World Peace News: Top Stories

	Top Stories Russia's President says US and Russia must put aside differences Arms control talks top the US-Russian agenda Northern Ireland disarmament chief confirms UVF arms moves

	Top Stories India: Training Maharishi Vedic Pandits for perpetual world peace Netherlands: People of Limburg surpass national average in learning Transcendental Meditation Independence Day in US to enjoy gift of 'huge boost in coherence' with arrival of 200 more Vedic Pandits

	Top Stories Brutal insurgency haunts Thai Muslim south US Marines push deeper into southern Afghan towns Amnesty says Israel 'wantonly' destroyed Gaza
Positive Trends 10 Short Summaries of Top Stories Russia's President says US and Russia must put aside differences 3 July 2009 - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday Washington and Moscow must set aside the power politics of the past and use a forthcoming summit to unite in tackling global economic and political problems. President Barack Obama's first visit to Moscow next week is expected to demonstrate the first fruits of his and Medvedev's attempts to 'reset' thorny relations, which reached post-Cold War lows under the previous US administration. (more) Arms control talks top the US-Russian agenda 2 July 2009 - Arms control is at the top of the agenda for President Barack Obama's 2 1/2-day visit to Moscow starting Monday. Officials and experts on both sides say ongoing talks about a new arms control treaty might form the foundation of a new, less rancorous relationship between Washington and Moscow. Cuts in nuclear arsenals could also give the US and Russia added credibility as they try to persuade Iran and North Korea to abandon their nuclear programmes. (more) Northern Ireland disarmament chief confirms UVF arms moves 2 July 2009 - Northern Ireland's disarmament chief announced Monday he has witnessed a major weapons handover by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), an outlawed group that terrorized Irish Catholics for decades. In his statement, de Chastelain said he and his US and Finnish deputies 'witnessed a major decommissioning event involving arms, ammunition, explosives, and explosive devices belonging to the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Red Hand Commando.' The latter organization is a small splinter group of the UVF. (more) The good news report from Canada, 28 - 29 June 2009 2 July 2009 - Canada's top benchmark exchange continued marching higher. A new Master of Education degree offered through the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), is designed to begin filling principal's offices throughout the territory with educators who are members of the same community that they serve. This will help promote the teaching of traditional languages and culture. For details on these and other Canada news stories: (more) US, Russia hold talks before Obama visit 2 July 2009 - US lawmakers and their Russian counterparts have met to discuss arms control, North Korea, and other international issues, setting the stage for President Barack Obama's visit to Moscow next week. US House Foreign Relations Committee chief Howard Berman says he 'goes back to Washington energized' to improve bilateral relations. Russian officials called the talks constructive. Obama visits Russia 6-8 July. (more) Festival aims to bring Jerusalem together through music 1 July 2009 - Throughout June, a group of European classical musicians, accompanied by Palestinians and Israelis, has roused and challenged audiences across Jerusalem in an eclectic festival aimed at bridging the city's divides. Audiences at the fourth annual Sounding Jerusalem Festival have heard chamber music by Brahms and Bach wafting through the Old City, Mozart and Mendelssohn at a Crusader church, in an Israeli Arab village and flutes playing Beethoven in the confines of an ancient fort in the West Bank. (more) Troop pullout from Iraqi towns a milestone - Obama 1 July 2009 - President Barack Obama on Tuesday lauded the pullout of US forces from towns and cities in Iraq as an important step toward a full US troop withdrawal by 2012. Obama has made ending the six-year-old Iraq war a top foreign policy priority. (more) Iraq regains control of cities as US pulls back 30 June 2009 - Iraq regained full control of its towns and cities on Tuesday, declaring the day a national holiday for Iraqis to celebrate the withdrawal of US troops, six years after invading to topple Saddam Hussein. By midnight on Tuesday, all US combat units must have left Iraq's urban centres and redeployed to rural bases, according to a bilateral security pact that requires all US troops except for trainers and advisers to leave Iraq by the end of 2011. (more) Iraqis rejoice as US troops leave Baghdad 29 June 2009 - US troops pulled out of Baghdad on Monday, triggering jubilation among Iraqis hopeful that foreign military occupation is ending six years after the invasion to depose Saddam Hussein. US combat troops must pull out of Iraq's urban centres by midnight on Tuesday under a bilateral security pact that also requires all troops to leave the country by 2012. The government has declared 30 June a national holiday, 'National Sovereignty Day'. (more) Northern Ireland's paramilitaries dump arsenal 29 June 2009 - Paramilitary forces Saturday completed a historic step in the Northern Ireland peace process by scrapping their weapons in front of independent witnesses. The moves, confirmed by the British and Irish governments, underscored commitment across the sectarian divide to ending violence. Northern Ireland has enjoyed relative peace since a 1998 deal ended the IRA's military campaign to end British control of the province and unite Ireland. (more)
Success of Maharishi's Programmes 10 Short Summaries of Top Stories India: Training Maharishi Vedic Pandits for perpetual world peace 2 July 2009 - Approximately 100,000 Maharishi Vedic Pandits are receiving training at 1,800 campuses in 150 cities throughout India. The Vedic Pandits of India play an essential role in the creation of permanent peace, harmony, and invincibility for the world. (more) Netherlands: People of Limburg surpass national average in learning Transcendental Meditation 1 July 2009 - Many more people have been learning Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Transcendental Meditation Programme in the province of Limburg, Netherlands--a result of increased media attention, as well as Teachers' focus on making information widely available about all of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's programmes. (more) Independence Day in US to enjoy gift of 'huge boost in coherence' with arrival of 200 more Vedic Pandits 30 June 2009 - Two hundred Vedic Pandits will soon arrive from India to contribute to the peace, harmony, and invincibility created by the Invincible America Assembly in Iowa, USA. This will bring the number of Vedic Pandits creating coherence in the heartland of America to over 1,000 and the total number of Yogic Flyers in the Assembly to approximately 2,000. (more) Third IamU conference in MERU Holland: 'BeDivine' - Global Mother Divine Organization for a new generation 30 June 2009 - Girls and ladies around the world can connect in the shared experience of their own pure Transcendental Consciousness--and in the expression of beauty, creativity, bliss, and divinity, which naturally pours out from that level--through 'BeDivine', the Global Mother Divine Organization for a new generation. (more) Global Country of World Peace announces global Guru Purnima Assemblies 29 June 2009 - The Global Country of World Peace announces the annual grand global celebration of Guru Purnima--celebrating the eternal Vedic Tradition of knowledge. The full moon day of Guru Purnima will be celebrated in a global broadcast on 7 July. There will also be a four-day Assembly for Yogic Flyers, and Teachers and practitioners of Transcendental Meditation, at MERU, Holland, connected via High Definition TV Internet link with assemblies in countries around the world. Two-week national Invincibility Assemblies of Yogic Flyers will also be held throughout July to create coherence in Holland and many countries. (more) Third IamU conference in MERU Holland: Young members of the Mother Divine Programme creating peace, rising in enlightenment 29 June 2009 - Young members of the Mother Divine Programme warmly invited girls and ladies around the world to join them in creating a better world and rising quickly to higher states of consciousness. They described how much they enjoy and appreciate the Mother Divine Programme and Maharishi University of Enlightenment, and talked about 'Be Divine', the Global Mother Divine Organization for a new generation. (more) Vedic Architecture Coordinator Training Course Phase I to be held online 29 June 2009 - The Ministry of Architecture of the Global Country of World Peace is pleased to offer an online seminar to train Maharishi Sthapatya Veda Vastu Coordinators, in four sessions of about two hours each, at no charge. The purpose of the training is to provide more Fortune-Creating homes and promote other projects worldwide, and help with Maharishi Vastu consultations on the local level. (more) Offering the programmes of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Mali 28 June 2009 - Through the inspiration of an individual from Mali who recently learnt the Transcendental Meditation Technique, the programmes of the Global Country of World Peace are beginning to be offered in his country. (more) Hundreds eager to learn Transcendental Meditation in Vietnam 27 June 2009 - Presented for the first time in Vietnam, the Transcendental Meditation (TM) Programme is being received with tremendous enthusiasm. A recent public lecture on the technique in Ho Chi Minh City, coordinated by UNESCO, was attended by more than 400 people. (more) Trinidad: Honouring leaders in the creation of national invincibility 27 June 2009 - Recently a celebration was held to honour the many great leaders who helped create invincibility for Trinidad--which was declared by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Founder of the Global Country of World Peace, on 20 May 2006. (more)
Flops 10 Short Summaries of Top Stories Brutal insurgency haunts Thai Muslim south 3 July 2009 - Thailand's Muslim deep south has become the battleground of one of the world's most mysterious conflicts, a brutal insurgency that has claimed nearly 3,500 lives since 2004. A climate of fear and intimidation has gripped the provinces of Yala, Narathiwat, and Pattani, and the 30,000 troops here offer little protection against the near-daily bombings and shootings. With its rolling hills and thick jungle dotted with white village mosques, the rubber-rich region bordering Malaysia is one of Thailand's most picturesque, but the unrelenting violence has ensured tourists and investors keep well away. The Army admits its counter-insurgency capabilities are limited because it is unsure exactly who the enemy is. (more) US Marines push deeper into southern Afghan towns 3 July 2009 - US Marines moved into villages in Taliban strongholds in southern Afghanistan on Friday, meeting little resistance as they tried to win over local chiefs on the second day of the biggest military operation here since the fall of the Taliban government in 2001. The insurgency has proven particularly resilient in the area, and foreign troops have never before operated in such large numbers there. Large areas have been under Taliban control, with little or no government presence. Elders ask the Marines whether they will stop them saying prayers. In describing the Taliban, they compare them to Americans. Taking ground from the Taliban in Afghanistan has always proved easy. Keeping it and ensuring the government's presence has been the difficult part. The military challenges are compounded by the fact that the area is the world's largest producer of opium, and drug profits feed the insurgency and corrupt government officials. (more) Amnesty says Israel 'wantonly' destroyed Gaza 2 July 2009 - Amnesty International said on Thursday Israel inflicted 'wanton destruction' in the Gaza Strip in attacks that often targeted Palestinian civilians during an offensive in December and January in the Hamas-run enclave. The London-based rights group, in a 117-page report on the 22 days of fighting, also criticized the Islamist movement Hamas for rocket attacks on Israel, which it called 'war crimes'. Among other conclusions, Amnesty said it found no evidence to support Israeli claims that Gaza guerrillas deliberately used civilians as 'human shields', but it did, however, cite evidence that Israeli troops put children and other civilians in harm's way by forcing them to remain in homes taken over by soldiers. (more) North Korea test-fires 4 short-range missiles 2 July 2009 - North Korea test-fired four short-range missiles Thursday, South Korea's Defence Ministry said, a move that aggravates already high tensions following Pyongyang's recent nuclear test and UN sanctions imposed as punishment. The launches came as North Korea's relations with the United States, South Korea, and other countries were already severely strained after its 25 May underground nuclear test and a series of missile firings. The UN Security Council adopted a tough sanctions resolution last month to punish the communist regime. North Korea has also threatened to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile. Last month, a Japanese newspaper reported that the North could test-fire a long-range missile toward Hawaii as early as 4 July. The US has increased defences around the island state. (more) Q and A: How will new assault change the war in Afghanistan? 2 July 2009 - Thousands of US Marines stormed into a river valley in southern Helmand province on Thursday in an operation seeking to break the Taliban's hold on the key opium-growing region and turn the tide of the war in Afghanistan. Following are questions and answers about what impact Operation Khanjar, or 'Strike of the Sword', might have. (more) US Marines fan out in big south Afghanistan assault 2 July 2009 - Thousands of US Marines stormed deep into Taliban territory in an Afghan river valley on Thursday, launching the biggest military offensive of Barack Obama's Presidency. The Marines say Operation Khanjar, or Strike of the Sword, will be decisive and is intended to seize virtually the entire lower Helmand River valley, the heartland of the Taliban insurgency and the world's biggest opium poppy producing region. Launching such a bold operation carries great risk. A protracted, bloody fight could erode support for the war in the United States, among its NATO allies and Afghans. Taliban fighters have had years to reinforce positions among the valley's irrigation ditches and canals. Violence in the Taliban-led insurgency is at its highest since the Taliban's ouster in 2001. (more) How North Korea earns money from arms sales 1 July 2009 - The United States said it has cracked down on companies involved in suspected sales of North Korean weapons, a major source of foreign currency for the cash-strapped state. In addition, The US government has accused North Korea of trafficking in narcotics, counterfeiting US currency, and producing fake cigarettes. Intelligence sources say the North also earns foreign currency through insurance fraud while its overseas missions have also developed various minor schemes to boost Pyongyang's coffers. Here are some questions and answers about the North's suspected proliferation activities: (more) Human Rights Watch accuses Israel over Gaza drones 30 June 2009 - Missile-firing Israeli drones unlawfully killed at least 29 Palestinian civilians during the Gaza Strip war, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday. Despite having advanced surveillance equipment, drone operators failed to exercise proper caution 'as required by the laws of war' in verifying their targets were combatants, the New York-based monitoring group said, issuing a 39-page report that described six alleged strikes by remote-controlled aircraft. Israel has a fleet of spy drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), but refuses to confirm or deny widespread beliefs that some of the aircraft also carry weapons. (more) UN monitors leave Georgia, OSCE mission shuts 30 June 2009 - United Nations monitors began pulling out of Georgia on Tuesday and the OSCE officially closed its observer mission, testing security almost a year since the former Soviet Republic's war with Russia. A deadline for the OSCE to withdraw passed on Tuesday after negotiations with Russia broke down in May. The mission conducted its last patrol on Friday, and has already left its hillside headquarters in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. Greek Foreign Minister and OSCE Chair Dora Bakoyanni commented: 'One of the largest on-the-ground missions of the OSCE in the region was led to an end -- despite the clear need, recognized by many states taking part in it, for the organization to be present in order to contribute toward security and stability in the region.' (more) Ousted President, replacement duel for Honduras 29 June 2009 - Honduras' new leaders defied growing global pressure on Monday to reverse a military coup, arguing that they had followed their constitution in removing a leftist President who attacked it. Presidents from around Latin America were gathering in Nicaragua for meetings Monday on how to reverse the first coup in Central America in at least 16 years. The Obama administration and European governments denounced the coup. US officials said they were working for the return of ousted President Manuel Zelaya and European officials offered to mediate talks between the two sides. Honduran troops with riot shields surrounded the Presidential palace on Monday and armoured military vehicles were parked in front. (more)