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- UN resumes Bhutanese refugee aid
The UN World Food Programme has resumed providing food aid to Bhutanese refugees in Nepal after a cash crunch forced the organization to abandon the effort in October. Australia provided $460,000 to the UN to feed some 90,000 Bhutanese refugees, who have been living in UN-directed camps in Nepal since fleeing Bhutan in the early 1990s. A third-country resettlement program has seen 20,000 Bhutanese refugees repatriated to other nations, including Australia. Reuters (11/9)  - UN headquarters to receive energy makeover
The UN's headquarters in New York will receive a makeover to remove asbestos, repair leaks and improve energy efficiency as part of a $2 billion renovation to be completed by 2014. The touch-ups are expected to almost halve the building's energy use. Most UN staff -- as well as the UN General Assembly -- will be removed to a temporary warehouse structure built on the UN campus. ABC News/Christian Science Monitor (11/7)  - Government limits discussion of Ethiopia's growing hunger problems
Drought and hunger are plaguing Ethiopian farmers and their families, threatening a countrywide famine. With elections scheduled for May, the government has instituted strict controls on the release of hunger-related information. Aid agencies that speak about famine can be expelled from the country and organizations are prevented from conducting independent assessments. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (11/6) Top five news stories selected by UN Wire readers in the past week. - Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.
- Tuna's distress a danger for oceans, humans
Half of all tuna species are endangered, overfished or in decline, according to environmentalists. Decreasing tuna stocks threaten to disrupt not only oceans' ecosystems but the lives of millions who make their living from the fish. Efforts to introduce even temporary fishing restrictions and bans have failed. TIME (11/9) - Kenya grapples with attitudes toward gays in HIV/AIDS fight
Kenyan authorities have announced plans to drop a longstanding refusal to acknowledge the existence of same-sex relationships and conduct surveys of gay attitudes and behavior next year as part of an effort to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. Gay sex is illegal in Kenya, but recent studies show 15% of new infections each year are among men who have sex with other men. Some gay-rights advocates worry about individuals being unwillingly exposed and left to face severe social stigma as a result. TIME (11/7) - Iran might offer a nuclear counterproposal
State-owned media in Iran is reporting Iranian officials are prepared to offer a counterproposal to a UN-backed deal on the nation's nuclear development program -- one in which Iran would send 1,800 pounds of its low-enriched uranium abroad in exchange for a nuclear medical reactor. The original proposal would have seen Iran hand over about 2,600 pounds of the material -- 70% of its supply -- to the International Atomic Energy Agency, which would oversee refinement stages in Russia and France. Iran has yet to formally respond to the UN's offer and has not confirmed the counteroffer. Los Angeles Times (11/9) - Suicide bomber attacks Pakistan market, killing anti-Taliban mayor
A suicide bomber attacked a crowded market in a town 10 miles south of the main northwestern city of Peshawar, killing 12 people in advance of a Muslim holiday of Eid. One of those killed was the city's mayor, Abdul Malik, who might have been targeted for reversing his support for the Taliban -- and who has survived several attempts on his life in the past. The Washington Post (11/9) - Iraq overcomes political stalemate to agree on election law
Iraq's parliament overcame weeks of political stalemate Sunday to pass a new election law that paves the way for polls in January. The challenge centered on voter registration for the oil-rich area of Kirkuk, where ethnic Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen are jockeying for power. Iraqi and American officials hope a successful electoral process will help cement democratic practices and allow for the rapid withdrawal of American forces in 2010. The New York Times (11/8) , CNN (11/8) - Thai government cracks down over rumors about king
Drastic swings in Thailand's stock market have been attributed to rumors concerning the health of the nation's beloved monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, prompting Thai authorities to begin cracking down on citizens they allege spread rumors about the king's demise. Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva warned journalists not to carry remarks by ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra given in an interview with The Times of London, over which the current government may pursue charges of lèse majesté. The Christian Science Monitor (11/8) , The Times (London) (11/9) |
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