The U.N. Human Rights Council, frequently accused of coddling some of the world’s most repressive governments, threw itself a party in Geneva Tuesday that featured the unveiling of a $23 million mural paid for in part with foreign aid funds.

Nov. 18: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, far right, attends the unveiling of a $23 million mural at the European headquarters of the U.N. in Geneva, Switzerland.

In a ceremony attended by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Spanish artist Miquel Barcelo told the press that his 16,000-square-foot ceiling artwork reminded him of “an image of the world dripping toward the sky” — but it reminded critics of money slipping out of relief coffers.

“In Spain there’s a controversy because they took money out of the foreign aid budget — took money from starving children in Africa — and spent it on colorful stalactites,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of U.N. Watch.

Click here to see photos of the $23 million ceiling art.

Spanish taxpayers paid for most of the sprawling sculpture, which has been compared to the Sistine Chapel, but around $633,000 came from Spain’s budget for overseas development aid.

Spain’s conservative opposition party blasted the government for diverting money from projects to alleviate poverty in poorer countries, though the government insisted the funding for Barcelo’s work was kept separate.

Ban himself praised the piece and thanked Barcelo for putting his “unique talents to work in the service of the world.” The artwork will soar above the Human Rights Council’s chambers at U.N.’s European headquarters in Geneva, which may soon undergo a $1 billion renovation — but only after a $1.9 billion facelift of the U.N.’s New York offices is completed.

Meanwhile, international humanitarian groups pleaded with the human rights panel to take time out from their party to address the worsening human rights “catastrophe” in the Congo, where the government is fighting a deadly battle with several rebel groups.

“Mass displacement, killings and sexual violence — involving hundreds of thousands of victims, if not more — require an urgent response,” according to a statement issued jointly Tuesday by Freedom House and U.N. Watch.

Congo has been off the radar at the Human Rights Council, which removed its monitor from the African country in March when the Congolese government and a group of neighboring nations applied pressure on the council to expel the monitor.

“When the Human Rights Council was established two years ago there were about 12 or so monitors, and gradually one after another has been scrapped,” said Neuer. “The other ones are all on the chopping block.”

Violence is worsening in the country, where an estimated 4 million people have been killed in the past 10 years and tens of thousands have been displaced in recent months.

“The [Lord's Resistance Army] leader, Joseph Kony, is continuing his brutal and abusive tactics,” said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The U.S. and U.K., along with the U.N. and governments in the region, should actively work together to apprehend LRA leaders wanted by the [International Criminal Court].”

Secretary-General Ban has supported a U.N. resolution that would increase the U.N. peacekeeping force in Congo by 3,100 troops and police, but some critics say that move would not be enough.

Human rights groups — and U.N. officials themselves — have criticized the peacekeeping force for failing to protect civilians in places like Kiwanja, where at least 20 people were killed this week.

The 17,000-man U.N. deployment is already the U.N.’s largest peacekeeping commitment, but is restricted by tough rules of engagement and has a massive territory to cover. Congo is the size of Western Europe, and North Kivu, where the fighting is centered, is one-and-a-half times the size of France.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Read more on this story at http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,454191,00.html

A source close to Barack Obama’s transition team is feeling out Senate Republicans to see if former Clinton Assistant Attorney General Eric Holder would pass confirmation after his role in the 2001 Marc Rich pardon.

WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama’s aides have privately asked senators whether Washington attorney Eric Holder would be confirmed as the next attorney general, according to a person involved in the talks.

The talks suggest that Obama is deeply interested in Holder, who served as the No. 2 official in the Justice Department under President Clinton.

In the past week, Obama aides have asked Senate Republicans whether they would support Holder. In particular, the aides questioned whether Holder’s confirmation would be delayed because of his involvement in the 2001 pardon of fugitive Marc Rich by President Bill Clinton.

Newsweek, quoting unidentified legal sources close to the presidential transition team, reported Tuesday that Obama offered Holder the job and he accepted. Newsweek said Holder still has to undergo a formal “vetting” review by the Obama transition team before the selection is final.

One person involved in the talks told The Associated Press that the Obama team has received some assurances that, while the Rich pardon would certainly come up during hearings, the nomination likely wouldn’t be held up over that. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private conversations.

On the last day of Clinton’s term, Holder was asked whether the president should pardon Rich, a wealthy commodities dealer who had been spent years running from tax charges. Holder said he was “neutral, leaning towards favorable” on the pardon. Clinton later cited that as among the factors that persuaded him to issue the pardon.

Holder has publicly apologized for what he said was a snap decision that he should have paid more attention to. Had he taken more time to review the case, he would have advised against a pardon, he said.

A former U.S. attorney, Holder is among Washington’s most prominent defense attorneys. He would be the first black attorney general in U.S. history.

Change to the WhiteHouse and Washington?  Not this term….

Erik Berte
FOXBusiness

Hungry? Just pick up your remote.

Domino’s Pizza (DPZ) and TiVo (TIVO) have teamed up to let subscribers order pies right from their televisions.

Launched Monday, this new free service for TiVo subscribers with a broadband Internet connection lets users order pizza and even track delivery timing all from their remote.

“This is the first step in the future of customer interactions with the brands they seek to engage with and buy from. This is the first time in history that the ‘on-demand’ generation will be able to fully experience couch commerce by ordering pizza directly through their television set. You’ll see a television ad for Domino’s and you’ll click ‘I want it’ through your remote. In about 30 minutes, your pizza will show up at your door,” said VP of precision and print marketing at Domino’s Rob Weisberg.

Think it might be hard to type in your address on that tiny remote? Subscribers also have the option to go to Dominos.com and register for an account for a login they can just enter instead.

And for those feeling too much like a couch potato, there’s also an option for in-store pickup.

TiVo has other interactive features as well, including the ability to shop Amazon.com (AMZN), said Bressner, or look up movie listings and order the tickets on Fandango.

This is not the first landline-ordering alternative for Domino’s Pizza, which also allows customers to order pies over the web or from their cell phones.

Pizza Hut, one of Domino’s competitors, also allows online and mobile ordering of pizza, but takes it a step further with text-message ordering. Pizza Hut is owned by Yum Brands (YUM).

TiVo is a digital video recording service that lets subscribers tape their favorite shows and pause live TV.

Domino’s Pizza is a pizza store chain with over 8,700 franchised and company-owned locations.

Read more at http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/retail/dominos-tivo-partner-pioneer-couch-commerce/