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- U.S. seeks an end to Gaza report discussions
The controversial United Nations report on Israel's 2008-09 military operation in the Gaza Strip cannot be amended and discussion on it should conclude, U.S. Ambassador the UN Susan Rice says. Rice characterized the report as "deeply flawed" when it was released. The Goldstone report accused both Israel and Hamas of war crimes, but Richard Goldstone now says assertions that Israeli forces deliberately targeted civilians are incorrect. Reuters (4/6)       - IMF, World Bank affirm Palestinian capabilities
The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday said in a report that the Palestinian Authority, which is lobbying hard in the United Nations for global recognition of statehood, is "now able to conduct the sound economic policies expected of a future well-functioning Palestinian state, given its solid track record in reforms and institution-building in the public finance and financial areas." The World Bank, in a report slated to be released today, reiterates the assessment. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (4/6) - FAO: Food price relief may be short-lived
Food prices fell from record high prices last month, but may rise again in response to reports of grain supply shortages, the Food and Agriculture Organization says. Increased food prices contributed to mass protests across the Middle East and Africa, and continue to drive inflation rates around the globe. Bloomberg (4/7) - Cookstove campaign comes to India
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has pledged $54 million to help launch the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, which aims to raise some $250 million to provide clean and efficient stoves to 100 million homes by 2020. In India alone, about 160 million households are in need of such stoves, which could eliminate many of the 570,000 deaths of women and children attributed to smoke from current stoves. Forbes (India) (4/6) - WHO: Improper drug treatment hinders disease battle
Widespread misuse of antibiotics has damaged the global fights against tuberculosis, malaria and gonorrhea, and is contributing to rising rates of drug-resistant cases and medical treatment costs, the World Health Organization warns. About 440,000 cases of drug-resistant cases of tuberculosis were reported in 60 countries last year. AlertNet/Reuters (4/7) - OECD: Donors are still falling short on aid promises
Major donor countries provided a record-setting level of aid in 2010, but are expected to contribute less over the next three years as governments contend with domestic economic woes, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says. Donors provided $129 billion in aid during 2010 -- a figure that falls short of commitments agreed at a 2005 G8 meeting. AlertNet/Reuters (4/6) - Japan radiation spreads to neighboring countries
 Experts are unsure how to dispose of the 15 million gallons of highly radioactive water used to try to cool reactors and spent fuel rods at the quake-stricken Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan. Meanwhile, schools have been closed in neighboring South Korea out of fear of radioactive rain, while China reported traces of radioactivity in its spinach. Reuters (4/7), Los Angeles Times (4/7)  | - Crowdsourcing gains as a crisis tool
Cellular telephones, text messages and a Google map helped social crisis mapping service Ushahidi track 2007 postelection violence in Kenya, contributing evidence to support charges of crimes against humanity against three Kenyan officials and sparking the use of crowdsourcing as a tool in humanitarian crises around the world. Ushahidi created its code as an open source that individuals and groups around the world have been able to use to track crisis events in Haiti, Japan, Nigeria and elsewhere. The Guardian (London)/News blog (4/7)  | - Efforts to dislodge Gbagbo thwarted
Some 200 troops loyal to Ivorian incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo on Wednesday fought off attempts to storm the strongman's residence in Abidjan, but their resistance was expected to wane against superior numbers of fighters, some several thousand, loyal to the country's president-elect, Alassane Ouattara. French forces today helped rescue Yoshifumi Okamura, the Japanese ambassador, after the diplomat's residence was attacked by Gbagbo forces. BBC (4/7), The Economist/Baobab blog (4/6), Reuters (4/7)  | |  | | | | | | Administrative Assistant, Partnership Development | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Communications Officer, mHealth Alliance | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Coordinator, Pledge Guarantee for Health | United Nations Foundations | Washington DC, DC | | Major Gifts Officer, Nothing But Nets and Global Partnerships | United Nations Foundations | Washington, DC | | Senior Advocate/Researcher for International Financial Institutions | Human Rights Watch, Business and Human Rights Division | Washington, DC | | Advocacy Director | Human Rights Watch | Washington, DC | | Regional Manager for Asia (Based Overseas) | Center for Reproductive Rights | Kathmandu, Nepal | | | |  | |  |
 | - Cookstove smoke kills
UN Foundation President Timothy E. Wirth is urging the global community to address the health risks posed by hazardous cooking conditions. The UN Foundation recently formed the the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves to address this problem. Wirth writes, "According to the World Health Organization, unsafe cooking conditions are the fourth greatest threat to health in developing countries, claiming twice as many lives each year as malaria. The needed resources cannot be mobilized to confront this crisis if the world community doesn't recognize it as such. As we mark World Health Day, it is imperative that a flag of awareness be planted." UN Foundation (4/7) |
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