Fueled in part by a Russian drought that has caused the country to cut its wheat exports, food prices have risen to their highest levels in two years. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization says that food prices have shot up 5% in July and August. Stocks remain high, however, and despite the summer slump, [...]
Ban Ki-moon urges progress on MDGs for women and children
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on delegates to Advance Global Health summit in Melbourne, Australia, to continue to focus on ways to improve women and children’s health initiatives as part of the organization’s Millennium Development Goals. The event brings together charities and aid groups that work with the UN, and comes ahead of a [...]
Women make push for parliament seats in Afghanistan
Amid rising violence throughout Afghanistan and Taliban death threats, women in Afghanistan are running in next month’s parliamentary elections in record numbers. The number of women serving in Afghanistan’s parliament has more than doubled since 2005.
With voting billed for 18 September, Kabul’s streets have been plastered in posters and billboards, many of which show [...]
Mobile service protects against fake malaria drugs
For Africans wondering whether the malaria drugs they’ve bought are real, there may soon be a quick way of finding out: sending a text message.
More than 30% of malaria medicines sold in Africa are reportedly counterfeit, a problem that has led Nigeria to adopt mPedigree, which enables users to independently verify that their anti-malarial drugs [...]
Israel, Palestine to resume direct talks
Direct peace talks between Israel and Palestine could begin as early as September — the first talks since December 2008. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell have urged the resumption of peace talks before the end of the Israeli moratorium on new building in Jewish [...]
Fueled in part by a Russian drought that has caused the country to cut its wheat exports, food prices have risen to their highest levels in two years. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization says that food prices have shot up 5% in July and August. Stocks remain high, however, and despite the summer slump, this year’s food production will still be the third highest on record. Food prices, though rising, remain 38% lower than their high mark in June 2008.
The FAO reduced its global rice output estimate this year to 467 million tons, from 472 million tons in June, after flooding curbed the Pakistan crop.
A lower harvest in Pakistan may reduce global exports to 29 million tons next year. Read more on: The Washington Post and Bloomberg and even DN(Swedish).
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on delegates to Advance Global Health summit in Melbourne, Australia, to continue to focus on ways to improve women and children’s health initiatives as part of the organization’s Millennium Development Goals. The event brings together charities and aid groups that work with the UN, and comes ahead of a September meeting of world leaders in New York City on pursuing MDGs.
Mr Ban told the conference that the UN was falling behind on some of its health goals. “We still have some distance to go,” the UN secretary-general told the opening session by videolink. “I welcome your focus on women’s and children’s health, this is the area where we are most behind.”
Amid rising violence throughout Afghanistan and Taliban death threats, women in Afghanistan are running in next month’s parliamentary elections in record numbers. The number of women serving in Afghanistan’s parliament has more than doubled since 2005.
With voting billed for 18 September, Kabul’s streets have been plastered in posters and billboards, many of which show the faces of would-be female MPs in the capital, the number of whom has more than doubled since 2005. However, many of the posters do not stay up long, or get defaced with slashes of bright red ink. Read more: The Guardian (London) and Reuters
For Africans wondering whether the malaria drugs they’ve bought are real, there may soon be a quick way of finding out: sending a text message.
More than 30% of malaria medicines sold in Africa are reportedly counterfeit, a problem that has led Nigeria to adopt mPedigree, which enables users to independently verify that their anti-malarial drugs are the real thing. The Hewlett-Packard technology assigns unique registration code numbers under a scratch-off-style application on the back of the medicine pack. The system is being adopted by other countries across Africa, and within Nigeria, it is being expanded to verify all medicines. Read more on: Google/The Associated Press
Trees for Life – A story of agroforestry in Malawi.
Farmers have practised agroforestry for years. Agroforestry focuses on the wide range of working trees grown on farms and in rural landscapes. Among these are fertilizer trees for land regeneration, soil health and food security; fruit trees for nutrition; fodder trees that improve smallholder livestock production; timber and fuelwood trees for shelter and energy; medicinal trees to combat disease; and trees that produce gums, resins or latex products. Many of these trees are multipurpose, providing a range of benefits.
Direct peace talks between Israel and Palestine could begin as early as September — the first talks since December 2008. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell have urged the resumption of peace talks before the end of the Israeli moratorium on new building in Jewish settlements and the end of the UN General Assembly session. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas have agreed to a one-year time limit on the talks.
Hamas, the anti-Israel group that runs Gaza, rejected the talks, though the group had not been invited to join them. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zohri said that negotiations until now “did not achieve anything,” and that “these negotiations will not be accepted by the Palestinian people because it is a new trap for the Palestinians.” More on: CNN And on DN (Swedish)
Iranian Atomic Energy Organization officials say the impending Aug. 21 opening of the country’s first nuclear power plant demonstrates Iran’s ability to withstand international pressure and pursue domestic policy goals. Iran is under multiple sets of United Nations-backed sanctions over concerns the country’s nuclear program may be intended to create weapons. Read more on: Bloomberg
Russia says it will undertake a key step next week towards starting up a reactor at Iran’s first nuclear power station.
Russia’s state atomic corporation, which is building the plant, said engineers will begin loading the Bushehr reactor with fuel. Read more on BBC
Prince Charles yesterday urged the world to follow Islamic ’spiritual principles’ in order to protect the environment.
In an hour-long speech, the heir to the throne argued that man’s destruction of the world was contrary to the scriptures of all religions – but particularly those of Islam.
He said the current ‘division’ between man and nature had been caused not just by industrialisation, but also by our attitude to the environment – which goes against the grain of ’sacred traditions’. Read the whole story here!
I want to thank a ChangeMaker student who send me the link to this article. I chose the images (the one on the left is photoshoped)! //Hamid
Afghan human-rights advocates worry an order by the Taliban to stone a couple in Kunduz province Sunday is just the latest sign of the Taliban’s growing confidence in their ability to impose their will on the Afghan population. Witnesses said hundreds of villagers — including family members — participated in carrying out the sentence, which was imposed after the young couple attempted to elope. In Badghis province last week, a Taliban commander ordered a lashing and execution of a woman who became pregnant out of wedlock.
And less than a week earlier, the national Ulema Council brought together 350 religious scholars in a meeting with government religious officials, who issued a joint statement on Aug. 10 calling for more punishment under Shariah law, apparently referring to stoning, amputations and lashings. Read more on: The New York Times
Islamabad, Aug 15 – UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called upon the world to step up assistance to Pakistan, where some 20 million people are affected by the country’s worst floods.
More than 700,000 houses and over 3.2 million hectares of standing crops have been destroyed or damaged, officials said. Ban will hold a joint press conference with Zardari to conclude the day-long visit to Pakistan.
The Pakistani government, the UN and various aid organisations are working day and night to provide food to flood victims, but the numbers of those affected reaches into the millions and the resources at hands are limited. Read more on UN News Center and even the Swedish newspapers DN and SVD
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September 2nd, 2010 
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