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- Obama appeals for Mideast unity
U.S. President Barack Obama used the occasion of his Thursday speech at the United Nations General Assembly to urge all countries to throw their diplomatic weight behind efforts to forge a comprehensive Middle East peace agreement. Obama hopes to conclude a deal within one year that would create a Palestinian state and enhance the security of Israel. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)/The Associated Press (9/24)       - U.S. leads walkout during Ahmadinejad UN speech
Delegations from 32 countries led by the U.S. walked out of the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday in protest during a speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. A theory casting suspicion on the U.S. government for orchestrating the events of Sept. 11, 2001, in a bid to protect Israel prompted the departure of delegations from the European Union, Costa Rica, New Zealand and others. BBC (9/24) , The Toronto Star/The Associated Press (9/23) - WFP meeting looks at global food prices
A meeting to examine rising food prices hosted by the United Nations World Food Programme has called for greater transparency in markets for crops such as wheat and rice, and ways to promote stability in food production. Riots erupted last month in Mozambique over rapidly rising prices, and officials are working to prevent a food crisis the world saw in 2007-2008. Google/The Associated Press (9/24) - Business backs Internet as development tool
Business leaders highlighted the importance of Internet and communications technology as tools to enhance development efforts during a meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative on Thursday. Poor countries can accelerate growth through the use of the Internet and develop at a faster rate than ever before possible, Cisco chief executive John Chambers told the gathering. AlertNet.org/Reuters (9/23) - Urbanites develop immunities to some communicable diseases
People who live in urban areas develop immunity to disease such as tuberculosis and leprosy, according to a study published in the journal Evolution. Researchers analyzed the DNA of European, African and Asian populations and compared them with urban history reports to find that ancient outbreaks of disease in urban centers left survivors and their descendants with immunity. The Guardian (London) (9/23) - China says it is seeking a binding climate pact
Chinese authorities will be pushing world leaders to sign an international climate treaty by the end of 2011, ahead of the 2012 expiration of the Kyoto Treaty, says Li Gao, a senior Chinese climate negotiator. Li, who blamed U.S. politics for making an agreement impossible in 2010, said China will back efforts to maintain pressure on rich countries to endorse deeper greenhouse-gas emission cuts. AlertNet.org/Reuters (9/24) - DR Congo rapists operate with impunity
Congolese security forces have failed to act against rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo guilty of carrying out hundreds of rapes against civilians, the United Nations human rights office in Congo says. The failure to prevent or stop a recent incident in which hundreds of women and girls were raped was compounded by the failings of the area's UN peacekeeping mission. AlertNet.org/Reuters (9/24) - HRW: Vietnam must act on police abuses
Vietnamese authorities need to investigate the behavior of the country's police forces in response to widespread allegations of brutality and recent deaths in custody, Human Rights Watch says. The rights watchdog says it has documented 19 cases of police abuses in the past year -- 15 of them deadly. BBC (9/23) - Seafarers demand action on piracy threat
More than 900,000 seafarers from around the world signed a petition delivered to the UN International Maritime Organization on Thursday calling for urgent global action to end piracy. Unions, shipping companies and aid agencies organized the petition in the hopes of raising the piracy issue's profile on the international stage. Dozens of ships have come under attack off the coast of Africa and in the Far East in recent months. BBC (9/23) - Japan moves to end standoff with China
Japanese prosecutors will suspend their investigation of Chinese trawler captain Zhan Qixiong who was arrested two weeks ago near islands claimed by both China and Japan and release him to Chinese authorities. The trawler incident led to a diplomatic standoff between China and Japan, and some observers are criticizing Japan for giving in to China's demands. The New York Times (free registration) (9/24) - Putin: No need to clash over Arctic claims
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin feels Arctic countries can resolve disputes around territorial claims through international legal channels without resorting to clashes over access to the natural resources in the area. The U.S., Russia, Norway, Canada and Denmark have all laid claim to parts of the Arctic region, which is believed to hold massive untapped reserves of oil and gas. The Toronto Star/The Associated Press (9/23)
- The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves is launching this week, with the 2020 goal of making clean cooking stoves available to 100 million homes currently lacking access to modern energy sources. In which areas will a market for cleaner, more efficient cookstoves improve the developing world?
| All of the above |  63.14% | | Health of mothers and children |  17.75% | | Climate and energy |  17.41% | | Gender equity |  1.71% |  | - Register now for the mHealth Summit in Washington, D.C.
The 2010 mHealth Summit brings together leaders in government, private sector/industry, academia and not-for-profit organizations to share information and experiences related to the intersection of mobile technology, health research and policy.Featured speakers include Bill Gates, Co-chair and Trustee of the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation; Aneesh Chopra, U.S. Chief Technology Officer; Dr. Julio Frenk Dean of Faculty, Harvard School of Public Health; and Ted Turner, Chairman, UN Foundation. The mHealth Summit takes place Nov. 8 to 10 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Click here for more information and to register. |
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