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- EU requests expanded UN rights
The European Union would like the United Nations to give European Council President Herman Van Rompuy the right to address the General Assembly like other heads of state, and allow the bloc to submit resolutions, suggest amendments and bring up points of order. British officials delivered the official request, which must win approval from the General Assembly. United Press International (7/15)        - MSF sounds alarm over HIV/AIDS funding cuts
A trend by affluent countries to suspend or cut HIV/AIDS-related funding to developing countries in response to the global recession is "short-sighted" and will adversely affect health care costs and death rates for years to come, Médecins Sans Frontières warned in a new report. Donor governments should immediately recommit to prevention and treatment efforts, the group said, as access to treatment results in lower costs and rates of infection in the long term. AlertNet.org/Reuters (7/15) - BP staunches flow of oil, at least temporarily
BP has apparently plugged its oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico after more than 85 days and up to 184 million gallons of spilled oil. The 75-ton cap on the damaged well does not offer a permanent solution, however, and technicians continue to monitor the well to determine pressure levels. Erratic pressure levels could force BP to remove the cap. TIME/Ecocentric blog (7/15) - Brazil innovates offshore cleanup method
Brazilian scientists have developed a way to use glycerin to clean up offshore oil spills, a method they say is more efficient and safer than using chemical dispersants or burning off oil. The glycerin is thrown over spilled oil in the form of a powder, which then transforms into a plasticlike material that absorbs the oil and allows it to be recovered for later use. One ton of glycerin can absorb 23 tons of crude oil. Brazil produces glycerin as a byproduct of its biodiesel industry. AlertNet.org/Reuters (7/15) - UN: Murders in Ecuador rise steadily, as 99% of killings go unsolved
Murders by gang members and paid assassins are on the rise in Ecuador, but only about 1 in 100 killings results in a conviction, warned Philip Alston, the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions. The Ecuadorean government has tried to address the problems with substantial constitutional and human-rights reforms, but the country's judicial system needs an overhaul as well, Alston said. BBC (7/16) - Freed Cuban inmates describe poor prison conditions
Cuban political prisoners released from jail and flown to Spain as the result of a deal between the Catholic Church and the government of Cuba described prison conditions that included the threat of tuberculosis and rodent infestations. All indicated they hope to one day return to their native Cuba. AlertNet.org/Reuters (7/15) - U.S. completes prison transfers to Iraqi control
Iraqi officials now have control of all previously U.S.-run detention facilities, after Thursday's transfer of control for Camp Cropper, now known as Karkh Prison. The shift ends a controversial chapter on U.S. operations in Iraq, but some observers worry Iraqi authorities are insufficiently prepared to run the facilities. Iraqi-run prisons have been plagued in recent years by complaints over detainee abuse and overcrowding. Los Angeles Times (7/15) , Google/The Associated Press (7/15) - 40,000 flee conflict between Congolese army and Ugandan militants
Clashes between Democratic Republic of Congo troops and Ugandan rebels in eastern Congo have forced thousands of civilians to flee and have killed dozens of fighters -- the first fighting in years between the two forces. The Congolese army is battling the Allied Democratic Forces-National Army for the Liberation of Uganda, which aims to establish an Islamic state in Uganda. Oxfam estimates that 40,000 people have fled in the face of the conflict. AlertNet.org/Reuters (7/15) - Colombia says Venezuela tolerates rebel leaders
Colombian government officials have accused Venezuela of sheltering five rebel leaders and tolerating camps by Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and the National Liberation Army. The Venezuelan government has given no official response to accusations that it permits the militant FARC and ELN operations to organize within its borders. While diplomatic relations between Colombia and Venezuela have experienced a freeze under Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, incoming Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has said that he hopes to improve ties with the Venezuelan government. BBC (7/16)  | |  | | | | | | |  |  MSH SEEKS STAFF FOR HEALTH PROJECT IN MALAWI | Management Sciences for Health | Lilongwe, Malawi | | Researcher, U.S. Immigration Policy/Criminal Justice | Human Rights Watch | New York, NY | | COUNTRY AND REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES, FAMINE EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS | ARD, Inc. | Multiple Locations Worldwide, Guatemala | | 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 | | 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 | | Director of Corporate Relations | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | | |  | |  | |
 | - 6 months after the earthquake, what is the biggest challenge facing Haiti?
| Water, sanitation and hygiene |  34.39% | | Emergency shelter and housing |  33.20% | | Food and nutrition |  15.42% | | Security and protection |  11.46% | | Education |  5.53% | |
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