| Drug-resistant malaria in Thailand | ||
Researchers first noticed artesunate was not working in some patients along the Thai-Cambodian border, according to Al Jazeera's Aela Cullen. "Experts blame incorrect diagnosis leading to the overprescription of malaria-fighting drugs," she said. The developments come as the World Health Organisation announced on Tuesday that increased funding is starting to pay off in the battle against malaria. The WHO said in its World Malaria Report 2009 that "significant progress" had been made in the delivery of mosquito nets and malaria drugs due to an increase in funds totalling $1.7bn in 2009 from $0.3bn in 2003. But the WHO said $5bn more was needed every year to get maximum global impact worldwide.
Robert Newman, the director of the global malaria programme at the WHO, told Al Jazeera from Geneva, Switzerland that the new drug-resistant strain had raised concern. "We're concerned and have been concerned for sometime now," he said. "The WHO has been leading an effort along with a number of international partners and local governments in containing the spread of this drug-resistant parasite." But Newman added that the strain would be classified as an "urgency rather than an emergency". "We're not really seeing patients dying from this strain and the problem remains relatively localised," he said. "And the strategy to contain it is clear. We need to diminish the burden of parasites in the region by bringing all of our preventive measures to bear. "And we need to correctly diagnose malaria and make sure that patients are treated with correct medications. "We do need to make sure that we're focusing on South-east Asia and it has received less funding than other regions. However, the bulk of the burden of malaria has remained in Africa, so those resources spent [there] are certainly appropriate." | ||
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Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Drug-resistant malaria in Thailand
Russian group awarded rights award
| Russian group awarded rights award | |||
Three Russian activists critical of the Kremlin have received the EU's top human rights award, in recognition of the dangers they face in carrying out their work. Lyudmila Alexeyeva, Sergei Kovalyov and Oleg Orlov from human rights group Memorial were awarded the Sakharov Prize, which comes with a $72,850 honorarium, at a European parliament ceremony in Strasbourg, France. Jerzy Buzek, the European Parliament president, said despite the pride he felt for Memorial he also felt "bitterness that it is necessary to award this kind of prize in Europe". Memorial was founded two decades ago to remember the victims of Stalinist oppression but expanded to cover a broad array of civil-society development issues. On Wednesday the group announced the resumption of its operations in Chechnya. Her murder was followed three weeks later by the killings of Zarema Sadulayeva and her husband, Alik Dzhabrailov, who both worked for a Chechen charity. 'Freedom and democracy' Kovalyov said "it is Europe's duty not to remain silent" in the face of Russian human rights abuses. Joseph Daul, the chairman of the Christian Democrat EPP, the biggest group in the legislature, said: "I hope that this prize will encourage them to continue the fight for what we all believe in - freedom and democracy." Alexeyeva, 82, and Kovalyov, 79, were both leading Soviet dissidents and contemporaries of the late Andrei Sakharov, the Soviet dissident for whom the prize is named. They continue to lead the fight for democracy and human rights in Russia. The Sakharov Prize has been awarded since 1988, and previous winners include Nelson Mandela, a former South African president, Xanana Gusmao, leader of East Timorese resistance, and Oswaldo Paya, a Cuban dissident. | |||
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Kuwaiti PM cleared of corruption
| Kuwaiti PM cleared of corruption | |||
The Kuwaiti Prime Minister has survived an opposition bid to depose him over corruption allegations. Sheikh Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad al-Sabah was questioned on Wednesday over claims he issued a $700,000 cheque to a former member of parliament (MP) and that his office misappropriated millions of dollars of public funds. Thirty-five MPs voted against a non-cooperation motion brought against the prime minister, which was filed last week following intense questioning. Thirteen MPs voted for the unprecedented motion and one abstained, speaker Jassem al-Khorafi, said. The motion required at least 25 votes of the 49 elected members of parliament to pass, with cabinet ministers banned from such votes. Had it been passed, the motion would have been sent to the Emir, Sheikh Nasser's uncle. He who would have either dismissed the prime minister or dissolved parliament and called for fresh elections. It was the first time a Kuwaiti head of government has been questioned in parliament since democracy was introduced to the oil rich state in 1962. Improve cooperation Following his victory, the prime minister reiterated his strong commitment to the country's constitution and democracy. He also urged MPs to turn a new page and to improve cooperation between the government and parliament. Al-Khorafi asked the premier to work for the stability of oil rich Kuwait and to rectify mistakes that he was accused of committing. Since Sheikh Nasser was appointed in February 2006, Kuwait has been rocked with political instability. He has resigned five times and formed six different cabinets. | |||
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Gulf investors urge transparency
| Gulf investors urge transparency | ||
Investors panicked when Dubai World announced it would have trouble repaying its debts on time, but stock markets steadied again after Abu Dhabi announced it would bail out its neighbour. Some Gulf investors have criticised Dubai's handling of the crisis, saying it caused severe damage to Dubai's image and investor confidence in the emirate. Al Jazeera's Dan Nolan reports from Kuwait City. | ||
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U.S. to Probe Reported Iran Nuclear Trigger
U.S. to Probe Reported Iran Nuclear Trigger
ISNA via AP
Nov. 30: The reactor building of Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, located 750 miles south of Tehran.
The U.S. said Tuesday it will investigate a newspaper report that Iran is working on a trigger for a nuclear bomb, adding the "revelation" fueled concerns about the country's intentions.
State Department spokesman Philip Crowley's remarks appeared to give credence to a report in The Times of London stating it had obtained a secret document describing a four-year plan by Iran to test a neutron initiator, or bomb trigger
"There's been a public report about an issue related to... Iran's nuclear program. It's safe to say the United States government will be investigating those reports," Crowley told reporters.
The "revelation this week about nuclear triggers... all adds up to the fact that Iran has yet to really come to... the international community and address our concerns in a meaningful way," he continued.
When pressed to give his opinion of the news report, Crowley first replied, "no," before adding, "it was a fine piece of journalism. Enough said."
According to The Times report, the confidential notes from Iran's most sensitive military nuclear project date to early 2007, four years after Iran was thought to have suspended its weapons program.
The technical document describes the use of a neutron source, uranium deuteride, which independent experts confirm has no possible civilian or military use other than in a nuclear weapon. Uranium deuteride is the material used in Pakistan’s bomb, from where Iran obtained its blueprint.
"Although Iran might claim that this work is for civil purposes, there is no civil application," said David Albright, a physicist and president of the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington, which has analysed hundreds of pages of documents related to the Iranian programme. "This is a very strong indicator of weapons work."
The documents have been seen by intelligence agencies from several Western countries, including Britain. A senior source at the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that they had been passed to the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog.
Red Cross visits Taliban captives
| Red Cross visits Taliban captives | ||
The International Committee of the Red Cross has for the first time visited prisoners held by the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Red Cross, or ICRC, said in a statement that it had twice visited three members of the Afghan security forces held by the Taliban in the northwest Baghdis province. Reto Stocker, the group's head of delegation in Kabul, speaking to Al Jazeera on Wednesday called the visit an "achievement". "I think this really has created an environment where there is a basic trust in the ICRC [Red Cross]. I think we are credible and predictable," he said. The visits, which took place at the end of November, mark the first time the ICRC has visited people held by the Taliban since the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001. "We plan to conduct and repeat visits in other regions, and hope to visit people held by other armed opposition groups, with the aim of ensuring that everyone detained in relation to the armed conflict is treated humanely," Stocker told the media earlier.
US soldier held The ICRC has said it is unable to give a reliable estimate of the number of people held by the Taliban or other armed groups in Afghanistan. Carla Haddad Mardini, an ICRC spokesperson, said that efforts were continuing to get access to Bowe Bergdahl, a US soldier who was captured by the Taliban in June. "For the ICRC, access to this prisoner remains a priority," Mardini said. "We are in contact with different armed groups, different people, different parties to try to gain access to this person and ensure he can re-establish contact with his family". Bergdahl was the the first US soldier to be seized by the Taliban since the US-led invasion. Legal protections The ICRC has visited 136 places of detention in Afghanistan and has registered more than 16,000 people since the US-led invasion that forced the Taliban from power. "International humanitarian law grants the same protection to everyone held in connection with the armed conflict, whether the detaining party is the international or Afghan security forces or the armed opposition," said Stocker. The ICRC has been active in Afghanistan since 1979, when the Soviet Union invaded the country, said Simon Schorno, a spokesman for the ICRC in Geneva. "In Afghanistan for years we have been in touch and engaging in discussions and dialogue with [the] Taliban because they are simply party to the conflict," he said. | ||
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Danish police clash with activists
| Danish police clash with activists | |||||
Danish police have clashed with protesters attempting to storm barricades around a UN conference on climate change in Copenhagen, Denmark's capital. Officers used pepper spray and batons to contain hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Bella Centre on Wednesday, where talks between 193 nations over global warming are taking place. Demonstrators are hoping to break into and take over the summit to turn it into a "people's assembly" with the aim of giving voice to ordinary people affected by climate change. Jonah Hull, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Copenhagen, said there had veen "ugly, angry scenes in confrontation with the police". 'Wielding batons' "Several hundred people are now corralled by a very stiff Danish police presence - riot police in full gear wielding batons," he said. "A little while ago there were a few critical moments as they tried to breach that barricade. But since then the crowd has been compressed. It's smaller now in number and it is encircled by the police."
But Climate Justice Action, which organised the march, said demonstrators were determined to get past the barricade. "We will get past the police cordon so that we can hold a popular assembly and discuss with delegates from the summit ... to get a climate solution," Peter Nielsen, the group's spokesman, said on Danish TV2 news. "The police have tried to get in our way all week now. This is a question of resolving a global problem, and we will not hold people back," he said. Security in the Danish capital has been beefed up to try and stop activists from accessing the Bella Centre, where representatives from 193 countries are negotiating a new global warming deal. World leaders have begun arriving at the 12-day talks as they enter their final stretch. Barack Obama, the US president, and Wen Jiabao, the Chinese prime minister, are expected to arrive in the last few days of talks. "With so many heads of state and government having arrived it's appropriate that the Prime Minister of Denmark presides," she told Wednesday's meeting. Hedegaard, who will continue to participate in negotiations, said the move was procedural. | |||||
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Iran 'test-fires upgraded missile'
| Iran 'test-fires upgraded missile' | |||
Iran has successfully test-fired its longest-range missile, according to reports on the country's state television. Al Alam, Iran's Arabic-language satellite television channel, reported the missile launch on Wednesday, saying it had a longer range than previous missiles. Iran has said in the past that its Shahab missiles can reach targets 2,000km away, but if the Sejil-2 missile can reach further it would put Israel and US bases in the Gulf within reach. The missile test comes amid increased tensions with the West over Iran's nuclear programme. The announcement comes hours after the US approved legislation to impose sanctions on foreign companies that help supply fuel to Iran. Neither Israel nor the United States have ruled out military action if diplomacy fails to resolve the row. Tehran says its nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes and has vowed to Sanctions Iran has repeatedly disregarded the impact of such punitive measures, which include three rounds of limited UN sanctions since 2006. In September, Iran test-fired missiles which a commander said could reach any regional target. The White House called them "provocative", and reiterated demands that Iran come clean on its nuclear programme. In October, negotiators offered a deal under which Iran would send most of its low-enriched uranium abroad by the end of the year for further enrichment. However, Tehran refused to comply with the deal, saying it would prefer to purchase the required fuel from other countries and keep its low-enriched uranium. | |||
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Pakistan court mulls amnesty ruling
| Pakistan court mulls amnesty ruling | |||
Pakistan's supreme court is due to rule on whether an amnesty deal giving the president and hundreds of other politicians immunity from corruption charges is legal. Imran Khan, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Islamabad, said: "If the decision comes today ... there are a number of likely scenarios. The first is that the National Reconciliation Ordinance is declared legal. "If that happens, Asif Ali Zardari and a number of other politicians will breathe a sigh of relief and Pakistan will carry on as a fledgling democracy. "But the supreme court could say that [the NRO] was parliament's decision in the first place and ... [it could] go back to parliament to decide whether the deal should be ratified. "The third [possible decision] is to declare the NRO illegal. If that happens, it would call into question the political office of Zardari and a number of other officials." Amnesty agreement The deal, which was announced two years ago by then-president Pervez Musharraf, allowed Zardari and Benazir Bhutto, his wife and a former prime minister, to return from self-exile without facing corruption charges. But the NRO has been branded unconstitutional and the debate over its legitimacy has received a great deal of coverage in Pakistani media. The amnesty covers more than 8,000 officials and civil rights activists argue that it was unjust to help so many politicians escape prosecution for alleged wrongdoing. As president, Zardari, who has denied a slew of corruption claims against him, enjoys general immunity from prosecution. But the supreme court could choose to challenge his eligibility for the post if it decided that the amnesty is illegal. Legal and political analysts are divided on whether this is likely, and most expect the process to take several months to run its course. The debate comes as Pakistan's army battles Taliban fighters in its tribal regions. The potential for a crisis to erupt from the supreme court ruling is a cause for concern in the US, whose administration wants Pakistan to remain focused on its campaign against the Taliban. | |||
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US House passes Iran sanctions bill
| US House passes Iran sanctions bill | ||||
The US lower house of congress has approved legislation to levy sanctions on foreign companies that help supply fuel to Iran, as part of efforts to punish Tehran over its nuclear programme. The bill, approved in the House of Representatives by a 412-12 vote on Tuesday, permits Barack Obama, the US president, to impose sanctions on firms that directly provide Iran with fuel. The move expand a US law that aims to punish foreign companies that invest more than $20m a year in Iran's energy sector. Iran has some of the world's biggest oil reserves but a lack of refining capacity means that it has to import 40 per cent of its fuel to meet domestic demand. The bill also authorises Obama to use sanctions against companies that provide insurance and tankers for shipments. Targeted sanctions "This bill has one overriding goal: to prevent Iran from achieving a nuclear weapons capability," Howard Berman, a Democrat who sponsored the legislation, said.
Nancy Pelosi, the house speaker, said the US should "use all the tools at our disposal, from diplomacy to sanctions, to stop Iran's march toward nuclear capability". "By targeting Iran's ongoing dependence from largely imported refined petroleum we reduce the chance that Iran will acquire the capacity to produce nuclear weapons," she said. There have been concerns that the bill could upset US trading partners and allies and damage efforts towards a multilateral stand against Iran's nuclear programme. Berman said after the vote that he was open to creating exceptions for companies from countries that have their own stringent sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Exceptions considered Supporters of the bill said that many Iranians who are upset the country's disputed presidential election in June would likely turn their anger toward the Iranian government if further fuel sanctions were imposed. "Before the regime's brutal effort to crush protests following the June 12 Iranian election, an Iranian cab driver who couldn't buy gasoline would probably curse the Americans," Mark Dubowitz, who heads the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, said. "After witnessing the brutal crackdown and his fellow citizens dying in the streets, he now might very well blame the regime." The US, the European Union, Russia and China have all expressed concerns over Tehran’s nuclear weapons programme, which they fear could lead to the production of an atomic weapon. Tehran says its nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes and has rejected an offer to have most of its low-enriched uranium sent abroad by the end of the year for further enrichment. In recent years, companies such as British Petroleum (BP) and Reliance, an Indian firm, have backed away from supplying Iran, but other firms have filled the gap in imports. Trafigura and Vitol, both European companies; International Petroleum Group, based in Kuwait; and Malaysia's Petronas are among those that are currently supplying Iran. | ||||
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Abbas' presidential term extended
| Abbas' presidential term extended | |||||
The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) has extended the mandates of both president Mahmoud Abbas and the Hamas-dominated parliament until new elections are held. The decision was made by PLO's Central Council at a meeting in Ramallah on Wednesday. Qaid al-Ghul, a PLO representative said: "The PLO took the decision that president Abbas and the Legislative Council will continue their duties until the next election in accordance with the Basic Law." The PLO's decision will extend the tense status quo between Hamas, the political movement ruling Gaza and Abbas's Fatah, in charge of the occupied West Bank. Abbas's term in office was due to expire on January 25, with elections scheduled to be held on January 24. But the January elections were postponed over differences between Hamas movement and Fatah faction. The move aims to prevent a constitutional vacuum after January 24, when the present mandates expire, as Hamas has vowed to prevent a vote in their Gaza enclave. Hamas has said it will not allow the vote in its territory until there is a national reconciliation agreement. Divisions boiled over in June 2007 when Hamas took full control of the Gaza Strip after forcing out security forces loyal to Abbas. Decision dismissed Hamas dismissed the PLO's decision as non-binding, accusing the council and Abbas of "political bribery." Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas spokesman said: "This is a new trick to grant legitimacy to Abbas by saying that everything (the presidency and the parliament) is in one basket. "Abu Mazen's (Abbas's) term has ended and no one has the right to extend it. The parliament is its own master according to the political system and will continue to carry out its duties until there are new legislative elections." Abbas was elected on January 9, 2005 for a four-year term. The Palestinian Authority extended his presidency by one year so presidential and parliamentary elections could be held on the same date, as required by Palestinian Basic Law. Hamas does not recognise the extension. Abbas said in November he did not wish to seek another term in the elections he had called for January because of his frustration with US-led peace efforts and Israel's refusal to completely freeze settlement activity. | |||||
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Nato seeks Afghan help from Russia
| Nato seeks Afghan help from Russia | |||
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Nato secretary general, has urged Russia to co-operate more closely with the Western military alliance in Afghanistan during talks in Moscow with Dmitry Medvedev, the country's president. Rasmussen said that it was in Russia's interest to contribute more actively to Nato's mission in Afghanistan because failure there would raise the threat of terrorism throughout the region. The secretary general said: "If Afghanistan once again becomes a safe haven for terrorists, then Russia would be among the victims, as terrorists could easily spread from Afghanistan through Central Asia to Russia." Medvedev told Rasmussen that the Kremlin was ready to boost co-operation with Nato, after a period of tension between the two sides following Russia's war with Georgia last year which was condemned by the organisation. 'Shared threats' Rasmussen, making his first visit to Moscow since becoming the head of Nato, said: "I would very much like to discuss how we can further Russian engagement in our operation in Afghanistan." Medvedev said: "We have many reasons for interaction, many subjects for discussion. "These are the challenges that exist in the world: terrorism, crime, the need to counter shared threats, regional challenges." Relations between Nato and Russia have improved significantly since they were frozen for six months in the aftermath of the August 2008 Russia-Georgia war. Moscow has repeatedly expressed its willingness to help the war effort in Afghanistan, due to fears that any return to power by the Taliban could destabilise Central Asia and endanger Russia's own security. The Kremlin has allowed Nato nations to use its territory for the overland transport of supplies to Afghanistan but ties remain strained over the possible absorption of Georgia and Ukraine into the military alliance. Russia has objected to the plans, which are in their infancy and not likely to be implemented any time soon, and sees them as Western meddling in its own backyard. Moscow was expected to raise the issue of creating alternative global security treaties such as a plan recently put forward by Medvedev for an all-embracing Euro-Atlantic agreement. Rasmussen also held talks with Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister and was scheduled to meet later with Vladimir Putin, the country's prime minister. | |||
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US billionaire indicted for fraud
| US billionaire indicted for fraud | |||
Raj Rajaratnam, the Sri Lankan-born billionaire and founder of the Galleon hedge fund, has been indicted in a US court on charges of securities fraud and conspiracy. Rajaratnam and Danielle Chiesi, a former consultant to hedge fund New Castle LLC and a co-defendant in the case, were formally charged in an Manhattan federal court on Tuesday. The case, which prosecutes have described as the biggest-ever hedge fund insider trading case, involved employees of some of America's best-known companies. Rajaratnam's lawyer said he was innocent and would fight the charges. "Mr Rajaratnam is innocent and looks forward to his day in court when a jury of his fellow citizens will examine and evaluate all of the evidence," John Dowd said in a statement after the indictment was returned. Rajaratnam, a US citizen, was freed on $100m bail, an amount he hopes to have reduced. Traders investigated Rajaratnam and Chiesi are the only indictments returned so far in the case, in which 20 people are facing criminal and civil charges. Most of the accused have expertise in tech stocks. The allegations included passing inside information on earnings announcements, takeovers and contracts on 10 companies, generating more than $30m in illegal profits, according to prosecutors. Six traders or lawyers have pleaded guilty to charges in the investigation, which ensnared employees of IBM Corp, McKinsey & Co management and former lawyers of the Ropes & Gray law firm. In the overall case, insider trading allegedly took place in shares of Google, Sun MicroSystems, Advanced Micro Devices, Polycom, Hilton Hotels, Intel, Clearwire, Akamai, Atheros and IBM among others. Prosecutors say their investigation has identified about $40m in alleged illicit gains. According to Forbes magazine, Rajaratnam is the world's 559th richest person with a net worth of $1.3bn. His case has been followed closely in Sri Lanka, Rajaratnam's home country. | |||
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