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- Rights Council decries raid on flotilla
Israeli commandos executed six passengers aboard a Turkish ship delivering aid in May to the Gaza Strip, carrying out "grave violations of human rights law and international humanitarian law," according to a 56-page report endorsed Wednesday by the UN Human Rights Council. The United States cast the lone vote against endorsing the report, which Israel says is "biased." Fifteen countries abstained from voting, including all of the European countries on the council. The Washington Post (9/29) , Bloomberg (9/29)       - UN ends sanctions against Sierra Leone
The UN Security Council announced Wednesday that it has lifted sanctions against Sierra Leone that had been in place since 1997, a period dominated by civil war and trade in so-called blood diamonds. The sanctions had included a travel ban, as well as an arms embargo. CNN (9/30) , BBC (9/30)  - 80% of world is in drinking water jeopardy
Trillions of dollars of investment in dams, canals, aqueducts and pipelines still cannot guarantee safe drinking water for some 80% of the world's population, according to a study. While such infrastructure is engineered in the best interests of people, the study says it often is detrimental to the environment; developing countries, therefore, should also invest in "natural" options such as protecting watersheds, wetlands and flood plains. BBC (9/29) - China leads the world in green-energy spending
China last year leapfrogged the United States and other G-20 countries in investment in a variety of green technologies, totaling some $35 billion -- nearly double that of the United States. The country announced last month that, in 2010, it will allocate some $75 billion on clean energies. The Washington Post (9/30) - Innovative health software soon to pay for itself
Datadyne.org, an American nonprofit whose software program, EpiSurveyor, assists organizations in gathering and sending health data on typical cell phones, has amassed more than 2,400 users in more than 120 countries. The program, which is funded in part by the United Nations Foundation and the Vodafone Foundation, is expected to reach financial self-sufficiency through paid subscriptions within two years. The Wall Street Journal (9/27) - Vodafone and mHealth sponsor social-good prizes
A total of $650,000 is on the table for mobile health developers, courtesy of Vodafone and the mHealth Alliance. Two competitions, the Wireless Innovation Project and the mHealth Alliance Award will award three innovators who develop wireless applications that offer mobile health solutions. FastCompany.com (9/29) - France to face legal action over Roma expulsions
The European Commission said Wednesday that France would face legal repercussions after deporting this year thousands of Roma, also known as Gypsies, to Bulgaria and Romania. It is "a situation that I had thought that Europe would not have to witness again after the Second World War," said Viviane Reding, European commissioner for justice. The New York Times (free registration) (9/29) - Afghan poppy yield sees drops, gains
Poppy cultivation dropped by half last year in the country's largest opium-growing province, yet the overall yield nationwide remained at previous levels because of increases elsewhere. "This is good news, but there is no room for false optimism," said Yury Fedotov, executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The New York Times (free registration) (9/30) - North Korea releases photo of leader's likely successor
State media in North Korea today released a photograph of Kim Jong-un, the son of ailing leader Kim Jong Il, the first publicly available image of the younger Kim since he was a child. Earlier this week, he was appointed to senior military and political posts, moves observers say indicate that he is now in line to succeed his father. Reuters (9/30)
| Career Center |  | | | - What was the best take-away message from last week's UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Review Summit, the Clinton Global Initiative or the UN Week Digital Media Lounge?
 | Women and girls are the answer to global development | | The smallest solutions -- e.g., bednets, clean cookstoves and vaccines -- will make the largest difference | | We each have a role to play through our resources, skills and networks to achieve the MDGs | | More than ever, technology is a key player in achieving global problems | | Sustainable global development is essential to U.S. national security |
 | - 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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