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- UN calls for talks in Thailand
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay cautioned military and protesters alike in Thailand to show restraint and negotiate an end to their standoff. Five days of violence have claimed at least 28 lives and caused hundreds of injuries in the capital. Thai authorities are continuing to fire on protesters who occupy certain areas of Bangkok. Google/Agence France-Presse (5/17) , BBC (5/18)       - Did the smallpox vaccine help fight HIV?
The vaccine used to successfully eradicate smallpox worldwide may provide some protection against HIV/AIDS, researchers report in the journal BMC Immunology. Researchers hypothesize that the vaccine promotes long-term changes to the immune system that increase resistance to both diseases, and the end of its use as the smallpox virus waned may have contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS. BBC (5/17) - WHO: Campaign is under way to contain Tajikistan polio outbreak
Mass vaccinations campaigns are under way in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in an effort to stem the spread of a polio outbreak in Tajikistan that has resulted in more than 100 confirmed cases thus far, the World Health Organization says. Worldwide efforts to eradicate the disease are struggling to overcome budget shortfalls and security issues that prevent access. AlertNet.org/Reuters (5/18) - UNEP delivers stark warning on world's fish stocks
The world is on course to empty Earth's oceans of fish as early as 2050 unless measures are taken to curb fishing fleets and give fish stocks a chance to develop, the United Nations Environmental Programme warns. An absence of fish would unleash economic and social upheaval for the 1 billion people worldwide that rely on the sea for their livelihoods and main protein source, UNEP projects. Google/Agence France-Presse (5/17) - UN calls for increased metal recycling to boost solar
Recycling rates for metals integral to the production of renewable energy tools such as wind turbines and solar panels but rare in nature are not nearly high enough to create a sustainable green economy, the United Nations Environmental Programme says in a new report. Immediate efforts to dramatically increase recycling of lithium, neodymium and gallium will leave the metals unavailable for use, UNEP warns. USA TODAY/Green House blog (5/18) - Figueres: Increase trust to craft an international climate deal
An international deal to battle climate change remains within reach but developed and developing countries need to build more trust around financial and technological aspects, says Christiana Figueres, the United Nations new climate chief. Figueres indicated agreement on a binding international treaty in 2010 is unlikely. AlertNet.org/Reuters (5/17) - Russia's muckrakers brave violence, murder
Individuals and organizations seeking to highlight issues related to corruption, organized crime, poor governance and other social ills in Russia face physical assaults and official harassment. A wave of attacks on journalists, human-rights activists and opposition politicians has gripped Russia over the past decade with little response from the country's security forces or judiciary. The New York Times (free registration) (5/17) - Africa's multistate parliament founders
 The Pan-African Parliament provides a stark example of the challenges Africa continues to face on improving the continent's governance and development capabilities. Six years after the PAP's creation plans to increase its legislative powers and hold direct elections have failed to materialize, and the body has found little tangible support for its governance initiatives. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (5/17) - Insurgents fire on assembled parliament in Mogadishu
Fighting erupted in Mogadishu when insurgents, attacking from their protected perch in the capital's Bakara market, fired mortars at the assembled parliament -- which was meeting for the first time this year. African Union peacekeepers returned fire, and at least 15 people were killed by the fighting. Many legislators in Somalia's beleaguered government live in Kenya, Europe and the U.S. for fears that they will be targeted at home by Somali militants. Though the government signed a power-sharing deal with the moderate rebel group Ahlu Sunna Waljamaca, negotiations over government post have impeded progress toward building a coalition to provide security against the radical al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam factions. AllAfrica Global Media (5/16)
- What is the best way for young entrepreneurs to positively impact international development and global problems?
 | Provide financing for development projects | | Activate clients and customers to take action on global issues | | Mandate corporate social responsibility policies |
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