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- DR Congo attack targets UN peacekeepers
Three Indian peacekeepers died and another seven were injured in a Wednesday attack on their base in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Indian and Congolese military officials suspect the attack was carried out by Mai-Mai tribesmen. The Indian soldiers were all members of the United Nations Organization for Stabilization in DR Congo. Google/Agence France-Presse (8/18)       - New York loses appeal on taxes for UN missions
A U.S. federal court ruled Tuesday that foreign delegations to the United Nations do not have to pay property taxes to the city of New York to house their diplomats and staff. New York filed suit against delegations from India and Mongolia seeking $47 million in back taxes on buildings they own and use as residences. Google/Agence France-Presse (8/17) - Jordanian UN peacekeepers freed in Darfur
Two Jordanian officers from the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur were released by gunmen who abducted them -- the third such abduction in the past year. UNAMID forces have begun work on a "security trench" to prevent future kidnappings. The Sudan Liberation Army has denied any involvement in the kidnappings. All 19 people kidnapped in Darfur have been released save one U.S. citizen, whose captors are demanding a ransom. Google/Agence France-Presse (8/17)   | - Pakistan donations increase; critical need remains
International donors have increased their commitments to relief efforts for Pakistan after dire warnings from the United Nations and other relief agencies of critical shortages of shelter, food, water and medicine. The European Union announced plans to double funds committed to the effort ahead of an emergency meeting at the UN on Thursday. Relief agencies warn their efforts remain underfunded despite the uptick in donations. Pakistani officials have vowed to do more to prevent the Taliban or other militant groups from winning support from survivors by providing aid. The New York Times (free registration) (8/18) , BBC (8/18) , The Times of India/Agence France-Presse (8/18) - Haiti looks to rewrite the book on education
Haiti's education system was in a shambles even before the earthquake that plunged the country into chaos, with just one in three children advancing past the sixth grade. Now a presidential commission on education working with U.S. education expert Paul Vallas seeks to revise the system as it is being rebuilt by using international aid to consolidate the proliferation of private schools under state authority. The group will air their $4.3 billion proposal before an Interim Haiti Recovery Commission meeting chaired by former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive. The Miami Herald (free registration) (8/17) - IHRC to fund rebuilding projects
Job creation in the agriculture sector, back-to-school programs and medical worker trainings are among $1.6 billion worth of proposals approved by the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission on Tuesday. The IHRC, which is jointly chaired by former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive, is responsible for allocating billions of dollars in reconstruction funding pledged by international donors. Reportedly $1 billion of the $1.6 billion has been committed by donors. AlertNet.org/Reuters (8/17)  | - Researchers warn that Gulf oil woes continue
Two new studies question assertions from the U.S. government that the majority of oil leaked into the Gulf of Mexico after the April explosion at the Deepwater Horizon rig is no longer present. Researchers at the University of Georgia say oil continues to be present below the water's surface, presenting an ongoing threat to the ecosystem. In neighboring Florida, researchers say their examinations discovered toxic levels of oil sediment in underground canyons that may disrupt the marine food chain. Reuters (8/17) , TIME (8/17) - Vets protest elephant treatment in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's government veterinarians announced a five-day strike to call attention to the management of the island nation's wild elephant population, which is increasingly coming into conflict with humans. "At least four elephants die each week due to this conflict. There is a shortage of food and water for elephants living in the wild in narrow corridors between villages," said Vijitha Perera, secretary of the veterinarians union. The Independent (London) (8/18)  | - France destroys camps, deports Roma
French authorities have dismantled dozens of illegal Roma camps in recent weeks and plan to target another 260 by October. Roma are being asked to voluntarily submit to deportation back to their country of origin in exchange for a small cash incentive or take their chances with an official deportation procedure. The European Union permits free movement of member countries' citizens as long as they pose no threat to public order, but poverty, unemployment and neglect that plague Roma communities have made them a prime target as anti-immigration sentiments grows on the continent. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (8/17) - Lebanon recognizes rights of Palestinian refugees
Lebanon's parliament passed a law granting full legal status to Palestinian refugees -- ending decades of discrimination and hardship against the beleaguered minority. Refugees from the Arab-Israeli wars of 1948 and 1967 spread some 4.7 million refugees across the region, but their status has divided Lebanese lawmakers -- who divide along sharp ethnic and religious lines. Many groups fear that giving Palestinian refugees more power will embolden Sunni Muslims in the country and legislature. The New York Times (free registration) (8/17) - Videotaped secret interrogation does not show torture
The videotaped interrogation of Ramzi bin al-Shibh, a key figure in the 9/11 attacks, represents the only available evidence regarding the CIA's secret rendition program -- and does not reveal enhanced interrogation techniques. Bin al-Shibh, a Yemeni man, was captured by U.S. and Pakistani authorities in 2002 and was taken to Morocco, where the CIA began building a prison in 2003, although it is unclear whether anyone was detained there. In 2005, the CIA destroyed dozens of videotapes that showed torture during interrogations. The Washington Post (8/17) , The New York Times (free registration) (8/17) - Iran is ready to open first nuclear power plant
Iranian Atomic Energy Organization officials say the impending Aug. 21 opening of the country's first nuclear power plant demonstrates Iran's ability to withstand international pressure and pursue domestic policy goals. Iran is under multiple sets of United Nations-backed sanctions over concerns the country's nuclear program may be intended to create weapons. Bloomberg (8/18)  | |  | | | | | | | | Executive Assistant to the Executive Director, Development | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Business Operations Officer – Energy | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Director of IT | Trivedi Foundation | San Francisco / Los Angeles / New York, CA | | Sales Manager | Trivedi Foundation | San Francisco / Los Angeles / New York, CA | | Director of Marketing | Trivedi Foundation | San Francisco / Los Angeles / New York, CA | | SENIOR ADVOCATE/RESEARCHER (International Financial Institutions) | Human Rights Watch | Washington, DC | | Development Director | Crisis Action | New York, NY | | Executive Director, United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Director, Maternal Newborn mHealth Initiative (MNMI) | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | | |  | |  | |
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