Press Freedom Under Threat in Age of Wikileaks

Freedom of the press could be seriously impacted across the world in the wake of the ongoing political revelations brought about by whistle-blowing websites such as Wikileaks, one of foremost constitutional law experts in the U.S. said Tuesday.

AFPAK: Polio Rises With Border Flows

Pakistan became the world’s top polio-endemic country in 2010 and is now the biggest source of the polio virus to countries declared polio-free many years ago. Due to the unrestricted movement of children along the long and porous Afghanistan-Pakistan border, both countries have begun to put in place a joint strategy to stem the tide of the ailment.

Israel’s European Friends Get Active

The pro-Israel lobby is seeking to increase its influence among members of Europe’s parliaments by offering them an expenses-paid trip to the Middle East.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: More Endangered Flora and Fauna

The number of species in danger of extinction increased in recent years in Mexico, and the government has failed to protect them, denounce environmental groups.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Preparing for Dam Construction

With plans to begin construction in February, the Patuca III hydroelectric complex, in the northeastern Honduran department of Olancho, will require an investment of 250 million dollars, according to official sources.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Waters Run Dirty

Brazil's rivers are increasingly polluted, according to SOS Mata Atlântica, a non-governmental organization that tested water quality of many water sources in 12 states, plus the federal district of Brasilia.

Sweden Slammed Over Iraqi Deportations

Both the United Nations and Amnesty International have criticized Sweden for its latest expulsion of Iraqi migrants who fled their home country to seek shelter in the European nation, citing concerns that violence in Iraq continues to threaten the lives of deported migrants.

RWANDA: Forest Conservation Calls for Carrot and Stick

For years, the various campaigns for sustainable use of forests just passed Pascal Segatashya by. But Rwanda's ambitious Forest Conservation Project eventually found him - and it has transformed his life and livelihood.

Collaring the Leopard

A first-of-its-kind satellite tracking project to monitor leopards may help the Indian government formulate a more effective wildlife policy, and prevent conflict between humans and wild animals.

Lighting Africa plans to give electricity to all Africans by making solar power accessible.

Lighting Africa plans to give electricity to all Africans by making solar power accessible.

Trinidad Aims to Bypass Privy Council on Death Penalty

Claiming it is the best answer to an escalating murder rate, the eight-month-old People's Partnership coalition has tabled legislation to amend Trinidad and Tobago's Constitution to resume executions.

U.N. Fears Escalating Ethnic Clashes in Cote d’Ivoire

United Nations officials said they were "gravely concerned" Wednesday that the current political deadlock over recent presidential elections in Cote d'Ivoire could ultimately lead to genocide, as both sides of the conflict consolidated their forces.

Mozambique Prepares for Worst Floods in 10 Years

Flood alert levels are on orange in parts of Mozambique as disaster management services mobilise to respond to flooding potentially as bad as the catastrophe in 2000.

MIDEAST: Oasis of Peace Blossoms, To An Extent

"Once upon a time," the educator tells Jewish and Arab five-year-old children, "a plant laid dormant, holding its life on the darkness around it, beholding the night. Butterflies, flowers and leaves, their caress, were laid to rest. Dewdrop beads, tears in an ocean of hopelessness, enchanted the plant that grew and grew into a strong tree, into an oasis of peace in a land of conflict", into a community of two peoples, Jews and Palestinians.

COTE D’IVOIRE: New Techniques, New Profits for Tomato Farmers

Even while the country has faced civil war and political crisis, innovative research organisations have worked to meet the challenges of food security and rural poverty.

MALI: Cotton and Food Security Closely Linked

Many Malian farmers are boycotting cotton this year, instead planting cereals. Cotton isn't edible, but observers say that the shift could weaken food security.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Plans for Law on Garbage Incineration

The Honduran authorities are seeking legislation on different approaches to solid waste management. Of the country's 298 municipalities, 260 do not have any waste treatment system, and the other 38 utilize incineration -- and most are poorly managed.

Ecobreves – CUBA: Migratory Birds Studied in Guanahacabibes

Cuban scientists will delve deeper this year into the characteristics and provenance of the birds they find on the Guanahacabibes Peninsula, one of the major corridors for migratory species in Cuba.

Ecobreves – BRASIL: Ethanol Also Comes from Eucalyptus Bark

The great volume of industrial waste from the paper pulp industry -- eucalyptus bark -- can be made into raw material for ethanol, according to a study by the Luiz de Queiroz Agricultural School at Brazil's University of São Paulo.

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Four-Wheeling Vandals Damage Great Savannah

In the period of late December 2010 to early January 2011, all-terrain vehicle enthusiasts caused severe damage in the Canaima National Park, an area of 30,000 square kilometers in southeast Venezuela.

MIDEAST: Latin America Deepens Israeli Isolation

Guyana became Thursday the seventh Latin American state to recognise an independent Palestinian state. Although the official recognitions are largely nominal, they have irked the State of Israel as they expose its growing diplomatic isolation in the face of the current peace deadlock.