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- UN changes strategy on emissions cuts
United Nations officials have revised their recommendations on greenhouse-gas emissions cuts in a bid to pave the way for an international agreement to come into force when the Kyoto Treaty expires in 2012. The UN says countries should keep to individual commitments that they made to avoid the problematic issue of standard set targets for wealthy and developing countries -- an issue that has dominated negotiations and threatened to derail the process. Reuters (10/4)        - China's traditional remedies hit global market
The Chinese government is promoting the effects of traditional Chinese medicine worldwide through an initiative linking universities and industry. Pharmaceutical companies also are trying to make Chinese drugs more acceptable to Western consumers by providing information about their scientific efficacy, and packaging them in familiar forms. USA TODAY (10/5) - Billionaire aims to turn profit by helping poor
Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, intends to create a venture capital fund that will invest in companies that help the poor -- while turning a profit -- in fields of health, education and energy. "There is not enough money to be given away in the world to make the poor well-off," says Khosla, who believes that businesses can do more to eradicate poverty than charities and nonprofit organizations. The New York Times (free registration) (10/5) - No breakthroughs in climate talks in China
A lack of trust between rich and poor countries, coupled with resistance among wealthy countries to curb carbon emissions, are hampering climate talks in Tianjin, China. The United Nations is looking for agreements on less contentious issues, such as the sharing of clean-energy technology and the protection of carbon-absorbing rain forests. Reuters (10/6) - Children are dying near illegal Nigerian mines
More than 400 children in Nigeria have died from lead poisoning over the past six months, according to an aid agency. A UN report says the deaths are only "the tip of the iceberg" regarding the health effects of illegal gold mining in Zamfara state, where runoff poisoned the soil and water with lead. Google/Agence France-Presse (10/5) - Afghan officials see possibilities in Taliban talks
Afghan authorities have launched preliminary talks with the Taliban in the hopes of finding a way to end the latter's insurgency. Afghan officials believe senior Taliban members have backed away from their previous position of a full withdrawal of all foreign troops before undertaking serious negotiations in favor of pursuing a comprehensive agreement that would include government positions for some Taliban members and a departure timetable for foreign forces. The Washington Post (10/6) - Sudan referendum raises concerns for the future
Chronic distrust, memory of bitter conflict and conflicting messages from Khartoum on an independence referendum are raising fears among Sudanese of a return to war. North and South Sudan ended a two-decade war five years ago with a peace agreement that included provisions for the referendum, but many in the South feel Khartoum is manipulating the process in the hopes of sparking unrest. The Toronto Star (10/5) - Westerners are targeted in Yemen attacks
British diplomats in Yemen were attacked today when militants fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the vehicle in which they were traveling. One of the passengers was injured in the incident, which came on the same day a French employee was killed, and a British contractor was injured, in a shooting at a compound of an Austrian gas company. BBC (10/6)
- The UN Foundation has launched a new campaign, Girl Up, to address the needs of some of the world's hardest-to-reach adolescent girls by channeling the energy and compassion of American girls. What problem facing girls in developing countries should we be most concerned about?
 | Child marriage | | Lack of access to education | | Lack of health services | | Violence against women | | Too little funding for programs for girls |
- 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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