| |  | |  Militant attacks kill 64 World Cup watchers in Uganda U.S. and Ugandan authorities are investigating the cause of synchronized attacks in Kampala, Uganda, that killed at least 64 civilians who had gathered to watch the World Cup finals on large outdoor screens. At least three explosions struck an Ethiopian outdoor restaurant and a rugby field -- attacks that could not be attributed to suicide bombers, according to police officials. Ugandan officials suspect that the nearby Somali militant group al-Shabaab was behind the attacks. One U.S. citizen, an aid worker, was identified as a victim. The New York Times (free registration) (7/12)
|  |  | We have proven we can organize, we have proven we can receive, welcome and make people feel at home. And I think people have also discovered there's another side of Africa." Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the 2010 World Cup. Read the full story. |
|  | "Kampala, Uganda became the target of twin bombings as crowds gathered to watch the World Cup. The death toll seems to be upwards of 50 people, and the government seems to blaming the Somali insurgent group, al-Shabaab." UN Dispatch | |
- UN force faces increased tensions in Lebanon
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon is under increased strain to maintain the terms of its peacekeeping presence in Lebanon amid mounting tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. The 12,000-troop force is tasked with maintaining peace and was significantly enhanced after a cross-border conflict in 2006 that claimed 1,200 Lebanese lives and 160 Israelis. Though UNIFIL has provided education and health services to the people of southern Lebanon, residents recently attacked members of the force in protest of a maximum deployment exercise. Google/Agence France-Presse (7/11)      - North Korea requests UN Command meeting
North Korean officials will meet with representatives of the U.S.-led United Nations Command to discuss the March sinking of a South Korean warship. Pyongyang's request for the meeting is the first conciliatory gesture after months of denying any involvement in the incident and comes after the United Nations Security Council condemned the sinking. The Washington Post (7/12)   | - In Haiti, reconstruction grinds
Six months after a massive earthquake devastated Haiti relief and reconstruction efforts have stalled as overwhelmed Haitian authorities struggle to assert control and donors fail to deliver promised funding. More than 1.4 million peoples remain without adequate permanent housing. Children's advocates worry available services are inadequate and the reality many families face will lead to an explosion in the numbers of "restaveks" -- children sent to work in slavelike conditions in exchange for food and housing. The New York Times (free registration) (7/10) , The Toronto Star (7/11) , CNN (7/11) - Annan hails World Cup as progress for Africa
Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan says the biggest 2010 World Cup winner is Africa, and that an African team will win the cup within a decade. South Africa's organization and welcoming atmosphere will help to break down stereotypes of the continent, Annan said, and Africans should work to hold on to the sense of unity that accompanied Ghana's performance and apply it to economic and social development issues. BBC (7/12) Top five news stories selected by UN Wire readers in the past week. - Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.
- BP reports progress on new cap effort
BP says progress is being made in installing a tighter cap over a leaking well in the Gulf of Mexico to capture oil and funnel it into containment ships. BP, which has made several attempts to control the leak since an explosion disabled the well April 20, says the cost of response efforts so far is $3.5 billion. Google/The Associated Press (7/12) - De Boer: International climate talks are entering new phase
The world's governments know what needs to be done by 2020 in the battle against climate change, and must produce the "architecture" for a final international climate agreement at the upcoming Mexico summit, Yvo de Boer, former head of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, says in this interview. Passage of climate legislation by the U.S., says de Boer, is critical to advancing the process. The Washington Post (7/11) - Australia adopts controversial desalination strategy
In response to the nation's worst drought in history, Australian cities have turned to desalination plants in order to yield drinking water -- a $13.2 billion project that critics have described as wasteful. Environmental activists say that conservation measures, including a mandate for energy-efficient washing machines, would yield greater water reserves. Some critics say that the expensive measure could hamper Australia's ambition to increase its population by 14 million people by 2050. The New York Times (free registration) (7/10) - Indonesia's mud volcano serves as warning to drilling supporters
A volcano in Indonesia that spews some 100,000 tons of mud each day has submerged factories, covered roads and killed 14 people since its eruption four years ago -- and serves as a cautionary tale for the kind of damage that a prolonged catastrophe, like the Gulf oil spill, can create. U.S. and U.K. geologists say that the Lusi mud volcano is the result of a 2006 drilling accident at a nearby gas site, though Indonesian authorities insist that the phenomenon is the result of an earthquake that happened some 175 miles from the site of the volcano. Los Angeles Times (7/10) - Activist's Srebrenica memorial points finger at UN
Activist Phillip Ruch is erecting a monument to the victims of the Srebrenica massacre that accuses the UN of complicit negligence leading to the tragedy. His memorial -- a mound of 16,000 worn shoes that spells out "UN" in massive letters -- will be assembled in advance of the 15th anniversary of the massacre. Ruch and other critics blame the UN for failing to provide peacekeeping troops with weaponry to protect some 8,000 Bosnian Muslims gathered in Srebrenica, which had been named by the UN as a safe enclave. Google/The Associated Press (7/11) - Israel to release early Gaza flotilla inquiry results
Israeli authorities are preparing to release results of an investigation into a deadly military raid May 31 on an aid flotilla attempting to break Israel's Gaza blockade. The report is expected to criticize communication and coordination between the military and intelligence agencies, and insufficient preparation for the operation. A broader Israeli investigation into the incident is still under way. The Guardian (London) (7/12) - President Abbas calls direct talks with Israel "futile"
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas says that peace talks with Israel could not go forward until Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to an internationally mandated freeze to settlement expansions in Palestinian territory. Abbas further said he would not resume talks unless they picked up where they last left off in December 2008. U.S. envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell said that he will meet with Abbas in order to negotiate an Israeli proposal to resume direct talks. The Washington Post (7/12) - Karzai seeks to remove 50 former Taliban from UN blacklist
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has renewed efforts in recent weeks to remove former Taliban officials from a UN terror blacklist, a move aimed at easing the political reconciliation process at the heart of the U.S. and Afghan strategy to end the war. U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke met with UN officials to press them to move forward on delisting some 50 names from the UN's list of 137 figures with ties to the Taliban. UN officials have demanded more evidence that the former Taliban figures have disassociated themselves with violence and embraced Afghanistan's constitution. The Washington Post (7/12) - Politicians look for an end to Kashmir violence
Political parties in Kashmir will meet to explore ways to bring an end to weeks of clashes that have left at least 14 people dead. Newspapers have resumed production after days of protests over restrictions on the media, but shops and other businesses are closed in Srinagar in response to a separatist call for general strikes. BBC (7/12)  | |  | | | | | | | | 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 | | 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 | | | |  | |  | |
- 6 months after the earthquake, what is the biggest challenge facing Haiti?
 | Food and nutrition | | Water, sanitation and hygiene | | Emergency shelter and housing | | Security and protection | | Education |
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