For the science of human and animal health, see Health science.

''For the Robert Altman film, see Health (film)

More on [ Health ]

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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...

L.A. Times - Middle East

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.
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.
Nuclear watchdog IAEA elects Japanese diplomat as its leader
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
Japan's Yukiya Amano is the winner in a months-long competition against a South African to head the International Atomic Energy Agency. He is believed to agree with the U.S. stance on Iran. After a months-long deadlock and half a dozen inconclusive votes, the world's atomic energy watchdog on Thursday elected as its leader a Japanese diplomat described as colorless by foes and competent by allies.
Review: 'Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love'
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
This documentary is an exemplary look at the African superstar's life and the fallout over his album 'Egypt.' Art that spans global divides often relies either on the loveliness of gauzy universals or the shock of gritty minutiae. Chronicling a tumultuous period in the career of an urbane internationalist, the African music superstar Youssou N'Dour, filmmaker Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi tries to split the difference between these approaches in her documentary "Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love."
World Briefing
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
France: Comoros plane crash survivor, 14, is back home / Jordan: King Abdullah names eldest son crown prince / Bosnia-Herzegovina: Serb sentenced 14 years in 1992 massacre FRANCE
Iran book publisher recalls weeklong ordeal in prison
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
The man, mistakenly detained, was crammed into a cell with hundreds of others seized in the election unrest. They were threatened by a pistol-wielding young man and interrogated. Some were beaten. The young man waved a pistol at them.

NPR Topics: Middle East

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.
Retired Colonel: Iraq Violence Will Remain Problem
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:00:00 -0400
The deadline for the withdrawal of all U.S. combat troops from Iraqi cities was Tuesday. Col. Peter Mansoor (retd.) says the withdrawal is necessary, but violence will still plague Iraq for years to come.
Iraqis Celebrate As U.S. Troops Leave Urban Areas
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:33:00 -0400
Iraqis waved flags and honked horns as U.S. troops officially withdrew from cities and towns across the country and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki designated the day a public holiday. But in a grim reminder of violence, four U.S. soldiers were killed in combat shortly before the withdrawal was complete.

UN News Centre - Middle East

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.
Departing top UN envoy congratulates Iraq on gains in consolidating democracy
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500
On his last day as the top United Nations envoy to Iraq, Staffan de Mistura today congratulated the country's Government on strides made towards the consolidation of democracy and the restoration of sovereignty.

NYT > Middle East

In Iraq, Biden to Press Officials to Forge Progress
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and TIMOTHY WILLIAMS Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:15:15 -0000
Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. began a two-day mission that he said was intended to “re-establish contact” with Iraqi leaders.
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.
Britain Asks Allies for Help on Employees Held in Iran
By STEPHEN CASTLE and NAZILA FATHI Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:32:36 -0000
Britain continued to push other European countries on Thursday to take a tough stance against Iran for detaining at least one employee of the British Embassy in Tehran.
Activists Held by Israel for Trying to Break Gaza Blockade
By ISABEL KERSHNER Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:36:12 -0000
Nineteen foreign activists of the pro-Palestinian Free Gaza Movement were being held in Israel awaiting deportation on Thursday, two days after the Israeli Navy seized control of their boat off Gaza.
Amnesty International Accuses Israel and Hamas of War Crimes in Gaza
By ALAN COWELL Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:40:23 -0000
Amnesty International accused both Israel and the militant Hamas movement that controls Gaza of war crimes during the three weeks of fighting earlier this year.
U.S. Says It Will Preserve Secret Jails for Terror Case
By BENJAMIN WEISER and SCOTT SHANE Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:58:29 -0000
The government will agree to preserve the secret overseas sites where Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a defendant in a terror case involving the deaths of 224 people, was once held.

Subscribe to Middle_East RSS feed