Tag Archives: Pakistan floods

Clinton on Iran / $125 Million for Refugees / A Concert for Flood Recovery

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The United States supports the Iranian people as they seek to fulfill their democratic aspirations. The United States will contribute $125 million in aid for refugees. The U.S. government is preparing for a sustained war against HIV/AIDS. As the 10th Cricket World Cup approaches this weekend, the popularity of cricket in the U.S. remains a well-kept sporting secret. And finally, a concert at Carnegie Hall benefits the flood survivors of Pakistan’s Indus Valley.

Clinton Says U.S. Supports Iranian Aspirations
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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says the Obama administration’s support for the aspirations of the Egyptian people is also true for Iran. She adds that protests under way in Iran are “a testament to the courage of the Iranian people.”

$125 Million in Refugee Aid
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The United States will contribute $125 million toward the 2011 budget of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The refugee contributions will support “the provision of water, shelter, food, healthcare and education to refugees, internally displaced persons and persons under UNHCR’s care and protection” in several different countries. At right, Sudanese refugees at a refugee camp in eastern Chad.

A U.S. War Against HIV/AIDS
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The U.S. government is preparing for a sustained war against HIV/AIDS, with a goal of reaching more people while reducing costs.

Cricket in America
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Cricket fans around the world — including millions of fans and thousands of players in the United States — are awaiting the February 19 start of the 10th Cricket World Cup. People have played cricket in the U.S. since the country was still a British colony, says Rohit Kulkarni, director of a new documentary, “Pitch of Dreams: Cricket in America.”

The interior of Carnegie Hall in New YorkA Concert for Flood Recovery
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Artistic director George Mathew chooses Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony” for a recent Carnegie Hall concert to benefit the flood survivors of Pakistan’s Indus Valley. Through Beethoven’s music, Mathew seeks to convey the idea that “we become more human and more ourselves when we concern ourselves with the well-being of others.” At right, the inside of Carnegie Hall.

Belarus Shuts OSCE Office / More Flood Relief for Pakistan / One-on-One in Algeriea

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The United States and the European Union “regret” the closing of an OSCE office in Belarus. A key U.S. diplomat discusses relations between the United States and Latin America. More U.S. aid is headed to Pakistan for flood relief. Rotary Clubs take their commitment to service global. And, in Algeria, hoop dreams are coming true.

A Shuttered OSCE Office
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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and European Union High Representative Catherine Ashton say they “regret the decision by the government of Belarus” to close the mission in Minsk of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. In a statement, Clinton and Ashton say the mission in Minsk is “not complete, as the OSCE’s critical assessment of the presidential elections indicates.”

U.S.-Latin American Relations
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Assistant Secretary of State Arturo Valenzuela says the U.S.-Latin American relationship is moving in a positive and constructive direction. “Achieving that objective has required an important shift in the conduct of U.S. foreign policy,” Valenzuela says.


$190 Million in New Flood Aid for Pakistan
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The United States is providing an additional $190 million to Pakistan for flood recovery efforts. Frank Ruggiero, acting special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, says the money “demonstrates the commitment of the United States to a comprehensive, long-term partnership with the people and government of Pakistan.”

Rotary Clubs Help in Cambodia
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Rotary clubs in the United States, Cambodia, Australia and Canada are working to help more than 15,000 people in 18 rural villages in central Cambodia.


Going One-on-One in Algeria
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Americans and Algerians are sharing their interest in basketball through a newly launched program in Algiers called One on One Basketball. Left, an Algerian player waits to receive an award next to Arthur Jackson, the program’s president.

USAID's Shah in Pakistan, an American Freed, and Crime Fighters' Need for Speed

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USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah returns from Pakistan and announces a $50 million increase in U.S. aid. An American held in North Korea is freed and faster boats help in fighting crime and terrorism. Read about a new volcano threat to air travel and some new educational breakthroughs. Finally, cap-and-trade to reduce greenhouse gases is alive and well in the western United States and Canada.  

Pakistan Flood Damage “Astronomical”
With 20 million people affected by Pakistan’s floods, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah said that an even larger international humanitarian response is needed.  After returning from Pakistan, Shah said “the scale and the scope of this natural disaster is astronomical.”  Shah announced the Obama administration is providing $50 million in new funding.  That funding brings the U.S. humanitarian assistance in response to the flooding to more than $200 million, in addition to in-kind and technical assistance such as the use of U.S. aircraft to rescue flood victims and deliver relief supplies. 

North Korea Releases Imprisoned American
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, following two days of talks in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, secured the pardon of an American who had been imprisoned for seven months by the North Korean regime. Carter and the 31-year-old American, Aijalon Mahli Gomes, boarded a flight August 27 for Boston, which is Gomes’ home. 

Fighting Crime, Terrorism with Faster Boats
The United States donated four police patrol boats to the Philippine maritime police through a program that helps foreign governments develop professional law enforcement capacity to protect human rights and fight corruption, transnational crime and terrorism.  The four boats will also aid in rescues at sea, said U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Harry K. Thomas Jr. The International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) currently offers training in 38 countries.

Remember That Volcano in Iceland?
Remember the disruption to air traffic caused by the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokul volcano in Iceland?  Volcanic eruptions on Russia’s Kamchatka Penninsula, the Kurile Islands or Alaska could similarly affect air space in Russia, Japan, Canada and the United States. In response to the need to rapidly detect volcanic threats, U.S. and Russian scientists formed the Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team in 1993. 

Building a Classroom Across an Ocean
Online collaboration between U.S. and Egyptian architecture students and professors is building real-world skills and friendships. The first student project — a public space and hotel near the Pyramids of Giza – involved 50 third-year architecture students in Cairo.

Islamic College Launched in California
Zaytuna College held its inaugural classes August 24 and aims to become America’s first four-year, accredited, Islamic institution of higher learning. It grew out of the Zaytuna Institute, which was founded in 1996. Zaytuna focuses on renewing Islam’s intellectual tradition while placing it in the context of American society.

Western States Take Aim at Greenhouse Gases
A comprehensive strategy was released last month for the Western Climate Initiative, which aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions through carbon dioxide emissions trading and various clean energy policies. With 11 states and Canadian provinces signed up, it is poised to become the most comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions cap-and-trade market in the U.S. so far. Left, power plants such as this one in New Mexico must cap their emissions when the WCI takes effect in 2012.

More Pakistan Aid, DRC Violence, Two Cool U.S. Programs for Youth

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Another $50 million in U.S. aid to Pakistan and a “horrific attack” in the DRC. What the U.S. is doing to preserve European heritage. Also, a report on jobless Americans becoming their own bosses. Read about young people who come to the United States for cool experiences, like IT internships and space camp .

More Aid for Pakistan
The United States is providing an additional $50 million to help Pakistan cope with monsoon flooding, says the U.S. Agency for International Development. The new funds are being diverted from a five-year, $7.5 billion development program to help Pakistan that was announced by President Obama last year.  The United States has already committed $150 million to Pakistan flood relief.

 

Clinton Condemns ‘Horrific Attack’ in DRC
Responding to reports of mass rapes of women and children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton pledged that the United States will do everything it can to work with the United Nations and DRC officials to hold the perpetrators responsible and create a safe environment for all civilians living in eastern Congo. “This horrific attack is yet another example of how sexual violence undermines efforts to achieve and maintain stability in areas torn by conflict but striving for peace,” Clinton said. 

Saving Cultural Heritage in Europe
Landmarks in a dozen European nations in the Balkans, the Caucasus, Turkey and elsewhere will receive support from the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation. They are among 63 projects worldwide chosen for funding in 2010.

Laid-Off Workers Try Entrepreneurship
Some of the millions of Americans who lost their jobs in the past three years have decided to go out on their own.  Last year, business start-ups in the United States reached their highest level in 14 years, and in the first half of 2010, more than one-fourth of newly unemployed workers considered starting their own businesses.

Iraqis Intern at U.S. Computer Companies
Eight young Iraqi information technology specialists spent 12 weeks this summer at leading American technology firms learning about U.S. business practices, new technologies and entrepreneurial skills. They interned at the companies through the auspices of the U.S. Embassy Baghdad IT Intern Exchange program. 

Libyans at Space Camp
This July, two dozen students from Libya attended Space Camp at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.  They joined other young people from around the world to participate in simulated space shuttle missions, training and lectures on space exploration.  Then in August, a group of Moroccan students had their chance at Space Camp. Last year, the experiences of 24 Libyan Space Camp participants were documented and made into the film One Small Step, One Giant Leap. The film premiered in December 2009, airing more than 20 times on local television in Libya.