| |
- Ban recalls top UN official, closes Sri Lanka office
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon closed the UN Development Program's regional office in Sri Lanka, an escalation in the ongoing standoff between Ban and local officials who want to put a stop to UN investigations into human rights abuses in Sri Lanka. Ban also recalled Neil Buhne, resident coordinator for Sri Lanka, and encouraged Sri Lanka to both live up to its obligations to the international community and engage in peaceful protest. Google/The Associated Press (7/8)       - Edward Norton is named UN goodwill ambassador for biodiversity
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon named American Hollywood heavyweight Edward Norton as a UN goodwill ambassador for biodiversity Thursday. The Oscar-nominated star of "American History X" and also of "The Incredible Hulk" and "Fight Club" said he will look to find solutions to human needs that can aid conservation efforts and protect global biodiversity. CNN (7/9) , Google/Agence France-Presse (7/8)   | - UN looks for more action on maternal health
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling for increased efforts on maternal mortality rates and access to medical care for women around the world. A recent UN report shows hundreds of thousands of women continue to die every year from pregnancy or childbirth, and efforts to expand family-planning options have been hampered by poverty and lack of education. "If world leaders put women and children at the top of the global agenda, we can make real progress toward meeting the Millennium Development Goals," said Kathy Calvin, chief executive officer of the UN Foundation. Inter Press Service (7/8) - Haitians flee country in quake aftermath
Haitians are leaving the country in droves following the Jan. 12 earthquake in hopes of finding stability and economic prosperity in other countries. There are no firm numbers for the amount of people leaving, but those left behind worry that the country will be left without its hardest-working citizens and those most able to help rebuild Haiti. The New York Times (free registration) (7/8) - China renews Google's license
China has extended Google's license to run its website there, according to a blog post by the company's chief legal officer, David Drummond. Google had been at odds with China for the past few months over its decision to end its censorship of search results in the country. Under the renewal, Google will still field some operations in China, while referring users to its Hong Kong-based Chinese-language search engine, which is not censored. The New York Times (free registration) (7/9) - A "reset" for spy-trade protocols
The U.S. and Russia exchanged prisoners in the first public spy swap in more than 25 years. Russia released Igor Sutyagin, a high-profile figure whom some organizations, including Amnesty International, do not consider to be a spy but instead a political prisoner, while the U.S. repatriated 10 Russian nationals accused of acting as sleeper spies. The spies will be flying home to their countries of origin -- in contrast to the more furtive exchanges that took place during the Cold War. The Economist/Eastern Approaches blog (7/8) , The New York Times (free registration) (7/9) - UN Security Council censure draft omits blame for North Korea over torpedo
Bowing to pressure from China and Russia, the UN Security Council is considering a draft censure statement that condemns the attack that sank a South Korean warship in March -- but does not condemn North Korea for perpetrating the attack. The censure draft cites a five-nation investigation led by South Korea finding North Korea responsible for the torpedo attack but does not endorse its conclusions. The UN Security Council will vote on the censure motion this afternoon and pass it if it garners unanimous support. The New York Times (free registration) (7/6) , BBC (7/9) - Yemen looms as next al-Qaida haven
As U.S.-directed missile strikes pound suspected al-Qaida sites in Yemen, the nation's people are asking themselves whether the family connections and action against Yemen's despised government are worth the price of the violence that flows from allowing al-Qaida sanction inside Yemeni territory. Hundreds of people die in tribal feuds each year, and the national government is less significant to most people's lives than the often-brutal local sheiks. The New York Times (free registration) (7/6) - U.S. shifts naval deployments toward China-centric stance
The U.S. military has strategically redeployed warships carrying Tomahawk missiles in stations around China, including the Philippines' Subic Bay; Pusan, South Korea; and an island in the Indian Ocean. While reduced tensions stemming from the Cold War have led the U.S. to draw back on its nuclear arsenal and deployment, the Pentagon considers the Pacific theater to be the military focus of the 21st century -- a shift that has seen the military replaced nuclear-armed Trident missiles with long-range Tomahawk missiles on some vessels. TIME (7/8) - Iran-Iraq oil smuggling raises concerns
Smugglers are transporting hundreds of millions of dollars worth of oil out of Iran through Iraqi Kurdistan, helping Tehran sidestep sanctions and raising tensions within Iraq over domestic oil production and internal borders. The trade reportedly benefits senior Iraqi politicians, prompting U.S. officials to express concern over corruption. The New York Times (free registration) (7/8)  | |  | | | | | | | | Web Producer/Project Manager | United Nations Foundation (UNF)/Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | Director, Corporate Relations | United Nations Foundation (UNF)/Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington , DC | | COUNTRY AND REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES, FAMINE EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS | ARD, Inc. | Multiple Locations Worldwide, Guatemala | | Communications Director, Global Health | United Nations Foundation (UNF) / Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | Deputy Executive Director, Communications and Public Affairs | United Nations Foundation (UNF) / Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | Executive Director | Cultural Survival | Cambridge, MA | | Executive Assistant, Energy Climate | United Nations Foundation (UNF) / Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | | |  | |  | |
- Queen Elizabeth II returned to the United Nations this week after a 53-year absence. Should other heads of state play an active role at the UN?
| Yes |  92.78% | | No |  7.22% | |
 | Key Sites
| | |
This SmartBrief was created for eleccion@yahoogroups.com
| | | About UN WIRE | | UN Wire is a free service sponsored by the United Nations Foundation which is dedicated to supporting the United Nations' efforts to address the most pressing humanitarian, socioeconomic and environmental challenges facing the world today. | | | | | | | | Recent UN Wire Issues: - Thursday, July 08, 2010
- Wednesday, July 07, 2010
- Tuesday, July 06, 2010
- Friday, July 02, 2010
- Thursday, July 01, 2010
| | | Lead Editor: Adam Mazmanian
Contributing Editor: Juliette Terzieff | Kriston Dean Capps
Mailing Address:
SmartBrief, Inc.®, 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005 | | | | | | © 1999-2010 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment