Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Promoting the Use of Biogas

The government of Honduras is studying ways to promote the generation of biogas from organic waste, to reduce the country’s dependence on imported oil.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Raw Materials from the Northeast for Smart Packaging

The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) has opened a laboratory in the northeast Brazilian city of Fortaleza for the development of biodegradable and edible packaging.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: NGOs Denounce Delay in Clean Fuel Production

Environmental organizations have denounced that the Mexican government intends to postpone the production of ultra-low-sulfur diesel until 2015.

More Ecology, Less Economy for Rio+20

Indigenous people’s rights and gender equity should be addressed in discussions around sustainable development at Rio+20, say activists.

Grenada Under Climate Stress

Fishing, agriculture and tourism are feeling the pains of climate change in Grenada, a small island state in the southeastern Caribbean.

Malaysia Weighs Minimum Wage Policy

Malaysia plans to introduce a national minimum wage for its workers against stiff opposition from employers and manufacturers who warn that such a policy would shut down nearly 200,000 small and medium enterprise (SME) units.

Can’t Help Helping Refugees

It’s 10 am on Saturday morning and a group of migrants is clustered round the entrance to the Migrant Clothes Association in the Calais city centre, eating breakfast provided by the association. Inside, the warehouse is stacked with blankets, tents, trainers and clothes. Some of these will be distributed later by the association’s workers.

Donors Damaging Palestinian Economy

The latest Work Bank report on the Palestinian economy fuels the row on institutional viability precisely as Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas considers renewing his statehood bid.

Debate Rages over U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan

An influential Pakistani journalist appealed this week for Washington to stick to its 2014 timetable for withdrawing its combat forces, instead of accelerating its pullout, as a growing number of voices here are urging.

Turkey’s Fears: What Threats Could Syrian Crisis Unleash?

Enough calls to reason. It is time for collective action. That was the message Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu sent Thursday to his European Union (EU) colleagues, whom he will be meeting later this week in Brussels.

Saving Mothers’ Lives One Midwife at a Time in South Sudan

Martha Borete Angela’s gaze sinks to the ground as she admits neither of her two children was delivered by a midwife or doctor. The 28-year-old South Sudanese woman shared this fact in front of her classmates: first-year students in a programme for midwives at the Catholic Health Training Institute in Wau, a city in the western part of the country.

Tale of Two Approaches – the WTO Torn Asunder?

Trade envoys of India, Brazil, and South Africa have warned industrialised countries not to hijack the Doha multilateral trade negotiations by adopting the controversial plurilateral approach to liberalise trade in services.

Counting the Cost at 2,600 Litres of Water a T-Shirt

The share of organic cotton is increasing in an unstable cotton market, thanks to big European retailers like H&M and C&A who've jumped on the bandwagon of offering organic clothing at a low price. But whether this benefits the farmer is another matter.

Myanmar ‘Reforms’ Elude Kachin Refugees

For thousands of ethnic Kachins who fled fighting between government troops and rebels and survived a bitter winter in the refugee camps that dot northern Myanmar (or Burma), another test of survival looms – gale force winds.

Unexpected Nomination by Obama for World Bank Chief

In a surprise to many development and finance experts here on Friday, U.S. President Barack Obama nominated Jim Yong Kim, a relatively unknown but highly regarded international health specialist to become the next president of the World Bank.

Protests in Southern Chile Spread to Other Remote Regions

Protests in the southern Chilean city of Puerto Aysén over the region’s isolation and high local prices of fuel and food have spread to other isolated regions of the country.

Mali Junta Courts Civil Society

A majority of political representatives have so far maintained their distance from the leaders of a coup that toppled the government earlier this week, but several religious and political personalities have already shown a willingness to work with the new regime.

U.S. Urged to Leverage Security Cooperation with Bahrain

As government crackdowns continue, Bahrain is attracting more international visitors than just those coming in preparation for next month's Forumla One Grand Prix.

Locals Don’t Want Cell Phone Towers Next to See-saws in El Salvador

"You see? That's where they were going to put the antenna," says Alicia Suncín, pointing to a spot in the middle of a park in the Salvadoran capital where a private company was planning to erect a cell phone tower, 10 metres away from swings and see-saws where children play.

Asia Is Up in Arms

The geopolitical centre of gravity, as measured in arms spending and transfers, has shifted to Asia.

DRC Elections – U.N. Condemns Rights Violations

A report by the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office has slammed the government and security forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo, condemning electoral violence linked to the Nov. 30 elections which led to at least 33 deaths in the capital, Kinshasa.