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- Report: UN failed to protect civilians in Sri Lanka
An internal UN report has found that its own officials did not take sufficient action to prevent civilian deaths during the final phase of the Sri Lankan civil war in May 2009, when government forces achieved total defeat of the Tamil separatists. The UN should "be able to meet a much higher standard in fulfilling its protection and humanitarian responsibilities," according to the report, which will be presented to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today. The Guardian (London) (11/14)      - Israeli foreign minister threatens Palestinian president on UN statehood
If the Palestinians pursue state recognition at the UN, then President Mahmoud Abbas should be removed from office, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman demanded in a document released to the media. "A reality in which the United Nations recognizes a Palestinian state according to a unilateral process will destroy all Israeli deterrence and completely harm its credibility," Lieberman argued in his white paper. The Guardian (London) (11/14) - UN: Contraception access is a human right
For the first time, the UN Population Fund has declared that contraception is a human right -- and that legal, financial and cultural barriers to family planning constitute an infringement of women's rights. The fund estimates that a $4 billion investment in family services could save more than $11 billion in health costs for poor mothers and infants. The Washington Post/The Associated Press (11/14) - Experts call for treaty to combat fake medicines
Public health experts are urging the World Health Organization to draft a global treaty that would crack down on counterfeit medicines by employing the model of tracing and tracking now used to control cigarettes and tobacco. Estimates are that 1 in 10 drugs in developing countries is fake, and as many as a third of all anti-malaria drugs are counterfeit. BBC (11/13) - Ghana partnership promotes clean stoves
Ghanian families can now cook with a clean, highly efficient stove while still using either wood or charcoal, thanks to joint effort by the firm Envirofit International and Ghana's Centre for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development. Envirofit has already delivered more than 8,000 stoves in Ghana, which the company says reduces toxic emissions, cooking time and fuel requirements by 80%, 50% and 60%, respectively. MyJoyOnline.com (Ghana) (11/7)  | - African Union calls for troops to be sent to Mali
The African Union has endorsed a plan, which now needs UN approval, to send more than 3,000 troops to assist Mali in ousting al-Qaida-linked groups from the northern part of the country. The AU deployment will help Mali "regain the occupied regions in the north of the country, dismantle the terrorist and criminal networks and restore effectively the authority of the state," said Ramtane Lamamra, peace and security commissioner for the Economic Community Of West African States. The Guardian (London)/Reuters (11/14) - Survey finds Afghans optimistic
Despite more than a decade of conflict, a survey by the Asia Foundation found that 52% of Afghans surveyed felt the country was going in the right direction, the highest ranking since the annual surveys began in 2004. Most felt their families were more prosperous than under the Taliban, but also supported the government's reconciliation efforts with the group. Fewer Afghans said they had experienced violence or crime compared to previous years as well. CNN (11/14)
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