BANGKOK, Jul 21, 2010 (IPS) - Thanks to a loophole in the international regime to control the proliferation of nuclear weapons, military-ruled Burma could very well carry out its reported intent to go nuclear behind a veil of secrecy, free of scrutiny from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). That is the privilege the South-east Asian nation enjoys under the Small Quantities Protocol it signed with the Vienna-based IAEA in April 1995, three years after Burma, also known as Myanmar, became party to the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT). This protocol allows parties to the treaty, which seeks to build a global nuclear non-proliferation regime, to have up to 10 tonnes of natural uranium and 2.2 pounds of plutonium without having to report such possessions to the IAEA. This means also that countries like Burma do not have to open their doors to IAEA inspection teams and can avoid disclosing details about new nuclear facilities until six months before these start operations. It is of little wonder, then, why a former IAEA director is urging Burma to clear the air about its reported nuclear plans by becoming a party to the Additional Protocol of the NPT, which gives the IAEA more powers to inspect nuclear activity in a country.
AP - President Omar al-Bashir arrived in Chad onWednesday for an African summit, the first time Sudan's leader has risked arrest by traveling to a member state of the International Criminal Court. Bashir faces charges of genocide and crimes against humanity for atrocities committed in Darfur. Because Chad is a member of the ICC, it could have Bashir arrested, but Sudan's government spokesman indicated he did not think that would happen.
Bashir faces charges of genocide and crimes against humanity for atrocities committed in Darfur. Because Chad is a member of the ICC, it could have Bashir arrested, but Sudan's government spokesman indicated he did not think that would happen.
The United States will impose new sanctions on North Korea in a bid to stem its nuclear weapons ambitions, Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, said. Clinton said the measures were designed to stamp out illegal money-making ventures used to fund the nuclear programme.
Clinton said the measures were designed to stamp out illegal money-making ventures used to fund the nuclear programme.
BAQUBA: A car bomb near a mosque in the city of Baquba, north of Baghdad, killed 28 people and wounded 46 on Wednesday, security officials said. The bomb in a car parked near a Shia mosque in the city exploded at around 1500 GMT, an official from Baquba Operations Command said. Police have imposed a curfew in the city's Abu Sayeeda neighbourhood as they suspect there may be more bombs in the area, the official said.
BAQUBA: A car bomb near a mosque in the city of Baquba, north of Baghdad, killed 28 people and wounded 46 on Wednesday, security officials said.
The bomb in a car parked near a Shia mosque in the city exploded at around 1500 GMT, an official from Baquba Operations Command said.
Police have imposed a curfew in the city's Abu Sayeeda neighbourhood as they suspect there may be more bombs in the area, the official said.
NEW YORK - Hedge fund mogul Jeffrey Epstein becomes a free man today, five years after he was first accused of sexually abusing underage girls. After months of reporting, The Daily Beast's Conchita Sarnoff reveals exclusive details of the investigation and the legal wrangling that saved him from a long prison term. She reports:
Honduras: The headlines in many newspapers across Central America ... pronounced Wednesday morning that Honduras was "approved to reincorporate itself into SICA [Central American Integration System]". But is that really true? The Presidents of all the Central American countries except Nicaragua met in El Salvador and reportedly issued a proclamation urging the OAS to rapidly reincorporate Honduras back into the OAS. That would be news, but of course, is not the same thing as being reincorporated into SICA.
But is that really true? The Presidents of all the Central American countries except Nicaragua met in El Salvador and reportedly issued a proclamation urging the OAS to rapidly reincorporate Honduras back into the OAS. That would be news, but of course, is not the same thing as being reincorporated into SICA.
Economist Intelligence Unit - According to a household survey conducted by the Puerto Rican Department of Labor, unemployment rose in April to an all-time high of 16.9% (221,000 people), compared with 14.3% in December 2009 and 13.1% in December 2008, indicating a worsening trend. (...) Although stimulus funds will continue to flow throughout 2010, it is unlikely that these will be able to boost economic activity, private consumption and employment as [Puerto Rico Governor] Mr. [Luis] Fortuño had first promised. This will complicate the government's plans to implement highly unpopular measures necessary to reduce fiscal imbalances. Thus far Mr Fortuño has avoided a government shutdown (as occurred in May 2006 when the government could not meet payroll costs) in part by cutting 30,000 public-sector jobs, but as the recession lingers there will be little political appetite for similar measures. Although Mr Fortuño has put forward a slightly smaller budget for 2010/11, political pressures and a poor revenue outlook will preclude any significant fiscal improvements. After rising above 5% of GNP in 2008/09, the Economist Intelligence Unit expects the fiscal deficit to remain above 4% of GNP in the forecast period.
