July 28, 2011 | News covering the UN and the world

	Sign up | E-Mail this | Donate Clashes erupt in Somali capital as UN food aid arrives A day after the UN World Food Programme began delivering emergency food aid to famine-stricken Somalia, heavy fighting erupted in the capital, Mogadishu, where government forces supported by African Union troops tried to dislodge fighters of the Islamist militant group, al-Shabab, from a stadium in the northern part of the city. The clashes were unlikely to affect the airlifting of aid, the initial shipment of which included 10 tons of protein- and calorie-rich foods. Deutsche Welle (Germany) (7/28), BBC (7/28)      UN to stay in Cote d'Ivoire as economic hopes dim U.S. House seeks UN funding cuts Cholera outbreak in Congo infects 4,000, kills 279 Mexican cartels target women for trafficking China admits concerns around Three Gorges Dam India, Pakistan vow to improve relations Career Center Skip to a section: United Nations | Spotlight: U.S.-UN relations | Health & Development | Women & Girls | Climate and Energy | Peacekeeping and Security New booklet of #Declaration on the #Right to #Development. Available in 6 official #UN languages http://bit.ly/nNkgWX #R2D" @UNrightswire "Possibly the worst, most indecent and ultimately shortsighted cut is to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The bill would entirely eliminate American contributions to UNFPA, which currently amount to about $30 million." UN Dispatch UN to stay in Cote d'Ivoire as economic hopes dim The peacekeeping mission in Cote d'Ivoire, which involves some 9,800 troops, was extended for another year Wednesday by a unanimous vote of the United Nations Security Council. The country is struggling to recover from the deadly conflict spurred by the refusal of former leader Laurent Gbagbo to step down despite losing a presidential election, resulting in the deaths of thousands and the contraction of the economy. United Press International (7/27), Google/Agence France-Presse (7/27)      Uptick in ethnic violence in Kosovo prompts UN meeting The United Nations Security Council is slated to meet today behind closed doors, at the request of Serbia, to consider the deteriorating security situation in Kosovo, where violence has spiked between ethnic Albanians and Serbs. Special Kosovo police on Monday seized a border post along the northern boundary with Serbia, and tried to take control of a second, while on Wednesday a customs post was firebombed by about 200 ethnic Serbs. AlertNet/Reuters (7/27), The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (7/27)      U.S. House seeks UN funding cuts A move by a key committee of the U.S. House of Representatives to cut contributions to the United Nations operating budget poses a danger to the country's security interests, development experts warn. "Failing to meet our UN obligations will diminish our ability to leverage the UN in support of vital U.S. national security objectives. Instead of working constructively with other nations, the bill will force the U.S. to go it alone," says the Better World Campaign's executive director, Peter Yeo. Devex.com/Obama's Foreign Aid Reform blog (7/22)      Cholera outbreak in Congo infects 4,000, kills 279 Over the past several months, more than 4,000 Congolese have been infected with cholera across four provinces in the Central African country, resulting in 279 deaths, according to UNICEF. The northeastern Orientale province is the worst affected. The Washington Post/The Associated Press (7/27)      Researchers take aim at infant-mortality rates A solar-powered baby warmer and a hand-powered fetal heart monitor are among the 77 finalists hoping to win grants as part of the Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development process to conduct clinical trials in the developing world. The drive to find innovative tools to decrease infant mortality is being supported by major funders including the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the World Bank. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (7/28)      Other News Local leaders drive increased contraceptive use in Nigeria IRINNews.org (7/27)      Private medical school in Rwanda boosts training, access The New York Times (tiered subscription model)/On the Ground blog (7/27)      Mexican cartels target women for trafficking Politicians and women's rights advocates are searching for ways to combat a move by Mexican drug cartels into the business of human trafficking. Mexico is a major sex-traffic destination and transit point, and the cartels often target immigrant women for capture. The Washington Post (7/27)      China admits concerns around Three Gorges Dam Chinese authorities have acknowledged environmental degradation issues with construction of the country's massive Three Gorges Dam project. Hundreds of thousands of the 1.3 million people relocated to make room for the hydropower dam will likely have to be moved once again, and the government faces a projected $15 billion in costs to finance repairs. The Christian Science Monitor (7/27)      UN program in Uganda is providing biogas for cookstoves In the impoverished northern Karamoja region of Uganda, cattle herders are taking part in a UNICEF-sponsored program that uses cow dung to produce biogas to fuel cooking stoves. The UN children's fund hopes that the pilot program will be adopted across the region to help reduce the environmental effects of wood-gathering, and to protect women who collect firewood from sexual assault by men from rival clans. Al-Jazeera (7/27)      India, Pakistan vow to improve relations A sustained dialogue and increased cooperation is needed to resolve a host of security issues that have kept India and Pakistan at odds, the countries' foreign ministers said after a meeting Wednesday. The two agreed to increase trade in the disputed region of Kashmir as a confidence-building measure ahead of talks on other issues such as nuclear weapons and the use of water in the Indus Valley. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (7/27), CNN (7/27)      North Korea seeks U.S. peace treaty, warns of arms race North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations said the U.S.-led plan to deploy a missile shield in Europe could spur a new nuclear arms race because it is designed not merely to protect the continent from an attack from Iran, but to gain "absolute superiority and global hegemony over the other nuclear power rivals." The country, through its state-run news agency, urged the U.S. on Wednesday to sign a peace treaty officially ending the Korean War ahead of renewed diplomatic talks. Reuters (7/27), The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (7/28)      Other News Palestinian statehood bid is undercut by economic crisis The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (7/27)      EU vows action against radical far-right activities Der Spiegel (Germany) (English online version) (7/27)      Western powers look to avoid years-long Libyan mission The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (7/28)      Anti-corruption efforts prompted coup attempt against Niger president The Christian Science Monitor (7/27)      Program Officer, MHI Open Society Institute, Budapest Budapest, Hungary Advisor, Gender, Diversity and Human Rights (Grade P5) Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Washington, D.C. 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