Former Costa Rican vice-president chosen to fill senior UN post

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today the appointment of former Costa Rican Vice-President Rebeca Grynspan to be second-in-command at the United Nations agency tasked with providing countries with the knowledge, experience and resources that aid economic growth.

Ban deplores deadly consecutive attacks against blue helmets in Darfur

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today spoke out against the second deadly attack in as many days on peacekeepers serving with the joint African Union-United Nations mission in the war-ravaged Sudanese region of Darfur, issuing a call for the perpetrators to be brought to justice immediately.

Somalia faces humanitarian crisis in 2010 with aid coffers empty, UN warns

War-torn and drought-ravaged Somalia is facing a humanitarian crisis with no funding so far raised or pledged for next year for food, water, sanitation, health and other vital needs and the potential that the situation could spill over into a major regional crisis for its neighbours, senior United Nations officials warned today.

UN force commander confers with Lebanese, Israelis on recent incidents

The military chief of United Nations peacekeepers in Lebanon today discussed with senior Lebanese and Israeli military officials recent incidents in the south, where Israel fought a 34-day war with Hizbollah in 2006.

Secretary-General names former Costa Rican vice-president to senior UN post

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today the appointment of former Costa Rican Vice-President Rebeca Grynspan to be second-in-command at the United Nations agency tasked with providing countries with the knowledge, experience and resources that aid economic growth.

Preserve Jobs in South Africa, Says Vavi and Godsell

Preserve jobs, say Vavi and Godsell

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA Dec 08 2009 16:47

South Africa must preserve as many current jobs as possible, the
co-chairs of the Millennium Labour Council, Bobby Godsell and
Zwelinzima Vavi, said on Tuesday.

“While the cost of workers’ wages is likely to be a significant cost
in most businesses, it is not the only area where cost reductions can
be effected,” Godsell, former chairperson of Eskom, told a media
briefing on their joint proposals to limit retrenchments in the
country.

Two major areas that required at least equal review were those of
capital expenditure and shareholder returns in the form of dividends.

“We do not suggest that cuts in these areas are either easy or without consequence, but simply urge that they be considered,” Godsell said.

Prior to accepting the retrenchment route, labour should consider
other ways of reducing labour costs, the Congress of South African
Trade Unions’s Vavi said.

“Short time, wage freezes and wage cuts should be considered,” he said.

Godsell said that together with Vavi he was appealing to business at
the end of the year to reflect on alternatives to retrenchments. “The
end of the year is when companies make critical decisions on their
workforce,” he said.

Vavi told the briefing it was “never too late” to embark on the
preservation of jobs.

“But the 959 000 people who have lost their jobs this year would
disagree,” he added. — Sapa

Source: Mail & Guardian Online
Web Address: http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-12-08-preserve-jobs-say-vavi-and-godsell

Feline ‘pawprint’ found in HIV genome

American microbiologists reckon they’ve found the genetic equivalent of a feline pawprint in the modern-day, human form of the AIDS virus

Efforts to thwart rebels in eastern DR Congo a mixed bag, says Ban

Progress in bringing stability to the war-wracked east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is mixed, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in a new report, noting the heavy humanitarian toll wrought by a military operation to flush out a notorious ethnic Hutu militia.

Nearly 5 million Ethiopians will need food aid in first half of 2010, UN reports

Some 4.8 million Ethiopians will require emergency food and related aid costing $270 million for the first six months of 2010 in a country already plagued by prolonged drought and crop failure, according to United Nations estimates released today.

Today on New Scientist: 8 December 2009

Today’s stories on newscientist.com, at a glance, including: five ways to revolutionise computer memory, behind the scenes at the roll-out of SpaceShipTwo, and why it could be worth giving your house a nose job