Imports near all-time highs in South Asian nation grappling with gold shortages
Silver American Eagle coin sales are on pace to break the all-time record set in 2011 by the U.S. Mint. Almost 37 million have been sold through early October, compared with the 39.87 million sold during all of 2011.
"If present demand continues and our weekly allocations of between 800,000 to 900,000 coins remains constant, we'll set a new record for sales in 2013," acting Mint chief Richard Peterson has predicted.
The Mint's Web site shows that as of Tuesday (Oct. 8), 866,500 silver Eagles have been sold this month, and 36,954,500 have been sold for the year, with more than two months left in 2013.
$25 silver? Or $100 silver? And the price of the metal, which has both monetary and industrial applications, is likely to rise. Members of the London Bullion Market Association predicted at their recent convention that silver will rise on average about 20%, to $25, by its convention in November 2014. Sixteen percent of those polled think silver will be the top gainer over gold, platinum, and palladium next year.
Leeb Capital Management chief Stephen Leeb offered up an even more bullish silver forecast in a recent interview with King World News:
"Silver for photovoltaics is expanding enormously right now. Demand for silver in this sector has nowhere to go except higher. This is going to drive the price of silver over $100. I do expect for silver to be stronger than gold over the next year or two because of this explosive situation. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see the price of silver hit $110 in the next 24 months. The price of silver is going to super-surge. But the mainstream media will be saying it is because of massive demand for photovoltaics -- they won't be admitting that it's also because the financial system is going to hell."
And with the U.S. just days away from a potential debt default on Oct. 17, gold has found support around $1,300, but if lightning strikes with a Lehman Bros.-type catastrophic scenario, "you'd want silver coins to buy gasoline and groceries," said Jim Rickards, a senior managing director at Tangent Capital and author of The New York Times best-seller "Currency Wars."
Gold scarcity sends Indians into silver Record silver demand isn't occurring just in the U.S. India is reporting a surge in imports as its citizens turn to the white metal in the face of new government restrictions on the gold trade, launched to rein in the nation's gaping account deficit.
"Indian retailers are paying more for gold than the metal's international price as a festival-season buying rush and curbs on imports have led demand to far outstrip supplies," The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday as premiums hit $50 an ounce there. "Restrictions on imports have now led to a shortage of gold in the market, just as festival-season demand has started picking up."
"The demand is very strong. But there is no gold available," said Vasu Acharya, director of Parker Bullions, one of India's largest bullion dealers.
Supply problems have thus led many Indians into silver as a cheaper, more-plentiful alternative. "Ever since the government has started putting measures to curb gold imports, demand for silver has seen a sudden surge," said Monal Thakkar, president of Amrapali Industries. "People are buying silver as a viable investment option," he added.
Imports rising at torrid pace Now silver imports are on pace to hit a record high this year as the wedding and festival season drives up buying. "There has been a massive improvement in silver imports and we will continue to see more. Investors are taking advantage of lower prices and the lack of restrictions on silver imports as of now," said Harmesh Arora, director with the Bombay Bullion Association.
According to the GFMS metals consultancy, India imported 4,073 tonnes of silver from January to August, more than double the 1,921 tonnes in the whole of 2012, when a jump in prices in the peak season hurt demand. The record high was 5,048 tonnes in 2008.
"Going forward, the recovery will be sharper in silver compared to gold," said Gnanasekar Thiagrajan, director with Commtrendz Research, noting that silver would be in demand as an industrial metal, too.
For now, much of the silver flooding in is finding its way to rural areas, where industry officials expect a surge in disposable incomes after a bountiful monsoon boosted agricultural harvests.
"There is less gold available, so rural people will gradually move to silver. It will be a more of a default option than a conscious choice," said Rajesh Khosla, managing director with refiner MMTC PAMP.
"Monster Box" is a monster deal Silver has it all: monetary qualities and endless industrial applications. And when gold rises, silver can rise even higher -- exponentially so. One metal expert gave this analogy: Gold is the B-2 bomber to silver's F-16 fighter jet. And perhaps most importantly, silver's cheaper price offers an attractive entry point for investors who think gold is too expensive.
If you're thinking about acquiring silver American Eagles, consider a "Monster Box": 500 1-oz. bullion coins, packaged in 25 tubes of 20 coins each, in a sealed green box from the Mint. It's one of the most economical ways to start stacking silver Eagles.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) ? Pope Francis spoke the language of Brazil's soccer-mad youth Saturday, telling them that being a good Catholic is like training to play soccer. Only he added a seemingly blasphemous twist, telling them Jesus offers them "something more than the World Cup."
In the land of Pele that will host the World Cup in 2014, the joke might have gone over poorly coming from a pope from Argentina, Brazil's nemesis on the pitch.
But the crowd on Copacabana beach for the World Youth Day vigil cheered with delight.
"In order to enjoy soccer, you've got to have beer, you've got to have beautiful women and maybe drugs. How many beer cans do you see around here?" said Douglas Junior Segatini, a 35-year-old nurse from Sao Paulo state and "lifelong fan" of the Santos soccer team. "None, and that's because Christ is better than any alcohol, better than any drug, better than any match."
Francis is a lifelong fan of the Buenos Aires club San Lorenzo and has been a member (ID No. 88235) since 2008.
On this trip he has added to his already sizeable collection of soccer jerseys given to him by the faithful.
When he gets back to Rome, he'll be treated to a friendly on Aug. 14 between Argentina and Italy organized in honor of his election.
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Seepage of methane, a greenhouse gas, in the Arabian Sea may be linked to a 1945 earthquake, a study suggests. The finding may affect global warming estimates.
Embargoed news from Annals of Internal MedicinePublic release date: 15-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Angela Collom acollom@acponline.org 215-351-2653 American College of Physicians
Annals of Internal Medicine tip sheet for 16 Apr. issue
1. Task Force Reviews Evidence for New Recommendations on Medications to Reduce Risk for Primary Breast Cancer
High-risk women may derive the most benefit, least harms from preventive drug therapy
Women at high risk for breast cancer may benefit most from preventive drug therapy. In 2002, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended against routine use of tamoxifen and raloxifene for prevention of primary breast cancer for women at average risk. The Task Force recommended that clinicians discuss the potential benefits and harms of those drugs for women at high risk before prescribing them. To update its previous recommendations, the Task Force reviewed evidence published through December 2012. In placebo-controlled trials, both tamoxifen and raloxifene reduced the incidence of invasive breast cancer over the five-year treatment period, and both medications reduced fractures. In head-to-head trials, tamoxifen had greater effect at reducing invasive breast cancer than raloxifene, but also was associated with more thromboembolic events, endometrial cancer, and related gynecologic outcomes and cataracts compared with placebo and raloxifene. The evidence showed that women at highest risk for breast cancer derived the most benefit from drug treatment. Women who received tamoxifen, raloxifene, or exemestane had a 10-year breast cancer risk of 7.5 percent compared with a 21.3 percent risk for women on no treatment. The evidence will inform an upcoming recommendation statement from the USPSTF. A link to this article will go live at 5:00 p.m. on April 15 http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/0003-4819-158-8-201304160-00005.
Note: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom. To speak with the author please contact Elisa Williams at willieli@ohsu.edu or 503-494-4530.
2. CT Scans Obtained for Other Reasons Can be Used for Osteoporosis Screening
Abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans obtained for other clinical indications can be used to screen patients for osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a common disease of the bones that increases risk for fracture, especially among older women. Central dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) of the hips and lumbar spine is widely recognized as the reference standard for diagnosing osteoporosis, yet the procedure is underutilized. Nearly half of all female Medicare beneficiaries have never had a bone mineral density (BMD) test. Recognizing a need for safe and cost-effective alternatives to DXA screening, researchers sought to determine if CT scans performed for other clinical indications could be used to assess BMD. Researchers compared CT scans to DXA scans performed within 6 months of the CT for 1,867 patients over a 10-year period. They found that nearly half of patients with an osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture identified by the CT scan had been classified as having normal bone density by the DXA scan. The researchers conclude that CT scans can be used opportunistically to screen for osteoporosis without additional radiation exposure or cost. The authors of an accompanying editorial caution against adding more information to CT reports already replete with incidental findings, as only about half of incidental findings are ever acted on or confirmed. The authors suggest that CT reports linked to evidence summaries and actionable reminders that could be transmitted to primary care physicians may be a more effective way to increase the likelihood of follow up and treatment. A link to this article will go live at 5:00 p.m. on April 15 http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/0003-4819-158-8-201304160-00003.
Note: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom. To speak with the lead author please contact Toni Morrissey at tmorrissey@uwhealth.org or 608-263-3223.
3. Computer-aided Detection Finds Invasive Breast Cancer Earlier, Increases Diagnostic Tests in Women Without Cancer
Using computer-aided detection (CAD) to assess mammograms increases diagnosis of early stage cancers, but also increases diagnostic testing for women without breast cancer. Researchers suggest these findings are likely fuel breast cancer screening debates. With CAD, radiologists use computer algorithms to mark and reassess potentially suspicious lesions that may have been missed on initial mammogram review. Despite limited evidence of its clinical effectiveness, the use of CAD in screening mammography has been broadly adopted. Researchers reviewed health records for 163,099 women aged 67 to 89 years receiving 409,459 mammograms to determine the associations between CAD use during screening mammography and the incidence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive breast cancer, invasive cancer stage, and diagnostic testing. The researchers found that use of CAD was associated with greater DCIS incidence, but found no difference in invasive breast cancer incidence. Among women with invasive cancer, use of CAD was associated with greater likelihood of detecting it in earlier stages (stages I and II vs II and IV). Use of CAD also increased diagnostic mammography, breast ultrasonography, and breast biopsy in women without cancer. A link to this article will go live at 5:00 p.m. on April 15 http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/0003-4819-158-8-201304160-00002.
Note: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom. To speak with the lead author please contact Karen Finney at karen.finney@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu or 916-734-9064.
4. Health Outcomes Improve When Doctors Adapt Care Plans to Accommodate Individual Patient Needs
Patient-centered decision making (PCDM) leads to better health outcomes. PCDM occurs when the physician considers individual patient needs and circumstances when prescribing a care plan. For example, if a patient is unable to adhere to a thrice-daily medication regimen because of work responsibilities, modification of the plan to accommodate these circumstances would be considered PCDM. Researchers sought to determine if PCDM would affect health care outcomes compared with inattention to patient context. Researchers had 774 patients covertly audio-record encounters with their physicians. Those recordings were screened for "contextual red flags" that could affect health outcomes (e.g. missed appointments or lack of control over manageable chronic conditions).The researchers analyzed the tapes to see if the red flag surfaced during the visit and if the care plan was "contextualized" to accommodate the patient's needs. The recordings were analyzed against medical records to determine the relationship between PCDM and patient outcomes. The researchers found that health outcomes improved in 71 percent of patients whose physicians paid attention to their individual needs and circumstances compared to improvements in just 46 percent of patients whose physicians did not contextualize care plans. The author of an accompanying editorial writes that interventions to increase physician attention to patient context should focus on helping physicians link to needed services and support systems that can help them solve their patients' problems. A link to this article will go live at 5:00 p.m. on April 15 http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/0003-4819-158-8-201304160-00001.
Note: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom. To speak with the lead author please contact Jeanne Galatzer-Levy at jgala@uic.edu or 312-996-1583.
###
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Embargoed news from Annals of Internal MedicinePublic release date: 15-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Angela Collom acollom@acponline.org 215-351-2653 American College of Physicians
Annals of Internal Medicine tip sheet for 16 Apr. issue
1. Task Force Reviews Evidence for New Recommendations on Medications to Reduce Risk for Primary Breast Cancer
High-risk women may derive the most benefit, least harms from preventive drug therapy
Women at high risk for breast cancer may benefit most from preventive drug therapy. In 2002, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended against routine use of tamoxifen and raloxifene for prevention of primary breast cancer for women at average risk. The Task Force recommended that clinicians discuss the potential benefits and harms of those drugs for women at high risk before prescribing them. To update its previous recommendations, the Task Force reviewed evidence published through December 2012. In placebo-controlled trials, both tamoxifen and raloxifene reduced the incidence of invasive breast cancer over the five-year treatment period, and both medications reduced fractures. In head-to-head trials, tamoxifen had greater effect at reducing invasive breast cancer than raloxifene, but also was associated with more thromboembolic events, endometrial cancer, and related gynecologic outcomes and cataracts compared with placebo and raloxifene. The evidence showed that women at highest risk for breast cancer derived the most benefit from drug treatment. Women who received tamoxifen, raloxifene, or exemestane had a 10-year breast cancer risk of 7.5 percent compared with a 21.3 percent risk for women on no treatment. The evidence will inform an upcoming recommendation statement from the USPSTF. A link to this article will go live at 5:00 p.m. on April 15 http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/0003-4819-158-8-201304160-00005.
Note: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom. To speak with the author please contact Elisa Williams at willieli@ohsu.edu or 503-494-4530.
2. CT Scans Obtained for Other Reasons Can be Used for Osteoporosis Screening
Abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans obtained for other clinical indications can be used to screen patients for osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a common disease of the bones that increases risk for fracture, especially among older women. Central dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) of the hips and lumbar spine is widely recognized as the reference standard for diagnosing osteoporosis, yet the procedure is underutilized. Nearly half of all female Medicare beneficiaries have never had a bone mineral density (BMD) test. Recognizing a need for safe and cost-effective alternatives to DXA screening, researchers sought to determine if CT scans performed for other clinical indications could be used to assess BMD. Researchers compared CT scans to DXA scans performed within 6 months of the CT for 1,867 patients over a 10-year period. They found that nearly half of patients with an osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture identified by the CT scan had been classified as having normal bone density by the DXA scan. The researchers conclude that CT scans can be used opportunistically to screen for osteoporosis without additional radiation exposure or cost. The authors of an accompanying editorial caution against adding more information to CT reports already replete with incidental findings, as only about half of incidental findings are ever acted on or confirmed. The authors suggest that CT reports linked to evidence summaries and actionable reminders that could be transmitted to primary care physicians may be a more effective way to increase the likelihood of follow up and treatment. A link to this article will go live at 5:00 p.m. on April 15 http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/0003-4819-158-8-201304160-00003.
Note: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom. To speak with the lead author please contact Toni Morrissey at tmorrissey@uwhealth.org or 608-263-3223.
3. Computer-aided Detection Finds Invasive Breast Cancer Earlier, Increases Diagnostic Tests in Women Without Cancer
Using computer-aided detection (CAD) to assess mammograms increases diagnosis of early stage cancers, but also increases diagnostic testing for women without breast cancer. Researchers suggest these findings are likely fuel breast cancer screening debates. With CAD, radiologists use computer algorithms to mark and reassess potentially suspicious lesions that may have been missed on initial mammogram review. Despite limited evidence of its clinical effectiveness, the use of CAD in screening mammography has been broadly adopted. Researchers reviewed health records for 163,099 women aged 67 to 89 years receiving 409,459 mammograms to determine the associations between CAD use during screening mammography and the incidence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive breast cancer, invasive cancer stage, and diagnostic testing. The researchers found that use of CAD was associated with greater DCIS incidence, but found no difference in invasive breast cancer incidence. Among women with invasive cancer, use of CAD was associated with greater likelihood of detecting it in earlier stages (stages I and II vs II and IV). Use of CAD also increased diagnostic mammography, breast ultrasonography, and breast biopsy in women without cancer. A link to this article will go live at 5:00 p.m. on April 15 http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/0003-4819-158-8-201304160-00002.
Note: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom. To speak with the lead author please contact Karen Finney at karen.finney@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu or 916-734-9064.
4. Health Outcomes Improve When Doctors Adapt Care Plans to Accommodate Individual Patient Needs
Patient-centered decision making (PCDM) leads to better health outcomes. PCDM occurs when the physician considers individual patient needs and circumstances when prescribing a care plan. For example, if a patient is unable to adhere to a thrice-daily medication regimen because of work responsibilities, modification of the plan to accommodate these circumstances would be considered PCDM. Researchers sought to determine if PCDM would affect health care outcomes compared with inattention to patient context. Researchers had 774 patients covertly audio-record encounters with their physicians. Those recordings were screened for "contextual red flags" that could affect health outcomes (e.g. missed appointments or lack of control over manageable chronic conditions).The researchers analyzed the tapes to see if the red flag surfaced during the visit and if the care plan was "contextualized" to accommodate the patient's needs. The recordings were analyzed against medical records to determine the relationship between PCDM and patient outcomes. The researchers found that health outcomes improved in 71 percent of patients whose physicians paid attention to their individual needs and circumstances compared to improvements in just 46 percent of patients whose physicians did not contextualize care plans. The author of an accompanying editorial writes that interventions to increase physician attention to patient context should focus on helping physicians link to needed services and support systems that can help them solve their patients' problems. A link to this article will go live at 5:00 p.m. on April 15 http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/0003-4819-158-8-201304160-00001.
Note: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom. To speak with the lead author please contact Jeanne Galatzer-Levy at jgala@uic.edu or 312-996-1583.
###
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Apr. 14, 2013 ? Engineers at the University of California, San Diego have invented a "nanosponge" capable of safely removing a broad class of dangerous toxins from the bloodstream -- including toxins produced by MRSA, E. coli, poisonous snakes and bees. These nanosponges, which thus far have been studied in mice, can neutralize "pore-forming toxins," which destroy cells by poking holes in their cell membranes. Unlike other anti-toxin platforms that need to be custom synthesized for individual toxin type, the nanosponges can absorb different pore-forming toxins regardless of their molecular structures. In a study against alpha-haemolysin toxin from MRSA, pre-innoculation with nanosponges enabled 89 percent of mice to survive lethal doses.
Administering nanosponges after the lethal dose led to 44 percent survival.
The team, led by nanoengineers at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, published the findings in Nature Nanotechnology April 14.
"This is a new way to remove toxins from the bloodstream," said Liangfang Zhang, a nanoengineering professor at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering and the senior author on the study. "Instead of creating specific treatments for individual toxins, we are developing a platform that can neutralize toxins caused by a wide range of pathogens, including MRSA and other antibiotic resistant bacteria," said Zhang. The work could also lead to non-species-specific therapies for venomous snake bites and bee stings, which would make it more likely that health care providers or at-risk individuals will have life-saving treatments available when they need them most.
The researchers are aiming to translate this work into approved therapies. "One of the first applications we are aiming for would be an anti-virulence treatment for MRSA. That's why we studied one of the most virulent toxins from MRSA in our experiments," said "Jack" Che-Ming Hu, the first author on the paper. Hu, now a post-doctoral researcher in Zhang's lab, earned his Ph.D. in bioengineering from UC San Diego in 2011.
Aspects of this work will be presented April 18 at Research Expo, the annual graduate student research and networking event of the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering.
Nanosponges as Decoys
In order to evade the immune system and remain in circulation in the bloodstream, the nanosponges are wrapped in red blood cell membranes. This red blood cell cloaking technology was developed in Liangfang Zhang's lab at UC San Diego. The researchers previously demonstrated that nanoparticles disguised as red blood cells could be used to deliver cancer-fighting drugs directly to a tumor. Zhang also has a faculty appointment at the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center.
Red blood cells are one of the primary targets of pore-forming toxins. When a group of toxins all puncture the same cell, forming a pore, uncontrolled ions rush in and the cell dies.
The nanosponges look like red blood cells, and therefore serve as red blood cell decoys that collect the toxins. The nanosponges absorb damaging toxins and divert them away from their cellular targets. The nanosponges had a half-life of 40 hours in the researchers' experiments in mice. Eventually the liver safely metabolized both the nanosponges and the sequestered toxins, with the liver incurring no discernible damage.
Each nanosponge has a diameter of approximately 85 nanometers and is made of a biocompatible polymer core wrapped in segments of red blood cells membranes.
Zhang's team separates the red blood cells from a small sample of blood using a centrifuge and then puts the cells into a solution that causes them to swell and burst, releasing hemoglobin and leaving RBC skins behind. The skins are then mixed with the ball-shaped nanoparticles until they are coated with a red blood cell membrane.
Just one red blood cell membrane can make thousands of nanosponges, which are 3,000 times smaller than a red blood cell. With a single dose, this army of nanosponges floods the blood stream, outnumbering red blood cells and intercepting toxins.
Based on test-tube experiments, the number of toxins each nanosponge could absorb depended on the toxin. For example, approximately 85 alpha-haemolysin toxin produced by MRSA, 30 stretpolysin-O toxins and 850 melittin monomoers, which are part of bee venom.
In mice, administering nanosponges and alpha-haemolysin toxin simultaneously at a toxin-to-nanosponge ratio of 70:1 neutralized the toxins and caused no discernible damage.
One next step, the researchers say, is to pursue clinical trials.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California - San Diego, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Che-Ming J. Hu, Ronnie H. Fang, Jonathan Copp, Brian T. Luk, Liangfang Zhang. A biomimetic nanosponge that absorbs pore-forming toxins. Nature Nanotechnology, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2013.54
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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Tunisia freed on Friday a Salafist sheikh?arrested on arrival after being expelled by Egypt for falsifying travel papers?for jihadists, saying he was not guilty, the justice ministry said.
Tunisian Imed ben Salah, also known as Abou Abdallah Ettounsi, was arrested?on March 21 and ordered out of Egypt, according to press reports, for?organising the falsification of documents to help jihadists travel to combat?zones.
??The prosecutor freed Imed ben Salah, in the absence of a crime being?committed,? ministry spokesman Adel Riahi told AFP, adding that he was freed?late on Thursday.
When Ben Salah arrived at Tunis airport earlier on Thursday, he was?arrested amid a tight security presence after radical Islamist websites called?for a big turnout to welcome him.
Police manned checkpoints around the airport to keep Salafists away from?the building, an AFP photographer reported, and armed police with dogs?patrolled the arrivals hall.
Since its January 2011 revolution, Tunisia has witnessed a proliferation of?jihadist groups, which have been blamed for a wave of deadly attacks, notably?on the US embassy in Tunis last September that left four of the assailants dead.
Tunisia?s government has warned of jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda?s?north African franchise infiltrating the country?s borders and trafficking?weapons, notably to northern Mali.
The judiciary opened an investigation in mid-March into a network?recruiting and sending Tunisians to fight Syrian President Bashar al-Assad?s?forces alongside Islamist insurgents.
?Tunisia?s secular opposition accuses the government, led by Prime Minister?Ali Larayedh of the Islamist Ennahda party, of having a lax attitude towards?radical Islamism.
A prisoner reads a newspaper in a communal cell block at Camp VI at Guantanamo Bay prison. The UN on Friday called on the US to close the prison, accusing the country of violating international law.
By Stephanie Nebehay, Reuters
GENEVA -- The UN human rights chief called on the United States on Friday to close down the Guantanamo Bay prison camp, saying the indefinite imprisonment of many detainees without charge or trial violated international law.
Navi Pillay said the hunger strike being staged by some inmates at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base in southeastern Cuba was a "desperate act" but "scarcely surprising."
"We must be clear about this: The United States is in clear breach not just of its own commitments but also of international laws and standards that it is obliged to uphold," the UN high commissioner for human rights said in a statement.
About half of the 166 detainees there have been cleared for transfer either to home countries or third countries for resettlement, Pillay said. "As a first step, those who have been cleared for release must be released," she said.
"Others reportedly have been designated for further indefinite detention. Some of them have been festering in this detention center for more than a decade," she said.
Of the 166 detainees, only nine have been charged with or convicted of crimes.
Forty inmates are currently staging a hunger strike to protest against their indefinite detention, according to a U.S. military spokesman at Guantanamo. Some have lost so much weight that they are being force-fed liquid nutrients.
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Public release date: 15-Apr-2013
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