The World is Enough

Rwanda

Wed, 25 May 2011 13:21:11 -0400

A UN tribunal in Tanzania sentenced Augustin Bizimungu to 30 years in prison for crimes against humanity and genocide. He was head of the Rwandan army when 800,000 Tutsis were killed, in 1994.

Singapore

Mon, 16 May 2011 01:59:15 -0400

Elections last week went in favor of the ruling People’s Action Party in Singapore’s parliament, which ended up 81-6 seats in favor of the PAP. This actually represents a victory for the opposition, which finally united tiny fragmented parties into effective political campaigns. Experts suggest this indicates one of two things: Either Singapore’s government will now take notice and change some of its policies, or the opposition will continue to grow stronger.

Legal trouble for leaders—

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:24:10 -0400

Italy: Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi facing four separate cases

· The charges range from tax fraud to underage prostitution

Honduras: Court cancelled warrants for Manuel Zalaya, former president

· He was deposed in a 2009 coup

· If he returned from exile, he would face corruption charges

Congo

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:21:12 -0400

UN plane crashes in Congo, 32 dead

· Plane part of the UN mission to the DR Congo

· Had been in use for 16 years, rented from Georgian Airways

Myanmar

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:19:50 -0400

Military junta formally dissolved & power handed over to elected officials

· Former dictator Than Shwe resigned as head of military

· Members of Aung San Suu Kyi’s party consider the handover to be faked

Iraq

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:19:31 -0400

Over 58 people were killed in Saddam Hussein’s hometown

· This happened after suicide bombers (linked to Al-Qaida) took hostages

· Captured the provincial council building in Tikrit, 100 miles north of Baghdad

This graph shows how long people live and how much money they earn.

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 19:19:32 -0400

This graph shows how long people live and how much money they earn.

SPRING GALA TOMORROW!! Vanderbilt University Model United...

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 20:13:32 -0400

SPRING GALA TOMORROW!!

Vanderbilt University Model United Nations is pleased to be hosting Dr. Dambisa Moyo as the speaker for our 4th Annual Spring Gala philanthropy event discussing problems with international aid to Africa. The Gala will be held Tuesday, March 29 from 7-9pm in the Student Life Center Ballroom. Dinner will be served. Tickets are $10 on the card or at the door.

Dr. Moyo is the New York Times best-selling author of Dead Aid: Why Aidis Not Working and How There is a Better Way for Africa. She is an international economist who specializes in macroeconomics and global affairs. She has been featured most recently in Newsweek Magazine and was named one of TIME Magazine’s 2009 “100 Most Influential People in the World.” Dr. Moyo holds degrees from Oxford and Harvard and has formerly worked at Goldman Sachs. All proceeds from the Gala will be going towards the Nashville International Center for Empowerment (N.I.C.E.).

To read the Newsweek article visit:
http://www.newsweek.com/2011/02/13/the-siren-of-the-financial-meltdown.html

To learn more about N.I.C.E. visit:
http://www.empowernashville.org/

Hope to see you there!

Libya:

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:50:04 -0400

UN Security Council passes resolution authorizing a no-fly zone

· American, British, and French military launch attack on airfields, military centers, and tanks

· Check out this interactive map of attitudes towards intervention in Libya & this “shoe-thrower’s index” that attempts to predict where crises will erupt next

· Libyan government sets up tour for foreign journalists, complete with pro-Qaddhafi supporters

· Is rape being used as a weapon? This woman claims she was raped by 15 soldiers.

Portugal:

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:49:50 -0400

Prime Minister steps down

· Will lead to an early election

· May also lead to another EU bailout

Japan:

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:49:33 -0400

Authorities call off tsunami warning after 6.5-magnitude earthquake Monday morning

· Other challenges still facing the nation—

o Are food & water supplies safe for consumption? Tap water, vegetables, and seafood are particularly at risk.

o What will it take to rebuild Japan? Early estimates are as high as $247 billion.

o Can nuclear meltdown be avoided? Foreign energy officials say that radiation levels are dropping at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, a sign of stabilization

The open sea:

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:49:19 -0400

Disney cruise employee missing off the Pacific coast of Mexico

· Worker failed to appear for a Tuesday shift

· Searches have been conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Mexican Navy, & the Bahamas Maritime Authority

Colombia:

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:48:40 -0400

Military kills 15 armed guerilla of the FARC

· After recent police assassinations, the president calls this a “decisive blow”

· 2 weeks earlier, military led another attack, killing a rebel wanted in the U.S. for drug trafficking

Syria:

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:48:25 -0400

2 Americans arrested during protests in Damascus

· Could be detained for longer

· Both caught for their use of social media to post about the protests

Check out one of their Twitter accounts

Cuba:

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:48:05 -0400

Jimmy Carter makes three-day trip to Cuba this week.

· Only American leader to visit Cuba since 1959

· Official reason for visit is to discuss economic policies and U.S.-Cuba relations

· Also rumored that Carter is seeking the release of American contractor recently convicted

Israel:

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:48:00 -0400

Bus bombing kills 1 and injures 30

· 1^st attack of this kind in 6.5 years

· The past several weeks have seen an increase in firing of rockets between Israel & Gaza

UN Resolution on Libya

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 01:11:56 -0400

UN Resolution on Libya:

Adopted by the Security Council on March 17th, 2011

The EU’s illegal immigrant problem

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 01:08:54 -0400

The EU’s illegal immigrant problem

Heroes are hard to find. This is Hideaki Akaiwa. When the...

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 14:38:30 -0400

Heroes are hard to find.

This is Hideaki Akaiwa. When the Tsunami hit his home town of Ishinomaki, Hideaki was at work. Realising his wife was trapped in their home, he ignored the advice of professionals, who told him to wait for the army to arrive to provide search and rescue.

Instead he found some scuba gear, jumped in the raging torrent - dodging cars, houses and other debris being dragged around by the powerful current, any of which could have killed him instantly - and navigated the now submerged streets in pitch dark, freezing water until he found his house. Swimming inside, he discovered his wife alive on the upper level with only a small amount of breathing room, and sharing his respirator, pulled her out to safety.

If he had waited for the army, his wife of 20 years would be dead.

Oh, and if that’s not enough badassery for one lifetime, Hideaki realised his mother was also unaccounted for, so jumped back in the water and managed to save her life also. Since then Hideaki enters the water everyday on a one man search and rescue mission, saving countless lives and proving that two natural disasters in a single day, and insurmountable odds can’t stand in the way of love. This man is my hero.

A Japanese medic checks a mother and son last week for radiation...

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:46:11 -0400

A Japanese medic checks a mother and son last week for radiation exposure: Officials say Japan’s nuclear crisis may now be under control. Photo: Corbis