CHINA: Social Networking Sites Vibrant and Thriving Among Activists

Last June, when thousands of Iranians – many organised through social networking websites such as Twitter – took to the streets to protest the outcome of the country’s presidential election, a Chinese English-language newspaper, ‘Global Times’, published an editorial critical of the Western media’s coverage of the protests.

Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: Request for More Protected Nature Areas

The Argentine Wildlife Foundation has called upon the government of Cristina Fernández to increase the total coverage of protected areas, which currently remains below the minimum recommended by the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Emerald Hummingbird Closer to Extinction

The threat of extinction hanging over the emerald hummingbird (Amazilia luciae) is growing, as evidenced in the latest report, which found just 500 mating pairs in its habitat of tropical arid forest in the northern Honduran province of Yoro.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: Science Mission to the Arctic

An international science team left last week for the Arctic Ocean to study the effects of climate change.

ITALY: Daring to Put Mafia Assets to Social Utility

In the small town of Corleone in central Sicily, 13 people, five of whom suffer from psychiatric distress, run a farm on lands confiscated from the Cosa Nostra, the Sicilian mafia.

Taking Stock of the International Criminal Court

The first Review Conference of the International Criminal Court will open in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, on May 31. The conference is the first opportunity to propose amendments to the treaty that established the ICC, the Rome Statute, and to assess the implementation and impact of the ICC.

NEPAL: Peace Process Survives Scare But Road Ahead Still Bumpy

Nepal’s three major political parties inked a compromise deal Friday, an hour before the expiry of the Constituent Assembly’s (CA’s) tenure, and voted in favor of a bill proposing extension of its term by a year, thus saving the country’s four-year-old peace process from breaking down.

More Deepwater Disasters on the Horizon?

Despite a federal moratorium on offshore oil drilling, new permits and controversial environmental waivers for oil rigs continue to be granted, sparking criticism from policymakers and environmentalists.

And Not a Drop to Drink for Palestinians

A new desalination facility has come up here on Israel's Mediterranean seashore, to soothe Israel's chronic fresh water shortage. An elaborate network of pipes beneath the beach reaches westward far into the sea. Eastward, it links up with the national water system.

U.S. Defence Spending Far Outpaces Rest of the World

The United States continues to lead the world in defence spending, according to a new report released Thursday by the Centre for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, a U.S.-based non-partisan research organisation.

Legal Groups Protest Probe of Guantanamo Lawyers

The American Bar Association, the American Civil Liberties Union, and numerous other legal organisations are demanding that the Senate Armed Services Committee reject a provision in a House of Representatives bill that would mandate an investigation into lawyers representing Guantanamo Bay detainees.

Fighting Off Criticism, IWC Looks to Rein in Whaling

It may seem odd that an outright ban on whaling would not be the most effective way to prevent the controversial practice, but that is exactly what the International Whaling Commission is betting on.

EUROPE: Cutting Emissions, and Costs

Deeper cuts to the European Union's greenhouse gas emissions than those approved by its governments would be less expensive than previously thought, according to a new analysis.

Texas Texts Tilt to the Right

The American Civil Liberties Union has launched a letter-writing campaign designed to persuade book publishers not to use the "ideologically-slanted standards for social studies textbooks" approved by the Texas State Board of Education as a model for use in other states.

RIGHTS: China’s Secret ‘Black Jails’ Hold Sordid Tales of Injustice

In 2003, a number of Xu Cong Yang’s possessions – including jewelry and a rare stamp collection – went missing. The culprit, he believed, was a company owned by the local government in a central Chinese city that Xu had enlisted to insure the items.

U.N. Calls for Universal Ratification of Ban on Child Soldiers

A decade after the passage of the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United Nations and human rights groups are urging 44 unsigned countries to join in ratifying the treaty.

First Woman PM Takes the Helm in Trinidad

When she is sworn in as prime minister later this week, Kamla Persad-Bissessar says she will bring the same kind of care and attention to governing Trinidad and Tobago that she has devoted to her own family.

SRI LANKA: War-Affected Women Bewail Their Plight

Rajini Padamaraj, 32, is burdened with the responsibility of looking after the needs of her entire household, composed of her mother and two younger siblings.

GULF: Search On for Green Options to Forestall Water Shortage

Realising that achieving water security in the future is not an option but a necessity, oil-rich Gulf countries are striving to find new environment-friendly and more economical ways of producing freshwater.

Namibia Stands Up to EU ‘Bullying’

Tensions between the European Union and Africa have once again erupted, with Namibia accusing the Brussels elite of resorting to bullying tactics in trade negotiations.

U.S. Towns Open Doors to Cleared Gitmo Prisoners

As Congress stiffens its resistance to moving any Guantánamo prisoners anywhere near the continental U.S., some communities are putting out the welcome mat.