Tunisia is not a Wiki revolution. The Tunisian people knew about corruption long ago. They alone are the catalysts of this unfolding drama."

U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley. Click here for the full story.

"Yes, most NGOs receive funds from governments (not just USAID, but also European and Asian donor agencies), however, in my experience, funding does not translate to control, or even much influence, over the day-to-day work NGOs carry out."

UN Dispatch

• Friday, January 14, 2011
• Thursday, January 13, 2011
• Wednesday, January 12, 2011
• Tuesday, January 11, 2011
• Monday, January 10, 2011

UN's Ban calls for restraint, dialogue amid Tunisia unrest

A spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged restraint in light of growing unrest in Tunisia, calling upon the government and protesters to seek resolution through dialogue. The Tunisian government, which has detained bloggers, journalists and lawyers, has ordered the indefinite closure of all schools and universities. Deutsche Welle (Germany) (1/11) , BBC (1/10)

• Security Council warns media in Cote d'Ivoire 
• On quake anniversary, Haiti amputees play soccer 
• Does climate change spread tropical diseases? 
• Iran sentences rights lawyer 
• South Korea dismisses North's offer of talks 
• Career Center 
• This week marks the anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti. What issue in Haiti do you think still needs the most attention? 

• Security Council warns media in Cote d'Ivoire
  The United Nations Security Council has called for an end to the use of media to broadcast misleading information in Cote d'Ivoire, warning that such activities have contributed to postelection violence. UN officials say more than 200 people have died since incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo refused to acknowledge results of the country's Nov. 28 elections. Reuters (1/11) 

• U.S. support is lacking for UN resolution on Israel settlements
  The permanent Palestinian observer at the United Nations says that he and others have been unable, thus far, to garner U.S. backing for a draft resolution condemning the continued Israeli construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The resolution, submitted last month, could be considered by the Security Council as early as next week. Reuters (1/10) , Bloomberg (1/7) 

• Other News

• UN's Ban condemns Israeli demolition in East Jerusalem
  Reuters (1/10) 

• On quake anniversary, Haiti amputees play soccer
  A soccer match of young male amputees on a dusty field outside a slum in Haiti served as an inspirational display before the Jan. 12 anniversary of the country's devastating earthquake. "Everything can't get fixed after the earthquake, but life goes on," said one player whose friends used a hacksaw to cut off one of his legs below the knee after they freed him from rubble. Mail & Guardian Online (South Africa) (1/11) 

• Other News

• China battles underdeveloped health detection systems
  The New York Times (free registration) (1/10) 

• Avian flu death statistics outstrip swine flu in Egypt
  IRINNews.org (1/10) 

• East Africa prostitutes disregard condoms if clients pay more
  IRINNews.org (1/10) 

• Does climate change spread tropical diseases?
  Evidence suggests that tropical diseases, such as malaria, are likely to spread as a result of the extreme weather conditions brought about by climate change, yet the theory remains a controversial one among ecologists, climatologists and biologists. Some say new outbreaks of disease in some areas would be offset by reductions elsewhere. The Washington Post (1/10) 

• Other News

• Paleontologist uncovers ancient forest, rural life, in Ethiopia
  NYTimes.com/Scientist at Work blog (1/10) 

• Germany to cull pigs after finding dioxin in pork
  BBC (1/11) 

• Iran sentences rights lawyer
  Iranian authorities have jailed lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh for 11 years and barred her from practice for 20 years resulting from charges of propaganda and activists detrimental to national security. Sotoudeh, lauded by rights activists for her defense of women and children, was arrested in September and has conducted hunger strikes to protest her treatment. The New York Times (free registration) (1/10) , The Guardian (London)(1/10) 

• Interview with missing Chinese lawyer is published
  Chinese human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng detailed abuse and mistreatment in detention eight months ago during a rare interview with The Associated Press, telling interviewers his story should not be published unless he was able to secure asylum outside China or if he disappeared again. Zhisheng, who has been missing for almost two years in total, has not been seen since giving the interview. Yahoo!/The Associated Press (1/10) , The Guardian (London) (1/10) 

• Other News

• Pope urges changes to Pakistan's blasphemy laws
  The Globe and Mail (Toronto)/Reuters (1/10) 

• South Korea dismisses North's offer of talks
  North Korean officials called for talks with South Korea on economic ties Monday, in the first conciliatory effort since Pyongyang authorized a military strike on Yeonpyeong Island. South Korea immediately dismissed the offer as an attempt to wrangle food aid.The New York Times (free registration) (1/10) 

• Spain rejects Basque cease-fire offer
  Spanish officials say a unilateral cease-fire called by the Basque separatist group ETA on Monday is not sufficient to ensure an end to decades of conflict. ETA called for political negotiations on Basque independence and international verification of the cease-fire. Spanish authorities say the government will continue to demand an unconditional surrender. The New York Times (free registration) (1/10) 

• Turkish monument meant to heal divisions sows them anew
  Construction has been stopped on a highly symbolic monument in Turkey because political leaders say it is being built on the site of a 16th century military emplacement and is too close to an 11th century Islamic shrine. The 35-meter-tall work of a divided human figure represents the pain of separation and hope of reconciliation between Turks and Armenians. The Toronto Star/The Associated Press (1/10) 

• Other News

• Border clash kills dozens as southern Sudan votes
  AlertNet/Reuters (1/11) 

• NATO airstrike is blamed for Afghan police deaths
  The New York Times (free registration) (1/10) 

Senior Officer, Medical Safety The Pew Charitable Trusts Washington, DC Program Associate - NYC Office Arcus Foundation New York, NY Communications Associate United Nations Foundation Washington, DC Legislative Associate United Nations Foundation Washington, DC Special Events Associate United Nations Foundation Washington, DC Administrative Assistant, Global Health United Nations Foundation Washington, DC Director of Operations, mHealth Alliance United Nations Foundation Washington, DC

• This week marks the anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti. What issue in Haiti do you think still needs the most attention? 
  

	Building infrastructure
	Providing medical services
	Improving access to resources
	Rehabilitating the government
	Protecting women and girls from violence

• United Nations
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UN Radio News Service

Thousands displaced by ethnic violence in Cote d'Ivoire. UN Radio

Southern Sudan referendum voting begins

Southern Sudanese voters began lining up hours before polls opened Sunday for a referendum widely expected to result in independence from Khartoum. Celebrations erupted in the southern Sudanese capital Juba as polls opened. Voting will continue for a week, and electoral officials predict it will take a week to count votes. The New York Times (free registration)(1/10) , The Toronto Star (1/9)

• Rights groups ask UN to publish Darfur reports 
• UN faces food aid decisions amid falling donations 
• Study: Climate-change effects are unavoidable 
• Belarus eyes more opposition targets 
• Israel pursues settlements in disputed territories 
• Career Center 
• This week marks the anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti. What issue in Haiti do you think still needs the most attention? 

• Rights groups ask UN to publish Darfur reports
  Thousands have fled their homes in light of renewed fighting in the Darfur region of Sudan, prompting human rights groups to call upon the United Nations to publish reports on abuses. "The UN should at the very least provide regular, thorough and independent public reports on the humanitarian and human rights situation," says a statement by the 17 groups. Reuters (1/8) 

• Other News

• Palestinians to seek UN recognition for state in September
  Google/The Associated Press (1/10) 

• UN faces food aid decisions amid falling donations
  The international financial crisis has caused donor countries to look inward, and funding levels have tumbled for the UN World Food Program, which in 2010 received only about half of the $7 billion that it requested. Consequently, aid workers must decide who is fed, and who isn't, among the 100 million people in 73 countries that the program serves. Spiegel Online (Germany) (1/7) 

• Tensions rise over quality of life at Mali World Heritage site
  The designation of 150-year-old mud-brick houses in eastern Mali as a World Heritage site by UNESCO is seen as both a boon, and a bane, by their inhabitants. "When a town is put on the heritage list, it means nothing should change. But we want development, more space, new appliances," says one resident. The New York Times (free registration) (1/8) 

• Other News

• Major funders of world health research reach deal to share data
  AlertNet/Reuters (1/10) 

• Lead fumes from illegal China battery factory sicken kids
  The New York Times (free registration) (1/9) 

Top five news stories selected by UN Wire readers in the past week.

• U.S. warns sources on possible WikiLeaks blowback (The New York Times (free registration))

• Ban Ki-moon expounds on need for UN (The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia))

• Rats that can sniff out TB (The New York Times (free registration))

• UNFAO food price index rises sharply (The New York Times (free registration))

• Archaeologists discover evidence of early sea voyages (The Globe and Mail (Toronto))

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

• Study: Climate-change effects are unavoidable
  Carbon dioxide already emitted will remain in the atmosphere for centuries, Canadian scientists say in a study published in the journal Nature Geoscience. Researchers warned higher sea levels and Antarctic ice melt are unavoidable even if there was an immediate switch away from the use of fossil fuels. AlertNet/Reuters (1/9) 

• Inflation sows political, economic jitters among BRIC nations
  The world's largest emerging countries are raising interest rates, and trying novel methods to stem the rise of food prices, in a bid to combat swift-moving inflation. The so-called BRIC nations -- Brazil, Russia, India and China -- account for nearly a fifth of the global economy and they fear the rise in food prices could sow social instability.The Wall Street Journal (1/8) 

• Belarus eyes more opposition targets
  Belarusian authorities have indicated security services are investigating the 3-year-old son of former presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov, who is in detention along with his wife. Authorities have rounded up dozen of opposition supporters and dissidents since the country's disputed December presidential elections. The New York Times (free registration) (1/9) 

• Blasphemy law supporters march in Pakistan
  About 50,000 people took to the streets of Karachi on Sunday to protest any changes to Pakistan's controversial blasphemy law, according to local authorities. Discussion over the law has intensified around the case of a woman facing the death penalty, and the assassination of the Punjab governor last week for supporting changes to the legislation. AlertNet/Reuters (1/9) 

• Young children in Bangladesh are kidnapped, forced to beg
  Human rights campaigners in Bangladesh have helped to uncover a practice by which criminal gangs abduct children and force them to beg on the streets of the capital, Dhaka, seizing their earnings of about $10 to $20 per day. Recently at least five children between 7 and 8 years old were held for months in confined spaces, including barrels, and deprived of food before being sent out on the streets. The Guardian (London) (1/9) 

• Other News

• Has Suu Kyi's release affected Myanmar sanctions?
  TIME (1/7) 

• Tunisian authorities free dissident rapper after widespread unrest
  AlertNet/Reuters (1/9) 

• Israel pursues settlements in disputed territories
  Israel has leveled part of a landmark East Jerusalem hotel, which Palestinians claim was illegally seized in 1967, in order to make way for a new Jewish settlement. Similar construction in the occupied West Bank has spurred a boycott by some 165 Israeli professors of a university in the Ariel settlement. BBC (1/9) , Al-Jazeera (1/9) 

• Decapitations are becoming more frequent in Mexico drug war
  Mexican authorities discovered the bodies of 15 men -- 14 of them beheaded -- tagged with messages from a powerful drag cartel in Acapulco on Saturday. The weekend's grisly discovery was the largest number of victims beheaded in a group in recent years, with security officials expressing concern over the increasing use of decapitations as a show of strength in Mexico's drug war. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)/The Associated Press (1/8) 

• Other News

• German government seeks Afghan withdrawal in 2011
  The Globe and Mail (Toronto)/Reuters (1/8) 

• Saudis issue warrants for dozens of suspected al-Qaida
  AlertNet/Reuters (1/9) 

• How many radical Islamists work in Pakistan security forces?
  TIME (1/8) 

• Clan violence is disrupting life in Papua New Guinea
  IRINNews.org (1/7) 

Communications Associate United Nations Foundation Washington, DC Legislative Associate United Nations Foundation Washington, DC Special Events Associate United Nations Foundation Washington, DC Administrative Assistant, Global Health United Nations Foundation Washington, DC Director of Operations, mHealth Alliance United Nations Foundation Washington, DC Program Associate - NYC Office Arcus Foundation New York, NY

• This week marks the anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti. What issue in Haiti do you think still needs the most attention? 
  

	Building infrastructure
	Providing medical services
	Improving access to resources
	Rehabilitating the government
	Protecting women and girls from violence

• United Nations
• Secretary-General
• UN News Centre
• Key UN Bodies, Agencies, Funds and Programs
• UN Foundation
• UN Dispatch

UN Radio News Service

OCHA: Haiti school children at risk of contracting cholera. UN Radio

Despite gloomy forecasts, Sudan vote could come off without war

Chances are diminishing that a civil war will start anew after the scheduled Jan. 9 referendum on independence for southern Sudan. Neither Islamists in the north, nor former rebels in the south, appear to have the stomach for more war even though the south is likely to split the county in two, and to take most of the country's oil with it. The New York Times (free registration) (1/2)

• Ban Ki-moon expounds on need for UN 
• Education for Afghan children remains a challenge 
• Companies prepare for new EU carbon guidelines 
• Belarus ousts OSCE over election criticisms 
• Pakistan's government teeters 
• Career Center 
• How likely are you to use text-to-give to contribute to your favorite causes? 

• Ban Ki-moon expounds on need for UN
  In an op-ed closing out 2010 and ringing in 2011, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon discusses the world body's successes in building civil society, fighting hunger and disease and leading global efforts to counteract climate change by encouraging carbon emissions curbs. The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) (12/31) 

• UN implicates Gbagbo supporters in killings
  A UN investigator says he has gathered evidence showing that supporters of intransigent Cote d'Ivoire President Laurent Gbagbo have carried out extrajudicial killings of opponents since the Nov. 28 poll in which the incumbent was widely seen to have lost to Alassane Ouattara. About 200 people reportedly have been killed, or disappeared, in the standoff. BBC (1/2) , Reuters (1/3) 

• Other News

• Ban exchange hints at pursuit of second term
  ForeignPolicy.com/Turtle Bay blog (1/1) 

• Education for Afghan children remains a challenge
  An estimated 5 million Afghan children were prevented from attending school thanks to a combination of security concerns and society's traditional dictates in 2010, according to the Ministry of Education. One deterrent, ministry officials said, was the lack of female teachers combined with the unwillingness on the part of families to permit male instructors. AlertNet/Reuters (1/1) 

• South Africa's traditional rulers seek place in modern life
  Tribal rulers no longer enjoy the level of power traditionally associated with their kingdoms and are struggling to define their place in modern South Africa. While the tribal kings still enjoy privileges such as official government recognition and financial support from taxpayers, many within South African society are critical of the traditional leaders. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (1/2) 

• Other News

• Women are closing gender gap in Islamic finance across Asia
  Bloomberg (1/3) 

• Record Australia floods are harming farmland, coal exports
  Reuters (1/3) 

Top five news stories selected by UN Wire readers in the past week.

• Satellites to be used to monitor Sudan for atrocities (Reuters)

• World's rural poor embrace renewable energy (The New York Times (free registration))

• Israel to skip UN racism summit (Google)

• 2011 to be a busy year for the UN (ForeignPolicy.com)

• UN convoy attacked in Cote d'Ivoire (AlertNet)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

• Companies prepare for new EU carbon guidelines
  As the implementation deadline for new regulations in the European Union's carbon emissions trading scheme approaches, companies are scrambling to ensure their operations take into account new limits and financial costs. As of 2013, companies will face strict guidelines on the amount of emissions they can create without incurring additional financial costs. Der Spiegel (Germany) (English online version) (12/30) 

• Climate change is reducing yields of famous Indian tea
  Global warming is taking a toll on the centuries-old tea gardens in the northeastern Assam region of India, which yields some 55% of the country's tea. Production, as well as uniformity of quality of the famous tea, has been falling dramatically over the past several years because of rising temperatures and erratic rainfall patterns. The Independent (London) (1/3) 

• Other News

• China to reprocess own nuclear fuel via new technology
  BBC (1/3) 

• Efforts to preserve Mesopotamian ruins intensify
  The New York Times (free registration) (1/2) 

• Belarus ousts OSCE over election criticisms
  Belarus has announced that it will shutter the offices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, whose monitors criticized the recent presidential poll over which opposition candidates and demonstrators were arrested and beaten. The OSCE, which is resisting the move, has had a presence in Minsk, the capital, since 1998. The Washington Post (1/1) 

• ICC acknowledges probe into Bashir's finances
  International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has confirmed charges contained in a leaked diplomatic cable concerning allegations against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. According to the cable released by WikiLeaks, evidence has surfaced that Bashir skimmed as much as $9 billion from Sudan's oil revenues and placed the money in personal accounts in foreign banks. The New York Times (free registration) (1/1) 

• Other News

• Russian opposition politician jailed over protest
  BBC (1/2) 

• Pakistan's government teeters
  The Pakistani government took a hit Sunday when the second largest political party in the ruling coalition, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, announced it would defect to the opposition. The MQM has been critical of the government from the inside in recent weeks, charging poor governance was costing Pakistan in terms of economy and security. Observers warn the move could prompt a no-confidence vote against the government and early elections. The Washington Post (1/3) 

• Palestinians say peace is within grasp, put onus on Israel
  Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority, said on Sunday that a peace agreement with Israel could be reached within two months if only Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were truly prepared to make decisions. Palestinian and Arab negotiators have prepared a UN draft resolution urging Israel to stop building Jewish settlements in areas seen as Palestinian, a measure the United States opposes.Bloomberg (1/2) , Google/Agence France-Presse (1/1) 

• Mali looks to development to counter militancy
  Malian authorities are rolling out a new national development plan to improve infrastructure, increase access to education and create jobs in a bid to battle militancy and drug trafficking. Mali has been battling in recent years to limit an infiltration of al-Qaida fighters into the country. The New York Times (free registration) (1/1) 

• Other News

• Church bombing highlights sectarian tensions in Egypt
  The New York Times (free registration) (1/2) 

• Colombia eyes land reform to end violence
  TIME (12/31) 

• Rousseff is sworn in as Brazil's first female president
  The Globe and Mail (Toronto)/Reuters (1/1) 

Director International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR-Net) New York, NY Executive Assistant Arcus Foundation New York, NY Program Associate - NYC Office Arcus Foundation New York, NY

• How likely are you to use text-to-give to contribute to your favorite causes? 
  

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Ban Ki-moon: Will of the people in Cote d'Ivoire must be upheld UN Radio