MIDEAST: Israel, Iran Talking War to Ward Off War?

Suddenly, the Middle East is awash with talk of war this summer. Or, is the talk of war merely meant to keep war at bay?

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Environmental Law Reform Begins

Honduran ecologists, archeologists and architects are debating in Parliament the reforms to the General Law on Environment, dating back to 1993, in order to adapt it to the new realities of climate change, deforestation and housing construction.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: Criticism for Website on Air Quality

The launch of a webpage (http://proyectos.aequum.org/proaire/) to collect citizen proposal to improve air quality in the Mexico City metropolitan area has left some environmentalists doubtful.

Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: A Seal for Timber Certification

As of this month, Argentina has its own forestry certification seal that ensures the sustainable management of its forests - native or planted - and proper handling of the tree from harvest to the final product.

U.S.: Overflowing Prisons Spur Call for Reform Commission

Despite the lacklustre performance of so-called "blue ribbon commissions" in the United States over the years, sponsors of the latest proposal - the National Criminal Justice Commission - are optimistic that it will become a reality and that its recommendations will be taken seriously by the president, Congress and the U.S. public.

MIDEAST: New Solution for the Old City?

As the 43rd anniversary of the "reunification" of Jerusalem is observed this week in Israel, marking Israel's annexation of the eastern portion of the city, a new initiative that calls for a sustainable and unified solution for the historic city is generating a buzz in Washington.

IRAN: Rights Group Condemns Secret Executions

Iran's nuclear ambitions and the bloody disturbances following its elections last year have so dominated media reporting on the country that many equally critical issues have been virtually forgotten.

AFRICA: Military Manoeuvres in the Sahel

Military exercises are under way in the Sahel region as part of the United States-led Trans-Saharan Counter Terrorism Partnership. Participating militaries are enthusiastic, but civil society cautions that force may not be enough to ensure regional security.

MIDEAST: Divided We Celebrate

"What kind of celebration is this," said Bat-El, 22, engulfed in a sea of blue- and-white Israeli flags in a huge procession marking Israel's self-celebrated Jerusalem Day, the anniversary by the Hebrew calendar of Israel's conquest of East Jerusalem 43 years ago during the 1967 Arab-Israel war.

CARIBBEAN: Jury Still Out on Trade Pact with Europe

A year and a half after Caribbean leaders inked a controversial and sweeping free trade pact with the European Union, concerns are emerging that the region is lagging in accessing some of its benefits.

UNESCO Catches Heat Over Prize Named for “Dictator”

Human rights groups are expressing outrage over a decision to proceed with the UNESCO-Obiang Nguema Mbasogo International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences, named after and funded by the controversial president of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea.

Haiti Asks Expat Professionals to Return and Help

Members of the Haitian diaspora responded with "massive and spontaneous" aid immediately after the Jan. 12 earthquake, with thousands of professionals leaving jobs abroad to go and assist their compatriots, according to a government minister.

SOUTHERN AFRICA: Cash Transfers Transforming Lives of the Poor

When Letesia Mbewe was nominated as a beneficiary in a cash transfer pilot project in Zambia’s Chipata district, she had no idea the project would change her life and that of her three children.

US: Govt Can’t Shut Down Charities Without a Warrant, Court Rules

In a major decision overturning a George W. Bush-era policy that has been continued by the administration of President Barack Obama, a federal court ruled that the U.S. Treasury Department cannot freeze a charity's assets without a warrant, and must also give access to any classified evidence before effectively shutting the group down.

CHINA: Women Activists on the Forefront of Human Rights Movement

Thirteen years ago a local official in north-east China’s Heilongjiang province tried to extort money from a woman named Liu Jie, who operated a successful cow farm.

Death Penalty Back on the Agenda in Nigeria

It has been nearly twenty years since an official execution has taken place in Nigeria. State governors have been unwilling to sign the execution warrants of persons on death row.

IBSA Editors Forum, Brasilia

As the leaders of the IBSA and BRIC groupings met in Brasilia on April 15, IPS hosted an official meeting of leading media editors from Brazil, India and South Africa. IPS Director General Mario Lubetkin and the chair of the IPS core donors group, Carlos Roberto Tiburcio de Oliveira, presented the recommendations from the meeting to President Lula, Prime Minister Singh, President Zuma, their Ministers and delegations, in a segment broadcast live on Brazilian national television. Read more: ips.org/institutional/ibsa-editors-forum-brasilia/

New U.S. Drug Strategy Still Heavy on Enforcement

Along with an expanded focus on domestic prevention and treatment, the U.S. will make a renewed effort to disrupt the flow of narcotics into its borders and weapons and money out of them, according to the White House's long-anticipated National Drug Control Strategy released Tuesday.

High Court Nominee Already Drawing Fire from Left and Right

The question of whether U.S. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan will move the court to the right or the left continued to be among the main points of contention among legal scholars Monday.

CHINA: To Congo, With Trouble

A massive barter deal with the Democratic Republic of Congo trumpeted by China as a showcase of its "win-win" strategy in Africa has been hit by charges of corruption, a court case, and a barrage of western criticism. The surprise onslaught is causing Beijing to suspect a plot to undercut its expanding presence in the resource-rich continent.

Ecobreves – CUBA: Simple Device to Economize Electricity

Cuba has begun producing devices made from clay to be placed in household electric ovens to help save energy, company officials from the factory in the coastal municipality of Gibara told Tierramérica.