As Iraq prepares for polls, donors must step up to the plate to ensure stability - Ban

Iraq is entering a crucial period with national elections slated for January, and the international community must help it deliver basic services in “critically under-funded” sectors to ensure stability, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in a new report on the strife-torn country.

As Iraq prepares for elections, donors must step up to the plate to ensure stability - Ban

Iraq is entering a crucial period with national elections slated for January, and the international community must help it deliver basic services in “critically under-funded” sectors to ensure stability, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in a new report on the strife-torn country.

Banditry jeopardizing humanitarian work in eastern Chad, warns UN

Humanitarian assistance to tens of thousands of people in eastern Chad is under threat from banditry, which has led several aid agencies to temporarily halt their operations in the face of attacks, the United Nations relief wing reported today.

Afro-Brazilians and indigenous groups face serious bias, says UN rights chief

While Brazil has an “impressive” set of laws and policies to promote human rights and improve socio-economic well-being, indigenous groups and Afro-Brazilians face serious discrimination, injustice and violence, the United Nations human rights chief said today.

Today on New Scientist: 13 November 2009

Today’s stories on newscientist.com, at a glance, including: why you shouldn’t mix cocaine and pepper spray, a green makeover for piezoelectronics, and a joyride through the nanoworld

Top UN official calls for probe into murder of Mexican journalist

The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has condemned the murder of Mexican journalist Vladimir Antuna García, and called on authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Cyprus leaders centre ongoing UN-backed talks on property issues

Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders met today to discuss property rights issues during the latest round of United Nations-backed talks aimed at reunifying the Mediterranean island.

Hear, hear

Simon Jenkins’ piece in today’s Guardian gets a big thumbs up from us. The article suggests why Gordon Brown would make a good EU President arguing that “He [Brown] is clearly unhappy with the rough and tumble of democratic politics, with the daily grind of public appearances, glad-handing and schmoozing. But these are not required in Brussels, where nobody is elected to anything and such populism as smiling at cameras and holding referendums are anathema.”

However, he makes a much more significant point about the nature of debate about the EU and, in particular, the defensiveness of those in favour of further EU integration. He writes,

“An inability to think laterally has long been the curse of the European movement. A sign of its intellectual insecurity is that it cannot handle scepticism, treating any but the most craven sycophant as an enemy…Brussels is like an office of the doctrine of the faith, tolerating no Francis of Assisi. Criticise it and you are damned as anti-European.”

Jenkins also points out that the debate is so polarised that scepticism of the EU can easily be pigeonholed at the other extreme. “The noble word, sceptic, has become code for rejectionist,” he says.

He concludes saying,

“The language of the Lisbon treaty is that of an elite of 40 years ago, a smokescreen for the accretion of establishment power. David Cameron is right to keep open a determination to change it, as is indeed allowed by the treaty. The only sensible response to Lisbon is not rejectionism but a ferocious scepticism, properly so called.”

Right on the money.

Plastic-hardening chemical makes men soft

A compound commonly found in plastic food and drink containers appears to cause erectile dysfunction and other sexual performance problems in men. But how worried should we be, asks Nic Fleming

Increasing number of Yemenis fleeing embattled north, UN agency reports

The United Nations refugee agency reported today that an increasing number of civilians are fleeing embattled Sa’ada province in northern Yemen as the fighting between Government troops and Al Houthi rebels rages on.