Pakistan’s Measles Deaths Hinder Global Goals

Measles outbreaks, which have killed at least 100 children in Pakistan’s militancy-hit border areas since May, have prompted calls by experts for better cooperation in territories adjacent to Afghanistan with international immunisation campaigns.

OP-ED: What to Make of the Latest Iranian-Turkish Row

Turkish-Iranian relations have been rocky since the deepening of the Syrian imbroglio, but the latest row suggests a new low.

Improving Public Transport in Dangerous Guatemala City

“Service is definitely improving. Transmetro is good quality and Transurbano is using the prepaid system, which means they can’t charge you extra,” said Manolo Contreras, one of the thousands of users of the public transit system in the Guatemalan capital, which is under renovation.

Eastern Caribbean Seeks Economic Unity

The nine-member Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is pushing harder for regional integration with the launch of a new parliamentary forum that it says will play a major role in its efforts to establish an economic union.

Crowds in Cairo Praise Morsi’s Army Overhaul

The Egyptian president has ordered the powerful head of the army and defence minister, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, and several senior generals into retirement and canceled constitutional amendments issued by the military restricting presidential powers.

U.N. Launches New Oceans Compact Following Expo 2012

As the three-month-long international exhibition Expo 2012 came to a close in the South Korean coastal town of Yeosu last week, the United Nations announced the launch of an "Oceans Compact" aimed at the preservation of marine resources worldwide.

Armed Forces Still Dictating Côte d’Ivoire’s Law

Even as Côte d'Ivoire gradually recovers from the bloody events of the 2010-2011 post-electoral crisis, massacres in the western part of the country and the frequent sound of gunfire in the economic capital, Abidjan, are signs of the long road ahead.

Cuban Higher Education Changing in Times of Reform

Enrolment in Cuban universities fell by 25.8 percent during the past school year, as young people are being oriented toward fields with more employment opportunities, such as agriculture, in the context of sweeping economic reforms that are also affecting public education.

From the Field to the Rubbish Heap

Agriculture provides a livelihood to the majority of the population in Papua New Guinea, a developing island nation of approximately seven million in the south west Pacific.  However, the loss and waste of an estimated half of all fresh produce between harvesting and marketing is threatening improvements to food security and local incomes.

In Jerusalem the Past Is Alike, And Alive

“This is King David’s palace!” proclaims the Israeli tour guide with much fanfare, ignoring the cautionary “King David’s Palace?” legend on the sign. Opportunely opening the Bible, he reads from 2 Samuel 6:16, “As the Ark of the Lord came to the City of David…”

Eastern Caribbean Seeks Economic Unity

The nine-member Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is pushing harder for regional integration with the launch of a new parliamentary forum that it says will play a major role in its efforts to establish an economic union.

Violence in Darfur Reveals Security Issues

A peacekeeper from the African Union/United Nations hybrid mission ion Darfur (UNAMID) was killed and another injured on Sunday in line of duty in Nyala, South Dafur. The incident took place during late night. A gang appeared at the Otash camp for internally displaced people and fired at the staff. The peacekeeper was from Bangladesh's Formed Police Unit.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Biofilter Reduces Landfill Pollution

Researchers at the University of São Paulo have developed a biofilter that uses bacteria to reduce the amount of polluting gases released by sanitary landfills.

Ecobreves – ARGENTINA : Agrochemical Suit Could Set Precedent

The relatives of victims affected by aerial spraying of toxic agrochemicals in the central Argentine province of Córdoba hope the lawsuit filed against two farmers and a fumigator will set a legal precedent.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: First Solid Waste Plant Opening Soon

The municipality of Marcovia, in southern Honduras, will be the first in the country with a plant for treating and recycling solid wastes, which will enter into operation in September. The recycled material will be sold to companies in El Salvador and Guatemala.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: Promoting the Right to Mobility

Civil society organizations in Mexico City are promoting the right to mobility, which involves social, economic and environmental policies.

Mexican Victims of Violence Take Aim Against U.S. Firearms

“The United States should stop producing so many weapons, which cause us so much harm. That country also suffers from so much violence, as billions of dollars go into manufacturing guns.”

Families of ‘Little Boy’ and ‘Fat Man’ Victims Still Struggling

Sachiko Masumura (79) was standing just two kilometres away from the hypocentre of Little Boy, the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan over six and a half decades ago.

Kenyan Differences Melt With Gold

When Kenyan athlete David Lekuta Rudisha simultaneously became the first person ever to break the 1min 41sec mark in the 800m while also becoming the first person to set a world record at this year’s London Olympics on Thursday Aug. 9, he managed another first. He briefly united an ethnically divided nation.

U.S. Drought Exposes “Hydro-Illogical” Water Management

The historic drought withering much of the United States this summer has revealed a need for strategies to better manage water supplies that could remain under severe pressure both this year and in the longer term.

Mexican Victims of Violence Take Aim Against U.S. Firearms

“The United States should stop producing so many weapons, which cause us so much harm. That country also suffers from so much violence, as billions of dollars go into manufacturing guns.”