By Jeremy Laurence
North Korea and the United States will hold a second round of talks in Geneva next week to discuss ways to restart regional talks on disabling North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, South Korean media reported on Monday.
Yonhap news agency quoted a diplomatic source in Seoul as saying that the two sides would meet in Geneva, possibly on October 26, amid recent diplomatic activity which has seen the secretive state brought in from the cold.
North Korea conducted its first nuclear test in 2006 and tested a second device in 2009.
Tension has eased on the peninsula this year, and a series of bilateral meetings between the Koreas and the US and North Korea has raised hopes that nuclear talks could be reconvened after a nearly three-year hiatus.
"I have learned that a high-level dialogue between North Korea and the US will be held in Geneva," Yonhap quoted the diplomatic source as saying.
Seoul's Unification Ministry, which deals with inter-Korean affairs, said it did not know anything about the report.
North Korea keen to meet
North Korea said last month it was eager for a second meeting with the United States.
In July, US envoy Stephen Bosworth held two days of talks with veteran North Korean nuclear negotiator Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan in New York, their first such interaction since 2009.
Last month in Beijing, the two Koreas' nuclear envoys met for a second time in two months to discuss restarting the six-party talks, which also involve the United States, China, Russia and Japan.
In further signs of engagement, North Korean and US military officials are due to meet in Bangkok this week to discuss resuming the search for the remains of Americans killed during the 1950-53 Korean War.
Delegates from North Korea will also travel to the United States this month for two separate unofficial conferences designed to breathe life into the six-party talks.
Nuclear test worry
While the two Koreas and the United States say their talks have been constructive, they have failed to agree on a starting point for a new round of the six-party talks.
Seoul and Washington insist that Pyongyang must first halt its nuclear activities, including its uranium enrichment programme, and allow the return of international nuclear inspectors before talks can restart.
The North, with Beijing and Moscow's support, says that six-party talks should be held without preconditions.
Most experts say the mercurial North is unlikely to ever give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons, but the six-party process is useful as it serves to contain the North's nuclear programme and hinders proliferation.
A South Korean government official has also expressed concerns that if no there is progress in restarting six-party talks, Pyongyang could carry out another "provocation" such as a nuclear test.
Sanctions taking their toll
Analysts say the destitute North is feeling the strain of sanctions, imposed for conducting the nuclear and missile tests, and wants to restart the talks to get economic aid.
Ties between the two Koreas have been frosty since 2008 when South Korea linked aid to progress on North Korean nuclear disarmament. Relations deteriorated further after the North's attacks on the South last year -- the sinking of a South Korean warship and the shelling of an island that killed 50 people. -- Reuters
Source: http://mg.co.za/article/2011-10-17-north-korea-and-us-seek-to-reboot-nuclear-dialogue/
--NM
Monday, 17 October 2011
Mali: retour au pays des combattants maliens des troupes de Kadhafi
Soixante-dix-huit véhicules chargés de combattants libyens d'origine malienne sont arrivés dans le désert malien, hier samedi 15 octobre 2011, en provenance de Libye via la frontière nigérienne. Des centaines d'hommes, des touaregs pour la plupart et armés, sont ainsi de retour au Nord-Mali. Parmi eux, des commandants et un colonel.
Avec notre correspondant à Bamako
Dans le convoi qui est arrivé, il y a plus de 400 combattants. La plupart sont des Maliens qui avaient pris la nationalité libyenne. Ils combattaient aux côtés des troupes de Kadhafi. Aujourd'hui, Ils sont revenus dans leur pays d'origine avec armes et bagages. Parmi eux, des officiers avec grade de commandant, mais aussi un colonel, le colonel Mohamed Bachir. Quasiment tous ces hommes en armes de retour sont des touaregs, essentiellement de trois tribus du Nord-Mali: les iforas, les chamanamas, et les imrades.
Dès leur arrivée, le groupe de plus de 400 combattants s'est scindé en deux. Certains ont pris la direction du grand désert, en jouant un peu aux électrons libres, d’où le danger. Par contre, un comité d'accueil, attendait les militaires de la tribu des imrades.
Ces derniers sont les plus nombreux du groupe, ils occupaient ainsi 50 des 78 véhicules. Et à l'initiative des cadres civils et militaires maliens de la même tribu, un site de cantonnement a été aménagé pour eux, dans la localité de Takallote, située à 35 kilomètre de Kidal. Sur place, tentes, couverture et vivres les attendaient.
« Ces soldats veulent la paix, la tranquillité pour le Mali », explique un cadre civil influent dans la région. Reste à organiser leur désarmement, leur avenir, leur réinsertion. Sur tous ces points, à commencer par leur retour, le gouvernement malien ne s'est pas encore exprimé.
Source: http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20111016-mali-retour-pays-combattants-maliens-troupes-kadhafi
--NM
Dans le convoi qui est arrivé, il y a plus de 400 combattants. La plupart sont des Maliens qui avaient pris la nationalité libyenne. Ils combattaient aux côtés des troupes de Kadhafi. Aujourd'hui, Ils sont revenus dans leur pays d'origine avec armes et bagages. Parmi eux, des officiers avec grade de commandant, mais aussi un colonel, le colonel Mohamed Bachir. Quasiment tous ces hommes en armes de retour sont des touaregs, essentiellement de trois tribus du Nord-Mali: les iforas, les chamanamas, et les imrades.
Dès leur arrivée, le groupe de plus de 400 combattants s'est scindé en deux. Certains ont pris la direction du grand désert, en jouant un peu aux électrons libres, d’où le danger. Par contre, un comité d'accueil, attendait les militaires de la tribu des imrades.
Ces derniers sont les plus nombreux du groupe, ils occupaient ainsi 50 des 78 véhicules. Et à l'initiative des cadres civils et militaires maliens de la même tribu, un site de cantonnement a été aménagé pour eux, dans la localité de Takallote, située à 35 kilomètre de Kidal. Sur place, tentes, couverture et vivres les attendaient.
« Ces soldats veulent la paix, la tranquillité pour le Mali », explique un cadre civil influent dans la région. Reste à organiser leur désarmement, leur avenir, leur réinsertion. Sur tous ces points, à commencer par leur retour, le gouvernement malien ne s'est pas encore exprimé.
Source: http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20111016-mali-retour-pays-combattants-maliens-troupes-kadhafi
--NM
OECD "How's Life?" Report Measures Well-Being Across the World
What makes people happy? That's the question the Organisation for Economic Cooperation And Development tries to answer in its latest report, How's Life.
The OECD studied 11 specific aspects of life that are believed to contribute to the overall well-being of people across the world. The organization looked at parameters such as income, jobs, housing, health, and work-life balance to assess how people perceive the quality of their lives. The report shows that income is a prime contributing factor to well-being, yet so are less obvious factors such as a clean environment, health, and safe neighborhoods.
"Some may wonder whether it is still opportune to talk about well-being, rather than just focusing on the economic growth needed to get our countries out of this crisis," OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria said at the launch of the report. "I strongly believe that today, even more than two years ago, we have to consider a broader picture in our policy making, because a 'growth as usual' approach is simply not enough."
Global well-being has increased over the past fifteen years, "How's Life?" concludes. "People are richer and more likely to be employed, they enjoy better housing conditions and are exposed to lower air pollution; they live longer and are more educated, they are also exposed to fewer crimes," the OECD sums up. Yet disparities across countries are large, and income inequality between groups within countries is also on the rise.
**Read more at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/12/oecd-life-happiness-report_n_1007484.html#s404050&title=8_China
Note: this report focuses on the countries which make up the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and a few other countries, but NOT the whole world.
--NM
The OECD studied 11 specific aspects of life that are believed to contribute to the overall well-being of people across the world. The organization looked at parameters such as income, jobs, housing, health, and work-life balance to assess how people perceive the quality of their lives. The report shows that income is a prime contributing factor to well-being, yet so are less obvious factors such as a clean environment, health, and safe neighborhoods.
"Some may wonder whether it is still opportune to talk about well-being, rather than just focusing on the economic growth needed to get our countries out of this crisis," OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria said at the launch of the report. "I strongly believe that today, even more than two years ago, we have to consider a broader picture in our policy making, because a 'growth as usual' approach is simply not enough."
Global well-being has increased over the past fifteen years, "How's Life?" concludes. "People are richer and more likely to be employed, they enjoy better housing conditions and are exposed to lower air pollution; they live longer and are more educated, they are also exposed to fewer crimes," the OECD sums up. Yet disparities across countries are large, and income inequality between groups within countries is also on the rise.
**Read more at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/12/oecd-life-happiness-report_n_1007484.html#s404050&title=8_China
Note: this report focuses on the countries which make up the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and a few other countries, but NOT the whole world.
--NM
Saturday, 24 September 2011
Pambazuka - NATO's neo-colonial war: Whither international law?
On the other hand, this article looks at the role of NATO and, to some extent, the African Union, in Libya. Thoughts?
Pambazuka - NATO's neo-colonial war: Whither international law?
-Ms. M
Pambazuka - NATO's neo-colonial war: Whither international law?
-Ms. M
Has the AU done too little, too late? - Opinion - Al Jazeera English
This is an interesting article on Libya and the African Union. Please read and share your thoughts on the role of the AU, the concept of 'Responsibility to Protect' and so on.
Has the AU done too little, too late? - Opinion - Al Jazeera English
-Ms. Mhlaba
Has the AU done too little, too late? - Opinion - Al Jazeera English
-Ms. Mhlaba
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