Scoop's World In Review: Top World Stories, 14 July 2008 - 18 July 2008
IMF Gloomy / Chinese & South Darfur / Antarctica & North America / Precursor Chemicals / Super Holy Thursday / Green Computers / Anwar Ibrahim / DNA & Russian Mystery / Martian Soil / Goldwasser & Regev / U.S. Economy / Oil Prices / ICC & AL Bashir....
Top World Stories - 18 July 2008 News Summary
World Economic Outlook: IMF Gloomy On Growth, Sees Rising Inflation Threat - "Expansions in emerging and developing economies are also expected to lose further steam, with growth in these
countries projected to ease to around 7 percent in 2008-09 from 8 percent in 2007. China's growth rate is expected to
ease." -- IMF. More >>
Building Bridges: Chinese Engineers Support UN-AU Mission In South Darfur - A company of 172 Chinese engineers -- including bridge and road-building detachments, construction and installation
units -- arrived today in South Darfur to join the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission in Sudan's
western region. More >>
Cold Fact: One Rock May Prove Antarctica & North America Were Connected - A lone granite boulder found against all odds high atop a glacier in Antarctica may provide additional key evidence
to support a theory that parts of the southernmost continent once were connected to North America hundreds of millions
of years ago. More >>
Afghanistan: Three Tons Of Precursor Chemicals Used For Heroin Production Seized - Working with UNODC and regional governments, the CNPA has stepped up its efforts to intercept consignments of
smuggled precursors through its participation in Operation Tarcet, which began in Afghanistan and now covers the region. More >> [1]
Super Holy Thursday: Holy Father Officially Welcomed To WYD08, Visits Govt House, Mary MacKillop Place - Pope Benedict XVI experienced a warm welcome to Sydney as up to 500,000 people including local and international
pilgrims greeted the Pope at Barangaroo as his official World Youth Day WYD08 program began, said a WYD08 spokesperson. More >>
Green Machines: British Government Computers Go Environmentally Friendly - The UK Government became the first in the world to announce plans to slash the carbon footprint of its computer
systems, aiming to make energy consumption of ICT carbon neutral within four years. "Worldwide, computers are
responsible for the same quantity of carbon emissions as the airline industry. It is a serious problem." More >>
Top World Stories - 17 July 2008 News Summary
Shafted Again: Arrest Of Opposition Figure Anwar Ibrahim Raises Serious Concerns - "The detention today of prominent Malaysian opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim raises serious questions and concerns. We
urge Malaysian authorities to resolve this matter in a manner that builds confidence in the impartial rule of law in
Malaysia." -- U.S. State Department. More >>
Remains Of The Day: Military DNA Lab Helps To Resolve Century-Old Russian Mystery - A Defense Department DNA identification lab has helped bring to a close a near-century-old mystery, laying to rest a
search for the remains of two children executed alongside the rest of the family of Russia's last czar, Nicholas II, in
1918. More >>
Crude Politics: United Kingdom Stands "Ready To Help" Nigerian Oil Production - The United Kingdom has offered to assist in providing "robust accounting systems" and security to reduce the 1.5m
barrels of oil currently lost every day in Nigeria, a key global supplier. Plans to deal with oil smuggling and
corruption in the Niger Delta region have been outlined. More >>
Planetary Pedology: Martian Soil Similar To Earth Soil, Scientists Say - Soil just under the surface at one spot on the arctic plains of Mars is similar to soil found in the dry valleys of
Antarctica and in other places on Earth, said scientists describing results from the first wet chemistry analysis
performed on another planet. More >>
All God's Creatures: Pope Benedict XVI Meets Wallaby, Koala, Python, And A Baby Croc - His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI met special visitors including a koala, red-necked wallaby joey and other unique
Australian animals at the Kenthurst Study Centre. "We wanted to offer the Holy Father an opportunity to experience some
of Australia's unique fauna." More >>
Texting: Europe Moves To End Roaming Rip-Offs For SMS Text Messages - The 2.5 billion text messages sent every year by roaming customers in the EU cost over 10 times more than domestic
short messages (SMS). The European Union will also seek to put an end to "bill shocks" that can hit roaming customers
using a mobile Internet connection. More >>
Home In A Box: Bodies Of Ehud Goldwasser And Eldad Regev Officially Identified - "The bodies of First Sergeant Ehud Goldwasser and Sergeant First Class Eldad Regev were positively identified by
representatives of the IDF Military Rabbinate, the Medical Corps and other forensic experts at the Rosh Hanikra
crossing." -- IDF Spokesman, Israel. More >>
Top World Stories - 16 July 2008 News Summary
United Nations: Trade & Globalization Boost Prosperity & Stability - Trade and globalization have had the double effect of enhancing prosperity for hundreds of millions of people and
stepping up stability among nations. Countries have gained from specialization and economies of scale to boost
efficiency thanks to trade. More >>
Greenpeace: Activists Freed; Time For Whaling Corruption Probe - The two Greenpeace Japan activists, arrested and charged for intercepting a box of whale meat illegally smuggled off
the Japanese whaling fleet, have been released on bail, after 26 days in custody. A panel of three judges in granted the
release. More >>
President Bush: The U.S. Economy Is Sound Despite Setbacks - "The bottom line is this: We're going through a tough time, but our economy has continued growing, consumers are
spending, businesses are investing, exports continue increasing, and American productivity remains strong." - President
George W. Bush. More >>
U.S. State Dept: The Repression And Arrest Of Two Student Activists In Iran - "The United States is concerned by reports that Iranian authorities have stepped up their repression of student
activists in the wake of the ninth anniversary of the July 9, 1999 student uprising." -- U.S. State Department. More >>
Alternative Energy: Solar Power Viable Option For East Timor, Says UN - The solar project, just one of many initiatives carried out by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affair in the
tiny South East Asian nation, aimed to help rural communities harness the potential of this alternative energy source. More >>
Refugees International: Relocation Of Palestinian Refugees To Sudan Not A Lasting Solution - Refugees International expressed deep concern over the decision taken by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the
Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Sudan to relocate this population to pre-fabricated housing in a Khartoum
neighborhood, with no path to citizenship. More >>
Burma: Survival In The Shadow Of Cyclone Nargis - Rebuilding simple homes is one thing. Lives and livelihoods take time and, behind a semblance of returning normality,
another story emerged. Rather than making progress some villagers were falling back, going into debt in attempts to
recover by themselves. More >>
WYD08: Papa Wows The Masses With TXT Message; Cardinal Pell Celebrates Opening Mass - After Pope Benedict XVI sent text message to pilgrims, the atmosphere was electric. He sent: "Young friend, God & his people expect much from u, because u have within u the Father's supreme gift: the Spirit of Jesus - BXVI" More >>
Crude In New York: Oil Prices Take Biggest One-Day Drop In 17 Years - Oil prices have plummeted amid concerns a slowing U.S. economy will decrease demand. The price of crude oil in New
York at one point fell more than $9 a barrel in trading in New York Tuesday, the biggest one-day drop for crude oil in
17 years. More >>
Top World Stories - 15 July 2008 News Summary
Crimes Against Humanity : ICC Seeks Arrest Of Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir - Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo presented evidence showing Sudanese President, Omar Hassan Ahmad AL BASHIR committed
crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur. More >>
ALSOICG: Opportunities And Risks For SudanHRW: ICC Moves Against Al-BashirAmnesty: Arrest Announcement Important StepUN: ICC To Charge Sudanese President Sudan Seeks Meeting Over ICC IndictmentsUN Has No Influence On ICC, Al-Bashir ToldState Dept Briefing: July 11, 2008
RELATED 'WAR CRIMES' NEWSTaylor Trial A Model For International Justice
RECENTLY, CONCERNING THE ICCHuman Rights Watch On ICC First 5 Years
Power Broker: President Bush Moves On Outer Continental Shelf Oil Exploration - President Bush on Monday said, "The time for action is now. Today, I've taken every step within my power to allow
offshore exploration of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). All that remains is for the Democratic leaders in Congress to
allow a vote." More >>
WHITE HOUSE BRIEFINGPresident Bush To Lift Executive OCS Ban
Sunscreen Products: Facts & Claims - What Matters For Consumers? - Sunscreen products cannot deliver total protection from UV radiation. Even the high SPFs do let some of the UV
radiation through. This holds also true for products claiming to be a "sun block" or to offer "total protection". More >>
Financial Markets: U.S. Mortgage Giants Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac Get Thrown A Lifeline - "Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac play a central role in our housing finance system and must continue to do so in their
current form as shareholder-owned companies. Their support for the housing market is particularly important as we work
through the current housing correction." -- Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr. More >>
ALSOSupport For Mortgage Giants; IndyMac To ReopenU.S. Treasury Statement On Fannie Mae And Freddie MacBush On Fuel, Freddie Mac & Fannie Mae, Tax Relief
Top World Stories - 14 July 2008 News Summary
World Youth Day: His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI Has Arrived In Australia - Pope Benedict XVI touched down in Sydney following on Alitalia flight AZ4000 from Rome, travelling for 19 hours 45
minutes and 16,418 kilometres. This historic visit to Australia is his ninth apostolic visit outside of Italy.
Descending from the aircraft, the Pope was greeted on the tarmac by the Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd,
Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell, and the Premier of NSW, Morris Iemma amongst other dignitaries. More >>
Defending Rights: UN Refutes Claims That Ban Is Biased On Zimbabwe - Comments by the Permanent Representative of Zimbabwe questioning Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's impartiality toward
events in Zimbabwe are "highly inappropriate and unacceptable," a UN spokesman stated. "There is nothing one-sided about
defending the right of the people of Zimbabwe to choose a legitimate government in a free and fair election." More >>
CLOSE, BUT NO CIGARSecurity Council Fails To Adopt Sanctions
Afghanistan: Nine U.S. ISAF Soldiers Die In Fighting In Northern Kunar - Nine ISAF soldiers have been killed in fighting in northeastern Afghanistan near the Pakistani border. In addition,
15 ISAF and four Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers were wounded. The fighting began in early morning hours. Insurgents
suffered heavy casualties during the fighting. More >>
Stabbing Epidemic: UK Takes Further Measures To Tackle Knife Crime - The British Government is set to announce further measures to tackle knife crime on Monday following several
knife-related deaths this week. "We will continue to make absolutely clear that carrying a knife is unacceptable in our
society." -- UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. More >>
RELATEDNEW! UK Combats Knife Crime EpidemicHard-Hitting Knife Crime Ads In UKUK Crackdown On Knife CrimeUK: Tough Sanctions On Knife Crime
Going Home: Nearly 400 More Hmong Return To Laos From Thailand - The 391 ethnic Hmong people were repatriated from Ban Huay Nam Khao camp by the Thai army in Petchabun province,
according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which said today that it had no information that the move
was not voluntary.More >>
ENDS