international relations

In a vote of 74 in favor, 48 against and 59 abstentions, the General Assembly committee responsible for social, humanitarian and cultural affairs - known as the Third Committee -adopted the resolution co-sponsored by Canada and 41 other countries. The U.N. General Assembly has condemned human rights violations in Iran, particularly those that have occurred since last June's disputed presidential election, when thousands of opposition supporters were arrested and detained. In a vote of 74 in favor, 48  

NEW DELHI: Speaking against the backdrop of acrimonious exchanges between India and China recently, Vice-President Hamid Ansari advised both countries to be sensitive to mutual concerns. This attribute is vital if stability, security and prosperity in the shared spaces in their near and distant neighbourhood are to be effectively ensured, he said at a conference "China: Prospects for partnership in Asia" organised by the Indian Council of World Affairs and Association of Asian Scholars here on Saturday.

China: Prospects for partnership in Asia   -Hamid Ansari

 

Having declared socialism as the only alternative to fight the might of the capital world, the 11th meeting of the International Communist and Workers Parties expressed concern over the emerging global doctrine of right to first use of military. An emerging view is that irrespective of how the current global economic crisis is overcome, capitalists are seeking to use military might to control world economic resources with the expansion of the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation). "In the course o

In the course of deliberation, concern has been expressed at NATO’s new aggressive strategy of right to first use, as a global doctrine. This is a concern of all parties   -Sitaram Yechury

 

Pakistan-sponsored terrorism will be high on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's agenda when he sits down for talks with President Obama in Washington. The PM leaves on Saturday for what is the Obama administration's first state visit. In a departure statement, the PM said, "Today, India-US relations are characterized by greater maturity and depth. I look forward to building upon this momentum. I also look forward to exchanging views with President Obama on terrorism, climate change, the global economic slo

Today, India-US relations are characterized by greater maturity and depth. I look forward to building upon this momentum. I also look forward to exchanging views with President Obama on terrorism, climate change, the global economic slowdown, the Doha round of trade negotiations, and nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.   -PM

 

Two U.S. senators who authored legislation aimed at pressuring China to lift the value of its yuan said on Thursday they asked the Commerce Department to investigate alleged Chinese currency "manipulation." Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, and Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said the department has legal authority to determine whether China's currency practices are a form of subsidy and if so, impose tariffs on Chinese imports. "Commerce has authority under existing law to initi

Today there are certainly hundreds of thousands of -- and maybe even more -- Americans who are out of work because the Chinese are unfair and manipulate their currency   -Charles Schumer

 

As the World Trade Organisation's Doha round stumbles into its ninth year with no end in sight, a group of 22 developing countries are poised to clinch their own deal to cut tariffs and boost trade among themselves. The deal to expand the General System of Trade Preferences (GSTP) could be announced during the WTO's own three-day ministerial conference starting Nov. 30, when trade ministers from most of its 153 members will be in Geneva. The 22-member GSTP includes heavyweights such as Brazil, India a  

President Barack Obama's eight-day trip to Asia produced no tangible wins for the United States, though he is citing talks with Asian allies that he says could help create thousands of job and open new markets for American goods in the future. Citing progress on a trip that took him from Tokyo to Seoul, Obama noted that "Asia is a region where we now buy more goods and do more trade with than any other place in the world — commerce that supports millions of jobs back home." "I spoke with leaders in ev

Asia is a region where we now buy more goods and do more trade with than any other place in the world — commerce that supports millions of jobs back home.   -Barack Obama

 

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Saturday sent a message to Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy to congratulate him on his election as full-time president of the European Union (EU). In the message, Wen expressed his wishes that the EU integration will continue to make progress. Wen also said he is ready to work with EU leaders to bring into full play the strategic leading role of China-EU summits, enhance pragmatic cooperation in various sectors, join hands to tackle global challenges and further p  

A U.N. committee says Iran should release political prisoners arrested during protests over the country's disputed presidential election in June. The General Assembly's Human Rights Committee issued a non-binding resolution Friday blasting Iran's crackdown on protesters, as well as repeating its ongoing criticism of Tehran's use of torture and its rising numbers of executions, the BBC reported. The resolution reportedly urged Iran to abandon its policy of persecuting political opponents and called for

The United States welcomes the resolution passed today by the United Nations calling upon the government of Iran to respect its human rights obligations fully   -Robert Wood