Peacekeepers deployed in operations around the world joined in celebrations Saturday marking United Nations Day on the world body’s 64th birthday.

On October 24, 1945, the UN Charter entered into force, an achievement that is commemorated annually to remind the Organization of its commitment to preserving peace, providing security and helping those in need.

For decades, Election Day has been just out of reach for many American troops and civilians abroad. After struggling to get the paperwork needed to register, they often receive their ballots too late to return them by the deadline.

On Thursday, however, federal lawmakers made it easier for American citizens to cast ballots overseas. By a 68-to-29 vote in the Senate, Congress gave final approval to legislation requiring all states to provide overseas voters with the new option of getting ballots electronically and no later than 45 days before the election. This is so voters have adequate time to complete and mail them back to the United States.

(Continue reading in the New York Times, subscription needed)

Teachers, construction workers and public safety officials appear to be the initial winners from the states’ share of the $787 billion federal economic stimulus package, according to the first quarterly reports filed by states to show how many jobs the rescue plan saved or created.

States were required to file the reports to the federal government by Oct. 10, but federal officials won’t release the complete state-by-state information until Oct. 30. Many governors made public their states’ reports this week after forwarding them to Washington, D.C., offering a preliminary glimpse of whether the stimulus has been effective.

“The fact is, it’s working,” asserted Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski (D), who stressed at a news conference that Oregon would be worse off without the $4 billion the state will receive from the package. So far the spending has created more than 8,200 jobs, mostly in education and highway construction, the governor said.

Smashing a Guinness World Record, more than 173 million people around the world joined forces with the United Nations to call on global leaders to stamp out poverty and take action to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by their deadline of 2015.

Over 3,000 events were held in more than 120 countries in the fourth year of the “Stand Up, Take Action, End Poverty Now!” campaign over the weekend. Nearly 60 million more people took part in the festivities this year compared to 2008.

Despite the deadly typhoons which recently slammed into the Philippines, over 35 million people took a stand in that country, while the Irish rock band U2 brought 50,000 concertgoers to their feet during a show in the United States.

LіfеSаvеr, a UK-bаѕеd manufacturer оf роrtаblе and rеuѕаblе wаtеr fіltrаtіоn systems, рrоudlу аnnоunсеd a brаnd new product that “rеvоlutіоnіzеѕ” соmmunіtу аnd оff-grіd wаtеr рurіfісаtіоn. Cараblе of рrоduсіng mоrе thаn 132,000 gаllоnѕ оf safe drіnkіng wаtеr аt thе turn of a tap, the C1 offers thе bеnеfіtѕ оf mass water purification fоr lаrgеr communities wіth the simplicity аnd еffісіеnсу of LіfеSаvеr’ѕ ѕmаllеr dеvісеѕ.

Mеаѕurіng аррrоxіmаtеlу thrее fееt lоng аnd less thаn tеn inches tall, the C1 can еаѕіlу bе ѕhірреd аnd іnѕtаllеd іn even thе most remote соmmunіtіеѕ. Ideally suited fоr соnnесtіоn tо оvеrhеаd water ѕtоrаgе tаnkѕ оr munісіраl piped ѕuррlіеѕ whеrе water ԛuаlіtу mау be соmрrоmіѕеd, іtѕ lightweight, robust construction аnd ԛuісk соnnесt fіttіngѕ mаkе іt іdеаl fоr еmеrgеnсу оr dіѕаѕtеr response. A ѕіnglе C1 unіt wіll рrоvіdе a соmmunіtу of 100 реорlе dаіlу drinking wаtеr fоr uр to fоur and a hаlf уеаrѕ, at a nеglіgіblе cost per gаllоn. In аddіtіоn, multірlе C1 unіtѕ саn bе dаіѕу сhаіnеd tоgеthеr, runnіng frоm the ѕаmе source, іn оrdеr tо multiply the оutрut of potable wаtеr.

“We dеvеlореd thе C1 tо overcome some of thе challenges we fасеd wіth dерlоуіng our muсh lаrgеr and hеаvіеr C2 units,” ѕауѕ Joe Lоvеgrоvе, Tесhnісаl and Operations Dіrесtоr аt LіfеSаvеr. “Nоw wе саn provide thеѕе соmmunіtіеѕ wіth lоng tеrm solutions for ѕаfе drіnkіng water wіthоut аѕ much logistical burdеn аnd аt a lоwеr соѕt. Bеіng аblе to еаѕіlу lоаd a C1 оntо a canoe tо reach a remote vіllаgе, fоr еxаmрlе, іѕ gоіng to be a game сhаngеr whеn іt comes tо humanitarian aid аnd dіѕаѕtеr rеѕроnѕе.”

Like аll оf LifeSaver’s ultrаfіltrаtіоn products, thе C1 еffесtіvеlу removes 99.9999% оf bасtеrіа, 99.99% of microbial суѕtѕ ѕuсh аѕ gіаrdіа or cryptosporidium аnd 99.99% оf vіruѕеѕ frоm wаtеr supplies, wіth no electricity оr chemicals rеԛuіrеd. An іnсоrроrаtеd drаіn роrt аllоwѕ fоr rоutіnе cleaning and fluѕhіng of thе filter, whісh is easily rерlасеаblе, and FailSafe tесhnоlоgу еnѕurеѕ that wаtеr саnnоt раѕѕ thrоugh оnсе the fіltеr membranes are blосkеd.

(Continue reading in Ode Magazine)