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- UNESCO takes heat for Nguema prize
UNESCO has launched a prize for achievement in life sciences paid for and named after Equatorial Guinea President Obiang Nguema -- whose administration has been marked by accusations of corruption, fraudulent elections and even cannibalism. Human Rights Watch and human-rights officials from the UN have criticized Equatorial Guinea for inhumane prison conditions, particularly at the state's notorious Black Beach prison. Nguema proffered $3 million for the award's endowment. The Economist (subscription required) (5/6)       - UN human-rights experts challenge Arizona immigration law
Six UN human-rights experts released a statement challenging that a widely criticized immigration law passed in Arizona, saying that the sweeping law may violate binding international standards on human rights. The experts -- a group comprising experts from Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan and the U.S. -- say that international law requires that detention be used only as an "exceptional measure, justified, narrowly tailored and proportional in each individual case." Google/The Associated Press (5/11) - Mobile phones connect Somalians to services
Mobile phones in Somalia enable residents to bank by phone, securely transferring cash and avoiding robberies. Though business is still fraught with hazards and setbacks in this troubled, divided country, telecom companies "became the economic enablers in Somalia," World Bank expert Svet Tintchev says. The Wall Street Journal (5/11) - Reframing the climate-change response
 Mike Hulme, professor of climate change at the University of East Anglia, was among the 14 authors of The Hartwell Paper, which offers a way of reframing the approach to climate change to make action more politically palatable to global constituencies. The group advocates adequate access to energy for the world's population, improving air quality by focusing carbon emissions not caused by burning fossil fuels and the development of technologies to help societies protect themselves from climate damage. BBC (5/11)  | - China's NGOs face intense pressure
China's nonprofit sector has reported increased -- but subtle -- harassment from the Chinese government, coming in the form of legal challenges, tax investigation and restrictions on receiving aid from abroad. Though Chinese officials have previously viewed NGOs as necessary in helping with efforts such as aid after the earthquake in Qinghai, China's civil sector is now subject to a crackdown that lawyers and activists describe as more serious than ever. Complaining of incredible pressure, China's best-known AIDS activist, Wan Yanhai, recently fled the country for the U.S. -- following in the footsteps of doctor Gao Yaojie, who left China for the U.S. last year. The Washington Post (5/11) , The Christian Science Monitor (5/10) - 100 are dead in attacks across Iraq
Monday was the deadliest day in Iraq so far this year: 100 or more people died in a bomb, gunfire at a security checkpoint and a suicide attack involving explosives. The attacks have been linked to al-Qaida, which authorities say is looking to shake a government still scrambling to assemble a leadership coalition two months after elections. Google/The Associated Press (5/10) - Brown offers to resign to save Labour's chances
In a concession offered to pave the way for a coalition between his own Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown offered to step down. Brown acknowledged that his own unpopularity, which has been exacerbated by his support for U.S.-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, had exacerbated the political deadlock after the recent U.K. elections. Liberal Democrats under Nicholas Clegg have been in talks with the Conservative Party about forming a coalition that would bring an end to 13 years of Labour Party rule. The Washington Post (5/11) - U.S. struggles to navigate Afghan tribal politics
A U.S. effort to empower the Shinwari tribe in eastern Afghanistan angered controversial power broker Gov. Gul Agha Shirzai, souring relations with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and complicating the U.S. campaign to eradicate poppy production and stamp out the Taliban. The incident, which caused the U.S. State Department to backtrack on a deal that would have given authority over various development projects to the Pashtun elders, illustrates the difficult ahead for the U.S. campaign in Kandahar -- where Western officials hope to curb the influence of local power brokers. The Washington Post (5/10) - Karzai visits U.S. seeking to mend relations
Afghan leader Hamid Karzai is in Washington, where he will seek details on the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan and attempt to lay the groundwork for the two countries' future relationship. The U.S. will be seeking commitments from Karzai to improve accountability and fight corruption. The Washington Post (5/11)
- Reader poll: Which is the biggest opportunity for mobile technology to support the work of the United Nations?
 | Coordination and delivery of humanitarian aid | | Mobile banking and microfinance | | Data collection and public health education |
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