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Semáforo is a fortnightly collection of news from around the world, classified by geographical area - Africa, America, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, and the Middle East. Semáforo also includes a section which monitors international organisations and the subjects on the international agenda for peace building.
Daily monitoring of news items is based on more than 60 sources and includes areas related to armed conflicts, humanitarian crises, international behaviour, unresolved conflicts, forced displacements, human rights, sustainable development, gender, governability and economic and political crises, militarisation and disarmament, peace processes and post-war rehabilitation and gender.
Although the unit analysed is usually a country, news items on regions, international organisations and other broad-based subjects are also included. At the end of each news item, the source consulted is shown in italics, and the code of the subject area related to the news item is shown in brackets. A glossary and a code of concepts and sources is attached at the end of each Semáforo.
It is published in Spanish every other Friday on the website, where it is possible to subscribe free of charge. You can also check the highlights of the publication in English and Catalan on the web. |
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Semáforo 200
Fortnight's newsletter 15.07.08 - 30.07.08
To read the full document click here.
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01: Africa
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The president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, and the opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, sign a memorandum of understanding and start talks in Pretoria aimed at the conformation of a national unity Government. |
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The leader of the Central African armed group UFDC declares himself in favour of signing the comprehensive peace agreement that precedes the inclusive dialogue planned for August in Bangui. |
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Several NGOs report that more than 200 civilians have been assassinated and some other 150.000 have been displaced in eastern DR Congo since 22 armed groups signed the peace agreement in Goma in January. |
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The POLISARIO Front rejects the UN special envoy Peter Walson and demands its replacement for the new round of talks with Morocco on Western Sahara. |
02: Americas
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The electoral courts of the departments opposed to the Bolivian Government demand the suspension of the revocatory referendum on the president and departmental prefects’ mandates, planned for the 10th of August. |
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One of main indigenous organizations in Ecuador expresses its support to the new Constitution that will be subject to popular consultation in September, under the observation of the EU, OAS and the Carter Centre. |
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MINUSTAH reports that children continue to be the target of kidnappings, assassinations, sexual violence and human trade in Haiti. |
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Former Argentinean general Luciano Benjamín Menéndez, 81 years old, is sentenced to life imprisonment because of the human rights violations that took place during the Argentinean dictatorship. |
03: Asia
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After several years of negotiations, the Government of the Philippines and the MILF reach an agreement on the ancestral territories of the moro people and commit themselves to the signature of a comprehensive peace agreement in the following 15 months. |
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An organisation that claims to draw together 11 armed groups in the south of Thailand declares an immediate ceasefire. |
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The most serious attack since 2004 in Indian Kashmir causes the death of 14 soldiers. |
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The LTTE declares a unilateral truce during the celebration of the SAARC summit in Sri Lanka, tarnished by the violence in the north of the country. |
04: Europe
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Radovan Karadzic is arrested and transferred to The Hague 13 years after having been accused by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. |
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The Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders agree to begin in September direct negotiations to reach a solution to the conflict that will be afterwards subjected to referendum in both communities. |
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An attack with two bombs in Istanbul causes the death of 17 people and leaves 150 wounded, amid a serious political and social tension context. |
05: Middle East
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Hezbollah and Israel exchange prisoners and the remains of soldiers and combatants, after the agreement reached thanks to the German mediation. |
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Iran hangs 29 people in Teheran accused of violation Islamic moral codes. |
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The Government of Yemen and al Houthi followers reach a truce agreement and the president states that the armed conflict has ended, in spite of the risk of new clashes. |
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Three suicide attacks in Iraq cause 80 deaths and leave 300 people wounded in several areas of the country in the last two weeks. |
06: International Organizations
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UN General Assembly approves the designation of Navanethem Pillay as the new High Commissioner for Human Rights for a period of four years. |
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Tel. (+34) 93 586 88 42 - Fax.(+34) 93 581 32 94 - escolapau@pangea.org
ACTUALIZADA 01.08.08
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