| |  | |  Netanyahu, Abbas agree to direct talks Palestinian and Israeli leaders confirmed their willingness to participate in direct dialogue at a visit to the White House. Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak appeared alongside U.S. President Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to lend their support to the latest effort to end a six-decade-old conflict. Obama's Mideast envoy, George Mitchell, has been working for 18 months to restart talks, and some critics worry he has not set public targets for the effort. The New York Times (free registration) (9/2) , TIME (9/1)
|  |  | Squished between the two, we have to become friends with the pirates. Actually, this is a great opportunity." Somali government official Ismail Haji Noor, speaking of the problem of al-Shabab and Somali pirates. Read the full story. |
|  | "Channel 16, a new effort from a coalition of NGOs, aims to be a fully crowd-sourced multimedia resource on humanitarian disasters. It will include photos, video, and personal accounts, and serve as a rapid response news source with links to how people can help in a humanitarian emergency." UN Dispatch | |
- UN to hear proposal on currency transaction tax
A group of 60 countries has agreed on a proposal for a small tax on international currency transactions to raise funds for development aid and will present the plan at the United Nations this month. Supporters project that the tax could raise $35 billion a year to help cover the estimated annual global aid gap of $340 billion expected to hamper development efforts between 2012 and 2017. Critics argue that a tax would adversely affect the financial industry by pushing transactions offshore and be hard to effectively monitor. AlertNet.org/Reuters (9/1)       - New test could change how tuberculosis is treated
Researchers say a new molecular test that can confirm a diagnosis of tuberculosis within two hours, and identify some drug-resistant strains, will help medical professionals better treat patients, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Some health advocates worry that the cost of the machine and computers needed to analyze test results will prevent broad application in poor countries until less-expensive means is developed. AlertNet.org/Reuters (9/1) - IAEA cancels Mideast meeting
The United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency has scrapped plans for a meeting on a nuclear-free Middle East this year in the face of tensions over Israel's undeclared program, an internal memo from the watchdog says. Arab countries have been lobbying the IAEA to insist Israel open up any nuclear program to international verification, and neither side has expressed any agreement on talks for making the nuclear-free zone. The Washington Post/The Associated Press (9/1) - ICT plays an important role in Pakistan response
Information and Communication Technology tools are helping expedite aid to Pakistan's flood victims and provide lifesaving solutions to logistical challenges in disaster situations, writes William Brindley, head of NetHope. The group provides equipment and know-how to aid agencies and NGOs operating on the ground that leverages technological assessments to deliver aid quickly. The Huffington Post (8/31) - Doctors examine efficacy of cell phone diagnoses
American medical professionals are studying how accurately emergency personnel can make diagnoses from patient-generated cell phone images. Proponents hope this application of mobile health can help patients in remote areas get faster assistance, and provide people with an alternative to expensive, time-consuming visits to emergency rooms for superficial wounds. The Washington Post (8/31)  | - Russia's rights battles move online
The growing popularity of Internet-based news as a replacement for state-controlled media has brought Russian bloggers success and scrutiny. While Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is a strong proponent and regular user of online media tools, the government is cracking down on virtual dissent. Russia's intelligence agency, the FSB, wants to compel service providers to remove critical websites, and a law already exists to allow the FSB to monitor individual's website visits and e-mails with a judge's approval. Der Spiegel (Germany) (English online version) (9/1) - Cairo considers automating call to prayer
Egypt's Ministry of Religious Endowments, which oversees the country's mosques, seeks to streamline the call to prayer for all 4,500 mosques in Cairo -- which, at present, create a cacophony five times a day by the combination of 4,500 people singing the call to prayer. An automated system that would replace the raucous chorus would bring more serenity to the city, according to the system's planners, but critics say that it is expensive and unwieldy to coordinate the plan. Los Angeles Times (9/2) - Rioting continues in Mozambique
Riots in Mozambique over high bread prices have led to six deaths in the capital of Maputo, with police firing on rioters -- including two children. Government officials are searching for the source of text messages and other communiques urging people to join the protests, which are made up primarily of young men frustrated by the high cost of food and fuel. The proximate cause of the protests was a 30% rise in the price of bread. Google/The Associated Press (9/2) , Reuters (9/2) - Somali government: Pirates to their left, insurgents to their right
Facing an existential threat from the Islamic extremist military group al-Shabab at its borders and a vast piratical enterprise along its shores, the Somali government has elected to throw its lot in with the pirates -- acknowledging them as the lesser of two evils. Al-Shabab and other militant groups have also sought the support of Somali pirates, despite the fact that these groups disapprove of what they consider to be an unholy -- but ultimately lucrative -- enterprise. The combination of insurgent and pirates represents a significant challenge to the authority of the beleaguered Somali government. The New York Times (free registration) (9/1)  | |  | | | | | | | | Director, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Program | HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | New York, NY | | Executive Assistant | Social Science Research Council | Brooklyn, NY | | Deputy Director, Women and Population | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Executive Director, Europe and Central Asia Division | Human Rights Watch | London, United Kingdom | | Senior Associate, Foundation Relations | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Online Communications Associate | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Operations Assistant | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | PROGRAM ASSISTANT FOR UNAIDS COMMUNICATIONS AND CONSULTATION FACILITY | International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO) | Toronto, Canada | | | |  | |  | |
- World leaders will gather in September for a UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals. What issue should be at the top of the agenda?
 | Child health | | Climate and energy | | Education | | Gender equality | | Preventable diseases |
- 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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