MediaVigil, Journal of Global Communications and Justice

Valencia (Spain), Nov 18 (DPA) Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), said Tuesday that the alliance should re-evaluate its relations with Russia without severing them. The relations should be reconsidered after Russia's 'disproportionate' use of force in Georgia, but not broken because the relations were a 'strategic asset', Scheffer said at the 54th annual meeting of the NATO parliamentary assembly. The assembly adopted a resolution urging Russia to respect the sovereignty of other nations as about 300 delegates from 50 countries were wrapping up their five-day meeting in the eastern Spanish city of Valencia. Georgian Vice-Prime Minister Giorgi Baramidze warned that a new military conflict was possible unless the international community was on alert against another Russian intervention in Georgia. NATO parliamentary assembly president Jose Lello said NATO needed to maintain an 'open communications channel...

UN adopts protocol to uphold rights to food, housing New York, Nov 19 (DPA) The UN General Assembly's human-rights committee Tuesday adopted a protocol giving people rights to housing, food, water and sanitation, and holding governments responsible for the lack of such essentials. The human-rights committee, known as Third Committee, adopted the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights without a vote. Amnesty International praised the move. 'This path-breaking instrument will give those people who couldn't access justice in their own countries the chance to have their complaints assessed by UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,' Amnesty International said. The London-based rights group said that people who suffer violations of their rights are often denied the ability and power to hold those responsible to account. The protocol upholds the rights to adequate housing, food, water and sanitation, health, educa...

Washington, Nov.19 (ANI): A top U.S. intelligence panel has predicted that by the year 2025, America will be playing a lesser role in global affairs, particularly on the economic and military fronts. It also warns of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. The National Intelligence Council (NIC) report titled "Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World," is slated for release as early as Thursday. The report also predicts "a unified Korea" is likely by then, and that China will be the world's second-largest economy and a major military power. "The United States will remain the single most powerful country, although less dominant," according to a "working draft" of the document obtained by The Washington Times. "Shrinking economic and military capabilities may force the U.S. into a difficult set of tradeoffs between domestic and foreign-policy priorities." A senior intelligence official said some details have changed in the final rep...

Save the last drop: World may soon drip dry of water resources GENEVA: Water is the new oil. That's a refrain that many global CEOs and thinkers have reiterated at times, but the water bubble, like the credit bubble, is still to burst. Like toxic subprime assets, half the world isn't even aware the world may be facing a water problem. And if ground water depletion is one of those discussions that sends you yawning out for a coffee, consider this. Dominic Waughray, senior director at the Forum in charge of Environmental Initiatives warns that even as oil and energy have become critical financial resources, water will be next on the agenda. There's a market for water out there, and people are beginning to realise it. "We never thought we'd have to manage water. But if you consider that a lot of financial institutions are looking for long term investment opportunities, financing water resources may well become the next big thing. We need to make sure that the poli...

India has built atleast 2 tunnels in mountains for storage of Agni Intermediate Range Ballastic Missile (IRBM). It was revealed by Mr. Bharat Karnad, who released his book “India’s Nuclear Policy” in Mumbai yesterday. He said that India is building more such facilities. Such tunnels will help India’s second strike capability, as; the Chinese Thermo Nuclear weapons cannot vaporize mountains. Mr. Karnad explaind that it has been done to offset the deployments of Chinese IRBM”s in Chinese occupied Tibet. Mr. Karnad also outlined some scenarios when India and China might actually fight a war and the nuclear weapons might be used. One of the foremost reasons could be the Chinese plans to build a dam and divert water from Yarlung Zangbo (Brahmaputra) to the Yellow river. He said that China has already proceeded by the civil works. In a second scenario, he said, the new generation Tibetians who are very motivated, would launch an armed struggle against Chinese Imperialist. Another important f...

LITI VILLAGE, China -- Li Xiaokai died of kidney failure on the old wooden bed in the family farmhouse, just before dawn on a drizzly Sept. 10. Her grandmother wrapped the 9-month-old in a wool blanket. Her father handed the body to village men for burial by a muddy creek. The doctors and family never knew why she got sick. A day later, state media reported that the type of infant formula she drank had been adulterated with an industrial chemical. Yet the deaths of Xiaokai and at least four other babies are not included in China's official death toll from its worst food safety scare in years. The Health Ministry's count stands at only three deaths. The stories of these uncounted babies suggest that China's tainted milk scandal has exacted a higher human toll than the government has so far acknowledged. Without an official verdict on the deaths, families worry they will be unable to bring lawsuits and refused compensation. So far, nobody is suggesting large numbers of deaths...

Government in tight spot over spectrum issue Nov 11, 2008 Under fire from its old and present allies, the government is finding it difficult to wriggle out of the telecom spectrum allocation controversy. Political parties have stirred a controversy close to the general elections, and even the resignation offer by Telecom Minister A Raja has not pacified them. The issue termed as "Rs 60,000 crore scam" by Left parties, and with Samajwadi Party (SP) general secretary Amar Singh too joining the bandwagon, Raja may have to do a lot of explaining in the coming days. The CPI (M) has targeted companies like Swan and Unitech, for having hugely benefited during the 2G spectrum allocation, and has warned the government to invoke fair trade practices and anti-monopoly restrictions before the allocations of licences for 3G, likely to be done in December. CPM alleges telecom fraud, govt denies 7 November, 2008 The government's decision to allow new mobile phone service companies has c...