Caribbean Farmers and Fishermen Feel Pains of Climate Change

James Nicholas has always made a living off the sea. A fisherman in the tri-island state of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, he recalls the profitable business of selling his daily catch to residents and restaurants on the island and even exporting fish to luxury hotels in neighbouring ones.

Q&A: “We Are on the Road to Overcoming Impunity” in Guatemala

"To achieve peace, it is necessary for the truth to come out, and for the victims to receive reparations. And part of this is that cases of genocide and crimes against humanity against the Maya people must come to trial," says Guatemalan indigenous leader Rosalina Tuyuc.

Development Aid in Cuba Threatened by Red Tape

Excessive delays by the Cuban government in evaluating foreign aid projects for their compatibility with the country’s economic planning policies have created uncertainty for aid organisations, which have sometimes even been forced to return funds to donors due to missed deadlines.

Winter of Crisis Killing the Elderly in Portugal

This winter the mortality rate in Portugal has grown alarmingly, to a level far higher than the seasonal averages of previous years. And the brunt of the death toll is being borne by low-income elderly people.

Rafsanjani’s Reappointment Provokes Speculation in Iran

Last week's unexpected reappointment of Iran's former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani as the chair of Expediency Council has provoked considerable speculation here about Iran's future political trajectory as it faces unprecedented economic pressure and military threats from Israel and the United States.

Asia Accounts for World’s Five Largest Arms Buyers

China, India and South Korea - three of the most vibrant economies in Asia - are also beefing up their military arsenals with new weapons systems from the United States, Russia, Germany, France and UK.

BRICS Bank Could Change the Money Game

India’s proposal to set up a bank of the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) will top the agenda at the summit of the group in New Delhi Mar. 28.

New Threat Looms Over South Sudan Refugees

Thousands of African refugees in Israel face expulsion to dangerous conditions in their countries of origin as Israel hardens its policies. The refugees are increasingly turning to protest.

As the Taps Run Dry in Mauritius

Rani Murthy, a public officer who lives in Plaines Wilhems, central Mauritius, wakes at three every morning to wait for the water tanker from the Central Water Authority so that she can collect water for cooking and household chores.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: University of São Paulo Creates Climate Study Center

The University of São Paulo has created the Interdisciplinary Climate Investigation Center (INCLINE) to integrate all of university’s studies in this field.

Ecobreves – CUBA: Crocodile to be “Repatriated” During Pope’s Visit

A young Cuban crocodile (Crocodylus rhombifer), a highly endangered species found only in a very limited area of Cuba, will be returned to its country of origin from Rome in late March, coinciding with the visit by Pope Benedict XVI.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: School Kids Learn How to React to Floods and Landslides

More than 600 students from two schools located in areas at high risk for flooding and landslides in the Honduran capital are receiving training on what to do when these disasters occur.

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: University Team Designing Used Battery Treatment Plant

A team of scientists at Simón Bolívar University in Venezuela is designing a plant for the processing of used household batteries, in order to prevent their incorrect disposal and to extract the toxic materials they contain in the form of reusable chemical compounds.

Living on a Meal a Day in Swaziland

Margaret Gamedze earns a living doing laundry for people in her community in Msunduza Township, which lies about a kilometre outside Swaziland’s capital city of Mbabane. But since the country’s fiscal crisis began, she no longer earns enough to pay the rent for her one-roomed mud shack, which she shares with her five children.

Saving Kenya’s Maize Crop

While some maize farmers in Kenya’s Western Province are stilling living off the produce from last season’s harvest, Robert Oduor is counting his losses after the deadly Striga weed infested his one-hectare maize field.

Taiwan Beefs Up to Take On the U.S.

Taiwan civic activists and opposition parties have launched efforts to block plans by the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang or KMT) government to "conditionally deregulate" the import of United States-produced beef containing residues of ractopamine, a controversial "growth enhancing" chemical used in cattle feed.

Financial Transaction Tax Likely This Year

A recent proposal to introduce a European financial transaction tax was blocked by Britain. But with Germany and France committed to push ahead, many are confident a tax will be implemented before the end of this year.

Taliban Face the Music in Pakistan

Not so long ago, Gul Pana’s pursuit of a career as a professional singer in Khyber Pakthunkhwa (KP) province would have invited certain death at the hands of the Taliban.

An Assault on Multilateral Trade Negotiations

India, Brazil, and South Africa, the international grouping for promoting international cooperation among the three countries known as IBSA, along with China and several other developing countries, have denounced the ongoing attempts to craft an exclusive, plurilateral agreement to liberalise trade in services without concluding the multilateral trade negotiations of the World Trade Organization.

Could a Goddess Influence Armenia’s Election Campaign?

To the British Museum, she is "probably Aphrodite", the Greek goddess of love and beauty. To most Armenians, she is Anahit, an ancient Armenian goddess of fertility.

Spain’s Jobless Unite for Solutions and Survival

Unemployed people's movements and associations in Spain are proposing alternatives to official job seeking channels, in the midst of an economic crisis that so far has left more than five million people out of work.