Note that this figure is the total number of refugees around the world. The number of Syrian refugees admitted could remain quite low–around 16,000. “The Obama administration will increase the number of refugees the United States is willing to accept to 100,000 annually in 2017, a significant increase over the current worldwide cap of 70,000, Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday. The announcement came as Mr. Kerry conferred here with German officials on the wave of migrants that has swamped Europe and met with Syrian refugees who are seeking asylum in Europe. Under the new plan, the American limit on refugee visas would be increased to 85,000 in the fiscal year 2016. The cap would then rise to 100,000 the following year.” (NYT http://nyti.ms/1iqdPF2)
Stat of the Day: Global Fund Says it Saved 17 Million Lives… “A new report shows that the Global Fund partnership has made remarkable gains against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria by supporting programs that have saved more than 17 million lives. The Global Fund Results Report 2015 delivers a broad overview of impact and results achieved by the partnership. Scientific advances, innovative solutions and increased global support are saving lives at a steadily increasing rate each year – more than two million – putting the partnership on track to save 22 million lives by the end of 2016.” (Global Fund http://bit.ly/1KEu7Fz)
Juxtaposition of the Day…”In his homily delivered under the gaze of a metal portrait of revolutionary fighter Che Guevara, Francis urged Cubans to care for one another out of a sense of service, not ideology. He encouraged them to refrain from judging each other by ‘looking to one side or the other to see what our neighbor is doing or not doing.’” (AP http://yhoo.it/1KEz0yl)
Africa
Pro-coup demonstrators in Burkina Faso on Sunday stormed a hotel due to host talks aimed at restoring a civilian interim government and attacked participants arriving for the meeting, witnesses said. (Reuters http://bit.ly/1OnDLPd)
At least five people were killed in a suicide bomb attack on Sunday in the northern Cameroon town of Mora, military sources said, in what appeared to be the latest cross-border attack by Nigeria’s Boko Haram Islamist militant group. (Reuters http://bit.ly/1KrOqSX)
Three blasts struck the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, a military spokesman said on Sunday, a day after a new audio message purportedly from Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau accused the army of lying about successes against the militants. (Reuters http://reut.rs/1KEv4xr)
Two young suicide bombers killed three people in far north Cameroon on Sunday, the latest attack to hit a region that has been rocked by strikes blamed on Boko Haram Islamists from neighbouring Nigeria. (AFP http://bit.ly/1KEwCaQ)
MENA
Nearly 4,700 migrants were rescued off the coast of Libya on Saturday as they tried to reach Europe but one woman was found dead, Italy’s coastguard said. (Reuters http://yhoo.it/1OnDImp)
The United Nations accused the army of Libya’s internationally recognised government on Sunday of deliberately trying to sabotage crunch peace talks with a new offensive in second city Benghazi. (AFP http://yhoo.it/1OnEvnm)
Canada’s conservative government said it would accept 10,000 Syrian refugees within one year by simplifying and speeding up the immigration application process. (AFP http://yhoo.it/1OnEtMm)
It’s the one year anniversary of Houthi rebels taking control of Yemen’s capital city. (AFP http://bit.ly/1KEwCaQ)
Asia
Nepal has a new constitution — the nation’s first since the abolition of the long-ruling Hindu monarchy in 2008. (VOA http://bit.ly/1NMcHsZ)
Vietnam has released a high-profile blogger who has traveled to the United States, the American embassy said on Sunday, but a human right group said the move extended a “cynical” practice by Hanoi to send its critics into exile. (Reuters http://yhoo.it/1gDNOB2)
Horrible story about the US military brass punishing soldiers for speaking up about pederasts in the Afghan national army. (NYT http://nyti.ms/1KEvh3R)
The Americas
Pope Francis called for the Church in Cuba to have “the freedom and the means” to pursue its mission, on his first visit to the island. He also hailed improving ties between the US and Cuba as “an example of reconciliation for the whole world.” (BBC http://bbc.in/1iGUccC)
Venezuelans took to the streets in cities around the country to protest the sentence handed down earlier this month to opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez. (AP http://yhoo.it/1OnEsYQ)
…and the rest
Police in Germany said on Sunday there had been an arson attack on a planned accommodation center for migrants in the southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, the latest sign of tension as migrants flow to the country. (Reuters http://yhoo.it/1gDNOBd)
Opinion/Blogs
Seattle push on Gates Foundation to divest from fossil fuels (Humanosphere Podcast http://bit.ly/1iHw4Xp)
Here are the Big Stories That will Drive the Agenda at the UN Summit in New York. An UNGA Preview (UN Dispatch http://bit.ly/1OogKf6)
Global goals summit: from the pope to Shakira, everything you need to know (Guardian http://bit.ly/1YsqhFr)
Does Anti-Poverty Work Actually… Work? (CFI http://bit.ly/1Ooh1yx)
Where should #globaldev community focus aid to end hunger? (Devex http://bit.ly/1Ooh90U)
Someone you know is probably malnourished. What are you going to do about it? (Development Horizons http://bit.ly/1YspVP3)
As UN meets to fight poverty, Europe puts up razor wire to keep poor out (Guardian Economics Blog http://bit.ly/1iGUdxk)
Why General Gilbert Diendéré is derailing the political transition in Burkina Faso (Africa is a Country http://bit.ly/1Ysp8ha)
MissionCreep #9: Spills, refugees and languages (WhyDev http://bit.ly/1FW9sY4)
Fifty years of coordination against the odds: a history of ACFID (DevPolicy http://bit.ly/1OogFbh)