Aid agencies struggle to reach Bangladesh survivors

Four days after a deadly cyclone carved a path of destruction through Bangladesh, killing more than 3,100 people, aid agencies are struggling to reach isolated areas along the coast and the millions of residents who are awaiting help. Agencies warned that delays in distributing food, potable water and medical supplies could contribute to the spread of disease. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the world body is prepared to release millions of dollars in emergency aid. View a Guardian photo essay on the cyclone's aftermath. AlertNet/Reuters (11/19), USA TODAY/Associated Press (11/19)

• Rwanda to advance "One UN" program 
• Fighting corruption still tough task for World Bank 
• Ban looks for more in battle against climate change 
• China vows support for UN's democracy efforts in Myanmar 
• UN wants to ramp up battle against Afghanistan's opium trade 

• Rwanda to advance "One UN" program
  Rwandan authorities and United Nations officials plan to officially sign the "One UN" program to streamline the efforts of 16 UN agencies in the country. UN officials selected Rwanda in January as one of eight countries to test the new program. AllAfrica Global Media/The New Times (Kigali) (11/19)

• Vote on Human Rights Council overcomes U.S. criticism
  The UN General Assembly's human rights committee on Friday approved by 145-7 a draft resolution on working rules for the UN's Human Rights Council, easily overcoming criticism by the U.S. the body is too focused on Israel. The council has shown a "relentless focus during the year on a single country - Israel," said U.S. UN Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, arguing the body has ignored rights abuses in countries such as Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Zimbabwe. International Herald Tribune/Associated Press (11/16)

• Fighting corruption still tough task for World Bank
  The World Bank continues to struggle on how to best root out corruption in developing countries, with new President Robert Zoellick trying to find the right balance. In the Bank's latest move against graft, the board this month halted a $232 million road construction loan for the Philippines because of suspected corruption. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (11/19)

• Other News

• Mexico sprays to block dengue after floods
  Yahoo!/Agence France-Presse (11/17)

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

• Saudi rape decision shocks country (NYTimes.com)

• UN's top climate official says world must act on warming (JapanToday.com)

• UN forum to ponder Internet's future (The Seattle Times)

• UNHCR: Thousands of refugees flee DR Congo violence (CNN)

• UN panel urges end to death penalty (The Guardian (London))

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

• Groups warn of global warming's threat against Asia: The social and economic progress Asia has enjoyed during the past few decades could be undermined by higher sea levels and other effects from climate change, environmental and humanitarian groups warned in a report released Monday. USA TODAY/Associated Press (11/18)

• OPEC pledges major commitment to global warming research: The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries wrapped up a weekend meeting in Saudi Arabia on Sunday by vowing to invest $750 million in researching technologies to help fight climate change. The Washington Post (11/19)

• UN official urges more help for Africa: Africa has been the world's "forgotten continent" in the battle against global warming and needs more help to contend with projected water supply problems and falling crop yields, UN climate chief Yvo de Boer said. Environmental News Network/Reuters (11/18)

• Can chocolate be future weapon against warming?: Some agronomists and other experts in Brazil's Amazon think planting cacao trees can be key to saving the rainforest and help counteract climate change. The idea is to persuade local farmers to return to chocolate farming, which used to be common in the region, so they don't need to destroy the rainforest for logging or other farming purposes. National Public Radio (text and audio) (11/19)

• Environmental, human costs plague China dam projects
  China plans to continue building hydroelectric dams even though the construction pits the country's dependence on coal-fueled polluting plants against the environmental and human costs of erecting large dams. China's flagship project, the Three Gorges Dam, displaced millions and resulted in a host of environmental problems, such as water pollution and landslides. NYTimes.com (11/19)

• Other News

• New Zealand, Australia urge Japan to halt major whale hunt
  The Guardian (London) (11/19)

• China vows support for UN's democracy efforts in Myanmar
  Myanmar's people and its ruling military junta should try to work together toward national reconciliation, China's Premier Wen Jiabao said, backing the United Nations' pro-democracy efforts for the troubled country. "We believe that we should continue to promote the good offices done by the United Nations and rely on the efforts of the people of Myanmar so that the process toward national reconciliation can be restored and the country can realize peace, stability and development," Wen said Sunday in Singapore, where he was to attend the annual meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. International Herald Tribune/Associated Press (11/19)

• Other News

• Cambodia arrests former Khmer Rouge leader
  NYTimes.com/Associated Press (11/19)

• UN wants to ramp up battle against Afghanistan's opium trade
  Afghanistan's government and allied forces have failed to make a serious dent in the country's opium production, which helps finance criminals and insurgents, the executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says in a new report. Antonio Maria Costa wants NATO to help wipe out the opium business, but that runs counter to the policy preferred by Britain. The Independent (London) (11/17)

• Foster Mideast peace through jobs, Blair urges
  Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair wants to see a sweeping employment and trade plan for the Middle East to promote the region's peace prospects. The multimillion-dollar package, also supported by Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, would include industrial parks and agricultural projects in the West Bank and Gaza. The Guardian (London) (11/19)

• UN finds few clear answers in Afghan attack investigation
  United Nations investigators examining security guards' response to a Nov. 6 suicide bombing attack in Afghanistan have found conflicting evidence about the number of people hit by gunfire from the guards. One report says the blast and subsequent shooting left 77 people dead, including six members of the Afghan parliament. The Sun (Baltimore)/Associated Press (11/18)

• Other News

• Southern Sudan rebels angered over fiery Bashir speech
  AlertNet/Reuters (11/18)

• Kosovo politicians mull post-election coalition possibilities
  The Globe and Mail (Toronto)/Reuters (11/18)

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UNIFIL to stay In Lebanon as long as necessary: S-G Ban ... UN Radio

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