FrEe LaTeSt UpDaTe

Armed Chinese police still occupy Lhasa six months after riots

The continued paramilitary presence in Lhasa, Tibet's capital, suggests that Chinese officials still fear an uprising similar to the deadly protests six months ago. The Guardian, the first Western news outlet to visit the city since those riots, found that activity is bustling but religious activity has moved underground and armed police patrol the streets. The Guardian (London) (10/1)

• Behind the scenes at the General Assembly 
• New center hopes to accelerate HIV/AIDS vaccine development 
• EU needs a consensus position on climate change battle 
• EU monitors move in to watch Georgia 
• Career Center 
• Veteran mujahedin behind uptick in Afghanistan violence 

• Behind the scenes at the General Assembly
  It takes a supreme logistical effort to accommodate the 75 heads of state and 36 leaders of government who troop to the UN Headquarters in New York City for the General Assembly. UN technicians unspool an estimated 1,300 miles of cables to broadcast the proceedings to member nations. One diplomat said of the experience: "I go back to my country with new ideas and new business cards and very sore feet." Los Angeles Times (free registration) (10/1)

• New center hopes to accelerate HIV/AIDS vaccine development
  Researchers are preparing to launch a new HIV/AIDS vaccine research center in hopes of facilitating international communications and speeding the search for a vaccine. The Center is being jointly funded by the Scripps Research Institute and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative. AlertNet.org/Reuters (9/30)

• Myanmar recovery still stagnant
  Though international aid has helped Myanmar locals to survive, recovery from cyclone Nargis is still stagnant. A UN report shows that more than 40% of households in the devastated delta region have no more than one day's worth of food on reserve. According to residents, the storm destroyed more than one third of fishing infrastructure in the delta region. The Christian Science Monitor (10/1)

• MSF: African countries need to step up malaria efforts
  Free health care and faster diagnostic testing for malaria by African countries could save thousands of lives each year if more widely implemented, Medicins Sans Frontieres said Tuesday. AlertNet.org/Reuters (9/30)

• EU needs a consensus position on climate change battle
  The European Union should work out a consensus position on a battle plan to address climate change ahead of United Nations-sponsored global talks in order to play a leadership role in framing a global strategy, Polish officials said Tuesday. Poland and other Eastern European EU members have objected to a proposed EU framework and are looking for a compromise. AlertNet.org/Reuters (9/30)

• UN atomic watchdog criticizes nuclear nations
  International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei said that nuclear nations are partly responsible for the fact that countries around the world are looking to acquire nuclear weapons, because those nuclear nations are seeking to modernize and enhance their arsenals rather than disarm. Seattle Post-Intelligencer/The Associated Press (9/30)

• EU monitors move in to watch Georgia
  European Union monitors began to deploy across Georgia Wednesday in the midst of threats by Russia that it would prevent their entry into buffer areas around the separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The New York Times (10/1)

• Other News

• Gurkhas celebrate court decision guaranteeing right to stay
  BBC (9/30)

Finance and Accounting Officer (Reforming Family Law Program) - Kuwait Freedom House Kuwait Program Officer (Reforming Family Law Program) -- Kuwait Freedom House Kuwait Project Director (Reforming Family Law Program) -- Kuwait Freedom House Kuwait Administrative Assistant Center on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation Washington, DC IDIQ Program Manager, USA International Relief and Development (IRD) Arlington, VA IDIQ Program Manager International Relief and Development (IRD) Iraq Project Director, Cultural Heritage Project International Relief and Development (IRD) Arlington, VA Project Coordinator, Cultural Heritage Project International Relief and Development (IRD) Erbil, Iraq Senior Program Officer, Infrastructure International Relief and Development (IRD) Arlington, VA Technical/Proposal Writer, Democracy &Governance International Relief and Development (IRD) Arlington, VA SME and Supply Chain Program Manager Global Reporting Initiative Amsterdam, The Netherlands Director of Development Freedom House Washington, DC Finance Associate Friends of the World Food Program Washington DC Assistant Country Director CARE USA Kabul, Afghanistan General Manager CHF International Afghanistan

• Veteran mujahedin behind uptick in Afghanistan violence
  Three warlords are spearheading the resurgent campaign against Afghanistan being conducted from Pakistan: Mullah Mohammed Omar, former Taliban head of state; Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a former Taliban prime minister; and Julaluddin Haggani, a former Taliban cabinet minister. All three mujahideen rose to prominence during the war to oust the Soviets from Afghanistan and now operate largely unmolested, and sometimes in concert, from the tribal regions of Afghanistan. Los Angeles Times (free registration) (9/30)

• Zimbabwe turns to Thabo Mbeki in first power-sharing crisis
  Robert Mugabe, who shares executive power in Zimbabwe with Morgan Tsvangirai, said that he would appoint the leaders of the cabinet without input from the former opposition leader -- prompting a crisis that threatens to unravel the fragile powersharing agreement. Tsvangirai immediately requested the mediation of former South African Prime Minister Thabo Mbeki, who helped to arrange the power-sharing deal. Both South Africa's ruling party and the Southern African Development Community have said they want Mbeki to continue to work toward peace in Zimbabwe, despite his humiliating removal from power. The Guardian (London) (10/1) , Mail & Guardian (South Africa) (10/1)

• Vicious fighting in Mexican crime war turning public sentiment
  The crackdown on crime in Mexico is leading to increasingly violent standoffs, diminishing the public's appetite for the war on crime and limiting President Felipe Calderon's power to prosecute it. A grenade attack in western Mexico during an Independence Day celebration has reopened the debate over alternatives to the crackdown, including legalization of drugs. Los Angeles Times (free registration) (10/1)

• Politics behind brewing Hindu-Christian violence in India
  The rise of Hindutva ("Hinduness") and the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party is often cited as the prompt for increased fighting between India's Hindus and its Christian minority, which has its missionary efforts in recent years. Christians are agitated by affirmative-action benefits called "reservations," a privilege available to low-caste Hindus that is lost upon conversion to Christianity. Conversions of low-caste Hindus account for a great degree of successful missionary activity -- which some Hindus say is forced by the Christians. The Economist (9/25)

• Serbia would consider permanent division of Kosovo
  Serbian President Boris Tadic said Monday Serbia might endorse a permanent division of Kosovo along ethnic lines if it is unable to prevent international recognition of Kosovo as an independent country. Serbia, which claims ownership of Kosovo province, has been fighting a diplomatic battle since its unilateral declaration of independence in February. The Toronto Star/The Associated Press (9/30)

• U.S. envoy travels to Pyongyang in search of compromise
  Chief U.S. negotiator Christopher Hill arrived in Pyongyang Wednesday in a bid to convince North Korea to back down on its threats to relaunch its nuclear weapons program and find a way to jumpstart stalled six-nation disarmament talks. The New York Times (10/1)

• Other News

• Petraeus: Afghan insurgents gain, tough times ahead
  The New York Times (10/1)

• No militants arrested in Niger Delta oil war
  BBC (10/1)

• Incidents in North and South Korean waters imperil Chinese relations
  Los Angeles Times (10/1)

• World Bank backs Croatia EU goal with lending program
  AlertNet.org/Reuters (10/1)

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UN Radio News Service

The annual debate of the General Assembly wraps up with a call to end business as usual UN Radio News Service