by John Boonstra

As reported by Reuters, the violence in Somalia, according to a high-ranking UN official, has generated a humanitarian emergency eclipsing even that of Darfur:

High levels of malnutrition and the difficulties of delivering aid make Somalia the world's most pressing humanitarian crisis, the U.N. refugee agency's representative there said on Tuesday.

More than 1 million people have fled their homes in Somalia, which is convulsed by fighting between Ethiopian-backed government forces, Islamist insurgents and an assortment of warlords.

"I've never seen anything like Somalia before," Guillermo Bettocchi, representative of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said during a visit to London.

"The situation is very severe. It is the most pressing humanitarian emergency in the world today -- even worse than Darfur," he told reporters, referring to the war in western Sudan, which has driven 2.5 million from their homes.

A bomb attack which killed three foreign aid workers in Somalia on Monday underlined the difficulty in delivering aid in the anarchic country that has been wracked by clan violence for 17 years, he said.

Fifteen percent of the population suffer acute malnutrition while health services are very limited and sanitation, water and shelters are extremely poor, Bettocchi said.

While a remarkably broad grass-roots constituency has propelled Darfur to the forefront of US media attention -- at least relative to other enduring African conflicts -- the ongoing chaos in Somalia has been relatively ignored. Lacking the moral impetus of "the g-word," Somalia's humanitarian disaster has not galvanized US activists as has Darfur, which can be easily oversimplified and digested as genocidal "Arab" militias attacking black "African" civilian victims. Somalia's diverse array of armed groups and history of instability foster an impression that this conflict is particularly intractable.

The images many Americans retain of Somalia are scenes from the movie "Black Hawk Down," which recounts the story of the 18 US marines killed and dragged through the streets of Mogadishu in 1993. That debacle set the stage for US inaction during the frantic Rwandan genocide of 1994, and it has left a persistent bad taste in the mouths of American politicians considering taking action in Somalia.

Despite this deterrent, the US has quietly involved itself in supporting Somalia's transitional, Ethiopian-backed government, even providing military aid to Ethiopia's counter-offensive against Islamists a year ago. The US should back up its interest in combating terrorism in Somalia by fully supporting the United Nations' efforts to improve the country's dire humanitarian situation. While Somalia lacks Darfur's admittedly grim prospects for speedily deployed UN peacekeepers, the UN -- through the World Food Program, OCHA, and other agencies -- has provided valuable food and medical care for displaced Somalis. Unfortunately, operating in an environment of utter insecurity, with only a beleaguered African Union force for protection, these humanitarian programs require continued support and enhanced security to fulfill their crucial missions.

Humanitarian crises should not be compared to one another, of course, and the scale of the disaster in Somalia does not diminish the urgency of responding to the atrocities in Darfur. Nor should the sheer enormity of the dangers faced by an entire region deter the world community from concerted action to improve each scenario. DR Congo, we mustn't forget, remains one of the deadliest areas of the world, and Kenya's recent political violence has exploded into something far more sinister

Four years ago, Darfur was characterized as "the world's worst humanitarian disaster." This mantle has since passed, but it would be a true tragedy to allow the crises in either Darfur or Somalia to continue to languish -- whether on the front page or under the radar.

From the UN News Center:

Warning that violence in Kenya could spiral out of control, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced plans to visit the country, where more than 800 people have already lost their lives in intensifying ethnic clashes triggered by the aftermath of recent elections.

Speaking to reporters in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, Mr. Ban called on the Kenyan people to "stop the killings and end the violence now, before it is too late."

More than a quarter of a million people have been forced to flee their homes due to the violence, which began late last year after Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner over opposition leader Raila Odinga in December elections.

Read more.

The last Republican debate before Super Tuesday was held last night at the Reagan Library in California as Guiliani and Edwards drop out. Serbia also held it's last televised debate before the presidential run-off on Sunday between incumbent and supporter of EU membership Boris Tadic and nationalist Tomislav Nikolic, who supports closer ties with Russia. Both oppose Kosovo's independence.

• 50 million sinks without trace as Rudy Guiliani is knocked out without landing a punch

• About those helicopters... - Mark Goldberg

• Fidel and Raul Castro Win, of Course, but Raúl Wins Bigger
• Iraq conflict has killed a million Iraqis: survey
• Italy heads for interim rule
• Slovakia delays EU treaty vote
• Ex-Bangladesh PM's trial starts
• Italy president to meet potential PM over crisis
• Ex-judge lambasts Musharraf
• Shell warns on Nigeria operations
• U.N. extends Ethiopia-Eritrea force mandate 6 months
• Tempers flare amid China holiday rail havoc
• Ready to quit Afghanistan, Canada PM tells Bush
• Abbas sets conditions for Gaza talks with Hamas
• World Briefing | Middle East: Rare Snowstorm

Here on UN Dispatch we have been following the saga of the missing helicopters for UNAMID, the AU/UN Peacekeeping mission in Darfur. So far, for want of 24 helicopters, the mission has not been able to project the kind of force and agility needed to make the operation a success. The lack of helicopters--a critical component of any peacekeeping mission in a place as vast as Darfur-- serves as a reminder that member states' rhetoric about the urgency of the situation in Darfur stands in stark contrast to the actions they are willing to take to help solve the crisis.

Thankfully, Senators Biden and Lugar have co-sponsored a Senate resolution to urge their own government--and governments around the world--to support the deployment of helicopters to Darfur. Here's how you can take action to support the Biden-Lugar resolution.

John McCain won a close Florida primary last night, solidifying his status as the frontrunner in the race to be the Republican nominee.  Rumors suggest that Rudy Guiliani, who finished a distant third, will endorse McCain today in advance of the last Republican debate in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. And Russia, apparently, is beautiful from the hard court to the barracks.

>>An internal report on Israeli leadership during the 2006 war in Lebanon is set to be released today, both threatening the government of PM Olmert and putting Defense Minister Ehud Barak in a tight spot. Barak has pledged to pull the Labor Party out of the government coalition when the report is release, which would bring down the government at a time when the right-wing Likud Party is riding high in public opinion. 

>>The IMF has lowered its global forecast for economic growth this year, but stopped short of predicting a global recession. The forecast for the U.S. is depressing, but for Africa -- not too bad.  The IMF also smirked at the idea of "de-coupling."  Meanwhile the House passed the President's stimulus plan, now on its way to the Senate.

>>Be careful what you post on YouTube. The White House slapped U.S. Ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad on the wrist today for sitting next to Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki at Davos.

• PSA - Mark Goldberg
• Superbowl 2007 Flashback - Mark Goldberg
• As Kenya Falls Apart, the Diaspora Responds - Mark Goldberg

• UN's Ethiopia-Eritrea force at risk
• Ahmadi-Nejad under fire over jobless
• Somalia is worst humanitarian crisis: UN official
  
• Children die in S Lanka bus blast
• Italy's ex-PM urges snap election
• Syria arrests prominent dissident
  
• Rising Costs Force Haiti's Poor to Resort to Dirt as Food
• Mukasey Is Mum on Waterboarding
• Gunmen Captured After Standoff in Venezuela
• Strong East Timor quake triggers tsunami warning
• Spain's voters wooed with tax cut pledges
• Afghan blasphemy death backed
• S.Lanka bombs rebel positions, army blamed for blast
• Iran approaching nuclear "peak": Ahmadinejad says
• Kosovo independence declaration possible in 10 days
• 'Leading Pakistani militant' held
• Canada isotope plant 'was unsafe'
• Gaddafi warns Africa over unity
  
  

Jonny Goldstein, proprietor of Jonny's Par-tay, a live video webcast program, invited me to be his guest on tomorrow's show. Jonny specializes in new media issues and he asked me to talk a bit about blogging about the UN, as well as some of UN Dispatch's partners such as On Day One and Nothing But Nets. The format looks quite innovative as viewers have the opportunity to write in and ask questions during the show. Tune at 9 pm EST.

The World Food Program commercial featuring Reggie Bush

A conciliatory political leader in Kenya was shot to death in his driveway last night. The indispensable Jeffrey Gettleman reports from the scene

Mr. Were was an opposition politician who had resisted his party's often belligerent talk. He had married a woman of another ethnic group, built bridges in the slums with his own money and sponsored teenage mothers to go to college. As Kenya slid into chaos this past month after a disputed election, he shuttled between leaders of different ethnic groups and was actually organizing a peace march the night before he died.

"Whoever did this," said Elizabeth Mwangi, a friend, "has killed the dreams of many."

As violence persists in Kenya, the diaspora here in the United States is taking action. Last week, we told you about Ushahidi, the interactive website that uses a google maps mash-up to let users report acts of violence in Kenya. Vuma Kenya, the group behind Ushahidi, is also raising money to help fill the $15 million gap faced by relief agencies such as the Kenya Red Cross Society as they respond to the emerging humanitarian crises.

You can help by donating to the Kenyan Red Cross Society. Readers in the Boston area should also head to The Roxy on Tremont Street, where Vuma Kenya is hosting a benefit concert.

President Bush delivered his last State of the Union last night, but most attention is focused on today's Republican primary in Florida.  A West Virginia major used a magazine containing  his photo as an ID at airport security, and a New Jersey cop left his fellow officers a few going away presents.

Public health workers in Europe have found significant resistance to Tamiflu, as the number of bird flu deaths in Indonesia eclipses 100. Roche, the company that manufactures Tamiflu, has sold 220,000,000 treatments for stockpiles in 85 countries.

Gorbachev has openly criticized the state of the Russian electoral system, while Putin's chosen successor, Medvedev, has ruled out TV debates with his remaining opponents. The Kremlin also warned the U.S. and EU that it would take unidentified measures if Kosovo declares independence.

The worst snowstorm in a half century has paralyzed large swaths of China as many are travelling for the Lunar New Year celebration. Twenty four have died, and as many of 600,000 train passengers are stranded in Guangzhou.

An opposition MP, Melitus Were, was killed yesterday, sparking yet another wave of violence through a Nairobi slum. Fighting continued in the Rift Valley.  Reports suggest that helicopters firing rubber bullets, made an attempt to curb attacking Kikuyu in Naivasha.

• Gabbing on Law of the Sea - Mark Goldberg
• Holocaust remembrance day at the UN - Mark Goldberg

• China Allows U.S. Port Call in Hong Kong
  - by David Lague (NY Times)
• Israel won't resist Abbas control at Egypt crossing
  - by Reuters
• EU launches Chad protection force
  - by BBC News
• Congo ceasefire broken, rebels and militia clash
  - by Reuters
• OPEC May Cut Output in Spring
  - by Spencer Swartz and Neil King Jr. (WSJ)
• Fed expected to cut rates again
  - by Krishna Guha (FT)
• Hunt for 'Dr Horror' after police close clinic in kidney swaps raid
  - by Jeremy Page (Times)
• Morocco arrests suspect in 2004 Madrid bombings
  - by Reuters
• Russia to limit election monitors
  - by BBC News
• Boom time hits Cambodia, but not all are smiling
  - by Reuters
• Chad peacekeepers get Brussels green light
  - by Rory Watson (Times)
• Europe Offers Serbia Deal to Sway Vote
  - by Dan Bilefsky and Stephen Castle (NY Times)
• In Turkey, a Step to Allow Head Scarves
  - by Sabrina Tavernise (NY Times)
• US jails Colombian rebel leader
  - by BBC News
• Brazil Seeks to Build Nuclear Submarine
  - by Stan Lehman (Washington Post)
• Myanmar junta charges leading protesters
  - by Reuters
• Car Bomb Blast in Algeria Kills 2
  - by AP (NY Times)
• Somali insurgents in deadly fight
  - by BBC News

On UN Plaza this week, Scott Paul of The Washington Note and Citizens for Global Solutions explains why the US Senate should ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Click here to tell your senator to support ratification.

The UN marked Holocaust remembrance day yesterday. From the UN News Center

As the global community today marked the third International Day in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the occasion should serve to honour the victims and educate future generations.

In a message on the Day, the Secretary-General said it is not enough to remember, honour and grieve for the dead. "As we do, we must also educate, nurture and care for the living."

Then, in a not so subtle swipe at the leader of a member state, Ban added.

"To those who claim that the Holocaust never happened, or has been exaggerated, we respond by reiterating our determination to honour the memory of every innocent man, woman and child murdered at the hands of the Nazis and their accomplices."

Read more.

Obama won the S.C. democratic primary, and today he picks up a key endorsement. President Bush delivers his final State of the Union tonight. And Bono is engaging in iPod diplomacy.

>>Right-wing ally of ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra, Samak Sundaravej, was elected Prime Minister of Thailand, returning the nation to civilian rule. As well as being a former governor, PM Sundaravej was once a popular TV chef. Some suspect that his only goal as PM will be to rescind the five-year political ban on Shinawatra, so that he can then return to his former position. 

>>In what appears to be Kikuyu retribution for previous violence undertaken by opposition leader Odinga's Luo tribe, gangs armed with rods and machetes rampaged through Rift Valley towns over the weekend, leaving up to 70 dead.  In Naivasha, the home of Kenya's flower industry, eight were burned alive locked inside a house.  In a continuing effort to stem the violence, former Secretary General Kofi Annan met with opposition leader Odinga.

>>In some of the worst violence in Beirut in two decade, eight were shot dead during protests over electricity rationing.  According to Lebanon's military, generally considered impartial, it is not yet clear who is responsible.  The dead have been identified as Hezbollah members of the Amal opposition.   

>>As Russia completed the last of eight uranium shipments for Iran's Bushehr nuclear reactor, the Kremlin has barred Michael Kasyanov, the last liberal opponent of Dmitri Medvedev, from the presidential election, claiming that a significant portion of the signatures he needed to register his candidacy were faked. 

>>Former Indonesian dictator Suharto died yesterday after a protracted illness that left the country split on whether he was 'father of the nation' or a 'criminal.'

>>Representatives from more than 100 nations met in Bali at a UN anti-corruption conference to develop new ways to stem the flow of billions of dollars taken by corrupt governments from their people.

Quotes of the Day

"There will be no celebration. I will continue with my normal life."
-New Thai PM Samak Sundaravej

"We have moved out to revenge the deaths of our brothers and sisters who have been killed, and nothing will stop us,"
-Anthony Mwangi, Kikuyu involved in the bloodshed over the weekend

The Rest of the Story

• Israel Vows Not to Block Supplies to Gaza
  - by Steven Erlanger (NY Times)
• 13 Arrested in Push to Stifle Turkish Ultranationalists Suspected in Political Killings
  - by Sabrina Tavernise (NY Times)
• Karzai blocks Ashdown role in Afghanistan
  - by Julian Borger (Guardian)
• Gazans head home as Egypt chokes off supplies
  - by Will Rasmussen (Reuters)
• Guyana deaths spark village anger
  - by the BBC
• Beijing Unveils 'Watercube' Swimming Venue for 2008 Olympics
  - by Fox News
• 'Scores die' in Sri Lanka clashes
  - by the BBC
• Yemen's Counterterrorism Unit
  - by the NY Times (Multimedia)
• Sri Lanka says weekend death toll hits 79, most rebels
  - by Reuters
• India bird flu disease 'alarming'
  - by the BBC
• Yemen's Deals With Jihadists Unsettle the U.S.
  - by Robert F. Worth (NY Times)
• Lyon Journal: Smitten by Lyon, a Visitor Tries to Recreate the Magic
  - by Elaine Sciolino (NY Times)
• Tuna Sales Halt Urged
  - by Reuters
• Turkish court hears 'insult' case
  - by the BBC
• 'Tantric Master' Sets Record for Being Engulfed in Ice
  - by Fox News
• Dead Spy Satellite Could Hit Earth Within a Month
  - by Fox News
• Killer of Human Rights Activist Sentenced
  - by Tom Wright (WSJ)
• Mozambique to forcibly evacuate 10,000 from floods
  - by Charles Mangwiro (Reuters)
• Militia kill 21 in West Darfur-residents, rebels
  - by Opheera McDoom (Reuters)

It is easy to get bogged down in the details of today's New York Times piece on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations hearing on alleged improprieties involving the United Nations Development Program's (UNDP) operations in North Korea. The basic story is this: Last year, the United States Mission to the UN accused the UNDP of channeling millions of dollars to the regime of Kim Jong Il. Amidst these allegations, the UNDP, which coordinates development and aid assistance across UN agencies, suspended its operations.

At the time, news outfits predisposed to bashing the United Nations, notably Wall Street Journal's editorial page, decided that this was the next Oil for Food scandal. In a January 19, 2007 op-ed, Melanie Kirkpatrick "broke" the story by obtaining a letter to the UNDP from an official at the US-UN mission, Ambassador Mark Wallace, that detailed the allegations. Kirkpatrick alleged that hundreds of millions of UN development dollars may have been diverted to the coffers of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. The WSJ promptly branded this "Cash for Kim" scandal.

Ambassador Mark Wallace subsequently said that the amount of money alleged to have illegally gone from the UNDP to North Korea was somewhere in the $2-3 million range and was used by Kim Jong Il to purchase weaponry and real estate abroad. To be sure, this is a far cry from the hundreds of millions of dollars floated by the Wall Street Journal. Still, it is not an insignificant sum, and rightly deserved to be investigated.

The senate subcommittee did its due diligence. And what did Senate investigators find? Well, mostly that the initial allegations were baseless. From the New York Times:

At the hearing the chairman, Senator Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat, pressed Mr. Wallace repeatedly to say whether, with what he knew now, he could still make the same charges he had made last year.

Mr. Wallace said that he did not know the specific amounts of money involved because of the difficulty of tracking transactions in North Korea, and added that they could be even higher than he had estimated.

In an interview outside the hearing room, Mr. Levin expressed frustration at the answer. "I gave him a chance on at least three occasions to acknowledge that some of the points that he made back in May were inaccurate at the time, perhaps based on information that he interpreted, but that nonetheless, he could not make those statements now," Mr. Levin said.

"That doesn't mean he lied," Mr. Levin added. "It does mean that he said things at the time that he now knows are not accurate."

The real scandal here is that editorialists with an axe to grind at the Wall Street Journal could turn this nonsense into a "scandal" in the first place.

Roger Federer's grand slam winning streak finally came to an end.  The wife of a Fairfax county school administrator left a message on the answering machine of a student who called her husband at home...and it is all the rage on YouTube.

Top Stories

>>The five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany have agreed on a draft resolution enacting a new round of sanctions against Iran -- including a new restriction on those exporting to Iran and a stricter ban on travel for Iranian nuclear scientists. It is unlikely that the resolution will be introduced in the Council until next month, at which time Iran has agreed to the IAEA to answer remaining questions on its nuclear program.

>>Brazil announced yesterday that the rate of Amazon rainforest destruction increased roughly 400 percent from August to December 2007.  President Lula da Silva has vowed a 25 percent increase in the region's police force.

>>U.S. Secretary of Defense Gates said that the U.S. was prepared to send troops to assist Pakistan in fighting militants. Meanwhile, police in Indian-controlled Kashmir have killed a top commander of the pro-Pakistani Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami militant group, who was the mastermind of three bombings in Uttar Pradesh last November.

>>The EU member states' foreign ministers are expected to agree to a 1,800-person stabilization force for Kosovo on Monday, under the expectation that it will soon declare independence from Serbia.  Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaci has said that it is only a matter of days.

>>Italy's Prime Minister Romano Prodi has resigned after losing a vote of confidence in the Senate.  President Giorgio Napolitano is holding emergency meetings with political leaders in an effort to avoid snap elections.

>>Amid continuing violence, warring Kenyan political leaders met for the first time face to face, along with Kofi Annan, who is facilitating the negotiations. Even the most optimistic analysts agree that this is at best the first step in a long process.

The Rest of the Story

• Egypt moves to seal Gaza border
• The U.S.'s Weighty Role on the World Stage
• Russia Talks of a Stability Beyond Ties to the U.S.
• Frailty of U.S. Finances Has Japanese Agonizing
• Arms control role for Wolfowitz
• Britain: Plan to Hold Terror Suspects 42 Days
• Finland: Sexual Harassment in Parliament
• Turkey to Alter Speech Law
• Face recognition technique aids security - and lookalike searches
• Al Arabiya 'Chickens-to-Terror' Promo Ad Is a Head-Scratcher
• Senators Criticize U.N. Program in North Korea, but Question Set of Accusations
• Iraq forced to hold 'rolling elections'
• Report: Muslim Cleric Issues Fatwa Against Bollywood Star
• Sierra Leone farmers return to dig fields, not gems
• Pope urges 'more ethical' media
• Fidel Castro polished his memoirs near death
• The British have made matters worse, says Afghan President
• Japan expected to pledge emissions cut

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told participants at the World Economic Forum that the United Nations will take action to address the shortage of water resources in the context of reaching global anti-poverty targets.

"Our experiences tell us that environmental stress, due to lack of water, may lead to conflict, and would be greater in poor nations...Population growth will make the problem worse. So will climate change. As the global economy grows, so will its thirst. Many more conflicts lie just over the horizon."

More

A few months back, Dr. Joel Selanikio, co-founder of DataDyne.org (a UN Foundation-Vodafone partnership) wrote in to explain how PDAs are saving lives in Africa. At the time, Selanikio was concluding a pilot program that distributed Palm Ziros equipped with open source software called EpiSurveyor to public health workers in Kenya and Zambia. As Selanikio reported, the PDAs had a transformative effect on the ability of local public health officials to efficiently distribute immunizations and monitor potentially catastrophic outbreaks.

That experience obviously made clear to Selanikio the potential of PDAs to not only revolutionize the public health sector in the developing world, but to transform entire emerging economies. Selanikio explains in an op-ed picked up by All Africa.com.

Along with the internet, with which it is rapidly merging, this is the most astonishing technology story of our time, and one that has the power to revolutionise access to information across the developing world.

Unfortunately, rich country biases limit understanding of this amazing phenomenon: for those in North America or Western Europe the cell phone is primarily or uniquely a phone designed to make voice calls.

In the rich world, even those who use the mobile for other tasks such as e-mail almost always do so as an adjunct to their "computer" (ie, the desktop or laptop in their home or office): the mobile phone is used for those tasks only when the "computer" isn't accessible.

Selanikio explains how that 'bias' becomes manifest, "as of this morning a Google search for 'educational software for Windows' got 41,300 results, while a search for 'educational software for cell phones' got exactly 9 hits."

>>Jason Green, who works at an Australian crocodile farm, was attacked by a female of the species only to subsequently shot by a colleague trying to save him. Green survived and is now recuperating post surgery.

Top Stories

>>Egyptian authorities today began to stop the flow of an estimated 350,000 Palestinians who have entered from Gaza through 17 gaps blown in the border wall. According to at least one border guard, Hamas was responsible and had been weakening the wall for months using "oxy-acetylene cutting torches.

>>In preparation for this summer's Olympic Games, Beijing is cleansing both environmentally and socially. Prior to the August event, "problem" citizens, including prostitutes and the homeless, will be relocated. The Beijing Times has reported that the Chinese motor traffic during the games, pulling an estimated 1.65 million cars off the road. In the meantime, athletes are preparing face masks, trying special diets, and delaying their arrivals due to pollution.

>>The European Commission proposed sweeping measures to reduce carbon emissions (20 percent of 1990 levels by 2020) and promote the use of renewable energy sources (20 percent of all power). Responsibilities have been suggested for individual nations, and some are none too happy.

>>The WHO has created a database to keep tabs on avian flu strains collected around the world.

Quote of the Day

• "In my opinion boxers are probably the finest athletes in the world. But they didn't think they could make it three rounds in Beijing."
  -Frank Filiberto, a physician for the U.S. boxing team

Yesterday in UN Dispatch

• What Would You Do On Day One? - Mark Leon Goldberg
• Help stop violence against women - Jessica Valenti

The Rest of the Story

• Zoellick stresses fight against hunger
  - by Krishna Guha and James Politi (FT)
• China continues run of double-digit growth
  - by Richard McGregor (FT)
• Canadian Military Has Quit Turning Detainees Over to Afghans
  - by Ian Austen (NY Times)
• Hiring of Soviet Scientists Has Strayed From Aim, Audit Says
  - by Matthew Wald (NY Times)
• Italy Backs Its Coalition but Only Just for Now
  - by Ian Fisher (NY Times)
• Tear Gas and Tension Limit an Opposition Protest in Zimbabwe
  - AP
• South Africa: Solar Traffic Lights to Ease Gridlock
  - AFP
• Islam 'insult' student faces death
  - AP, AFP (Times)
• Romano Prodi holds on for confidence vote
  - by Richard Owen (Times)
• Report: N. Korea Exploited U.N. Account
  - by Colum Lynch (washingtonpost.com - World)
• Ahmadinejad to challenge US influence with visit to Iraq
  - by Julian Borger (Guardian)
• In a 49-Year First, Greek Leader Visits Turkey
  - by Sabrina Tavernise and Anthee Carassava (NY Times)
• Ahmadinejad defiant after new UN resolution text agreed
  - Philippe Naughton (Times)
• Worldwide Freshwater Crisis
  - by ABC News (video)

The next president will assume office in less than one year from today. Our new sister site wants to know what you think he or she should do On Day One.

At OnDayOne.org you can:

* Post your ideas (including videos) for the next President
* Vote on and discuss other people's ideas
* Tell the Presidential candidates (and friends and family) what you think

Please stop by and let them know what you think. And check out the On Day One blog too!

The United Nations Foundation has announced that it will donate $1 dollar for each of the first 100,000 signatures to an online petition aimed at battling violence against women.

18,000 worldwide have already added their names to the campaign - "Say NO to violence against women" - since its launch last November. The campaign is run by the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).

To find out more about the campaign, and to sign on, click here.

Oscar nominations were released yesterday. If you haven't seen No Country for Old Men yet, do yourself a favor. Meanwhile, the Fed made the largest interest rate cut in over 20 years.

In other news:

>>The five UN permanent representatives to the Security Council and Germany reached a deal yesterday on a third round of sanctions, a "moderate tigthening," against Iran. The resolution will be introduced in the Security Council "in the next few days." In the meantime, Shrek, Elmo and Spongebob Square Pants hit hard by existing sanctions.

>>Russia continued to flex its muscles at the UK by practising strike tactics and test-launching nuclear-capable missles yesterday in the Bay of Biscay. RAF fighters were scrambled. Meanwhile, a criminal investigation was launched against Russian opposition leader, former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, putting his Presidential candidacy in doubt. Dmitry Medvedev, Putin's chosen successor launched his campaign.

>>The junta that ousted Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006 has stepped down, a day after a newly elected parliament was sworn in. The parliament is dominated by the Shinawatra-friendly People's Power party, which promises to bring him home from exile.

The End of an Error

• Quick Hit: Saudi Arabia will lift ban on women drivers
• Turkmens End Holiday for Birthday of Ex-Leader
• Iraq Parliament Purges Hussein Vestiges on Flag

Quote of the Day

"We might be deprived of BMWs but we still have the Nissans and the Peugeots of the world. And if you've been in an [Iranian] Paykan, then a Peugeot seems great."
Bijan Khajepour, chairman of the Atieh Group business consultancy, on sanctions against Iran

The Rest of the Story

• Rice Rebukes Bush Envoy Who Criticized Policy on North Korea
• Israel Briefly Eases Grip on Gaza
• Kenya violence continues as mediators fly in
• Annan due in Kenya to mediate in crisis
• Hackers sabotage Panama website amid election row
• War in Congo kills 45,000 people each month
• Rate cuts expected as governments try to calm markets
• Sierra Leone: Leader in Child Mortality
• Britain: Cooking Lessons for All Children
• Anxiety Crashes the Party at Davos
• Retreat of the Foreign Investor Is Singularly Painful for Japan
• China Offers Plan to Clean Up Its Polluted Lakes
• EU May Raise Emissions Costs
• European and Asian Markets Rally on News of U.S. Rate Cut