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- Ban's re-election seems assured despite some holdouts
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was expected to begin a second term next week despite a reluctance by Cuba and other Latin American countries -- the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries -- to endorse his re-election. The UN Security Council was slated today to throw its weight behind a second term for the head of the world body. Google/Agence France-Presse (6/16), Reuters (6/17)       - Why wipe out measles
Global health researchers are making the case that measles not only can, but should be eliminated from the world. An increase in measles cases worldwide -- the U.S. has registered the highest levels of infection since 1996 -- is attributed to "weakness within immunization systems, cross-border transmission of measles virus, and insufficient political will and financial resources," in an article published by the Journal of Infectious Diseases. Los Angeles Times/Booster Shots blog (6/16) - Malaria-prevention campaign is under way in Sierra Leone
The rainy season has begun in Sierra Leone, and the country's health ministry is mobilizing workers to raise awareness of malaria prevention in a bid to reach the UN Millennium Development Goals by 2015. Last year, mortality rates from the disease there fell from 32% to 16% after 3.2 million insecticide-treated bednets were distributed for free. Google/Agence France-Presse (6/16) - HPV vaccine raises hopes for drop in cervical cancers
 Initial findings from an HPV vaccination program in Australia show a drop from 80% to 42% in instances of abnormal cell changes in the cervix, a precursor of cancer, among girls less than 17 years old. The findings indicate that the vaccine -- which is being administered to women between 12 and 26 years old -- could significantly reduce rates of cervical cancer. The Guardian (London) (6/17) - Slow progress on forests at UN climate talks
Diplomats say UN climate talks in Bonn, Germany, are making little headway toward ensuring the protection of forests as part of a global treaty intended to succeed the Kyoto Protocol. Envoys approved the text of the so-called REDD-plus mechanism, which is designed to provide extra benefits along with emissions savings from forests, but a Kenyan negotiator said talks were not progressing quickly enough. Bloomberg (6/17) - List of endangered animal and plant species tops 19,000
The latest assessment from the International Union for Conservation of Nature finds that the number of animal and plant species in danger of extinction has risen to more than 19,000 from levels of 11,000 in 2000. Nearly one-third of the species are regarded as "threatened" -- critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable -- by habitat loss, pollution, disease and invasive species. The Economist/Daily Chart blog (6/16) - UN bolsters Sudan troops amid clashes
More than 120 Bangladeshi peacekeeping troops have been sent by the United Nations into South Kordofan, the Sudanese state where heavy fighting is raging between government troops and armed forces aligned with southern Sudan, which is poised for independence. Refugees have converged on the world body's main base there as a safe haven "where civilians are effectively protected," said a UN official. Google/Agence France-Presse (6/16) - Clinton is concerned over alleged Libya rape campaign
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is calling for a thorough investigation of widespread reports that Libyan troops loyal to Moammar Gadhafi have been under orders to rape women, and have even been given drugs to assist them in carrying out sexual assaults. A Libyan major who deserted told a news organization that Viagra has been given to foreign mercenaries, but not the regular army. BBC (6/16)
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