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- Ban faces unusual dilemma in Korean crisis
Escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula over charges that Pyongyang sank a naval ship hit home for United Nations Secretary-General and longtime Korean diplomat Ban Ki-moon. It's a rare conundrum -- a UN expert cited here could not come up with an example of a secretary-general confronting an act of aggression against his home country. Now Ban is faced with trying to pressure China -- which backed Ban's candidacy for secretary-general -- to join in the international condemnation of the sinking of the Cheonan. ForeignPolicy.com/Turtle Bay blog (5/24)       - The 10 worst Security Council moves
 Foreign Policy's Turtle Bay looks back over the top 10 worst UN Security Council resolutions in history, a mix of poorly considered decisions that range from ineffective to indecisive to contradictory. A 2006 resolution called for the deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission in Sudan authorized to use force to protect Darfuris -- so long as the Sudanese government approved the mission. The ambiguous UN Security Council Resolution 242, which called for a broader transfer of land seized by Israelis during the Six-Day War back to Arabs when the resolution was rendered in French, is still the subject of debate. ForeignPolicy.com/Turtle Bay blog (5/21) - Men and women face HIV risk during pregnancy
 Both women and men are more susceptible to HIV/AIDS infection during a woman's pregnancy, with the risk to men doubling if their partner is pregnant, according to British researchers who conducted a study in seven African countries. Researchers believe changes in a pregnant woman's immune system may contribute to the increased risk. BBC (5/23) - Can Africa's climate challenges spur growth?
Efforts to turn Africa's climate-change challenges into opportunities for development through the cultivation of biofuel crops such as jatropha are growing. Supporters say such endeavors bring economic gains and provide access to mitigation strategies, while opponents argue increased poverty and poor resource management often accompany projects. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (5/25) - Chinese engineers talk mega-dam for Tibetan river
A proposed mega-dam for the Yarlung Tsangpo river in China that would emerge as the world's largest hydroelectric facility would save millions of tons of carbon emissions every year -- at the cost of water needed downriver by India and Bangladesh. Some 28 dams are being planned for the Yarlung Tsangpo, said to be the last undammed river in Tibet and one of the greatest sources of river energy on the planet. Though it has long been the goal of hydro-engineers to tap river water running from the Himalayan range down to the subcontinent, the Chinese government has not officially approved the project. The Guardian (London) (5/24) - Instability keeps Madagascar from policing forests
Madagascar's political woes are having a detrimental effect on the country's rain forests, as loggers exploit ineffective governance to harvest rare species of rosewood trees and export the timber. Environmentalists say the illegal trade has exploded at least 25-fold since a March 2009 military coup resulted in the installation of a weak government. The New York Times (free registration) (5/24)  | - Arbour: UN needs to review Sri Lanka conduct
 The United Nations should conduct an internal review of its actions during the latter stages of Sri Lanka's war with the Tamil Tigers, Louise Arbour, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, tells Foreign Policy's Turtle Bay. Arbour, now head of the International Crisis Group, believes UN officials should have spoken out more forcefully against abuses, and is critical of a UN decision to evacuate international staff that left Sri Lankan employees vulnerable. ForeignPolicy.com/Turtle Bay blog (5/24) - Israel eases Palestinian road restrictions, but many remain
In a gesture to accommodate U.S. requests for renewed peace talks, Israel has eased certain restrictions on travel for Palestinians in the West Bank -- though 85 manned roadblocks and more than 400 unmanned roadblocks still remain. The U.S. has asked Israel to remove more checkpoints, release some Palestinian prisoners and allow more basic goods through its blockades as an effort to revive negotiations. The mayor of Bethlehem said that the removal of the road opening should significantly increase tourism there, as the road is a short distance from Ramallah. Google/The Associated Press (5/23) - Mugabe cracks down on gay-rights activists for posted letter
Zimbabwean police arrested two members of the Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe organization after they posted a letter from a former U.S. mayor criticizing Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's record on homosexuality and human rights. While arrests of gays in Zimbabwe are rare -- and the pro-gay-rights organization is allowed to operate with impunity -- the country's broad-ranged security laws allow authorities to fine and briefly imprison people for actions or speech seen to undermine Mugabe's authority. The Guardian (London)/The Associated Press (5/25) - 10 years of Hezbollah rule in South Lebanon
To mark the 10th anniversary of the Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon, Hezbollah is staging a series of events to commemorate what it considers its victory then and its successes since. Hezbollah will open a war history museum near the border, an area which Hezbollah controls. The museum guides tourists through the tunnels approximating or marking those used in Hezbollah's campaign against Israel. It is widely believed that Hezbollah continues to use tunnels in the area to store weapons and train its militia. BBC (5/25) - Kingston erupts in violence over drug suspect extradition
The Jamaican capital of Kingston continues to reel from efforts to apprehend and extradite Christopher "Dudus" Coke, a suspected drug kingpin who controls several Kingston neighborhoods. Residents and armed gangs have blocked roads in and around Spanish Town and Kingston in and effort to stymie Jamaican police and authorities, who are seeking to send Coke to the United States for trial on drug charges. CNN (5/24)
- What is the primary benefit of UN peacekeeping operations?
 | Cost-effective solutions for preventing conflict and keeping peace | | Promotion of democratic governance by supporting free and fair elections | | Maintaining stability abroad through conflict prevention and peacemaking | | Sharing the burden of promoting international security with other countries in the world |
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