| |  | |  Mubarak resigns, handing power to armed forces After 18 days of popular demonstrations challenging the 30-year rule of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the embattled leader resigned today, ceding power to the country's Supreme Council for the Armed Forces. The news was delivered in a brief, televised statement from Vice President Omar Suleiman. After the announcement, Cairo's Tahrir Square erupted in cheers. Al-Jazeera (2/11), Google/The Associated Press (2/11), The New York Times (free registration) (2/11)
|  |  | What is clear is that the people of Egypt are asking for and demanding a different future, where they have real economic opportunities." U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice. Click here for the full story. |
|  | "Around the world, open, social and real-time technologies are changing relationships between people and institutions. The UN, with its frontline humanitarian, development and disaster relief work, is no stranger to this transition. As part of Social Media Week underway in New York City, UN Global Pulse, a project of the UN Secretary-General's office, lead two days of discussion on this topic." UN Dispatch | |
- U.S. counters UN move on settlements
A top U.S. diplomat told lawmakers on Thursday that the country would use "the tools that we have" to block a resolution before the UN Security Council condemning the continued Israeli building of Jewish settlements in occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank and parts of East Jerusalem. "We have made very clear that we do not think the Security Council is the right place to engage on these issues," he said. Google/Agence France-Presse (2/10)      - Kenya introduces pneumococcal vaccine
Kenya is set to become the fifth country to include a vaccination against pneumococcal disease to its standard set of childhood vaccinations, beginning next week. The move to bring the vaccine to developing countries is being spurred by the GAVI Alliance, which helps manufacturers with research, development and production costs by securing markets for distribution. Pneumococcal disease reportedly kills more than a half million children per year, mostly in the developing world. Nature News (2/11) - Hoarding, price gains likely as demand for wheat grows
Wheat harvests worldwide appear unlikely to meet demand for the second straight year, increasing the likelihood that governments will hoard the product, further pushing up prices, according to the United Nations. Indexes for wheat, corn and soybeans on Thursday climbed to their highest levels since 2008. Bloomberg (2/10) - Indian microcredit is in turmoil amid defaults, backlash
New government proposals in India that would cap loan amounts and stop women from borrowing from more than two lenders threaten to stifle the microcredit industry that has helped millions of the country's women escape poverty, advocates say. The measures -- spurred in part by high rates of default and low cash flows in the $4 billion industry -- also would require credit checks for borrowers, and discourage strong-arm tactics by lenders to collect payments. The Washington Post (2/10) - U.S. moves to regulate fish farms
U.S. authorities have proposed the country's first ever guidelines on aquaculture to protect fish stocks and ecosystems while providing sustainable supply. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration guidelines would provide standards for regional fishery councils to requesting the creation of fish farms. The New York Times (free registration) (2/9) - U.S. carbon-emissions showdown could have global impact
U.S. President Barack Obama, unsuccessful in pushing through the Congress legislation that would regulate greenhouse-gas emissions, has turned instead to the country's Environmental Protection Agency. Conservatives in Congress, in turn, are trying to limit the EPA's authority with measures that could sway future UN negotiations over climate change. BBC (2/10) - UN works to end state use of child soldiers
A United Nations-backed action plan is working to encourage member states from recruiting children into military and security forces. Uganda successfully demobilized all children within 18 months of signing on to a plan. Afghanistan has just agreed to one and talks are continuing with authorities in Myanmar. IRINNews.org (2/10) - Rice tweets on foreign policy
Egyptian authorities need to effectively engage with the country's opposition to address the democratic demands of the people, American ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said Thursday during a global Twitter engagement. Rice fielded questions from the social media site's users around the world about U.S. foreign policy. Los Angeles Times/Babylon & Beyond blog (2/10) - South Sudan cease-fire is broken by deadly rebel attack
A renegade militia in Southern Sudan has violently ended a cease-fire by attacking two trucks operated the region's army, killing 16. The army placed the deaths at 12 rebels and four soldiers, but added that the death toll could be higher as the region -- which recently voted for independence from the North -- prepares to become the world's newest country in July. BBC (2/10), AlertNet/Reuters (2/10)  | |  | | | | | | Peacebuilding Program Director | Social Science Research Council | Brooklyn, NY | | Researcher on Afghanistan | Human Rights Watch | N/A, Afghanistan | | Administrative Associate, Public Affairs | United Nations Foundations | Washington, DC | | Administrative Associate, Energy Access | United Nations Foundations | Washington, DC | | Associate, Executive Office | United Nations Foundations | Washington , DC | | Manager, UNA Education Programs | United Nations Foundations | New York City, NY | | Major Gifts Officer, Nothing But Nets and Global Partnerships | United Nations Foundations | Washington, DC | | Leo Nevas Human Rights Fellow | United Nations Foundations | New York City, NY | | Coordinator, mHealth Alliance | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Human Resources Coordinator | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Various Positions | International Labour Office | Geneva, Switzerland | | | |  | |  |
 | - In Bill Gates' annual 2011 letter, he stated that eradicating polio will have amazing benefits for future generations. What do you think is the most important of these benefits?
| No child will die or be paralyzed by the disease in the future |  60.92% | | The success will energize the field of global health by showing that investments in health lead to amazing victories |  33.56% | | The money that will be saved by eradicating polio far exceeds what we are spending on eradication efforts now |  5.52% | - Pledge to Unite for Girls
TIME's executive editor calls girls "the best investment." Through the UN Foundation's Girl Up campaign, you can invest in creating better futures for teens in countries like Malawi or Liberia, by supporting UN programs on the ground. Girls make up more than half of the world's out of school youth. Show your support for changing this stat and getting more girls back in school! Sign the pledge at www.girlup.org/pledge. |
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Embattled Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak apparently left the presidential palace outside Cairo early today for an estate he owns in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh. 
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