Hizbollah must disarm to ensure Lebanon’s sovereignty, Ban warns

Disbanding militias in Lebanon - especially Hizbollah, which fought a war with Israel in 2006 - is “of vital importance” to the country’s democracy and sovereignty, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon writes in a new report, where he voices satisfaction at progress made towards stability.

Polls and referendums remain key challenges in Sudanese peace pact, says Ban

The holding of elections and referendums are among the key milestones of the peace agreement ending the long-running north-south civil war in Sudan that have yet to be reached, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a new report, calling on the parties to enhance their partnership in tackling the final obstacles.

Photographic exhibition pays tribute to former UN chief U Thant

The greatest legacy of the former United Nations chief U Thant is his belief in the dignity of the individual, a senior official with the world body said tonight as he helped open a photographic exhibition dedicated to the Organization’s third Secretary-General.

Cyprus talks on federal government continue under UN auspices

Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders held further discussions today on the shape of a federal government of a future bi-communal republic as United Nations-backed talks to unify the Mediterranean island picked up pace.

Fresh round of tribal clashes in Darfur claims 10 lives, African-UN mission reports

At least 10 people have been killed in a new round of inter-tribal clashes in Darfur, the joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping force to the war-scarred region of western Sudan reported today.

UN calls on Israel to halt demolition of Palestinian homes

The United Nations today called on Israel to immediately halt forced evictions and demolitions of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem, warning that as many as 60,000 people there may be at risk of forced evictions, demolitions and displacement.

Genetic evidence for human-Neanderthal hanky panky?

The Neanderthal genome sequence has not yet been published, but already there are rumours that Neanderthals and early humans had sex, says Ewen Callaway

Polls and referendums remain key obstacles in Sudanese peace pact, says Ban

The holding of elections and referendums are among the key milestones of the peace agreement ending the long-running north-south civil war in Sudan that have yet to be reached, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a new report, calling on the parties to enhance their partnership in tackling the final obstacles.

UN agency saddened by killing of refugee worker in eastern Chad

The United Nations refugee agency today expressed its shock and sadness at the death of a colleague working for its government counterpart in eastern Chad who was killed in an ambush over the weekend.

Hang on a sec

Our new Europe Minister Chris Bryant (the 12th Europe Minister in 12 years of Labour government, no less), has gone immediately on the attack, beginning his new job with an interview with the Sunday Telegraph in which he accused the Conservatives of lying about a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

He said:

“I think your readers will end up feeling deceived by Cameron over the question of a referendum. I would lay a very big wager that they will be very disappointed if there was a Cameron government, because they wouldn’t end up having a referendum.”

He said Cameron’s pledge that he would “not let matters rest there” was deliberately ambiguous, and covered the fact that he would not be able to renegotiate. He said: “Either he’s incompetent and he doesn’t know this, or he knows and he’s downright fibbing.”

Now we realise the whole question of Cameron, will he, won’t he, is very topical and sensitive at the moment (and here at OE we are waiting with bated breath - see here for roughly what we think they should do, which we are in the process of fleshing out further), but still, for a Labour Minister to try and grab the moral highground on this one is astounding.

It was Labour, you will remember, who promised a referendum on the Constitutional Treaty, indeed, in Gordon Brown’s own words, on any treaty “that is acceptable for Britain,” and went back on it, denying the people say, despite a poll of more than 130,000 people showing that 88% wanted a referendum. Only a complete hypocrite could now start accusing other people of leading the British people down the garden path on this one.

But that’s not all. It now looks like as well as being a hypocrite he might actually be a bit of a fibber himself.

Last night on Newsnight, Bryant pompously corrected presenter Kirsty Wark for suggesting that the issue of candidates for the post of EU President will come up for discussion at the EU summit at the end of this week, as the Guardian (and countless others) have suggested.

Bryant said:

“I hate to correct Newsnight - I know politicians aren’t allowed to do that, but it’s quite possible that there won’t be any discussion at this week’s meeting because the job doesn’t yet exist. We haven’t had the final ratification from the Czech Republic.”

But with Luxembourg PM Jean-Claude Juncker telling Le Monde newspaper today that “If the call went out to me. I would have no reason to refuse to listen,” it seems pretty hard to believe that this won’t feature strongly on the agenda.

In fact, the good old French Foreign Office have today confirmed in no uncertain terms that the topic will be discussed this week. According to a press release this afternoon, asked if the French government is in favour of Juncker becoming EU President, the reply came:

“These questions will be discussed at the European Council at the end of the week.”

Clear, simple and honest.

To be fair though, maybe it’s because, as the Evening Standard reported yesterday, as a lowly parliamentary under-secretary of state, the lowest ministerial ranking there is, Bryant isn’t going along to the European summit this week, and therefore isn’t au fait on what’s happening on his own patch.

Who knows.