UNITED NATIONS (CNN)  -- Murder and justice have always been hallmarks of the "Law & Order" stable of TV shows, but never before have the fictional New York City crimes guided the show's detectives and attorneys to the United Nations -- until now.

"Law & Order: SVU" co-star Christopher Meloni says the show's intent is to "shine light in the dark places."

The U.N. recently opened the gates of its New York headquarters to the NBC Universal show "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" for the filming of an episode scheduled to air Tuesday. The taping marked the first time in its nearly 60-year history that the United Nations has allowed its iconic location to be used as a setting in a major network television production.

Previously, the United Nations granted permission for the 2005 motion picture "The Interpreter" to film on location, making it the first feature film to shoot on the grounds of the U.N.

Series stars Stephanie March, who plays Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot, and Christopher Meloni, along with nearly 200 other cast and crew members, came to the U.N. on March 7 to film an episode revolving around child soldiers, refugees, warlords and the International Criminal Court.

"Law & Order: SVU" traditionally involves difficult subject matter such as kidnapping, rape and homicide. Emmy-nominated actor Meloni, who plays Detective Elliot Stabler on the show, explained that the intent behind the issues raised on the program has always been to "shine light in the dark places that no one wants to go or talk about because there's usually a lot of shame and denial about it."

Meloni described how the U.N. episode "really does kind of revolve around child soldiers, how they've been brainwashed, the horrible journeys that they've had to endure and how they can be assimilated back and be productive. And I think in this particular episode, we're trying to carry on with whatever clout we may possess. We have the medium to shine the light out there and tell this story."

Considering the "ripped-from-the-headlines" and complicated themes regarding conflict in Africa and the ICC, "Special Victims Unit" writers and actors relied on Enough Project co-founder John Prendergast as a consultant throughout the filming.

The Enough Project is an advocacy group committed to preventing genocide, crimes against humanity and other atrocities in six historically tumultuous African nations.

Prendergast explained that he perceived the episode as "one where reality dovetailed quite neatly with fiction, and hopefully more people will understand now what is happening in real life with President Bashir and Sudan, and then the accountability for war crimes because they saw it on 'Law & Order.' "

On March 4, the International Criminal Court indicted Sudan's president, Omar al-Bashir, with war crimes and crimes against humanity. This was the first time such charges have been leveled against a sitting head of state.

The "Special Victims Unit" filming was the first official project within Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's newly formed Creative Community Outreach Initiative. The intent of the program is to establish a relationship with international film and television industries to enhance the image of the United Nations and to "raise the profile of critical global issues," according to a U.N. representative.

Eric Falt, director of the U.N.'s outreach initiative, elaborated: "We're starting a program where we're going to say to filmmakers, people who produce television series, that we are essentially open for business. You want to come to the U.N.? Talk to us. We'll make it happen."

In addition to the "Law & Order" film shoot, the United Nations has hosted two other high-profile events in March through the initiative. Celebrities and recording artists including Akon, Phylicia Rashad, Peter Buffet and Whoopi Goldberg commemorated victims of the of the trans-Atlantic slave trade March 25 with a concert in the U.N. General Assembly Hall. The show was directed by celebrated musician Nile Rodgers and was the first such event held at the United Nations.

Goldberg also moderated

Whose guidance did the writers and cast rely on?

What advocacy group helped guide the writers?

Answer: child soldiers, refugees, warlords and the International Criminal Court.

Answer: Special Victims Unit"

Answer: Enough Project co-founder John Prendergast as a consultant throughout the

Answer: the United Nations

Answer: "Law & Order: SVU"

Answer: The Enough Project

Answer: New York

Summary:
TV show is the first to film at U.N.'s New York headquarters .
Tuesday's episode centers on child soldiers .
It's first project in U.N.'s Creative Community Outreach Initiative .
"SVU" writers, cast relied on guidance from advocacy group .


UNITED NATIONS (CNN)  -- Murder and justice have always been hallmarks of the "Law & Order" stable of TV shows, but never before have the fictional New York City crimes guided the show's detectives and attorneys to the United Nations -- until now. "Law & Order: SVU" co-star Christopher Meloni says the show's intent is to "shine light in the dark places." The U.N. recently opened the gates of its New York headquarters to the NBC Universal show "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" for the filming of an episode scheduled to air Tuesday. The taping marked the first time in its nearly 60-year history that the United Nations has allowed its iconic location to be used as a setting in a major network television production. Previously, the United Nations granted permission for the 2005 motion picture "The Interpreter" to film on location, making it the first feature film to shoot on the grounds of the U.N. Series stars Stephanie March, who plays Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot, and Christopher Meloni, along with nearly 200 other cast and crew members, came to the U.N. on March 7 to film an episode revolving around child soldiers, refugees, warlords and the International Criminal Court. "Law & Order: SVU" traditionally involves difficult subject matter such as kidnapping, rape and homicide. Emmy-nominated actor Meloni, who plays Detective Elliot Stabler on the show, explained that the intent behind the issues raised on the program has always been to "shine light in the dark places that no one wants to go or talk about because there's usually a lot of shame and denial about it." Meloni described how the U.N. episode "really does kind of revolve around child soldiers, how they've been brainwashed, the horrible journeys that they've had to endure and how they can be assimilated back and be productive. And I think in this particular episode, we're trying to carry on with whatever clout we may possess. We have the medium to shine the light out there and tell this story." Considering the "ripped-from-the-headlines" and complicated themes regarding conflict in Africa and the ICC, "Special Victims Unit" writers and actors relied on Enough Project co-founder John Prendergast as a consultant throughout the filming. The Enough Project is an advocacy group committed to preventing genocide, crimes against humanity and other atrocities in six historically tumultuous African nations. Prendergast explained that he perceived the episode as "one where reality dovetailed quite neatly with fiction, and hopefully more people will understand now what is happening in real life with President Bashir and Sudan, and then the accountability for war crimes because they saw it on 'Law & Order.' " On March 4, the International Criminal Court indicted Sudan's president, Omar al-Bashir, with war crimes and crimes against humanity. This was the first time such charges have been leveled against a sitting head of state. The "Special Victims Unit" filming was the first official project within Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's newly formed Creative Community Outreach Initiative. The intent of the program is to establish a relationship with international film and television industries to enhance the image of the United Nations and to "raise the profile of critical global issues," according to a U.N. representative. Eric Falt, director of the U.N.'s outreach initiative, elaborated: "We're starting a program where we're going to say to filmmakers, people who produce television series, that we are essentially open for business. You want to come to the U.N.? Talk to us. We'll make it happen." In addition to the "Law & Order" film shoot, the United Nations has hosted two other high-profile events in March through the initiative. Celebrities and recording artists including Akon, Phylicia Rashad, Peter Buffet and Whoopi Goldberg commemorated victims of the of the trans-Atlantic slave trade March 25 with a concert in the U.N. General Assembly Hall. The show was directed by celebrated musician Nile Rodgers and was the first such event held at the United Nations. Goldberg also moderated

What group gave advice to those involved in "SVU"?

What did the writers and cast of SVU rely on?

What is the first TV show to film at the UN?

Answer: Enough Project co-founder John Prendergast

Answer: Enough Project co-founder John Prendergast as a consultant throughout the filming.

Answer: child soldiers, refugees, warlords and the International Criminal Court.

Answer: "Law & Order: SVU"

Answer: revolving around child soldiers, refugees, warlords and the International Criminal Court.

Answer: The "Special Victims Unit"

Answer: NBC Universal

Summary:
TV show is the first to film at U.N.'s New York headquarters .
Tuesday's episode centers on child soldiers .
It's first project in U.N.'s Creative Community Outreach Initiative .
"SVU" writers, cast relied on guidance from advocacy group .


UNITED NATIONS (CNN)  -- The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Friday to expand and tighten sanctions on North Korea after that nation's recent nuclear test. The U.N. Security Council votes for a resolution imposing sanctions against North Korea on Friday. The 15-0 vote on U.N. Resolution 1874 imposes an embargo on the shipment of arms from the communist regime and broadens a ban on the import of weapons. "This resolution provides a strong and united international response to North Korea's test of a nuclear device," said U.S. Deputy Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo. The agreement comes amid rising tension surrounding North Korea, which recently conducted a nuclear test, fired test rockets and threatened U.S. and South Korean ships near its territorial waters. The nuclear test and the firing of six short-range rockets occurred in late May. Pyongyang's actions violated existing U.N. resolutions. The Security Council's five permanent members had already passed a draft resolution Wednesday that condemned North Korea's nuclear test "in the strongest terms." The permanent members -- China, France, Russia, Britain and the United States -- reached the agreement in consultation with Japan and South Korea. The draft resolution reaffirmed that the "proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, as well as their means of delivery, constitutes a threat to international peace and security." That resolution provided a "strong, very credible, very appropriate response to the provocative nuclear test that North Korea launched and its subsequent activities," Susan E. Rice, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters at the time. "And we think that the message that the council will send ... is that North Korea's behavior is unacceptable, they must pay a price, they ought to return without conditions to a process of negotiations and that the consequences they will face are significant," Rice said. Provisions already existing in U.N. Resolution 1718, passed in 2006, are strengthened by the new measure, but others are new, Rice said. The new resolution requires states to "exercise vigilance" over the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer to North Korea of small arms or light weapons. Nations would be required to notify the sanctions committee at least five days prior to selling, supplying or transferring small arms or light weapons to North Korea. The resolution calls on all states to inspect vessels suspected of containing contraband. If a ship refuses, it is to proceed to the closest port for a mandatory inspection. A new regulation would prohibit nations from providing bunkering services, such as fuel, to North Korean ships believed to be carrying contraband. The draft also broadens authority to prevent the flow of funds that could benefit North Korea's missile, nuclear or proliferation activities. Late last month, two Defense Department officials said U.S. satellite imagery spotted "vehicle activity" at a North Korean ballistic missile facility. The officials said the images showed vehicles used to transport Taepodong-2 missiles, but no missile parts. The Taepodong-2 is a long-range missile North Korea tested in April. That test showed a significant improvement in range from North Korea's initial long-range missile test in 2006. This week, a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak on the record told CNN that Washington had "indications" that North Korea may be planning another test. The official would not provide any details, however. President Obama's special envoy to North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, called "simply groundless" accusations by Pyongyang that its nuclear and rocket tests were in response to American aggression. Washington officials have said the United States' goal is for North Korea to return to nuclear negotiations with the United States, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia, known as the six-party talks.

What country recently did a nuclear test?

What violated existing U.N. resolutions?

Answer: North Korea

Answer: U.N. Resolution 1874 imposes an embargo on the shipment of arms from the communist regime

Answer: states to "exercise vigilance"

Answer: an embargo on the shipment of arms from the communist regime and broadens a ban on the import of weapons.

Answer: existing U.N. resolutions.

Answer: nuclear test.

Answer: nuclear test.

Answer: Pyongyang's

Summary:
U.N. Resolution 1874 imposes arms embargo, broadens weapons import ban .
N. Korea recently did nuclear test, fired rockets, threatened ships near its waters .
Resolution requires arms sales notifications, inspection of suspect vessels .
Pyongyang's actions violated existing U.N. resolutions .


UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Bolivian President Evo Morales said Wednesday he does not regret expelling the U.S. ambassador last year, maintaining again that the envoy was plotting with opposition politicians. Bolivian President Evo Morales maintains the U.S. ambassador was plotting against Morales' government. Bolivia declared U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg persona non grata in September and ordered him to leave. Goldberg denied that he encouraged anti-government demonstrators to commit violent acts. "I don't regret having expelled the ambassador, Mr. Goldberg," Morales said in an exclusive interview Wednesday with CNN en Español. "And now, with the events we are seeing and we are finding, it is confirmed that he was conspiring against the government, conspiring against the national territory. He is an expert in dividing countries, with external groups and in Bolivia." Morales also expelled a lower-level U.S. diplomat last month, accusing him of contacting opposition groups. Morales indicated Wednesday, however, that he is open to reviewing the issue since President Obama is in office. "With the new times," he said, "we expect to improve diplomatic relations. So we have to revise our politics. You can't conspire against us nor blackmail us. But if there's mutual respect, welcome." Morales also said an assassination plot against him and other government officials that he alleged last week was real. Three gunmen were killed and two others were arrested Thursday after a 30-minute firefight in the city of Santa Cruz. At least two of the gunmen were foreigners, Bolivian authorities said. Morales said last week he had been aware of the assassination plot, which was verified after the arrest of the gunmen. Opposition politicians expressed doubt about the plot, saying Morales had made similar allegations in the past based on flimsy evidence. The gunmen, he said Wednesday, wanted "to take power violently and also undemocratically. But also, if they could not take power, divide a region of the country. ... And for that, they had to take lives." Morales did not mention who might want to divide the country, but five resource-rich eastern regions and the eastern province of Gran Chaco have been seeking greater autonomy. Earlier Wednesday, Morales addressed the United Nations in observance of Earth Day. He called for the nations of the world to accept a set of principles that would protect the planet's resources and "right to life." Morales, the first indigenous president in Bolivia's history, told the U.N. General Assembly that people cannot put their interests above those of the Earth. "Not just human beings have rights, but the planet has rights," he said. "What's happening with climate change is that the rights of Mother Earth are not being respected." Telling the U.N. delegates that "we have the challenge to agree on a universal declaration for the rights of Mother Earth," Morales outlined four principles that he asked them to consider: Morales pointed out how indigenous people in Bolivia have rites and rituals to honor the Earth. "We now must begin to realize that the Earth does not belong to us," he said. "It's the other way around. We belong to the Earth." Earth Day was started in 1970 in the United States as a way to bring awareness to the ecological problems plaguing the planet. It is celebrated in many parts of the world.

Ordering who to leave was the right move?

Answer: U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg

Answer: Evo Morales

Answer: is

Answer: Mother Earth

Summary:
NEW: Bolivia's Evo Morales says ordering ambassador to leave was right move .
NEW: Morales open to reviewing stances now that Barack Obama is president .
Morales speaking on Earth Day: People can't put their interests above Earth .
With climate change, "rights of Mother Earth are not being respected," Morales says .


UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Drawing on 2006 remarks in which he compared former U.S. President George Bush to the devil, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, speaking at the United Nations Thursday, said, "It doesn't smell like sulfur anymore." Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez spoke highly of President Obama at the United Nations on Thursday. In a rambling speech at the U.N. General Assembly, Chavez spoke highly of current President Obama, saying he is an "intelligent man" and comparing him to President John F. Kennedy. "I hope God will protect Obama from the bullets that killed Kennedy," he said. "I hope Obama will be able to look and see, genuinely see, what has to be seen and bring about a change." Three years ago, Chavez spoke at the gathering the day after Bush spoke, and said the lectern "still smells of sulfur." But on Thursday he looked around the podium and said, "It doesn't smell of sulfur. It's gone. No, it smells of something else. It smells of hope." He did, however, criticize some U.S. policies, questioning whether there are "two Obamas."  Watch Chavez speak at the U.N. General Assembly » Chavez accused the Pentagon of being behind the ousting of Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya in a military-backed coup in June. "American soldiers knew about the coup and supported it," he said. "Hence the contradiction that Obama has to face. Are there two Obamas? Obama spoke here yesterday. Does he have a double? ... Let's hope the one we heard yesterday will prevail. Let us hope. That's what the world needs." The United States and Brazil have said they support dialogue between Zelaya and de facto President Roberto Micheletti, centered on the San Jose Accord brought about through the mediation of Costa Rican President Oscar Arias and the Organization of American States mission. That deal calls for Zelaya to be restored to office. "The U.S. government, and this is strange, has not recognized the fact that a military coup d'etat has occurred," Chavez said. "There is some friction between the State Department and the Pentagon." He said the coup was engineered by the Honduran bourgeoisie, "four or five wealthy, powerful families." Chavez also called for the United States to lift what he called the "savage, murderous blockade" on Cuba, and was critical of plans to open U.S. military bases in Colombia, saying what the nation needs instead is aid to lift itself out of its civil war. In addition, Chavez criticized capitalism and extolled the virtues of socialism, saying it is "the road to salvation for this planet." He spoke for almost exactly an hour, less than the hour and 36 minutes Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi used on Wednesday. The Venezuelan president joked that he would not speak as long as Gadhafi, but said he planned to speak as long as Obama. Asked to expand on his "two Obamas" comment at a news conference after his speech, Chavez said, "I think that one of the serious failures of the United States has been that, for a long time, it has underestimated and undervalued Latin America and the Caribbean. ... I hope that Obama turns around the vision of the White House and the Department of State of Latin America. They cannot continue to mistreat us." He said one Obama spoke about peace in addressing the General Assembly, yet has seven U.S. military bases in Colombia. "There's a double somewhere," he said. Asked by a reporter about the closures of television stations in Venezuela, Chavez said it was "a big lie" and asked her to provide an example. She asked about RCT, or Radio Caracas Television. Chavez told her the station broadcasts every day, but that a contract, or concession, had expired for its "open signal" and was not renewed. "Never in Venezuela do we have as much freedom of expression as we do now," he said. But, he asked, "

What did Chavez call for the U.S. to lift?

Who did Chavez say was responsible for ousting the Honduran president?

Answer: "savage, murderous blockade"

Answer: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez

Answer: Thursday.

Answer: saying he is an "intelligent man" and comparing him to President John F. Kennedy.

Answer: accused the Pentagon of being behind the

Summary:
Three years ago, Chavez said it "still smells of sulfur," referring to President Bush .
Chavez spoke highly Obama, saying he is an "intelligent man"
Chavez said Pentagon behind ousting of Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya .
Chavez called for U.S. to lift "savage, murderous blockade" on Cuba .


UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- More than one million people in Darfur are at risk of losing food, water and shelter in coming months, following the expulsion of international aid groups by Sudan's government, the United Nations' chief humanitarian coordinator said Tuesday. A Doctors without Borders medic helps a sick child in a Darfur refugee camp. The statement by coordinator John Holmes comes after a joint U.N.-Sudanese assessment of the situation. The information was gathered from March 11-18 in hopes of stemming further troubles in Darfur after Sudan's government expelled 13 international relief organizations from the wartorn region. The announcement came on the same day that President Omar al-Bashir, now an indicted war criminal, ignored the threat of arrest by traveling abroad to Eritrea. Also Tuesday, a Sudanese staffer working for a Canadian relief group was shot dead in Darfur. A full report of the assessment will be released soon, according to the U.N., but an executive summary and recommendations were made available on Tuesday. "While a significant effort is being made by the government, by the U.N., by the NGOs [nongovernmental organizations] which are left, to plug some of the immediate gaps in these areas, these are at the same time, 'Band-Aid' solutions, not long term solutions," Holmes said. The U.N. estimates that 1.5 million people in Darfur are dependent on healthcare support, 1.1 million need regular food aid, and another 1 million are in need of clean drinking water. The summary released Tuesday said the World Food Programme, which is still allowed to operate in Sudan, is carrying out a one-time-only distribution program in March and April, but that new partners will be needed to continue delivering food after April. After the International Criminal Court charged Bashir with war crimes and crimes against humanity on March 4, Khartoum expelled 13 international aid agencies and revoked the permits of three organizations in the country. Bashir -- the first sitting head of state to be charged with war crimes by the court -- has continued to say that humanitarian efforts in the country should be "Sudanized." "Within a year, we don't want to see any foreign aid group dealing with a Sudanese citizen," he said at a rally a week after his arrest warrant was issued. Holmes said that 13,000 to 14,000 aid workers in the region already were Sudanese nationals. Holmes said the cooperation and technical help from the Sudanese government on the assessment was a good step forward. But he called it "only the first of many steps if the people in Darfur are not going to suffer major consequences from these expulsions." Sudan's U.N. Ambassador, Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad, has repeatedly said he has information implicating the ousted organizations in activities contrary to their humanitarian missions. He has yet to make any of that information public. One claim is that some organizations acted as spies for the International Criminal Court. Holmes denied those allegations, saying they remain unfounded. "Despite claims that there are dossiers of evidence, we have not been given any of that evidence," he said. "In the absence of that, no meaningful investigation can be done." The British aid organization, Oxfam, one of the agencies expelled from Sudan, released a statement in response to Tuesday's findings. "Current stop-gap measures will only be effective for a short time," the statement said. "As the rainy season arrives within the next two months, people living in weak temporary shelters, in flood-prone locations where latrines can fill and overflow, will become at extreme risk of disease and death. "With the humanitarian capacity reduced by nearly 50 percent, responding to such emergency scenarios will be an enormous challenge for others to tackle," Oxfam said.

What president was charged with war crimes

What number of people need food and water?

What country is Omar al-Bashir President of?

Answer: Omar al-Bashir, now

Answer: 1.1 million

Answer: 13

Answer: Sudan,

Answer: Omar al-Bashir,

Answer: 13 international relief organizations

Answer: Sudan,

Answer: joint U.N.-Sudanese

Answer: joint U.N.-Sudanese

Answer: More than one million people

Answer: 13

Answer: Sudan's

Summary:
Assessment of humanitarian needs in Darfur conducted by UN and Sudan .
Info collected in bid to stem further troubles after Sudan expelled 13 aid groups .
Aid groups kicked out after President Omar al-Bashir indicted on war crimes by ICC .
The U.N. estimates 1.1 million need regular food aid; 1 million need drinking water .


UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Rapes targeting girls as young as seven are on the increase in Afghanistan where conditions for women are little better than under the Taliban, the U.N. and rights groups say.

Conditions for women are little better than they were under the hardline Taliban regime, the U.N. says.

In its annual report on human rights, the U.N. warned conditions were deteriorating in the war-ravaged country despite U.S.-led efforts after the 2001 removal from power of the hardline militia.

"Violence is tolerated or condoned within the family and community, within traditional and religious leadership circles, as well as the formal and informal justice system," said Navi Pillay, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights.

The "Afghan government has failed to adequately protect the rights of women despite constitutional guarantees."

With a resurgent Taliban targeting NATO forces, government security forces and civilians, violence has been on the increase in Afghanistan..

The number of civilian casualties in 2008 totaled 2,118 -- the highest number recorded since the ouster of the Taliban in 2001, the U.N. said, urging greater protecting for ordinary Afghans.

Violence against women comes in the form of rape, "honor killings," early and forced marriages, sexual abuse and slavery, the report says. "The security is the big issue," said Suraya Pakzad, founder of the Voice of Women Organization, which promotes education and awareness of women's rights and protects women and girls at risk in Afghanistan.

"Because of security we, unfortunately, day by day, we have to pull out of areas where last year we operated, we have our operations. We were able to work with the women, but this year we cannot," she said.

"We have to leave the area because security is getting worse day by day."

"Rapes in the country have been growing tremendously, particularly child rapes within the ages of 9, 8, 7, even lesser than that," said Wazhma Frogh, director of Global Rights Afghanistan.

"So these are the issues that are all born by this lack of security where women have no place in ... security decisions."

Domestic violence against child brides is widespread, said Suraya Pakzad, the founder of the Voice of Women organization, who was married at age 14 and has six children. She said girls as young as 10 face "violation" by husbands 40 years their senior. "By the end ... women, or girls, run away."

But women without husbands, especially widows, may have it even worse in Afghanistan, the report says. Without a spouse, the women are reduced to begging to feed their children.

Options outside the home are limited where the Taliban holds sway in Afghanistan. The Taliban's interpretation of strict Islamic law, or sharia, has included banning girls from school and the workplace.

Even in areas not overrun by the Taliban, women face risks outside the home.

"The assassination of the most prominent national female senior police officer, in Kandahar in September 2008, underscores the tremendous risks faced by women in public life," the report says.

Whose rights have not improved under the Taliban?

Who says girls as young as seven are raped?

Whose rights are little better under the Taliban?

Who says that girls as young as seven are raped?

Who says says girls as young as seven are regularly raped ?

Afghan women's rights are little better than under what ?

Who calls for better protection for civilians ?

What organization is calling for better protection of civilians?

Answer: Conditions for women

Answer: U.N. and rights groups

Answer: women

Answer: the U.N. and rights groups

Answer: the U.N. and rights groups

Answer: the hardline Taliban regime,

Answer: Suraya Pakzad, founder of the Voice of Women Organization,

Answer: the U.N.

Summary:
Afghan women's rights are little better than under Taliban, report says .
Rights group says girls as young as seven are regularly raped .
United Nations calls for better protection for civilians .


UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Rebel forces have declared a cease-fire after four days of fighting in the North Kivu province of eastern Congo, the French ambassador to the United Nations said after Security Council talks on the unfolding humanitarian crisis.

Congolese soldiers and displaced civilians move into Goma on Wednesday, fleeing advancing rebels.

Laurent Nkunda, the Congolese Tutsi general who leads troops of the National Congress for the Defense of the People, ordered the cease-fire, Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert told reporters.

"We hope that it will stand, and we hope that tomorrow Mr. Nkunda will announce that he stops his offensive," Ripert said, adding that he expected the the council would condemn the military operation.

He called the humanitarian situation "very alarming," said more than 50,000 people "are on the road," and expressed hope that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon would send a high-level envoy to the region for talks "as soon as possible."

Representatives of European countries "are talking together" about how best to ease the situation, Ripert said. "We are looking into the most effective and fastest way of helping MONUC," he said, using the French acronym for the U.N. mission in Congo.

Nkunda has accused the Congolese government of failing to protect the Tutsi tribe from Rwandan Hutu militia in Congo.

Ripert cited reports of fighting at the DRC's border with Rwanda and called on neighboring countries "to use restraint and not to interfere."

News of the cease-fire was embraced by Samuel Nagbe, a representative of the relief agency Oxfam, in the eastern Congolese city of Goma.

"We are very happy that, at least, the fighting is going to stop," he told CNN. He called for the factions to meet "to find a lasting situation to the crisis."

Nkuda's troops were advancing after fighting between the rebels and government forces led thousands of people to flee south toward Goma, capital of North Kivu province in eastern Congo. Conditions in the region were "continuing to deteriorate rapidly," the medical charity Doctors Without Borders said in a statement posted on its Web site.

Madnodje Mounoubai, spokesman for the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo, said government troops were leaving the city, which wasn't on the front lines. He said he didn't know where the soldiers were going, but suspected they were headed to areas of heavy fighting.

Ban said at midday he was "alarmed at the escalation of violence" over the prior 24 hours and warned of a "humanitarian crisis."

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters the agency was sending Assistant Secretary Jendayi Frazer to the region as an envoy.

"We're working as best we can to minimize or defuse the situation, get more troops in there," McCormack said.

Attacks by CNDP rebels have uprooted hundreds of thousands of displaced people from camps run by the United Nations and other organizations.

"The humanitarian situation is quite dire," Mounoubai told CNN by phone from Kinshasa, Congo's capital.

"We have internally displaced people streaming out of camps. Both parties are blocking the U.N. from reaching desperately needy people to evacuate," he added. "I cannot emphasize how desperate the situation on the ground is."

The region's instability endangers aid workers, some of whom have joined the exodus. Michael Arunga, a spokesman for World Vision, told CNN the organization's workers had fled to the Rwandan border, where they were assessing the situation and caring for civilians crossing into the area. Arunga said he himself had fled from Goma, where he could hear shootings at night.

"For agencies to operate on the ground, we need a peaceful environment," he said.

Doctors Without Borders said that on Sunday, medical teams in Rutshuru treated 70 wounded, and had been working round the clock since. Some of the people who sought help had been on the run for weeks, said the group, which described the situation as "extremely volatile."

Doctors have been working mostly

What did the U.N. say?
Who fled refugee camp?
What did the UN say about rebel troops?
Amount of refugees fleeing camp?

Answer: peacekeeping mission in Congo, said government troops were leaving the city, which wasn't on the front lines. He said he didn't know where the soldiers were going, but suspected they were headed to areas of heavy fighting.

Answer: more than 50,000 people

Answer: "extremely volatile."

Answer: 50,000

Summary:
NEW: U.N. says rebel troops to adhere to cease-fire .
45,000 flee refugee camp in matter of hours .
U.N. says its peacekeepers still in charge of Goma .
Congo says Rwandan forces join fight with minority Tutsi rebels .


UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Russia and China vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution Friday that would have imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe's longtime president, Robert Mugabe, and 11 senior members of his government. Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe meets this week with Arthur Mutambara, an opposition leader. According to a draft of the resolution, the measure would have instituted a travel ban on Mugabe and others in his government, frozen many of their assets and imposed an international arms embargo on the regime. The measure received nine votes -- the minimum for it to pass. However, two of the five negative votes were from Russia and China, who as permanent members of the Security Council have veto power. One Security Council member abstained. The resolution was pushed by the United States after Mugabe ignored the Security Council's appeal to postpone the June 27 presidential runoff election. The vote initially was intended to be a runoff between Mugabe and opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai. But Tsvangirai withdrew days before, saying Mugabe's supporters had orchestrated a campaign of beatings, intimidation and murders against his supporters. With their votes, ambassadors for China and Russia said they wanted to give the rival political parties a chance to resolve the election matter on their own terms without undue interference from the Security Council. Representatives from Mugabe's party, the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), have been meeting in Pretoria, South Africa, with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change this week. Tsvangirai said Wednesday the talks, which are being mediated by South African President Thabo Mbeki, are focusing on "how to move forward." Chinese Ambassador Wang Guangya said his nation believes the international community should allow the talks in South Africa on the Zimbabwe situation a chance to progress before imposing sanctions. Wang said the adoption of the resolution would "unavoidably interfere with the negotiation process and lead to the further deterioration of the situation." "Many countries, including China, repeatedly called upon the Security Council to respect the position of the African countries on this question and give more time," Wang said. "China has always maintained the best approach to solve a problem is negotiation and dialogue," Wang said. "To use or threaten to use sanctions lightly is not conducive to solving the problem." Wang's comments echoed those of Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who said the Security Council would have overstepped its responsibilities had it approved the resolution. "Recently, in the positions of a number of council member states, we have seen an ever-more-obvious attempt to take the council beyond its chartered prerogatives and beyond maintaining international peace and security," Churkin said. "We believe such practices to be illegitimate and dangerous, leading to a realignment of the entire U.N. system." Churkin also noted that, had the resolution been approved, council members would have ignored appeals from the African Union to let the South African talks take place. He also accused the council of missing an opportunity to coordinate a response that would have "promoted the success of the political dialogue" in Zimbabwe. Speaking before the vote, Zimbabwean Ambassador Boniface Chidyausiku said his nation has been a victim of "incessant meddling" from the international community. Chidyausiku blamed sanctions already imposed on Zimbabwe for its underperforming economy and the suffering of its people. South African Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo also urged the Security Council to give the South African talks a chance to bring about a resolution. U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said the United States was disappointed at the veto. "China and Russia have stood with Mugabe against the people of Zimbabwe ... for reasons that we think are not borne out by the facts on the ground," he said. "The U-turn on the Russian position is particularly surprising and disturbing," he said, noting that a few days ago, the Russian Federation was supportive of a statement adopted at the Group of Eight meeting in Japan expressing "grave concern" about the situation in Zimbabwe. "The Russian performance here today raises questions about its reliability as a G-8 partner," Khalilzad said. The

What would sanctions have imposed on an international basis?

What country pushed for measures after Mugabe refused to postpone elections?

Who refused to postpone runoff elections?

When were the runoff elections scheduled to occur?

What regime was considered for sanctioning?

Answer: a travel ban

Answer: United States

Answer: Russia and China

Answer: Mugabe

Answer: Zimbabwe's longtime president, Robert Mugabe, and 11 senior members of his government.

Answer: June 27

Answer: the measure would have instituted a travel ban on Mugabe and others in his government, frozen many of their assets and imposed an international arms embargo on the

Answer: Russia and China

Answer: postpone the June 27 presidential runoff election.

Summary:
China, Russia veto resolution that would have meant sanctions for Mugabe regime .
United States pushed for measure after Mugabe refused to postpone runoff elections .
Sanctions would have meant travel bans, frozen assets for Mugabe and others .
Proposed sanctions also would have imposed an international arms embargo .


UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- The 15th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda brought American U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice to tears as she reflected on her personal memories surrounding the slaughter.

U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice recalls her time in Rwanda working for the Clinton administration.

Rice visited Rwanda as a staff member in former President Bill Clinton's National Security Council six months after the ethnic cleansing. She explained how even months after the violence she encountered decomposing bodies at one of the massacre sites.

"For me, the memory of stepping around and over those corpses will remain the most searing reminder imaginable of what our work here must aim to prevent," she said Tuesday at a special commemorative event at United Nations headquarters in New York.

She emotionally concluded her remarks, expressing how "We bow our heads to mark the memory of those who were slain. And we bow our heads to mark the sorrow of all who stood by."

The mass killings began on April 6, 1994, when tribal Hutu militia members attacked their tribal Tutsi countrymen after the plane of then-President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, was shot down. Within 100 days, some 800,000 people were murdered.

In addition to Rice, various dignitaries, ambassadors, artists, U.N. officials and genocide survivors gathered Tuesday to mark the tragic circumstances that began 15 years ago.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reminded the audience how the Rwandan genocide continues to haunt "our collective conscience" and that "the prevention of genocide is a collective responsibility."

Ban encouraged the world community to remember its shared duty to prevent future catastrophes in the name of humanity and in honor of the memory of those who died. The United Nations created a Special Representative for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities in 2004.

President Obama also released a statement coinciding with Tuesday's anniversary. Obama praised survivors for their remarkable strength, but emphasized the tragedy should always be remembered because each victim "had their own story, their own family, and their own dreams."

When were the mass killings?
What does Susan Rice recall?
Where did the mass killings occur?
Where were the corpses?

Answer: April 6, 1994,

Answer: her time in Rwanda working for the Clinton administration.

Answer: Rwanda

Answer: Rwanda

Summary:
U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice recalls stepping over corpses in Rwanda .
United Nations ceremony recalls 1994 mass killings in Rwanda .
Obama says tragedy must always be remembered .


UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution Friday expressing its intent to, eventually, send U.N. peacekeeping forces back to the fractured, unstable nation of Somalia.

Islamist insurgents display their weaponry Friday in Mogadishu during a parade.

The resolution was sponsored by the U.S., in one of the final Bush Administration initiatives at the United Nations.

The passage of the resolution follows the exit of a U.N.-backed, Ethiopian peacekeeping force that completed a two-year deployment in Somalia Thursday.

There is wide-spread concern among diplomats and regional leaders in the Horn of Africa that, with the withdrawal of Ethiopian forces, a power vacuum will be filled in Somalia by regional Islamic extremist groups, some with links to al-Qaeda.

The U.N. resolution sets forth a process that aims to bring stability and sovereignty to Somalia, which has been racked by violence and lawlessness since the government was overthrown in 1991.

First, the resolution expresses renewed support that an African Union force currently deployed in Somalia -- known as AMISOM -- remains on the ground. The A.U. contingent is currently comprised of 2,600 troops. The U.N. resolution calls on the African Union to strengthen those levels to 8,000.

The resolution then requests that U.N. Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, submit a report by April 15, 2009 updating the situation in Somalia, and it asks that he develop the mandate for a U.N. peacekeeping force.

Finally, a decision on U.N. peacekeeping is requested by June 1, 2009.

However, the process is off to a rocky start. Last month, Ban said that requests to U.N. member nations for peacekeeping forces for Somalia were received negatively.

Also, throughout, one of the key players in the Somalia decisions will likely be Susan Rice, President-Elect Obama's nominee for new U.S.- U.N. Ambassador, and a specialist on African issues.

At her confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington on Thursday, Rice told senators that she is "skeptical about the wisdom of a United Nations peacekeeping force in Somalia at this time."

who completed two-year deployment in Somalia?

How long were the peacekeepers deployed?

Where will the peacekeeping forces send to?

Answer: the U.S.,

Answer: a U.N.-backed, Ethiopian peacekeeping force

Answer: two-year

Answer: U.S.,

Answer: diplomats and regional leaders

Answer: regional Islamic extremist groups, some with links to al-Qaeda.

Answer: Somalia.

Answer: fractured, unstable nation of Somalia.

Answer: The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a

Summary:
Resolution expresses intent to send U.N. peacekeeping forces to Somalia .
The resolution in war-torn country was sponsored by the United States .
Ethiopian peacekeeping force completed two-year deployment in Somalia .
Regional leaders fear vacuum will be filled by Islamic extremist groups .


UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- The United Nations humanitarian chief Wednesday criticized a two-day pause in the fighting between the Sri Lankan army and Tamil Tiger rebels as "inadequate."

U.N. Nations humanitarian chief John Holmes said he would have liked a "proper humanitarian pause."

John Holmes, the under secretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, told reporters that the 48-hour break in hostilities was not sufficient, even as fighting resumed in the northeast of the country.

The brief cessation of hostilities was announced by the Sri Lankan government on April 12 and allowed the U.N. and its partners to bring in necessary aid, said Holmes. He said he would have liked a "proper humanitarian pause" that lasted longer than two days, but hoped the break allowed for some progress to occur.

Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon had originally welcomed the announcement by the Sri Lankan government. However, Ban also expressed his concern that, "This is less than the full humanitarian pause of several days I had pressed for."

But Ban added that the pause "is nevertheless a useful first step and an opportunity to move towards the peaceful and orderly end to the fighting now so badly needed."

The government of Sri Lanka has been battling the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) rebels in a civil conflict that has lasted nearly 25 years. The LTTE has been declared a terrorist organization by 32 countries, including the United States and the nations of the European Union. As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the conflict officially began in 1983.

The most pressing concern now, according to Holmes, is the fact that over 100,000 people are currently crowded in a "very small pocket of land" that is about five square miles, or about twice the size of New York's Central Park. "It is a very small area indeed for what we believe is very large number of people" Holmes explained. The crowded population, primarily comprised of Tamil civilians, is subject to the continuing Sri Lankan government assaults.

The British and French foreign ministers released a joint statement as well on Wednesday, claiming that the LTTE is also using Tamil civilians as human shields.

Holmes also called attention to the fact that the press has been barred from covering the civil strife in Sri Lanka. Ultimately, Holmes and the United Nations would like to see a peaceful end to the hostilities, but "its pretty clear, frankly, that a ceasefire as such is not something available at present circumstances."

how long has the government been battling the rebels

Answer: two-day

Answer: two-day

Answer: nearly 25 years.

Answer: April 12

Answer: bring in necessary aid,

Answer: nearly 25 years.

Summary:
U.N. humanitarian chief criticizes a two-day pause in fighting as "inadequate"
48-hour cessation of hostilities announced by Sri Lankan government on April 12 .
Ceasefire allowed the U.N. and its partners to bring in necessary aid .
Sri Lankan government has been battling LTTE rebels for nearly 25 years .


UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- The United Nations is calling on NATO to do more to stop the Afghan opium trade after a new survey showed how the drug dominates Afghanistan's economy.

Afghan villagers tend to opium poppies in Taliban-controlled Helmand province in April 2007.

The report from the U.N.'s Office on Drugs and Crime shows the export value of this year's poppy harvest stood at around $4 billion, a 29 per cent increase over 2006.

Despite Afghan security forces' efforts to curb the trade, 660 tons of heroin and morphine were trafficked out of the country in 2007, the report said.

Opium is derived from poppies, and the data on cultivation was collected by examining satellite images and by assessments on the ground.

The report said opium has accounted for more than half of Afghanistan's gross domestic product in 2007. InvestorWords.com defines GDP as the total market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time, usually a calendar year.

According to the U.N. survey, about a quarter of the earnings from opium go to farmers. The rest goes to district officials who collect taxes on the crop, to drug traffickers and to the insurgents and warlords who control the trade.

Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, urged NATO to take a more active role in countering the spread of the drug trade, which has increased dramatically since the American-led invasion to remove the hard-line Islamist government of the Taliban in October 2001.

"Since drugs are funding the insurgency, NATO has a self-interest in supporting Afghan forces in destroying drug labs, markets and convoys," Costa said in a written statement to coincide with the release of the survey. "Destroy the drug trade and you cut off the Taliban's main funding source."

James Appathurai, a NATO spokesman, said coalition forces were equally concerned by the rapid growth in the narcotics trade.

"We share the U.N.'s concerns," Appathurai told CNN. "Drugs not only poison people, but they poison economies and governments, and it is in everyone's interest to stop this proliferation."

He said NATO forces were providing assistance to Afghan police through training and transport but he said there were no plans to deploy coalition troops to intervene directly.

"The issue of whether we can do more is certainly a live discussion for NATO, but at the moment this is a matter for the Afghan government," Appathurai said.

Farming of opium poppies has been almost eradicated in the north and west of the country, Appathurai said.

However, he said, in the lawless southern provinces and especially in the Taliban stronghold of Helmand, poppy production was going on largely unchecked.

According to the report, U.N. observers have noticed a proliferation of heroin labs in neighboring countries and along trafficking routes.

Costa said the labs are dependent on precursor chemicals, like acetic anhydride, that must be smuggled into the region.

He called for tighter controls in chemical-producing countries and stronger intelligence-sharing between Afghanistan and its neighbors.

"Drug trafficking is a transnational threat, and therefore national initiatives have their limitations," the U.N. drug chief said.

Appathurai said the most effective way to curb the drug trade was tackling the insurgency head-on. He also said it was important to provide alternative work for poor Afghan farmers to encourage them to give up opium production.

"You cannot have eradication in isolation. If we don't give them the support to produce alternative crops, then by wiping out their opium fields, you are only creating enemies for the future," he said. E-mail to a friend

What is the agency pushing NATO forces for?

What narcotic makes up half of Afghanistan's GDP?

What drug makes up half of Afghanistan's gross domestic product?

Which military force does the agency push to attack the problem?

Who advocates providing income alternative for poppy farmers

Which country did the study find opium made up half of it's GDP?

what is unchecked in Taliban strongholds?

What makes up half of Afghanistan's gross domestic product

What makes half of Afghanistan's gross domestic product?

Answer: export value of this year's poppy harvest stood at around $4 billion,

Answer: stop the Afghan opium trade

Answer: opium

Answer: the narcotics trade.

Answer: opium

Answer: Afghan opium trade

Answer: NATO

Answer: Appathurai

Answer: opium poppies

Answer: the insurgency,

Answer: Afghanistan's

Answer: urged NATO to take a more active role in countering the spread of the

Answer: poppy production

Answer: opium

Answer: opium

Answer: "Drug trafficking is a transnational threat, and therefore national initiatives have their limitations,"

Answer: opium

Answer: Taliban stronghold of Helmand,

Answer: the insurgency,

Answer: in the lawless southern provinces and especially in the Taliban stronghold of Helmand,

Answer: drugs

Answer: "Drug trafficking is a transnational threat, and therefore national initiatives have their limitations,"

Answer: urged NATO to take a more active role in countering the spread of the

Summary:
Study finds opium makes up half of Afghanistan's gross domestic product .
Agency pushes NATO forces to attack skyrocketing problem aggressively .
Drugs funds insurgency; poppy trade unchecked in Taliban strongholds .
U.N. drug chief advocates providing income alternative for poppy farmers .


UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- The United Nations is calling on NATO to do more to stop the Afghan opium trade after a new survey showed how the drug dominates Afghanistan's economy. Afghan villagers tend to opium poppies in Taliban-controlled Helmand province in April 2007. The report from the U.N.'s Office on Drugs and Crime shows the export value of this year's poppy harvest stood at around $4 billion, a 29 per cent increase over 2006. Despite Afghan security forces' efforts to curb the trade, 660 tons of heroin and morphine were trafficked out of the country in 2007, the report said. Opium is derived from poppies, and the data on cultivation was collected by examining satellite images and by assessments on the ground. The report said opium has accounted for more than half of Afghanistan's gross domestic product in 2007. InvestorWords.com defines GDP as the total market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time, usually a calendar year. According to the U.N. survey, about a quarter of the earnings from opium go to farmers. The rest goes to district officials who collect taxes on the crop, to drug traffickers and to the insurgents and warlords who control the trade. Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, urged NATO to take a more active role in countering the spread of the drug trade, which has increased dramatically since the American-led invasion to remove the hard-line Islamist government of the Taliban in October 2001. "Since drugs are funding the insurgency, NATO has a self-interest in supporting Afghan forces in destroying drug labs, markets and convoys," Costa said in a written statement to coincide with the release of the survey. "Destroy the drug trade and you cut off the Taliban's main funding source." James Appathurai, a NATO spokesman, said coalition forces were equally concerned by the rapid growth in the narcotics trade. "We share the U.N.'s concerns," Appathurai told CNN. "Drugs not only poison people, but they poison economies and governments, and it is in everyone's interest to stop this proliferation." He said NATO forces were providing assistance to Afghan police through training and transport but he said there were no plans to deploy coalition troops to intervene directly. "The issue of whether we can do more is certainly a live discussion for NATO, but at the moment this is a matter for the Afghan government," Appathurai said. Farming of opium poppies has been almost eradicated in the north and west of the country, Appathurai said. However, he said, in the lawless southern provinces and especially in the Taliban stronghold of Helmand, poppy production was going on largely unchecked. According to the report, U.N. observers have noticed a proliferation of heroin labs in neighboring countries and along trafficking routes. Costa said the labs are dependent on precursor chemicals, like acetic anhydride, that must be smuggled into the region. He called for tighter controls in chemical-producing countries and stronger intelligence-sharing between Afghanistan and its neighbors. "Drug trafficking is a transnational threat, and therefore national initiatives have their limitations," the U.N. drug chief said. Appathurai said the most effective way to curb the drug trade was tackling the insurgency head-on. He also said it was important to provide alternative work for poor Afghan farmers to encourage them to give up opium production. "You cannot have eradication in isolation. If we don't give them the support to produce alternative crops, then by wiping out their opium fields, you are only creating enemies for the future," he said. E-mail to a friend

What makes up half of Afghanistan's GDP?

Answer: The report said opium has accounted for more than half of Afghanistan's gross domestic product

Answer: do more to stop the Afghan opium trade

Answer: NATO to take a more active role in countering the spread of the

Summary:
Study finds opium makes up half of Afghanistan's gross domestic product .
Agency pushes NATO forces to attack skyrocketing problem aggressively .
Drugs funds insurgency; poppy trade unchecked in Taliban strongholds .
U.N. drug chief advocates providing income alternative for poppy farmers .


UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- The rift between Russia and Western powers over Georgia burst back into full view on the U.N. Security Council when Russia vetoed a resolution that would have extended the U.N. observer mission in Georgia. The observer force had been in existence since 1993, but Russia claims that the mission was invalidated by last year's conflict over breakaway regions in Georgia. "The U.N. mission's previous mandate has actually ceased to exist in the wake of Georgia's aggression against South Ossetia last August," said Vitaly Churkin, Russia's U.N. ambassador, who said it was "unacceptable" to extend the mission. After the veto Monday night, a statement from the office of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the U.N. would "take all measures required to cease the operations of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia effective 16 June." Ban "will consult with his senior advisors and his special representative on the immediate next steps," the statement said. Russia and Georgia fought a five-day war last August over the breakaway Georgian provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia -- the first time Russia sent troops abroad in anger since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Both sides blame the other for starting the conflict. Western powers, including the United States, the United Kingdom and France backed the Georgian government in a conflict that rekindled Cold War sentiments. The European Union launched a probe to determine how the war began that is due to be completed by the end of next month. The crux of the controversy remains Georgia's territorial integrity. As a result of last year's war, Russia now considers South Ossetia and Abkhazia sovereign nations independent from Georgia. Russia has no international support for that position aside from the nation of Nicaragua. The Georgian ambassador to the United Nations, Kakha Lomaia, addressed the Security Council following the vote, saying his nation deeply regrets the apparent end of the mission. He called Russia's position "unconstructive." The statement from Ban's office added, "the Secretary-General regrets that the Security Council has been unable to reach agreement on the basis of a package of practical and realistic proposals he submitted to the Security Council aimed at contributing to a stabilization of the situation on the ground."

Only which country supports the position?

Which areas do Russia consider as independent?

Answer: Western powers, including the United States,

Answer: "The U.N. mission's previous mandate

Answer: Nicaragua.

Answer: South Ossetia and Abkhazia sovereign nations

Answer: South Ossetia and Abkhazia

Summary:
Russia: "The U.N. mission's previous mandate has actually ceased to exist"
Russia considers South Ossetia and Abkhazia independent nations from Georgia .
Only Nicaragua supports that position .


UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Three independent United Nations human rights experts have accused Iran of torturing confessions from detainees charged with fomenting political unrest, the international organization said Thursday. Iranian opposition suspects cover their faces at a Revolutionary Court hearing in Tehran last week. "No judicial system can consider as valid a confession obtained as a result of harsh interrogations or under torture," said Manfred Nowak, who is the U.N. special rapporteur on torture. The treatment of detainees at Iran's prisons has increasingly become a divisive issue within Iran's Islamic leadership, as reformists continue to accuse the hardline government of allowing abuse and torture in attempts to coerce false confessions. Iranian officials have denied the allegations. "These confessions for alleged crimes such as threats against national security and treason must not, under any circumstances, be admitted as evidence by the Revolutionary Court," said El Hadji Malick Sow, vice chairman of the U.N.'s working group on arbitrary detention. The United Nations, in a news release, said the statements also reflect the position of Margaret Sekaggya, special U.N. rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders. Iran is conducting a mass trial of about 100 Iranian defendants in its Revolutionary Court. Reformist politicians, lawyers and journalists are among those accused of protesting in an attempt to overturn government leadership. Among the defendants are Seyyed Mohammad Abtahi, a former Iranian vice president; Maziar Bahari, an Iranian-Canadian reporter for Newsweek magazine; and Kian Tajbakhsh, an Iranian-American scholar. Street protests and a brutal government crackdown followed the June 12 presidential election, leading to the arrests of more than 1,000 people. The official death toll from the post-election unrest is 30, although opposition leaders have reportedly said it's more than twice that figure. On Wednesday, Iran's influential parliament speaker, Ali Larijani, dismissed allegations by Iran's opposition that post-election detainees were raped while in custody, according to state-run media. Larijani said that a special panel of Iran's parliament, or Majlis, conducted a "precise and comprehensive inquiry" into the treatment at Tehran's Evin and Kahrizak prisons, and found "no cases of rape or sexual abuse," government-funded Press TV reported. A spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry also denied that prisoners had been tortured. "What kind of talk is this? There was never any pressure used against these people," Hassan Qashqavi said Monday, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency. They were responding to accusations made by opposition candidate Mehdi Karrubi who, along with opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi, ran against hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the June 12 election. Iran's election authority declared Ahmadinejad the overwhelming winner of the race, sparking hundreds of thousands of Iranians to take to the streets in protest. Iranian opposition figures such as Karrubi have compared the treatment of the detainees to political prisoners abused under the "oppressing regime" of the Shah of Iran, who was overthrown by the Islamic Revolution in 1979. In an open letter to former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani posted Saturday on his party's Web site, Karrubi says an "impartial committee" is needed to "investigate these tragedies with transparency until they are resolved." He said he is willing to lead the investigation in a "truthful, unbiased fashion." "Some of the former detainees have told of such brutal and violent, repeated rapes of the young women [in detention] that have caused irreparable damage to their reproductive systems," Karrubi says in the letter. "Others have raped our detained young men with such brutality that they have been afflicted by depression and are no longer speaking with anyone and refuse to leave the dark corners of their houses." Larijani on Wednesday challenged Karrubi to "present evidence of such outrages" for the Majlis to investigate, according to Press TV. Iranian media has reported that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, has ordered one prison, Kahrizak, shut down amid reports it did not measure up to the required standards. Kahrizak's chief was fired and arrested over allegations of detainee mistreatment,

What does the U.N. human rights experts say?

Answer: 1,000

Answer: accused Iran of torturing

Answer: the allegations.

Answer: Iran

Answer: more than 1,000

Answer: Tehran

Answer: more than 1,000

Summary:
3 U.N. human rights experts say government tortured detained protesters .
Government denies opposition detainees were abused into confessions .
Iran conducting a trial of about 100 Iranian defendants in its Revolutionary Court .
1,000 people arrested, accused of fomenting unrest after June 12 election .


UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is "urgently dispatching" a special envoy to Myanmar, a statement from his office said Wednesday, following reports of violent clashes in that country between security forces and protesters. Protests at the crackdown have taken place overseas, including one outside the Myanmar embassy, London. "He calls on the senior leadership of the country to cooperate fully with this mission in order to take advantage of the willingness of the United Nations to assist in the process of a national reconciliation through dialogue," said a U.N. statement. The envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, is scheduled to lead a briefing on the situation in Myanmar for the U.N. Security Council Wednesday afternoon. "Noting reports of the use of force and of arrests and beatings, the secretary-general calls again on authorities to exercise utmost restraint toward the peaceful demonstrations taking place, as such action can only undermine the prospects for peace, prosperity and stability in Myanmar," Ban's statement said. There's been no official word yet if the military junta ruling Myanmar will accept the offer from the U.N. secretary-general. Speaking at the Labour Party conference Wednesday, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown underscored that any trampling on human rights would not be accepted. "The whole world is now watching Burma and this illegal and oppressive regime should know that the whole world will hold it to account," he said. U.S. President George W. Bush, speaking to the U.N. General Assembly's annual session Tuesday before the crackdown, said his administration would impose stiffer sanctions against the country's military regime. "The United States will tighten economic sanctions on the leaders of the regime and their financial backers. We will impose an expanded visa ban on those responsible for the most egregious violations of human rights, as well as their family members," he said. "We will continue to support the efforts of humanitarian groups working to alleviate suffering in Burma (the country's traditional name) and urge the United Nations and all nations to use their diplomatic and economic leverage to help the Burmese people reclaim their freedom." His comments were echoed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, also at the U.N. General Assembly. "I'm deeply concerned about the situation in Burma and Myanmar, and I would like to appeal for the peaceful, spontaneous demonstrations which are expressing just political and social concerns that they not be repressed by force in any way," Sarkozy said. Soe Aung, National Council of the Union of Burma spokesman, called for the world to take action. "There should be some action -- decisive action -- taken by the international community. At least there should be an urgent meeting of the Security Council level," he said. Aung also commented that the demonstrators do not seem content to back down. "The monks are very determined that they are going to go ahead with the demonstrations unless their demands are met," he said. Such demands include an apology from ministry authorities for the mistreatment of monks in central Myanmar, a reduction in the price of gasoline -- which originally sparked protests in late August -- and the release of protesters detained since demonstrations began, Aung said. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad. "We are concerned about the situation, particularly now, because we see a worsening of the political situation and that is affecting the well-being of the people of Burma. "We have urged Mr. Gambari and he plans to visit Burma as soon as possible," Khalilzad said, referring to Ibrahim Gambari, the U.N. special envoy to Burma. E-mail to a friend

What is unacceptable according to Brown?

Who is sending a special envoy to Myanmar?

Answer: his administration would impose stiffer sanctions against the country's military regime.

Answer: trampling on human rights

Answer: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Answer: trampling on human rights

Answer: Wednesday,

Answer: Myanmar,

Answer: Gordon Brown

Answer: his administration would impose stiffer sanctions against the country's military regime.

Answer: special envoy

Summary:
U.N. to send special envoy to Myanmar amid reports of crackdown .
World leaders condemn events in Myanmar, call on regime to desist from force .
UK PM Brown underscores that any trampling on human rights not acceptable .
Pres. Bush says Tuesday that the U.S. will increase sanctions .


UNITY, New Hampshire (CNN) -- The day began with a kiss. Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama leave Washington on Friday for a rally in New Hampshire. Sen. Barack Obama, on the tarmac at Reagan Washington National Airport, reached out to shake Sen. Hillary Clinton's hand and leaned down to kiss her cheek. It went on from there. Wearing a tie that matched her suit, he put his hand on her back, guiding the way up the plane steps. They sat side-by-side for the flight up to Manchester, New Hampshire, chatting amiably. One overheard conversation was about the plane. Clinton had used it during the primary season. They hopped on a souped-up bus for the 1½-hour ride to Unity, New Hampshire. The honorary mayor of Unity introduced the pair, admitting that he was a Republican who voted for John McCain in the primary. He didn't seem so sure about the general election. They walked onstage to the tune of "Beautiful Day." Arms around each other's waists, they smiled and waved at the crowd. Every camera angle had UNITY signs, big and little, in the backdrop. She said she wants to help elect him president. He gave an ode to Hillary: "She rocks."  Watch more from Unity » One woman stood at the back, periodically yelling, "Hillary for VP!" A few others, older women, stubbornly held up tattered Hillary For President placards. But the vast majority cheered her, "Thank you, Hillary!" and him, "Yes, we can!" They held new signs for the new times: "UNITY FOR CHANGE." As the dynamic duo glowed onstage, a Clinton staffer circulated through the press corps with word that Hillary and Bill Clinton had gone online to give the maximum contribution allowed by law to the Obama for President campaign. It was the picture-perfect day of togetherness that Barack Obama had wanted. It was not entirely believable, but politics is the art of pragmatism.

Where did Clinton and Obama hold the unity rally?

where clinton and obama hold a unity rally in?

Answer: politics

Answer: New Hampshire.

Answer: rally

Answer: New Hampshire.

Summary:
Sens. Clinton and Obama hold a unity rally in Unity, New Hampshire .
Crowley: A "day of togetherness that Barack Obama had wanted"
"It was not entirely believable, but politics is the art of pragmatism," Crowley adds .


URUMQI, China (CNN)  -- Reports of alleged syringe stabbings in a restive western Chinese city are generating a bit of panic, but doctors say some people have incorrectly concluded they were attacked with needles. People's Armed Police units equipped with armored personnel carriers take positions in Urumqi on Saturday. "In the patients we have seen in the last couple of days, there are many which we believe were not actually punctured with needles," Wang Hanbin, a Peoples' Liberation Army doctor examining people in Urumqi, told reporters on Saturday at a briefing. Wang said about 20 cases are being investigated closely and samples were being taken to laboratories in Beijing for more testing. But, he said, "many of the patients we have seen were mainly influenced by psychological factors." Wang, a member of a six-person military medical panel reviewing the syringe-stabbing claims, attributes the false reports to widespread fear and lack of medical knowledge. "Many of the patients did not actually see their attacker or the act of others attacking them with needles. Some patients who had needle puncture wounds experienced some discomfort in the area of the wound, and showed some symptoms, but couldn't give an accurate account of what they perceived to have been a needle attack." This is the latest crisis plaguing Xinjiang province and its capital city of Urumqi, where tensions have boiled over between Uyghurs and Han Chinese. The Han Chinese are the country's dominant ethnic group, and the Uyghurs are a Turkic-speaking Muslim minority who consider Xinjiang their homeland. Ethnic Uyghurs have been blamed for the alleged syringe stabbings, and demonstrators clashed with police in Urumqi for two days this week over the issue. Protesters were demanding better police protection and a crackdown on the Uyghurs. The latest unrest left five people dead and 14 injured, according to Urumqi's deputy mayor, and the Communist party chief in the city has been dismissed from his job amid the crisis, according to state-run media reported.  Watch report on unrest in Urumqi from CNN's John Vause » The Urumqi Public Prosecutors Office on Saturday said four ethnic Uyghurs were arrested in connection with three syringe-wielding incidents. At the press conference held by military medical personnel, the doctors said puncture wounds could not be found "in a large percentage of the patients." "Some could have been bitten by insects such as mosquitoes, and in other cases there were moles, or skin pigmentation, and we couldn't find a needle puncture wound," said Wang, speaking at the news conference. "Maybe they heard something from someone, then they discovered that they had a growth on their body. So, then they suspect that they may have been attacked with a needle and came to seek treatment. Some patients who came to seek treatment had some red marks or rash on their skin, but we didn't find any needle puncture wounds." Wang urged people not to panic and urged them to immediately seek medical treatment if they think they were stabbed. He also said people need to educate themselves about medical care. Rumors have abounded in Urumqi of recent syringe stabbers trying to spread AIDS and other diseases. But another doctor, Duan Qing, explained at the briefing that would be impossible for there to be any such cases of AIDS, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, or syphilis because there is a lengthy incubation period. "Even if there are cases of such illnesses, they are unrelated to incidents. This is basic medical knowledge," she said. The three incidents that led to the arrests occurred in late August. A man admitted stabbing a female shopper with a pin on August 28. Authorities said a man and woman on August 29 stole money from a taxi driver after threatening him with a syringe. And in the third incident, a man resisting arrest stabbed a police officer with a syringe on August 31.

How many cases are being investigated closely?

Answer: five people dead

Answer: five people dead

Answer: "many of the patients we have seen were mainly influenced by psychological factors."

Answer: 20

Answer: 20

Summary:
NEW: Many "we believe were not actually punctured with needles," army doctor says .
NEW: About 20 cases are being investigated closely, including testing, doctor says .
Five killed in riots between predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and Han Chinese .
Communist Party chief for Urumqi dismissed after deadly unrest .


URUMQI, China (CNN) -- Several hundred people staged a new protest in Urumqi on Tuesday, demanding the release of relatives detained in connection with weekend demonstrations by ethnic Uyghur residents in China's far western Xinjiang region. Ethnic Uyghur women grab the arm of a policeman as they protest in Urumqi on July 7. The crowd of 200 to 300 -- mostly women and elderly -- quickly formed as local authorities were taking members of the media on a tour of a neighborhood that was heavily damaged during riots over the weekend, witnesses said. Riot police quickly moved in to defuse the standoff as the demonstrators shouted the names of family members they wanted released. The protest is the latest sign that tensions are still simmering in the Xinjiang capital, where violent demonstrations have left 156 people dead and more than 1,000 injured, according to the regional public security department. In southern China, police have detained 15 suspects in connection with an incident that may have spurred the deadly rioting in Urumqi, state-run media reported. There is speculation that Sunday's protest, which took place in the predominantly Uyghur-populated Bazaar district, may have been a reaction to ethnic violence in southern China. The violence took place late last month at a toy factory in Guangdong province, where many migrants, including Uyghurs, have moved in search of work. A massive brawl reportedly broke out between workers of Uyghur and Han nationalities. Two Uyghurs reportedly died. The unrest in Urumqi had been brought under control with a massive presence of soldiers and anti-riot squads, the government said Tuesday. Curfews were in force in major districts of the capital. At least 1,434 suspects had been detained by Tuesday morning, the Xinhua news agency reported, citing government officials. "The police have started interrogations with the suspects," said Li Yi, a spokesman for the Communist Party in Xinjiang. Those convicted would be dealt with severely, he said.  Watch more on violence in Xinjiang » In a rare public display of dissatisfaction, thousands of Uyghurs -- many of whom feel they are treated as second-class citizens by the majority Han Chinese -- took to the streets Sunday chanting and screaming, prompting a police lockdown of the city. State-run media reported that protesters attacked passersby, burned public buses and blocked traffic. The report did not say how many people took part or what their grievances were. But a witness in Urumqi told CNN that, soon after the protest started about 5 p.m., hundreds of demonstrators "grew into easily over 1,000 -- men, women and children, all ethnic Uyghurs -- screaming and chanting." Police arrived quickly and tried to control the swelling crowd by erecting barriers in the street, but "people pushed them over," the witness said. "They were throwing rocks at passing cars and buses." As the violence escalated, hundreds of riot police arrived, the witness said. "They used tear gas and fire hoses to disperse the crowd. I saw fire trucks, ambulances, armed personnel carriers and what looked like tanks. I heard random gunshots." iReport.com: Are you there? Share photos, video, commentary Late Sunday, the witness said, Urumqi was in a lockdown, with hundreds of People's Liberation Army soldiers in the streets. He reported seeing riot police chasing protesters into alleys and rounding up many of them. Xinjiang is home to many Uyghurs. China's constitution guarantees ethnic minorities equal rights and limited autonomy. However, ethnic tensions run deep. Minority groups such as the Uyghurs complain that they are subjected to discrimination by the majority Han.  See a map of Xinjiang » Tensions also ran high in Han communities in the capital on Tuesday as neighbors organized to protect themselves and their businesses. Groups of men carrying pipes, sticks and cleavers milled in front of shops before police dispersed them. "The Uyghurs will attack any Han they see," one man said. The World Uyghur Congress, a dissident Uyghur group based in Munich, Germany, condemned the crackdown on what it described in a written statement as Sunday's "peaceful protest"

How many people were killed in the violence?

Which region were hundreds protesting in?

Answer: Urumqi

Answer: Urumqi

Answer: 15

Answer: dead

Answer: 15

Answer: Urumqi

Answer: 156 people

Answer: 156 people

Answer: Several hundred people

Summary:
Hundreds protest mass arrests following ethnic unrest in China's Xinjiang region .
Protesters -- mostly women and elderly -- shouted names of relatives being held .
At least 1,434 held by Chinese police following weekend Uyghur protests .
156 people killed and more than 800 others injured in violence .


UTTAR PRADESH, India (CNN)  -- An Indian police office grabs two fists-full of a suspect's hair; twists and then lifts until the suspect's feet dangle off ground. The suspect: A 6-year-old girl accused of stealing 280 rupees or about 6 dollars. The incident resulted in one officer being fired, another suspended. Charges against the girl were dropped. It was all caught on tape in February of this year. Harcharand Singh and his wife. Mr Singh says their son, accused of thief, died in police custody. Two years earlier in another Indian state another caught on tape moment. A police officer watches as a crowd beats an accused thief. Then the policeman binds the suspect and ends up dragging him behind a motorcycle leaving large raw patches of skin on the suspect's body. The accused survived the thrashing. Two officers were fired in the incident but were later reinstated by a panel that blamed the crowd. Brutal police tactics are all too common in India according to the latest report by Human Rights Watch in India. Naureen Shah with Human Rights Watch says the report is based on interviews with 80 police, 60 alleged victims and other experts. "The police are taking the law into their own hands." Shah says. "They are acting as a vigilante force and they're saying this is a bad guy instead of building a case against him we're going to kill him, we're going to take these harsh measure cause it has to get done." "Police administration are meant to protect, but they are becoming predators." Harcharand Singh says. He is the father of a suspect he says died in police custody. Singh and his wife are dirt poor and partially blind. They sit on a bed with tears in their eyes as they speak about losing their son Pradeep. They say police hauled Pradeep away one night accusing him of being involved in a car theft and shooting. Days later they say he died in police custody. Police refused to comment on the case or the report. "We are scared." Mother Ram Vati Singh says through tears. "What else can we do? We have no money so that we can leave or put up a fight with the police." The case was one of dozens highlighted in the Human Rights Watch report used as yet another example of what they say is out of control police behavior.  Watch a report on abuse cases » But the report also revealed something else. The terrible conditions police work and live in. Many live in police stations for days even months at a time unable to go home to see their families because they are expected to be on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Some work and live in tents in scorching temperatures. Their bathroom facilities are often wretched. Their cooking facilities sometimes made up of bricks with fire wood. The number of cases and pressure to solve them is intense. Police also say they are short staffed. One police official told us in his jurisdiction there are 70 police for a population of 250-thousand people, something CNN is unable to independently confirm. There are no computers for reports so police officers fill everything out by hand. Some departments even run out of paper to write the reports according to the Human Rights Watch report. Former Delhi Police Commissioner Ved Marwah says the conditions are dire. "The policemen are treated very inhumanly and that's why he gets desensitized and brutalized by his living and working conditions an by his interaction with the common citizen and with his superiors and that desensitization is reflected in the way an average policeman deals with the public at large." Marwah says. Marwah says there is also interference from politicians in police investigations. "Politics plays a very negative role." He says. Today's politicians, every politician there are good politicians and bad politicians, every politician looks upon it as a profession and he's there to make a quick buck and when he gets that control over the police, he uses an misuses not to ensure that the police enforces the rule of law,

Who claims some police are becoming vigilantes?

Who says police are becoming vigilantes?

Answer: Naureen Shah with Human Rights Watch says

Answer: A police officer watches as a crowd beats an accused thief. Then the policeman binds the suspect and ends up dragging him behind a motorcycle leaving large raw patches of skin on the suspect's body.

Answer: An Indian police office grabs two fists-full of a suspect's hair;

Answer: Naureen Shah

Summary:
Video shows girl being physically abused by police, rights group says .
Human Rights Watch says some police are becoming vigilantes .
Report also shows poor conditions that police are expected to work under .
The government has promised changes .


Unheralded American Doug Barron has become the first player to be banned by the PGA Tour for taking performance-enhancing drugs. The 40-year-old has been given a one-year suspension. He is the first professional to fail a drugs test since the PGA and European Tours began their anti-doping programs in July 2008. "I would like to apologize for any negative perception of the Tour and its players resulting from my suspension," Barron said in a statement on the PGA Tour official Web site www.pgatour.com. "I want my fellow Tour members and the fans to know that I did not intend to gain an unfair competitive advantage or enhance my performance while on Tour." In common with their policy, the PGA Tour did not release details of the drug taken by Barron to fail the test. Barron, who turned professional in 1992, was a PGA Tour regular for eight seasons, with his best finish a tie for third at the Byron Nelson Classic in 2006. He has won over $3 million but campaigned in recent seasons on the second-tier Nationwide Tour, playing just one event on the main tour this year. He is also reported to have had health problems. The last time Barron captured the headlines was in very different circumstances at the 2006 Transistions Championship in Florida, where he removed his shirt to play a shot out of the water on the 16th hole at Innisbrook. The incident was captured on television and was greeted with amusement by his fellow players. Neither the PGA Tour or the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have yet to comment further on the suspension. Golf bowed to pressure from WADA to introduce drug testing in the sport last year. PGA Tour testing is administered by The National Center for Drug Free Sport every week of the season, with all samples analyzed by WADA-accredited laboratories.

Since 1992, how much money has this athlete won?

Who became the first golfer to be banned?

When were anti-doping programs introduced?

Answer: over $3 million

Answer: one-year suspension.

Answer: over $3 million

Answer: performance-enhancing drugs.

Answer: first player to be banned by the PGA Tour

Answer: Doug Barron

Answer: one-year

Answer: July 2008.

Summary:
Doug Barron becomes the first golfer to be banned for doping by PGA Tour .
Barron gets one-year ban for taking unspecified performance-enhancing drug .
Barron, 40, has won over $3 million prize money since turning pro in 1992 .
PGA and European Tours introduced anti-doping programs in 2008 .


United Nations (CNN) -- Britain's Queen Elizabeth II will address the U.N. General Assembly in July, the British Mission to the United Nations announced Friday.

Queen Elizabeth last addressed the General Assembly in 1957, it said.

The queen's July 6 speech will come at the conclusion of a nine-day trip to Canada with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.

She will address the United Nations in her capacity as head of state of 16 U.N. member states, the mission said in a news release.

Queen Elizabeth is head of state for the United Kingdom, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

When was the last address to the UN by Queen Elizabeth?

How many countries have the queen as head of state?

What number of countries does she represents?

Answer: address the U.N. General Assembly

Answer: Queen Elizabeth II

Answer: 1957,

Answer: 16

Answer: 16

Answer: 1957,

Answer: Queen Elizabeth II

Summary:
Queen Elizabeth II to address U.N. General Assembly in July .
Queen last addressed U.N. in 1957 .
Queen is head of state of 16 U.N. member states .


United Nations (CNN) -- Confronted with the prospect of a Palestinian bid for full U.N. membership, U.S. President Barack Obama issued a sharp rebuke Wednesday to those pressing for statehood -- a rebuke likely to bring criticism from the Arab world.

"Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the U.N.," Obama said, addressing delegates at the 66th annual session of U.N. General Assembly. "If it were that easy, it would have been accomplished by now."

The United States has vowed to block a Palestinian membership application should it reach the Security Council, but is likely eager to head off a scenario that would involve an American veto -- a move widely seen as unpopular across the Middle East.

A formal request for full U.N. membership is expected to be submitted Friday.

"One year ago, I stood at this podium and called for an independent Palestine," Obama added. "I believed then -- and I believe now -- that the Palestinian people deserve a state of their own. But what I also said is that genuine peace can only be realized between Israelis and Palestinians themselves."

A year later, despite extensive U.S. efforts, "the parties have not bridged their differences," Obama said.

The American president met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and declared the bonds between their two countries "unbreakable," a move likely to play well at home in an increasingly volatile U.S. political landscape.

Though Netanyahu was not in attendance at the General Assembly during Obama's speech, he called the U.S. position a "badge of honor," and has pushed for a resumption of talks, beginning in New York and continuing in Ramallah and Jerusalem.

Peace negotiations broke down last year.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met with Obama later Wednesday, part of a whirlwind of diplomatic wrangling that has accompanied his proposed move. Obama reiterated his stance on the need for a two-state solution, officials said.

Abbas met earlier with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who promised the request would be taken "very seriously," according to Nabeel Shaath, a senior negotiator for the Palestine Liberation Organization. Shaath told CNN it had not been decided if the formal application would be submitted the U.N. secretary-general before or after Abbas addresses the General Assembly early Friday afternoon.

Ban said it will "not take long" to get Security Council consideration.

Shaath added that settling for a lesser status -- such as being recognized as a non-member state -- is one option under consideration if the push for full membership is blocked. But the Palestinians do not want "anybody to suspect a lack of seriousness," he said.

Palestinians' current status at the United Nations is as an observer "entity." Observers can speak in the General Assembly but not vote.

While a veto by the United States in the Security Council would block any effort to gain full U.N. membership, a "yes" vote in the General Assembly -- where only a majority would be needed -- would raise Palestinians to the status of permanent observer "state," the status the Vatican currently holds.

Abbas' effort to gain U.N. recognition of a Palestinian state is opposed by Hamas, the Palestinian organization that controls Gaza. It has warned Abbas against making the request, saying it would show a willingness to acknowledge and negotiate with Israel, which would "deprive the Palestinian people from their right to come back to their homeland."

As national leaders took to rostrum Wednesday to spell out their visions for global peace and security, attention at the U.N. General Assembly seemed to center on the potential membership bid.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged the body to recognize Palestine as a non-member state, calling for a more definitive timetable for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. But he also warned that a U.S. veto of the bid for full membership in the Security Council could be dangerous and might spark violence.

Argentinean President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner seemed to agree, adding that "non-inclusion of Palestine (at the United Nations) this year will create greater insecurity."

The Palestinian leader said he

What did the French president say?
What did Obama do?
Who did Obama meet with?
What did Frances President say?
What could spark violence?
What did Argentina's president say?

Answer: urged the body to recognize Palestine as a non-member state, calling for a more definitive timetable for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. But he also warned that a U.S. veto of the bid for full membership in the Security Council could be dangerous and might spark violence.

Answer: issued a sharp rebuke

Answer: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Answer: urged the body to recognize Palestine as a non-member state, calling for a more definitive timetable for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. But he also warned that a U.S. veto of the bid for full membership in the Security Council could be dangerous and might spark violence.

Answer: a U.S. veto of the bid for full membership in the Security Council

Answer: "non-inclusion of Palestine (at the United Nations) this year will create greater insecurity."

Summary:
NEW: Obama completes meeting with Abbas .
The Palestinian leader says he does not expect the U.N. to act immediately .
Argentina's president: "Non-inclusion of Palestine ... will create greater insecurity"
France's president says a veto could spark violence .