In yesterday's "Potomac" (I think I might prefer "Chesapeake") primary, Obama and McCain ran the table, Obama by unexpectedly wide margins. Tomorrow I will be blogging live from the UN Investor Summit on Climate Risk.
Top Stories
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Russia - Russia issued a trifecta of provocative statements today and was generally
all over the news. The nation, which introduced a treaty to ban the deployment of weapons in space at a UN disarmament forum, has said that a
failure to do so could spark a new cold war and arms race, while the U.S. is
worried about the same thing because of the February 9 Russian bomber mission that flew over the USS Nimitz. Russia has restated its
objection to Kosovo's possible independence, calling it a violation of international law and a threat to security in Europe. And, in addition, it has said that it would
point its missiles at the Ukraine if they join NATO and deploy the US missile defense shield despite having
worked out a previously contentious gas deal with the Ukraine on the same day. Meanwhile, Russia
finalized a nuclear deal with India, and Georgian opposition politician, Badri Patarkatsishvili, who feared an assassination plot against him, was
found dead in the UK of a heart attack at age 52. The UK police are suspicious. Also, Medvedev is a
fan of Deep Purple.
>>Hezbollah - Hezbollah's intelligence chief, Imad Mughniyeh, was killed by a car bomb in Damascus, an attack the group is blaming on Israel. Mughniyeh, believed to be the mastermind behind a series of hostage situations in Lebanon in the 1980s and at least two bombings in Argentina with heavy casualties, had been in hiding.
>>Tigers - A long-awaited tiger census in India has revealed that the animals' numbers have declined from 3,642 to 1,411 in the last five years. Tigers are killed for their skins and bones, which are used in traditional medicines. Some reports suggest that there were 40,000 tigers in India at the beginning of the 20th century. Meanwhile, body parts of the nearly extinct Sumatran tiger are being sold in 1 in 10 retail outlets surveyed throughout Sumatra.
>>Venezuela - Venezuela has suspended sales of crude oil to Exxon Mobil, which has sought compensation for the nationalization of one of its projects in Venezuela.
>>Standing Up - Director Stephen Spielberg, best known for his work as a production assistant on Faces (1968), has withdrawn from his role as an artistic director for the opening ceremony of this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing to protest China's involvement with the government of Sudan. Spielberg had been pressured to do so by UN Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow. And, a Sicilian bishop, Piazza Armerina, is refusing to host the funeral of the head of a notorious mafia family, who died of natural causes at age 81. Armerina, who has said, "Men of the Church must do their bit to fight the mafia," has received death threats and is under police protection.
Quote of the Day
"I find that my conscience will not allow me to continue business as usual. At this point, my time and energy must be spent not on Olympic ceremonies but on doing all I can to help bring an end to the unspeakable crimes against humanity that continue to be committed in Darfur."
- Stephen Spielberg
Yesterday in UN Dispatch