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- Likely currency war is putting recovery at risk
Global investment could suffer and the recovery could falter as a result of policies by countries that are lowering their exchange rates in order to boost the competitiveness of their exports, the UN Conference on Trade and Development said today. "We have seen recently fluctuations of major currencies in a significant manner. There is a danger of a currency war," said James Zhan, director of UNCTAD's investment and enterprise division. Reuters (10/14)       - UNHCR backs changes to refugee approach
Somali and Iraqi refugees should no longer be sent back to their countries of origin by foreign governments because of security concerns, says Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Four-fifths of refugees are living in developing countries and a more equitable system of covering expenses of hosting refugee populations needs to be adopted between developing and rich countries, according to Guterres. AlertNet.org (10/13)  - FAO lauds eradication of rinderpest
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has expressed confidence rinderpest, a viral infection that targets livestock, has been eradicated removing a serious threat to herds in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. The disease, with a 70% mortality rate, posed a constant threat to impoverished populations who rely on livestock for earnings. BBC (10/14) - Drought is turning Syrian farmland barren
Several years of drought are turning once-bountiful farmland in Syria into a barren strip of desert. The changes in the heartland of the Fertile Crescent, which have impoverished some 2 million to 3 million people, also pose a security threat to regional governments that have grown more dependent on imports of food and water. The New York Times (free registration) (10/13) - WWF report notes conservation progress
Wealthy countries continue to account for the most usage of the world's natural resources, but conservation efforts on behalf of animal species are showing results, according to the World Wildlife Fund's 2010 Living Planet Report. WWF has produced the biannual report since 1970 to track biodiversity trends and measure the environmental footprint of human populations. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (10/14) - Nigeria looks to expand ICT infrastructure
Nigerian authorities project it will take $4 billion in investment to construct ICT infrastructure for the country and that this is a key element to Nigeria's development goals. Existing ICT capabilities are concentrated in Nigeria's cities, and 60% of rural areas have little or no infrastructure at all. AllAfrica Global Media/This Day (10/14) - France is adopting EU immigration laws
The French government is complying with a EU ultimatum to adopt European migration rules by Oct. 15 in the wake of its expulsion last summer of hundreds of Roma. The EU has threatened to initiate legal proceedings if the French refuse to change migration policies. Spiegel Online (Germany) (10/14) - Iranian leader is feted in Lebanon
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was given what was tantamount to a hero's welcome upon his arrival in Lebanon on Wednesday, where Hezbollah, the militant Shiite movement, is warning of violence and government collapse if members are implicated in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. A UN tribunal is investigating the murder. The New York Times (free registration) (10/13) , TIME (10/13) - Military drill off South Korea targets weapons trafficking
The militaries of 14 countries Wednesday took part in a drill in the waters off South Korea intended to stop the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction and related technologies. "The drill practices how to stop and search ships," said an official, who added that the drill is not necessarily targeting North Korea, which is suspected last spring of sinking a South Korean warship. CNN (10/13)
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