners, often subject to sleep deprivation, solitary confinement and torture, rights groups say.
Biden Warns Iraq of Return to Ethnic Fights
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:48:11 -0000
Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. said that the United States would not remain engaged in Iraq if the country reverts to sectarian violence.
Documents Show Iraqi Dictator’s Fears
By SCOTT SHANE Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:16:46 -0000
Newly released summaries of interrogations of the captured dictator show how much he miscalculated the risks he faced before the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Israel and U.S. to Hold Second Meeting
By ETHAN BRONNER Sat, 04 Jul 2009 01:58:37 -0000
The Israeli defense minister and the Obama administration’s Middle East envoy will confer for the second time in a week to pursue regional peace efforts, a senior Israeli official said.
Syrian Leader Invites Obama to Visit, Raising Hope of Policy Shift
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:55:43 -0000
Syria appears worried about the reliability of its longtime ally, Iran, amid political turmoil there.
Subscribe to Middle_East RSS feed 
Iran’s disputed presidential election: A hollow victory
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:54:22 -0000
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad keeps power but loses legitimacy, particularly among the middle classTHE case is closed. The landslide claimed by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the June 12th presidential election was real, says Iran’s government, and anyone who doesn’t like it can lump it or, indeed, risk going to jail. After weeks of unrest, the state has reasserted its power. Heavy policing has blunted public protests, while a more targeted campaign of arrests, intimidation and controls on communications has hamstrung attempts to organise and sustain opposition. But with accusations of foul play still being voiced, even within the religious establishment that supports the Islamic Republic, Iran’s hardliners will struggle to re-establish legitimacy.The Guardian Council, an appointed body dominated by clerics allied to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was in charge of investigating allegations of electoral fraud. Considering that it has a record of barring reformist candidates and that its chairman publicly endorsed the arch-conservative Mr Ahmadinejad before the ballot, the result was preordained: the council announced on June 29th that its researches, including a partial recount, had produced no sign of wrongdoing, so closing the last legal channel to contest the outcome. Pro-regime news outlets even suggested that the revised tally showed gains for Mr Ahmadinejad. The president declared not just a personal triumph but the defeat of an enemy plot to overthrow the regime. ...
Fighting AIDS in Sudan: Imams, tea ladies and condoms
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:54:20 -0000
A killer of another sort stalks one of Africa’s most conflict-riven countriesFOR six years, Najun Eldin Muhammad Ahmed has been living with HIV. But he is an unusual man. In the pious and conservative Muslim north of Sudan, he not only admits it, but campaigns actively to raise awareness of the virus. He has corralled 42 fellow sufferers in Port Sudan, on the Red Sea, to form one of the country’s most active AIDS-support groups. Mr Ahmed willingly concedes that his group represents only a tiny fraction of those infected with HIV, the AIDS-causing virus, in a city of almost half a million people.On top of Sudan’s myriad other problems, such as the bloody war in Darfur, the country also has a full-blown epidemic of HIV on its hands. Reliable figures on any subject are hard to come by in Sudan, let alone one as sensitive as this. Nonetheless, enough research has been done to confirm some of the worst fears about the spread of HIV in the country. The last big study in 2003 revealed a prevalence rate of 1.6%, but experts say that is probably now approaching 3%. The rate in neighbouring Egypt, by contrast, is just 0.1%; anything over 1% is counted by the World Health Organisation as an epidemic. ...
Royalist politics in Morocco: The king’s friend
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:54:20 -0000
A new leader emerges, but how credible will he be?A NEW political force is emerging in Moroccan politics. The Authenticity and Modernity Party, known by its French acronym, PAM, with a centrist non-ideological platform open to all comers, has been in existence for less than a year. Yet it already seems destined to win the general election in 2012. In its electoral debut in last month’s municipal poll, PAM won the ballot with 22% of the vote. Yet for all its success, the ascent towards the prime ministership of its founder, Fouad Ali El Himma (pictured), is the chronicle of a political elevation foretold. In 2007 Mr El Himma resigned from his job as deputy interior minister and announced his intention to run as an independent in the parliamentary election that year. Where a few saw a fall from royal grace— he was known to be a close political adviser to King Muhammad VI—others sensed the beginning of a reconfiguration of monarchist parties. ...
Meeting Somalia’s Shabab: The next jihad
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:54:20 -0000
Fear and beheadings in the heartland of the militantsTHE Juba river region, in Somalia, is hard country. Women are regularly eaten by crocodiles while fetching dirty water. The sandy farmland is either in drought or flooded. And the militants known as the Shabab, who rule the area, exact brutal justice. Your correspondent had to turn back from the town of Wajid (see map) this week because, within, a man was being beheaded. A day later, a clan leader was shot dead. As The Economist went to press, three more were to be beheaded in Wajid, and two more had suffered the same fate in a nearby village.All were suspected of being “collaborators” with the internationally recognised, but largely powerless, transition government in Mogadishu that is protected by a small African peacekeeping force. It is led by Sharif Ahmed, a moderate Islamist, who once headed the Islamic Courts Union. This had imposed a tenuous calm in the city, but was swept from power by Ethiopian forces in 2006 because its erstwhile allies in the Shabab, or “Youth”, had ties with al-Qaeda. If anything, the intervention strengthened the Shabab and hardened their link with global jihadism—not least because of an influx of foreign fighters who see Somalia as the next battleground for holy war. ...
South Africa and football’s World Cup: On goal for 2010
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:54:20 -0000
The doubters are so far being proved wrong WHEN, in 2004, South Africa was chosen to be the first African country to host football’s World Cup many fans around the world were doubtful. South Africa would mismanage it, they said. It would be a commercial flop. They mooted Australia as an alternative should South Africa’s organisers fail to get their act together. Five years on, the doubts have diminished as new stadiums rise up across the country. Indeed, next year’s tournament may turn out to be the most profitable yet, thanks to the sale of broadcasting rights.As a dress rehearsal for the big event, South Africa hosted the Confederations Cup, featuring the champions of the world’s six regional football federations, plus Italy (the current holder of the World Cup) and South Africa (the host). It was won by Brazil by 3-2 in a thrilling final against the United States on June 28th. ...
Chinese aid to Africa: Spreading its bets, and its gold
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:54:20 -0000
Beijing finds new friends in ZimbabweCHINA has had friendly ties with Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s president, since his days as a Maoist guerrilla leader fighting white rule in the 1970s. Decades later, as he suppressed the opposition and ruined his country, China helped to protect him from sanctions at the United Nations, sold him weapons and even built his palace. But its favour, never unconditional, seems to be shifting.On June 30th it was Mr Mugabe’s biggest foe, Morgan Tsvangirai—with whom he has awkwardly shared power in a unity government since February—who announced that China had offered Zimbabwe $950m in loans. This is well in excess of the nearly $500m Mr Tsvangirai said he had obtained in pledges of various kinds during a tour of Western capitals. ...
L.A. Times - Middle East
Iraq's Maliki declines U.S. offer on national reconciliation
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
The Iraqi prime minister tells visiting Vice President Joe Biden that Iraqis must overcome their political differences on their own and that U.S. involvement would not be welcome. Vice President Joe Biden's mission to promote national reconciliation in Iraq was rebuffed Friday by Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, who told him that the issue was a domestic Iraqi affair and that U.S involvement wouldn't be welcome.
Iran plans to put British Embassy staffers on trial
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
Ahmad Jannati, head of the Guardian Council, says Iran's enemies 'made an effort to poison the people' during postelection unrest. European Union nations consider pulling ambassadors from Tehran. A senior Iranian cleric said Friday that the British Embassy employees arrested in Tehran in recent days would be put on trial on unspecified charges of acting against Iran's national security, a move immediately denounced by members of the European Union.
U.S. drone attacks said to kill 17 at Taliban outposts in Pakistan
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
The missiles target the network of Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mahsud, who escaped a similar attack a week earlier. Missile attacks believed to be carried out by U.S. drone aircraft Friday targeted a training center and a communications base run by one of Pakistan's most wanted militant leaders, killing 17 people and injuring 27.
Marines push against Taliban
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
U.S. Marines pushed deeper into Taliban-held areas of southern Afghanistan on Friday, seeking to cut insurgent supply lines and win over town elders on the second day of the biggest U.S. military operation here since the invasion of 2001.
GI apparently seized in Afghanistan
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
The capture of the soldier would be a first for militants in the war. The incident in the east of the country comes just as an anti-Taliban offensive involving U.S. Marines has begun in the south. Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan, and Istanbul, Turkey -- The apparent capture of an American soldier by insurgents in eastern Afghanistan, believed to be the first such case in nearly eight years of warfare, presents U.S. military officials with potentially agonizing choices just as a major military offensive is underway in one of the most guerrilla-filled areas of the south.
Iran's Ahmadinejad faces diplomatic isolation
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
After a disputed election and crackdown on protesters, the Iranian president maybe be feted in some anti-U.S. corners, but he faces slights and snubs from other nations. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad can in one instant appear the diplomatic equivalent of damaged goods and in the next a confident leader whose bellicose speeches leave the West wondering how to deal with him and his perplexing nation now that he's won a much-disputed reelection.
NPR Topics: Middle East
New Generation Of Iraqi Military Pilots Looks To Sky
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:46:00 -0400
Iraq's military pilots once enjoyed elite status in the country's armed forces. But the Iraqi airforce hasn't really flown for 18 years. At an American airbase outside the city of Kirkuk, a young generation of pilots is learning to fly again.
Iranian Cleric: British Embassy Staff To Be Tried
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:00:00 -0400
A top Iranian cleric said Friday that some of the detained Iranian staffers of the British Embassy in Tehran will be put on trial. Britain is seeking a clarification of the status of the employees.
The Crackdown In Iran, As Seen From Europe
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:45:00 -0400
Journalist Christopher Dickey provides a European perspective on the continuing crackdown on protesters in Iran following the recent election.
Government Spending Keeps Abu Dhabi Building
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:01:00 -0400
Thanks to heavy public spending, the special traffic lanes reserved for construction vehicles in Abu Dhabi are every bit as crowded as they were before the global financial crisis hit. With oil prices near $70 a barrel, Gulf states are in a relatively strong position to weather the downturn, but analysts warn that more trouble could be ahead.
Bomb-Sniffing Dogs Deploy In Afghanistan
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:29:00 -0400
Roadside bombs are the greatest threat facing troops in Afghanistan. Metal detectors can find many of these bombs. But increasingly, insurgents are using homemade explosives that contain little metal. Now, U.S. Marines are training bomb-sniffing dogs to detect this type of explosive.
U.S. Combat Troops Leave Iraqi Cities
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:15:00 -0400
For the first time in six years, Baghdad and other Iraqi cities are almost completely free of U.S. combat troops. Iraq's government declared a national holiday to celebrate the occasion, but a deadly car bomb in the city of Kirkuk provided a grim reminder of the challenges ahead.
UN News Centre - Middle East
UNESCO chief backs G8 call on Iran to respect human rights
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500
The head of the United Nations agency tasked with upholding freedom of expression and press freedom today voiced his strong support for the recent call issued by the foreign ministers of the Group of Eight (G8) nations on Iran to respect fundamental human rights.
Independent UN rights expert criticizes seizure of aid boat by Israeli forces
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500
An independent United Nations human rights expert today denounced what he described as "the unlawful naval seizure" by an Israeli gunboat of a ship carrying medicine and reconstruction material for the people of Gaza.
Greater efforts needed to rid Iraq of landmines, says UN report
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500
A new United Nations report warns that Iraq may not be able to meet its obligations under an international treaty to rid the country of the deadly scourge of anti-personnel landmines, and calls for greater efforts to ensure a safe environment for the population.
Latest Iraqi bombing another attempt to incite violence, UN mission says
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500
The United Nations mission in Iraq has condemned yesterday's deadly bombing in al-Shourga market in Kirkuk, which killed and injured dozens of people, calling it yet another attempt to stoke up sectarian and ethnic conflict.
Ensuring quality education among challenges for Syria, UNICEF chief says
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500
Syria has made advances in achieving globally agreed development targets related to women and children, but still faces challenges in ensuring quality education, according to the head of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Marking 60 years of UN assistance, Ban honours courage of Palestinians
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon paid tribute today to Palestinian refugees, who he said had shown great courage in the face of conflict, as well as to the efforts over the past 60 years of the United Nations agency tasked with assisting them.
NYT > Middle East
Iran Cleric Says British Embassy Staff to Stand Trial
By JOHN F. BURNS and STEPHEN CASTLE Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:33:45 -0000
Iran's plan to put some British embassy staff members on trial could provoke a tightening of European sanctions.
Top Reformers Admitted Plot, Iran Declares
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:40:36 -0000
The Iranian government has made it a practice to publicize confessions from political prisoners, often subject to sleep deprivation, solitary confinement and torture, rights groups say.
Biden Warns Iraq of Return to Ethnic Fights
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:48:11 -0000
Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. said that the United States would not remain engaged in Iraq if the country reverts to sectarian violence.
Documents Show Iraqi Dictator’s Fears
By SCOTT SHANE Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:16:46 -0000
Newly released summaries of interrogations of the captured dictator show how much he miscalculated the risks he faced before the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Israel and U.S. to Hold Second Meeting
By ETHAN BRONNER Sat, 04 Jul 2009 01:58:37 -0000
The Israeli defense minister and the Obama administration’s Middle East envoy will confer for the second time in a week to pursue regional peace efforts, a senior Israeli official said.
Syrian Leader Invites Obama to Visit, Raising Hope of Policy Shift
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:55:43 -0000
Syria appears worried about the reliability of its longtime ally, Iran, amid political turmoil there.
Cyprus Association of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering - General information about CAMPBE and related links.
Meta Description: [ campbe.org - Cyprus Association of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering / Σύνδέσμος Ιατροφυσικής και Βιοϊατρικής Μηχανικής Κύπρου ]
Cyprus Health Statistics - Descriptive information and tables concerning the country's health and demographic conditions, health indicators and trends.
Cyprus Medical Libraries Project - Details on the project of indexing Cypriot medical journals for the first time.
Cyprus Safety and Health Association - Promotes safety and health at work. Site covers policy, lists the council members and provides contact information.
Cyprus Society of Medical Informatics - Non-profit organization that promotes the use of telecommunications and information technology in the health sector. Comprehensive mission statement, activities, links.
Dr. Zenonos Dental Clinic - Describes a number of available procedures and provides appointment information.
Lifebank Cord Blood Banking - Company that provides collection and family storage of umbilical cord blood stem cells for potential future use.
MSJ Group of Companies - Find information about the group, contacts, healthcare products and company news.
The Health System in Cyprus - An article by Maroulla Vassiliou.
The Royal Artemis Medical Center - Information about the private hospital in Paphos.
Meta Description: [ The Royal Artemis Hospital offers full medical services to residents and visitors to Cyprus. ]
The WWW Virtual Library - Public Health: Cyprus - Categorized links about public health resources.
Meta Description: [ JimKeyWordDescription ]
World Health Organization (WHO) - Cyprus - UN health agency provides news, information and statistics on the country's public health issues and services, professional health workers, disease outbreaks, and government legislation and expenditures.
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