Topic: UNESCO

Terrorism & Security Mali Islamists vow to destroy 'every mausoleum' in Timbuktu

Ansar Dine, the Islamist group that controls Mali's north, destroyed historic tombs and damaged a mosque this weekend, saying the religious landmarks constitute idolatry.

Again: Islamists destroy monuments, this time in Timbuktu

Al Qaeda-backed Islamists in Mali destroyed centuries-old UNESCO sites Saturday, recalling the 2001 destruction of Buddha statues in Afghanistan by the Taliban. 

UNESCO designates Church of the Nativity as endangered site

Palestinian leaders consider the designation a political victory.

Africa Monitor Equatorial Guinea: Ignorance worth fistfuls of dollars

Guest blogger Vukasin Petrovic asks why US retains positive ties with Equatorial Guinea's long-ruling president Teodoro Obiang Nguema, despite evidence of brutality, corruption, and neglect of his people.

A race to shore up the ancient walls of Babylon

After two failed bids, archaeologists seek to establish Babylon as a UNESCO World Heritage Site despite damage from Saddam Hussein and US troops. Those are just its latest encounters with conquerors, they argue.

Detentions display UN's impotence in Ethiopia

Ethiopia's government has held one United Nations employee in jail without charges for well over a year, while another is facing prosecution under a notorious anti-terrorism law.

Chapter & Verse World Book Night: coming your way, but no room for Amazon

On World Book Night thousands of volunteers in the US and Europe will hand out books, hoping to pass along their own love of reading.

Cover Story Home again in Mexico: Illegal immigration hits net zero

Tiny Tamaula is the new face of rural Mexico: Villagers are home again as the illegal immigration boom drops to net zero

In Nicaragua, teachers make only half as much as market vendors

Nicaragua's Sandinista government vowed a 'battle for sixth grade' to combat one of the world's highest dropout rates. But their goals are not reflected in the budget.

Nancy Drew and the case of a secret identity

This time, it was quite serious – how to appeal to boys? A quick-thinking mother comes to the rescue.

Workers to pump oil from Costa Concordia on Saturday

Actual pumping of the oil isn't expected to begin until Saturday, but teams from the Dutch shipwreck salvage firm Smit were working on the bow of the Concordia on Tuesday and divers were to make underwater inspections to identify the precise locations of the fuel tanks.

My teacher, the billionaire? Russians see a teachable moment.

What values should shape the next generation? Russia's President Medvedev kicked up a storm by suggesting that billionaires should share the secrets of their success in the classroom.
12/13/2011 01:55 pm

Latin America Monitor Can Mexican presidential candidate avoid 'Rick Perry' slump after books fumble?

Enrique Peña Nieto, the frontrunner in Mexico's presidential race, fumbled a question about which books most influenced him. And like Rick Perry's similar gaffe, Peña Nieto's stumble may cost him.
12/07/2011 08:54 am

Opinion US and Israel haven't learned their history lessons. Palestinians and Abbas have.

Billions in US aid dollars to individual economies and militaries in the Middle East have not strengthened peace. The success of post-war Europe shows the key to unity is to get citizens of different nations to work together. That hasn't really happened with Israel, Jordan, and Egypt.
11/16/2011 11:38 am

Backchannels After UNESCO Palestine vote, could US defund nuclear watchdog IAEA, too?

The US withdrew funding after UNESCO's Palestine vote yesterday. There's no reason that Palestinians won't be able to muster the votes for recognition in other UN agencies like the International Atomic Energy Agency.
11/01/2011 11:46 am

Backchannels Israel, Palestinians, and UNESCO culture wars

UNESCO, a cultural heritage group at the United Nations, today gave Palestinians membership. Why is Israel angry about this symbolic step?
10/31/2011 04:37 pm

Palestinian UNESCO membership: What it means for 4 key players

UNESCO members (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) overwhelmingly approved Palestinian membership in a 107-14 vote on Monday, although there were 52 abstentions. UNESCO, which is responsible for protecting historic heritage sites and promoting cultural understanding, holds little power on the international stage. But its decision to grant Palestinians membership in the organization is a symbolic victory for the Palestinian Authority and its leader, Mahmoud Abbas, who is campaigning for international support for statehood after years of stalled negotiations with Israel. What are the ramifications for the parties involved?
10/31/2011 04:25 pm

Africa Rising: Economic progress vs. cultural preservation in Ethiopia

Ethiopia's state project to make it into one of the world's top sugar producers requires the resettling of semi-nomadic herders in permanent villages. Which priority wins out: cultural preservation or economic progress?
10/27/2011 04:08 pm

Global News Blog Thailand's worst floods in decades reach Bangkok as political fallout mounts

Some 40,000 Thai Army troops have been deployed to build flood walls, set up sandbags, and help evacuations, but citizens are beginning to express frustration with the government response.
10/21/2011 09:36 am

Amid BRICS' rise and 'Arab Spring', a new global order forms

With American unilateralism ebbing, Western nations and the rising BRICS countries are still finding their way to a new geopolitical balance – and Arab Spring nations like Syria are caught in the middle.
10/18/2011 02:18 pm

Why even Israel supporters are worried about US freeze on Palestinian aid

The Palestinian campaign for statehood hasn't sat well with Washington, and now some members of Congress have decided to freeze some of the $500 million US aid to Palestinians.
10/05/2011 08:20 pm

From Russia's rarely seen 'Yellowstone,' a plea for tourists

As Russia invests $3 billion to attract visitors, it could open a nature preserve with the largest concentration of active volcanoes and geysers in Eurasia to tourism.
09/06/2011 03:03 pm

Photos of the Day Photos of the Day 07/01

Difference Maker Saving monarch butterflies stirs the 'poetical soul' of Homero Aridjis

Homero Aridjis, one of Mexico's top environmentalists and poets, has led the battle to save the habitat of monarch butterflies, Pacific gray whales, and sea turtles.
06/06/2011 10:37 am

What happened to the metal codices that promised Christian revelations

The tiny books have stirred debate over the Christian 'secrets' they could contain and who can sell them. Now, they may never be decoded.
05/05/2011 12:26 pm