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- UN catches World Cup fever
Diplomats and support staff from around the world have been crowding into viewing rooms at the UN headquarters to cheer on teams in the 2010 World Cup. "It adds a very nice flavor to it because you have the world here, and it's the World Cup," Norwegian Holmen Bengt said. The Netherlands will face off against Spain in the final on Sunday. CNN (7/7)       - Sri Lanka minister begins hunger strike over UN inquiry
Sri Lanka's housing and construction minister, Wimal Weerawansa, began a hunger strike "unto death" today in protest over UN plans to launch an official inquiry into human rights abuses during the government's decisive 2009 battle against Tamil Tiger rebels. Sri Lankans associated with Weerawansa's party have threatened mass hunger strikes and nationwide strikes if Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon fails to dismantle the investigation panel. CNN (7/8) , Google/The Associated Press (7/7)   | - Lead-poisoning epidemic explodes in Nigeria
In an incident that the World Health Organization describes as an "unprecedented environmental emergency," some 2,000 Nigerians have been exposed to lead poisoning as a result of gold-extraction activities. More than 100 children in the state of Zamfara suffer from lead concentrations 12 times higher than the level considered dangerous enough to cause brain damage. Medecins Sans Frontieres established two units to coordinate chelation therapy to treat children suffering from toxin exposure. Bloomberg Businessweek (7/8) - Plane travels through the night on solar power
A solar-powered airplane -- the Solar Impulse -- successfully completed a flight of more than 24 hours Thursday using energy-absorbing batteries to keep the craft fueled through the night. Swiss developers hope to fly one of their experimental aircraft around the world and use the findings to cut greenhouse-gas emissions from the transportation sector. The New York Times (free registration) (7/8) - Indian workers are unaware of e-waste hazards
Sifting through discarded electronics for parts that can be sold has emerged as a booming business but presents significant health risks from toxic metals and poisons for the impoverished Indians involved in the trade. Recyclers and dismantlers search through mountains of computers, cell phones and other electronics -- or e-waste -- without protective gear, and most are unaware of any health concerns related to the work. Google/Agence France-Presse (7/6) - Tech companies shape upcoming mHealth summit
A number of wireless-technology firms have joined the 2010 mHealth Summit as sponsors, including Microsoft Research, Pfizer and Qualcomm. The summit -- a joint production by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, the National Institutes of Health and the mHealth Alliance -- aims to facilitate discussion among academia and the public and private sectors on mobile technology and its intersection with health care and policy in the U.S. and abroad. The UN Foundation and Vodafone are among the summit's supporting organizations. TMCNet.com (7/7)  | - Cuba may release 52 political prisoners
Cuban authorities have agreed to release 52 political prisoners, including political campaigners, journalists and community organizers, and allow them to leave the country, Havana Cardinal Jaime Ortega said Wednesday after a meeting with President Raul Castro. Cuba's Roman Catholic Church has emerged in recent months as a political broker between Cuba's politicians and advocates seeking the release of dozens of political prisoners. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)/The Associated Press (7/7) - Indians, security forces clash in Kashmir protests
Tensions are running high in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir, where the deaths of two young boys at the hands of security forces have led to protests -- as well as clashes that have led to 13 more deaths. India deployed its army to the city of Srinagar to quash protests and enforce a curfew. Locals, frustrated by the lack of explanations from or oversight for security forces, say a disproportionate use of force is to blame for the drowning death of one young man and the shooting of another. Los Angeles Times (7/7) , The New York Times (free registration) (7/7) - IMF revises prognosis for world economy
The world economy is on track to post 4.6% growth this year, but significant risks remain and the pace is likely to slow in 2011 as governments roll back stimulus measures, the International Monetary Fund says. Debt worries continue to plague Europe, raising the specter of additional tumbles for the euro and stock markets. The New York Times (free registration) (7/8) - Norwegian arrests expose global terror network
Norwegian and U.S. officials have arrested three suspected al-Qaida members who officials say have links to an attempted bombing attack on the New York City subway and a failed attack in the U.K. Police arrested two people in Norway and another in Germany. The cell's members -- a Uighur, an Iraqi and an Uzbek -- were all Norwegian residents who had been under surveillance for a year. Authorities said they discovered connections between the recent arrests and Abid Naseer and Tariq ur-Rehman, two terrorism suspects previously arrested in the U.K. The Wall Street Journal (7/8) , BBC (7/8) - Police seize secret submarine designed for smuggling cocaine
Police in Ecuador seized a secret, 100-foot submarine near the border with Colombia -- a vessel under construction that would be used to smuggle cocaine and traffickers. U.S. authorities hailed the bust of the vessel, which featured an unprecedented ballast system for a submersible vehicle used by drug smugglers that would have allowed the submarine to travel to depths of up to 65 feet. Other submersible vehicles used by traffickers have had the capacity only to travel just below the water. Los Angeles Times (7/6)  | |  | | | | | | | | COUNTRY AND REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES, FAMINE EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS | ARD, Inc. | Multiple Locations Worldwide, Guatemala | | Executive Assistant, Energy Climate | United Nations Foundation (UNF) / Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | 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 | | | |  | |  | |
- 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 | | No |
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