Ahmadinejad says U.N. veto power "satanic"

Updated on : Tuesday, April 27, 2010

TEHRAN: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday labeled as "satanic" the U.N. Security Council and the right of veto held by its five permanent members, Iran's news agency reported.

Ahmadinejad, who often rails against the West, said the power of veto held by the United States, China, Britain, France and Russia was aimed at "oppressing and destroying the true nature of mankind and are satanic tools," agency said.

His comments came amid escalating tension in the Islamic Republic's long-running dispute with the West over Tehran's nuclear program, with the United States pushing for new U.N. sanctions against the major oil producer.

Washington and its allies suspect Iran is seeking to develop nuclear bombs. Tehran denies the charge and says its nuclear work is aimed at generating electricity.

A U.S. draft for a fourth round of U.N. sanctions proposes more curbs on Iranian banking, an arms embargo, tougher measures against Iranian shipping, moves against Revolutionary Guards members and a ban on new investments in Iran's energy sector.

Tehran has remained defiant, saying it is prepared to swap its low-level enriched uranium for higher-grade fuel enriched abroad, a move which would help address fears about Iran's enrichment activities, but insists this happen on Iranian soil.

In October Iran agreed in principle to send low-enriched uranium abroad for more processing, but then said the swap should "take place inside its territory and simultaneously."

Hillary Clinton hopes for Iran sanctions soon

Updated on : Thursday, February 25, 2010

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday she hoped the UN Security Council would endorse new sanctions against Iran in the "next 30 to 60 days" over its nuclear program.

"We hope that the next 30 to 60 days will see a sanctions resolution emerge," Clinton told a Senate hearing.

Early this week, White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs said Washington has been pushing for the toughest sanctions in the framework of the UN Security Council since last year's Resolution 1874 targeting the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Accusing Tehran of refusing to live up to its international responsibility, Clinton said "Iran has left the international community little choice but to impose greater costs for its provocative steps."

Similar remarks have been made by the top U.S. diplomat at a previous Senate hearing on Wednesday morning.

She told the lawmakers that the Obama administration has been working actively with partners to "prepare and implement new measures to pressure Iran to change its course."

The international community worries Tehran may obtain the uranium fuel needed for nuclear weapons by the same process to purify uranium, while Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purpose.

The Obama administration, avoiding from sending war threat to Tehran, has been trying the so called dual-track, namely engagement and sanction, to bring the international community together to make Iranian leaders realize the "importance of changing their actions and decisions concerning their nuclear program."

Swine Flu toll reaches 14,142: WHO

Updated on : Saturday, January 23, 2010

GENEVA: The death toll from the swine flu pandemic has risen to at least 14,142, up 588 from a week ago, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

Announcing its latest data on the spread of A(H1N1) virus, the UN health body said North Africa, South Asia and limited areas of Eastern Europe were now seeing the most intense transmission of the virus. The pandemic in the northern hemisphere peaked between late October and late November, WHO said.

Since the virus first appeared in Mexico last year, the Americas have recorded the greatest number of fatalities, with at least 7,094 deaths. At least 3,099 have died in Europe and at least 2,877 in the East Asia and Pacific region, WHO said.

DiCaprio donates 1 million dollars to Haiti fund

Updated on : Friday, January 22, 2010

LOS ANGELES: Leonardo DiCaprio has become the latest star to back the Haiti earthquake relief effort, donating one million dollars to help the shattered country, a statement said Thursday.

DiCaprio's donation was made to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. Former US presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush House have been named as special coordinators of aid to Haiti by President Barack Obama.

The pair established their Haiti fund to respond to needs in the country and improve the quality of life for victims of the devastating earthquake.

"I salute Leonardo DiCaprio for his extraordinary generosity," president George W. Bush said. "This donation sends a clear message to the people of Haiti that America's commitment to helping rebuild their country is strong.

"I thank Leo for setting a wonderful example for all Americans of helping a neighbor in need."

Several celebrities have made large donations to Haiti following last week's magnitude 7.0 earthquake killed at least 75,000 people according to Haitian government officials.

DiCaprio's supermodel ex-girlfriend Gisele Bundchen has donated 1.5 million dollars to the relief effort while power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie donated one million dollars to Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF/Doctors Without Borders) for the organization's operations in Haiti.

Actress Sandra Bullock also gave a one million dollar donation, according to data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

UN delivers aid in Haiti

Updated on : Friday, January 15, 2010

PORT-AU-PRINCE: The United Nations delivered food and essentials in Haiti on Thursday, just days after dozens of its personnel were killed in Tuesday's earthquake in Haiti, the worst loss of life the world body has ever suffered in a single incident.

More than 48 hours after the disaster, tens of thousands of people clamored for food and water and help digging out relatives still missing under the rubble.

The Haitian Red Cross said it believed 45,000 to 50,000 people had died and 3 million more -- one third of Haiti's population -- were hurt or left homeless by the major 7.0 magnitude quake that hit its impoverished capital on Tuesday.

The quake flattened buildings across entire hillsides and many people were still trapped alive in the rubble after two days, with little sign of organized rescue efforts.

U.N. peacekeepers stood by as aid workers delivered food to hundreds of people waiting in long lines.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said earlier that around 150 U.N. staff remained unaccounted for. He added that he had no news about the fate of the head of the peacekeeping mission in Haiti, Hedi Annabi of Tunisia.

Haitian President Rene Preval said on Wednesday that Annabi was dead. But U.N. officials later cast doubt on his remarks, saying they had no information to confirm it.

The U.N. force, which includes about 9,000 troops and police from more than 40 countries, was sent to the country in 2004 to try to bring stability after President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was ousted by armed gangs and former soldiers.

It has supported efforts to bring democracy to Haiti, run programs to disarm militant groups and helped the Haitian police. Haiti has been run by President Rene Preval since May 2006, when it returned to constitutional rule.

U.N. humanitarian affairs chief John Holmes said the world body's operations in Haiti "have been very badly affected" by the earthquake and the loss of some of its key personnel, and it was urgently trying to reinforce its ranks.

Tens of thousands of people are feared dead and many are believed still trapped alive in rubble after the 7.0 magnitude quake hit the capital of the Caribbean nation on Tuesday.

Holmes said he would launch an appeal on Friday for emergency funds for Haiti, although he did not say how much he would request.

UN Council set to expand N Korea sanctions

Updated at: 0728 PST, Thursday, June 11, 2009

The UN Security Council is set to vote on a draft resolution expanding sanctions on North Korea after it carried out a second nuclear test.

According to a draft leaked on Wednesday, the UN resolution would extend an arms embargo on Pyongyang, further limit its financial dealings and authorise searches of ships suspected of carrying weapons and nuclear materials.

The US-drafted resolution also bans the supply of fuel to North Korean vessels carrying cargo that might be a violation of UN trade and arms embargoes against Pyongyang, media reports said.

The UN Security Council was discussing the draft at a closed meeting after the five permanent members - the US, UK, China, Russia and France - and Japan and South Korea agreed the text of draft.

The resolution would also allow member states who suspect ships carrying suspect material to North Korea to direct the vessels to "an appropriate and convenient port for the required inspection by the local authorities".

A vote on the resolution could come as early as Friday.

Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the UN, described the draft as a "strong response" to North Korea's nuclear test.

"This sanctions regime, if passed by the Security Council, will bite, and bite in a meaningful way," Rice said.

She added that a total ban on North Korean arms exports, as called for in the draft, would cut off a significant source of revenue for Pyongyang.

Tensions have risen in recent weeks after North Korea carried out a nuclear test, launched missiles and threatened to attack South Korea.

The US and Japan have pushed for strong sanctions to punish North Korea, but China and Russia had been cautious, apparently nervous about provoking Pyongyang.

Al Jazeera's John Terrett in New York said frantic negotiations had taken place over the last two weeks aimed at convincing Russia and China to back the expanded sanctions against North Korea.

The two nations had refused to back a draft that required searches of North Korean ships suspected of carrying weapons material, and instead agreed to a call for searches.

North Korea warned on Wednesday it would use its weapons if provoked – an apparent effort to deter international punishment for its test of a nuclear device last month

"Our nuclear deterrent will be a strong defensive means ... as well as a merciless offensive means to deal a just retaliatory strike to those who touch the country's dignity and sovereignty even a bit," said a commentary in the state-run Mink Jason newspaper.

North Korea launched a long-range missile in April, triggering condemnation from the UN Security Council.

Pyongyang then announced on May 25 that it had staged a second nuclear weapons test, following one in 2006.

It also has declared the armistice ending the 1950-53 Korean War was void.

Ahmadinejad criticizes UN secretary-general remarks

Updated at: 1709 PST, Thursday, April 23, 2009

TEHRAN: Iran has sent a letter of protest to the U.N. secretary-general for criticizing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's diatribe against Israel at an anti-racism conference this week.

The Iranian president "was subjected to unfair and unwarranted harsh criticism," Iran's Ambassador to the U.N. in New York, Mohammad Khazaee, said in the letter sent late Wednesday to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The U.N. Office in Geneva was unable to immediately comment on the letter early Thursday because it had not received it.

Ban said Monday he deplored "the use of this platform by the Iranian president to accuse, divide and even incite. This is the opposite of what this conference seeks to achieve."

"It is deeply regrettable that my plea to look to the future of unity was not heeded by the Iranian president," Ban said in a statement, adding that he met with Ahmadinejad before the U.N. conference stressing the importance of uniting in the fight against racism.

Ban's comment was a response to Ahmadinejad's denunciation of Israel on the first day of the conference in Geneva, calling it the most "cruel and repressive racist regime." That sparked a walkout by European delegates, and strong condemnations from the U.N., U.S. and several other Western countries.

Iran's ambassador noted that tolerance and freedom of expression were among the basic principles of the world racism conference.

"It is unacceptable, and indeed regrettable, that these very principles were utterly disregarded in the same conference where we witnessed a manifestation of intolerance by some," he said.

Khazaee said the U.N. secretary-general should be impartial and fair, adding that the majority of U.N. member states were concerned about the plight of the Palestinians caused by Israel's policies and practices.