Friday, September 30, 2011

UN-BACKED FORUM DISCUSSES INTERNET SECURITY, OPENNESS AND PRIVACY

UN-BACKED FORUM DISCUSSES INTERNET SECURITY, OPENNESS AND PRIVACY
New York, Sep 30 2011 6:10PM
The largest international Internet governance meeting ever wrapped at the United Nations office in Nairobi, Kenya, today with 2,000 experts discussing security, openness and privacy as inextricably interconnected issues that cannot be dealt with separately.

Over four days the UN-backed Internet Governance Forum (IGF), set up to support Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in carrying out the mandate of the 2005 World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis, debated actions taken by Internet actors in relation to whistleblower sites, the seizure of domain names and proposals for blocking of websites and filtering of networks.

The role that cyber security operations centres and law enforcement in countering cyber-attacks and cyber-crime, and the impacts of action taken to cut access to the Internet for individuals, groups or entire countries from the global Internet also figured high on the agenda of the meetings, at which 125 governments were represented along with the private sector, civil society, the Internet community, international organizations and the media.

In keeping with IGF traditions, the meeting results are not formal recommendations but are issued as multi-stakeholder dialogues to other international processes and particularly the domestic policy issues of all those concerned with Internet governance.

The main theme of the meeting was "The Internet as a catalyst for change: access, development, freedoms and innovation," with increased access leading to new development opportunities, freedoms and innovations

"Participation in the conference halls and on-line was far greater than last year," IGF secretariat official Chengetai Masango said, calling this year's forum the biggest and liveliest since the inception of the institution in 2006.

"This year's forum captured the Internet as a medium for positive change and human development."

At one session delegates strongly agreed that the Internet needs to be an open space with limited regulation. It needs to be a public square where everyone can come together to organize and mobilize. But at the same time, users also need to feel safe. Many States fear the Internet and, more and more, criminal law is being applied to the online world that at times "is creating panic."

They also stressed the need to strike a balance between security, openness and privacy. People need to be able to trust the Internet, to feel comfortable, to be able to use it and receive maximum benefit. There can be no freedom on the Internet if there is no protection against crime or safeguards against cyber-crime.

Discussing the pros and cons of regulations, delegates noted that these can be good as well as bad. The Internet is good because it is widely free for all, while regulation is bad as it threatens to take away opportunity for Internet use by certain actors. The issue is complicated and not black and white, but with lots of grey areas, they added.
Sep 30 2011 6:10PM
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ASIAN FLOODS TAKING A MAJOR HUMAN AND ECONOMIC TOLL, UN SAYS

ASIAN FLOODS TAKING A MAJOR HUMAN AND ECONOMIC TOLL, UN SAYS
New York, Sep 30 2011 4:10PM
The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) today voiced its concern at the millions of people who have been affected by the floods ravaging many countries in Asia, and urged governments to increase their investment in disaster risk reduction.

Pakistan, the Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Thailand are all suffering from the effects of flood waters, and many people have lost their lives as a result.

"People shouldn't die because of floods. We have the technology to alert communities before floods arrive. People can be evacuated in time, lives saved and livelihoods protected. Once again, early warning systems are the smart choice and the most efficient of all disaster prevention measures," <"http://www.unisdr.org/archive/22416">said Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström.

She also expressed her concern over the long-term economic impact of the floods on the affected countries, many of which have seen their infrastructure damaged and their services interrupted by the heavy rains, and said this would be one of the main issues she will focus on during her upcoming visit to the region.

According to a UNISDR report, floods account for a significant amount of damage to public assets such as health and education facilities, as well as to the livelihoods, homes and assets of poor people. However, most of these losses are not recorded by governments, making it difficult for them to invest in disaster reduction measures.

"The invisible nature of this large volume of disaster loss is one reason why so many countries are finding it difficult to make both political and economic decisions to prioritize investment in disaster risk management," said Ms. Wahlström.

In Cambodia, tens of thousands of hectares of rice paddies have been inundated, and about 300 schools closed after the rains yesterday.

"The damage is very serious this year. It is the country's worst flooding in a decade. More than 17,000 families have been evacuated to higher ground in 12 provinces across the country," said Keo Vy, a Cambodian disaster official.

In Thailand, more than two million acres of farmland are underwater and more than 635 schools have been damaged, leaving thousands of children out of school.

In Pakistan, this is the second year in a row that the country has endured severe floods. The World Food Programme (WFP) reports that 5.4 million people have been affected, 73 per cent of the harvest has been destroyed, and 36 per cent of the livestock has been killed in flooded areas.

Gaelle Sévenier, a spokesperson for WFP, said the agency has provided 7,000 tons of food rations to 490,000 people in flood-affected areas in Pakistan, and added it will increase its efforts to provide food assistance to 500,000 new beneficiaries by the end of the month.
Sep 30 2011 4:10PM
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CURRENT FISCAL CRISIS MUST NOT ERODE SOCIAL PROTECTIONS FOR ELDERLY, BAN WARNS

CURRENT FISCAL CRISIS MUST NOT ERODE SOCIAL PROTECTIONS FOR ELDERLY, BAN WARNS
New York, Sep 30 2011 4:10PM
The provision of social protection, long-term care and access to public health for the elderly must not be undermined because of the current fiscal environment, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned ahead of events for the day marking this growing segment of the world's population.

"I call on governments and communities everywhere to provide more opportunities for their ageing populations," he said in a <"http://www.un.org/en/events/olderpersonsday/sgmessages.shtml">message to mark tomorrow's <"http://www.un.org/en/events/olderpersonsday/">International Day of Older Persons, stressing that independence, participation, care, self-fulfilment and dignity underpin the human rights of older persons.

Almost 700 million people are now over the age of 60, and by 2050 this number will rise to about two billion, or over 20 per cent of the world's population.

He noted that nearly two thirds of older persons live in developing countries, yet older people are still largely excluded from the wider global, regional and national development agendas.

"At a time when the international community is preparing to take stock of sustainable development and is looking to forge a development agenda for the future, it is important that the needs and contributions of older persons become a bigger part of the picture," he said.

"Older persons are vibrant and essential contributors to the development and stability of society, and more can and should be done to utilize their potential."

He noted that progress had been made over the past decade in the formulation of national plans of action related to ageing, including the emergence of non-contributory pensions in some developing countries.

"However, discrimination and social exclusion persist," he warned.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Anand Grover, said the rights of older persons are often considered to be a marginal area in human rights, and States must adopt policies to reverse this, with more resources devoted to geriatric health care and a greater focus directed to treatment for long-term and chronic pain.

"In a rapidly ageing word, many older persons would agree that old age is bad for your rights," he added in a message prepared for the Day. "As you reach old age, you are more likely to be ignored, patronized, denied access to social security or healthcare, abused, forcefully medicated without your consent or denied medical treatment at all due to your age. The list is just too long."

Calling for empowering older persons to exercise their rights, in particular the right to health, Mr. Grover said: "Despite modern society's strides in human longevity, millions of older persons suffer daily from the age-old problems of prejudice, stigmatization, discrimination and lack of access to appropriate health care… States must have policies and adopt measures to ensure old age is no longer bad for your human rights, including the right to health."
Sep 30 2011 4:10PM
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UN LAUNCHES COMPETITION TO DESIGN MEMORIAL TO VICTIMS OF SLAVERY

UN LAUNCHES COMPETITION TO DESIGN MEMORIAL TO VICTIMS OF SLAVERY
New York, Sep 30 2011 3:10PM
The committee tasked with building a permanent memorial at the United Nations to honour the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade today launched a global competition for the design of the structure to remind the world that millions of Africans were violently removed from their homelands, abused and robbed of their dignity.

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will administer the design competition, Ambassador Raymond Wolfe of Jamaica, the chair of the Permanent Memorial Committee on Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, told a news conference at UN Headquarters.

"As we launch the competition I am pleased to report that all stakeholders including the members of the committee, Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Africa Group which participated in the negotiations are supremely confident that UNESCO will manage a transparent, inclusive and politically impartial selection process," said Mr. Wolfe.

He urged ministries of foreign affairs and culture of Member States to disseminate information about the design competition so that a "rich and diverse pool of applications can be submitted to UNESCO for consideration." The deadline for submitting designs to the competition is 19 December 2011.

Philippe Kridelka, the Director of UNESCO's New York Office and Representative to the UN, noted that the monument will not only be a symbol, but part of an education process in memory of slavery and the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Some $4.5 million is required to build the monument, and just over $1 million has been raised through donations from States and others sources. Mr. Wolfe encouraged corporations, philanthropists and the private sector to contribute to the project.
Sep 30 2011 3:10PM
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Today's News from TheEagle.com

Today's News from TheEagle.com

Link to        All Stories       | The Bryan College Station Eagle

Looking to hit a bull's eye at A&M competition

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 05:02 PM PDT

Ashley Strickland, an archer from Alabama, checks her arrows along with other competitors at the U.S. Olympic Archery Team Trials at the Penberthy Rec Sports Complex on the Texas A&M campus.

Flu season draws closer

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 05:02 PM PDT

For those who haven't seen the numerous signs posted outside pharmacies across the Twin Cities offering immunization services: Flu season is expected to arrive shortly and vaccinations are in ample supply. Flu shots are recommended for anyone 6 month ...

New at Texas Reds Fest: Cover charge

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 05:03 PM PDT


Bryan city officials are hoping for another large crowd at this year's Texas Reds Festival on Oct. 7 and 8, even with a new cover charge.
Attendees will be required to buy $5 tickets to enter the fenced-off festival in downtown Bryan. Advance tick ...

Police: Man's vehicle stolen at gunpoint

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 01:27 AM PDT

Bryan police are looking for the culprit who reportedly brandished a gun while stealing a man's truck from a grocery store parking lot late Wednesday.
Police responded at 10:05 p.m. to H-E-B parking lot, 1905 Old Hearne Road, where a man reported th ...

Man faces 20 years for alleged stabbing

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 05:03 PM PDT

Eagle Staff Report
A 30-year-old Bryan man who was arrested in August after allegedly stabbing a 17-year-old boy repeatedly with a screwdriver was among those indicted Thursday by a Brazos County grand jury.
Jeffery Davis Prado, according to a pol ...

Woman charged with cutting boyfriend's face

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 02:30 AM PDT

A 50-year-old Bryan woman remained in the Brazos County Jail Thursday after police said she cut her boyfriend's face with a knife late Wednesday.
Officers were called around 10:30 p.m. to an Owens Street home, where a 32-year-old man reported his gi ...

Gas prices drop 11 cents across Texas

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 07:52 AM PDT

HOUSTON -- Retail gasoline prices across Texas have dropped 11 cents this week.AAA Texas on Thursday reported that the average price at the pump was $3.27 per gallon. The national average was also 11 cents less, at $3.45 per gallon.The association sa ...

Bryan-College Station schools to host free 'College Night'

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 05:02 PM PDT

Eagle Staff Report
Local students will have a chance on Oct. 5 to question representatives of 70 colleges and universities and learn more about higher education opportunities.
A&M Consolidated, Bryan and Rudder high schools are hosting "College ...

Work in progress

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 05:03 PM PDT

A worker (bottom right) is sillouetted against a cloudy sky next to the frame of Olsen Field. Construction continued Thursday on the $24 million renovation of the 30-plus-year-old home of the Aggie baseball team. The park, when completed, will be nam ...

Germans move to prop up euro

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 05:02 PM PDT

BERLIN -- Germany kept alive hopes that the 17-nation euro currency can survive the sprawling debt crisis when lawmakers in Europe's largest economy voted overwhelmingly on Thursday in favor of expanding the powers of the eurozone's bailout fund.The ...

Education cutbacks could hurt Rick Perry

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 05:03 PM PDT


SAN ANTONIO -- The $4 billion in cuts to Texas public schools this summer might be starting to hit Gov. Rick Perry where it hurts most -- his record on creating jobs.
Texas lost 900 jobs in local school districts in August, according to the federa ...

$152 million in ag losses to Texas wildfires

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 12:09 AM PDT

COLLEGE STATION -- Enough fence to cross Texas from east to west nearly seven times, more than 1,500 head of livestock and swaths of pasture nearly twice the area of Delaware have burned in Texas wildfires this year.As if the state's crippling drough ...

Federal agents wary about model plane attacks

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 05:01 PM PDT

BOSTON -- Model airplanes are suddenly on the public's radar as potential terrorist weapons. A 26-year-old man from a Boston suburb was arrested Wednesday and accused of plotting to attack the Pentagon and the U.S. Capitol with remote-controlled mode ...

Cattle imported from drought-stricken states into Nebraska could bring disease

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 12:21 AM PDT


LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska agriculture officials are concerned that cattle imported into the state from drought-stricken areas of Texas and Oklahoma could bring diseases with them, so they are encouraging ranchers to follow import rules.
State Agri ...

Listeria case prompts food safety reminders

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 05:01 PM PDT

MILWAUKEE -- Avoid foreign produce. Wash and peel your fruit. Keep it refrigerated. None of these common tips would have guaranteed your safety from the deadliest food outbreak in a decade, the one involving cantaloupes from Colorado.Whether it's spr ...

Largest asteroids mapped

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 05:01 PM PDT


LOS ANGELES -- If you're worried about a killer asteroid wiping out Earth, NASA has some good news.
The space agency said Thursday it has identified more than 90 percent of giant, potentially Earth-threatening asteroids, including ones as big as t ...

Syrian regime backers pelt U.S. envoy with eggs

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 05:02 PM PDT


BEIRUT -- Angry supporters of President Bashar Assad's regime hurled tomatoes and eggs at the U.S. ambassador to Syria on Thursday as he entered the office of a leading opposition figure and then tried to break into the building, trapping him insid ...

Inmate's confessions draw skepticism

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 05:01 PM PDT


HOUSTON -- At age 84, Elmer Pitchford knows time is running out for him to learn who killed his teenage daughter four decades ago in Houston.
"I would like to know before I die, that's for sure," he said.
But the retired dock worker said he's not ...

Soldier on trial for civilian contractor's death

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 05:02 PM PDT


FORT HOOD -- A U.S. solider accused of killing a civilian contractor in Iraq who was digging a hole was a paranoid schizophrenic and "not mentally responsible" for the close-range shooting, an Army psychiatrist testified.
The court martial of Pfc. ...

Twitter study finds mornings, weekends happiest

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 05:03 PM PDT

WASHINGTON -- Twitter confirms it: People tend to wake up in a good mood and are happiest on weekends.The fast-paced forum is offering scientists a peek at real-time, presumably little-filtered human behavior and thoughts. Cornell University research ...

EPA holds public hearing about new 'fracking' regulations

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 05:02 PM PDT


ARLINGTON -- Environmentalists and advocates for drilling companies faced off Thursday at a public hearing in Arlington on the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed rules aimed at limiting pollution at oil and gas wells.
The agency is propos ...

Full bladders, wasabi alarm earn 2011 Ig Nobels

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 01:43 PM PDT


BOSTON -- Driving while desperately needing to urinate isn't a crime, but maybe it should be.
Peter Snyder and his colleagues found that having a bladder at its bursting point reduced attention span and the ability to make decisions to the same de ...

A few final minutes with Andy Rooney of '60 Minutes'

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 05:01 PM PDT


NEW YORK -- On the broadcast they call it "A Few Minutes With Andy Rooney."
They might better have called it "A Few Choice Words From Andy Rooney."
Rooney, despite his decades as a 60 Minutes fixture, is a writer, not a talking head. Words, not ...

Frantic scene after doctor found Jackson lifeless

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 03:09 AM PDT

LOS ANGELES -- Prosecutors are calling a key witness Thursday in an attempt to show jurors that Michael Jackson's doctor delayed calling authorities on the day the King of Pop was found lifeless and was intent on concealing indications that he had be ...

Tough times demand tough plants

Posted: 29 Sep 2011 05:03 PM PDT

If the hottest, driest summer in Texas' recorded history left you looking for new garden solutions, consider some of these plants that came through with flying colors.

Plants for
drought recovery
A survey of Brazos County Master Gardeners re ...