| |  | |  Palestinians this week to seek UN action on Israeli settlements Palestinian negotiators were expected to submit this week a draft resolution calling upon the UN Security Council to declare illegal, and condemn, the ongoing construction by Israel of Jewish settlements in the occupied territories of the West Bank, as well as parts of East Jerusalem. The United States, which wields a potential veto, has urged Palestinians not to introduce the measure. The Washington Post/The Associated Press (1/17)
|  |  | Tunisia is not a Wiki revolution. The Tunisian people knew about corruption long ago. They alone are the catalysts of this unfolding drama." U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley. Click here for the full story. |
|  | "Yes, most NGOs receive funds from governments (not just USAID, but also European and Asian donor agencies), however, in my experience, funding does not translate to control, or even much influence, over the day-to-day work NGOs carry out." UN Dispatch | |
- UN chief appeals for clean energy transformation
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon is calling for a revolution in clean energy as a key to addressing not only climate change but also world development goals. Addressing the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, he said affordable and clean energy is necessary for the health of the planet as well as meeting Millennium Development Goals across a range of peace and prosperity issues. Google/Agence France-Presse (1/17)      - Kenya Red Cross seeks $19 million for drought relief
Kenya's Red Cross is seeking $19 million in immediate aid to ease suffering in the early stages of a drought affecting about 80% of the country. At this stage, the most pressing need is water. But the food situation is expected to worsen as no rain is expected before April. AlertNet (1/17) - Getting U.S. teens to "girl up"
The UN Foundation has launched a new campaign to raise awareness among teenage girls in the United States about the lives of teenage girls in developing countries. The program, Girl Up, asks American girls to "high five" their less empowered peers by learning facts (one in seven is married before she is 15, while many walk 15 hours a day for water and fuel) and donating $5 toward school supplies, clean water and health care. WAMU-FM (Washington, D.C.) (1/17) - Russia is faltering in battle to slow spread of HIV/AIDS
The intensification of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Russia -- fueled largely by intravenous drug use and unprotected sex with addicts -- runs counter to worldwide trends showing reductions in the spread of the disease. Current government health education programs neglect drug users, who represent a great number of the nearly 60,000 new cases of HIV in 2009, an 8% increase from 2008. The New York Times (free registration) (1/16) - Urgent relief is sought for Sri Lanka floods as victims seethe
The United Nations is requesting an emergency increase in aid -- particularly mosquito nets, clean water and food -- for Sri Lanka as the death toll continues to climb from floods that have destroyed several thousand homes and driven some 390,000 people to higher ground. Flood victims are accusing local government leaders of withholding relief supplies from the most needy, and instead divvying it among political supporters. The Guardian (London) (1/15) , BBC (1/17) - Risk of disease rises in flood-ravaged Brazil region
More rain is expected, and the fear of disease is growing as the death toll from flooding mounts in the hard-hit region north of Rio de Janeiro. Authorities reported that at least 626 people have been killed by floodwaters and landslides in the mountainous region. The government is warning survivors of the risk of disease from drinking contaminated water. AlertNet/Reuters (1/16) Top five news stories selected by UN Wire readers in the past week. - Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.
- UN devises rules for fish "bycatch"
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has released draft guidelines that would govern the practice of tossing back into the sea dead or dying fish that were caught accidentally. Fisheries experts from 35 countries support the new rules, which, in addition to fish, cover other so-called bycatch such as turtles, seabirds, dolphins and sharks. Bloomberg (1/17) - New studies of Marianas Trench show greater climate role
For the first time since 1960, an international team of scientists is using special submersible probes to study the bottom of the Marianas Trench in the western Pacific Ocean, which, at a depth of some 10.9 kilometers, is the deepest part of the ocean. Parts of the underwater canyon apparently serve as carbon sinks, and play a bigger role in the climate and chemistry of the Earth than originally thought. BBC (1/16) - U.S. is easing rules for Cuba contact, travel
The United States is easing its long-standing tight restrictions on relations with Cuba. Travel, non-family remittances and charter flights to and from the island nation are all affected by the new rules, which are to take effect within two weeks. Academic and religious contacts are expected to increase. CNN (1/14) - Tunisia to form new government
A new unity government was expected to be announced today in Tunisia in a bid to swiftly appease opposition leaders and stabilize the country after clashes between protesters and police. The overthrow of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, who was forced Saturday into exile, has prompted observers to ponder whether such revolution could spread to other autocratic counties in the Arab region. The Wall Street Journal (1/17) , The Washington Post (1/15)
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