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The teenage daughters of Spain’s prime minister were ridiculed for dressing “Goth” with the Obamas. Meghan McCain on the perils of being a politician’s kid. Over the weekend I was emailed and tweeted an image of the prime minister of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, and his family standing with President and Michelle Obama at the United Nations. The photo was uploaded onto the White House Flickr account but soon taken down because apparently the young girls are not seen or photographed in their country, so as to protect their privacy. When I first saw the picture, I didn’t understand...

Photo of Obama and Spain's First Children Causes a Stir September 25, 2009 04:53 PM ET | Paul Bedard, Alex Kingsbury | Permanent Link | Print By Alex Kingsbury, Washington Whispers Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was in for a rude shock if he thought the same privacy conventions that shield the children of public figures in his home country would extend to the United States. Zapatero brought his wife and two daughters along on his trip to New York for the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly, and on Wednesday he and his family posed...

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came under attack on Monday for attending a U.N. food summit, accused by Western leaders and rights groups of inflicting suffering on their own people. ADVERTISEMENT Britain and Australia said Mugabe's presence at the June 3-5 conference on soaring food prices and their impact on the world's poor was obscene, while the World Jewish Congress deplored that Ahmadinejad would steal the limelight at meeting. "I'm outraged by his attendance, "said International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander, who will represent Britain. "We don't see Robert Mugabe as gaining any... credibility from attending this...

UN telcom agency says would be ready to run Internet Fri Sep 30, 2005 6:28 PM BST Printer Friendly | Email Article | RSS By Robert Evans GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations' International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is ready to take over governance of the Internet from the United States., ITU head Yoshio Utsumi said on Friday. The United States has clashed with the European Union and much of the rest of the world over the future of the Internet. It currently manages the global information system through a partnership with California-based company ICANN. "We could do it if we...

60th Anniversary presents opportunity to renew, improve organization By Judy Aita Washington File United Nations Correspondent United Nations -- President Bush will join U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the opening of a three-day summit September 14 that marks the beginning of the United Nations’ 60th session. As the organization turns 60, the management and members of the venerable middle-aged institution are making plans to celebrate its work and enact a series of reforms to ensure it remains relevant for another 60 years. More than 170 heads of state and government are expected to participate in the plenary session in the...

Hatred of the U.S. is palpable among the various state and NGO delegations. While such hatred is prevalent in all U.N. meetings, it seems to be especially acrimonious at the World Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. Most of the acrimony centers on perceived trade barriers, subsidies (especially farm subsidies) and the rejection of the Kyoto Protocol by the U.S. As the heads of state and government gather in Johannesburg, the summit was deadlocked late Friday, over 14 issues in a 70-page "Plan of Implementation," pitting the developed nations against the developing nations, and the United States against the European...