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- UN official sees FDLR losing capacity in DR Congo
United Nations sanctions, judicial action and pressure from Congolese military forces are weakening the militia group Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, or FDLR, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, UN envoy Roger Meece says. The Rwandan Hutu militia force may see its capabilities diminish to a point where the widely feared group no longer poses a significant security threat in DR Congo. AlertNet/Reuters (2/7)       - India, citing food security, opposes pesticide ban
Villagers in India pushing for an international ban on the pesticide Endosulfan are being met with stiff resistance from the country's government. The government -- part owner of one of the three companies that manufacture the low-cost pesticide -- says that health concerns are limited to the region of Kerala, and that a ban would threaten food security, especially crops such as tea, cotton and rice. The Washington Post (2/7) - Spare foreign aid for vaccines
 While much of the U.S. budget is facing cutbacks, the U.S. would be well-advised to preserve and even increase spending on vaccination efforts in developing countries -- particularly in the battle against polio. The Washington Post (2/4) - Free text messages promote healthy pregnancies
One year after a broad coalition of U.S. community health organizations launched text4baby, a free service that sends health-oriented reminders via text message to expectant and new mothers, some 135,000 women have subscribed, prompting organizers to set a new goal of reaching 1 million users by 2013. Subscribers -- who send by text their due dates, or child's birth dates, as well as their ZIP codes -- in turn receive three messages each week that are relevant to their stages in pregnancy, or a child's development. NYTimes.com/Opinionator blog (2/7) - Scientists examine Chile's earthquake risks
Scientists from around the world continue to study the 2010 earthquake that struck Chile over fears the event did little to ease the pressure along the fault lines and another earthquake could occur. Pressure has building along the fault for nearly 200 years, but scientists believe the 2010 earthquake's epicenter was outside the area under the most stress. The New York Times (free registration) (2/7) - China drought could send shock waves through grain markets
The wheat crop in China, the world's largest producer of wheat, is under threat from severe drought, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Already the drought -- which government sources say is the worst in 60 years in some areas, and in 200 years in others -- has caused prices to surge globally, while future moves by China to import food could drive grain prices even higher. The New York Times (free registration) (2/8) - Egyptian protesters retrench
 Protesters in Egypt are trying to inject new life into demonstrations that have spanned two weeks amid a growing sense that the autocratic government, which announced today that it had devised a plan and timetable for the peaceful transfer of power, was gaining the upper hand in the power struggle. At least 297 have died since demonstrations began in a bid to oust long-sitting President Hosni Mubarak. Reuters (2/8) , BBC (2/8) - Chechen insurgent claims deadly Russian airport bombing
A Chechen warlord has claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing last month at a Moscow airport that killed 36 and injured 180. In a video posted online, Doku Umarov, speaking in Russian, said the attack was in response to "Russian crimes in the Caucasus," and that similar attacks would continue. BBC (2/8) - Arrest of U.S. diplomat in Pakistan becomes flashpoint
The detention in Pakistan of a U.S. diplomat who shot and killed two Pakistanis he said attempted to rob him is threatening to undermine the already shaky relationship between the two countries, says a diplomatic source. The reluctance of Pakistan to release consulate employee Raymond Davis, who the U.S. government says is protected by diplomatic immunity, could jeopardize the delivery of billions of dollars in U.S. aid. Reuters (2/8)  | |  | | | | | | 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 | | Regional Manager for Europe | Center for Reproductive Rights | New York, NY | | Senior Officer, Medical Safety | The Pew Charitable Trusts | Washington, 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 | | The money that will be saved by eradicating polio far exceeds what we are spending on eradication efforts now | | The success will energize the field of global health by showing that investments in health lead to amazing victories |
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