Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Amazon Drought Was the Worst In a Century

The drought that hit the Amazon region last year was the most severe in a century, concluded a study by the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), confirming the suppositions of many scientists.

Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: Geothermal Power Plant on Glacier Rejected

At the request of neighboring communities, an Argentine court has ruled against the proposed construction of a geothermal power plant in the western province of Neuquén.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: Pemex Violates Clean Fuel Regulations

Mexico’s state-owned oil company Pemex is not meeting its obligation to produce clean fuels, a fact which has serious health, environmental, economic and commercial consequences, says a study conducted by three non-governmental organizations.

The Dangerously High Cost of Amazon Beef

A delicious 500-gram Amazonian beef steak produced with 7,000 grams of carbon dioxide and 7,000 liters of water, mixed with belched methane, is the ideal recipe for climate change.

INDIA: ‘Missing Girls is About Femicide’

India has been ranked the fourth most dangerous country in the world for women, but the widespread practice of selectively aborting female foetuses may make it the most hostile to the female gender.

MIDEAST: Palestinians Prepare for Settler Attacks Over UN Vote

Amidst reports that the Israeli military is arming and training Israeli settlers in advance of the Palestinian Authority’s bid to recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations later this week, Palestinian activists in the West Bank have organised emergency response teams to document settler attacks and prevent more from taking place.

SUDAN: New Conflict Displaces Thousands

The Sudanese government says that a majority of the tens of thousands of people displaced by the fighting in the country’s Blue Nile state have started returning to the area. This is despite reports by local and international aid agencies that say people are still fleeing the region.

U.S.: Iraq Intelligence Failures Cast Shadow Over Iran Assessment

As the George W. Bush administration built the case for war with Iraq in the early 2000s, press accounts picked up bits of leaked intelligence that described a weapons of mass destruction threat from then president Saddam Hussein. But once the U.S. military entered Iraq, they found nothing.

China Increasingly Central to Caribbean Development

By the time Wang Qishan, China's vice premier, arrived in Trinidad for the Third China-Caribbean Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum earlier this week, Beijing had already ramped up its involvement with most countries in the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping.

Palestinians Face Large Cuts in U.S. Aid

With a vote on the Palestinians' status at the United Nations scheduled for next week, the Barack Obama administration has made its opposition to any upgrade of Palestinian status in the world body quite clear.

Developing Countries’ Designs for the Green Climate Fund

With its coffers largely dry and its management being contested, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) remains a hot topic among African civil society. Ahead of the upcoming international climate change meeting in South Africa, African ministers have already met to set their agenda and civil society is looking to do the same.

Companies Vow to Shun Child Labour in Uzbekistan

With Fashion Week under way in New York, Milan and London, more than 60 apparel companies from the United States and Europe this week publicly pledged to not knowingly buy cotton that has been harvested by children forced to labour in the cotton fields of Uzbekistan.

DEVELOPMENT: When Poverty Goals Fail, What Next?

The United Nations is the only legitimate body to lead a post- 2015 action plan for development, according to civil society ambassadors from around the world.

IRAQ: Fight for Women’s Rights Begins All Over Again

When a middle-aged mother took a taxi alone from Baghdad to Nasiriyah, about 300 kilometres south earlier this year, her 20-year-old driver stopped on the way, pulled her to the side of the road and raped her. And that began a telling legal struggle.

Low-Cost Healthcare Goes High-Tech

Cell phones and computer applications can help save the lives of thousands of mothers and children worldwide.

No Unplugging This Revolution

Nabeel Rajab believes in the power of social media, and he wants his government to know it. Speaking at the CIVICUS World Assembly in Montreal, the Bahraini activist embraced such communication and specifically requested that all live- Tweeters "hashtag" his name, or include it in their posts.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Armed Forces Reforest 11,000 Hectares

The “green battalions” made up by more than 1,000 members of the Honduran Armed Forces have planted 11,404 hectares of forests in the last five years.

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Trees Versus Housing

The construction of apartment buildings on vacant lots in the centre of Venezuelan cities like Caracas is having an impact on the trees that have surrounded these lots for many years.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Molecule That Converts Carbon Discovered

A molecule that converts carbon into substances used in the chemical industry has been discovered at Paulista State University in Brazil. This scientific finding can contribute both to the economy and to the mitigation of global warming.

MIDEAST: Anti-Israel Tsunami ‘One Door Away’

"Only one door" separated the vengeful throng of demonstrators from the six Israeli embassy guards. Chief security officer ‘Yonatan’ was on the phone from the besieged representation. On the other side of the line was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

MIDEAST: Not School Time Yet for Bedouin Girls

For mother of five Shimaa al-Aasam, providing her children with the opportunity to complete their education despite a severe lack of classrooms in their Bedouin community is of prime importance.