Bill Seeks to Halt Bee-Killing Pesticides in U.S.

Two Congressional Democrats have co-sponsored new legislation called the Save America’s Pollinators Act of 2013 to take emergency action to save the remaining bees in the U.S., and in turn, the U.S. food supply.

Police Scramble to Adapt as Human Trafficking Goes Mobile

In the second half of June, law enforcement in Chişinău, Moldova’s capital city, received an email from a parent telling them their child had been kidnapped.

Technology and Innovation Aim at Greater Food Security

In the face of global climate change and currency devaluation, improved strategies are being used to combat high international poverty and malnutrition rates, and to increase global food security. 

Flap over Spying Shows Party Isn’t Everything in U.S. Politics

Party allegiances apparently mean little in the U.S. when it comes to the debate over domestic government surveillance.

For First Time Since 2009, U.S. Senate Talks Closing Guantanamo

Momentum appears to be building in the push to close down the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, where 166 inmates, 86 of whom have been cleared for release, remain held without charges.

Race Still Major Factor in U.S. Income Gap

President Barack Obama is vowing to spend his remaining time in office encouraging bipartisan efforts to strengthen the U.S. middle class by ensuring it is open to those from all backgrounds.

U.S. Courts Uphold Conflict Minerals Disclosure

A U.S. federal judge has upheld a key regulatory provision aimed at ensuring that the profits from products mined in central Africa are not used to benefit armed groups, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

California Prisons Violating Hunger-Strikers’ Rights, Groups Warn

As a mass hunger strike in the California prison system enters its third week, advocacy groups are warning that prison officials attempting to break the strike are breaching international human rights standards.

New Bid for Mideast Talks after Five-Year Hiatus

There is a real opportunity for peacemaking between Israel and the Palestinians, even though the obstacles are more formidable than in the past. That was the assessment of former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, speaking Monday at a public event which posed the question “Can the Two-State Solution Be Saved?”

Rouhani Faces Tests at Home and Abroad

The successful campaign of Iran’s President-elect Hassan Rouhani may have been built on the persistence of hope among Iranian voters for a better future.

Undocumented Workers Find Courage in Solidarity

Ataur was 18 when he left Bangladesh and arrived in the United States in 1991 as an undocumented migrant. He took two jobs at the same time, earning about 35 dollars a day in total.

Afghan Mission Not Quite Ending

NATO member countries like Canada will continue to be asked to shoulder the burden of a military mission stuck in Afghanistan because of the continued vulnerability of the Kabul-based government.

Advocates of Iran Engagement Get Unexpected Boost

For the first time in many months, supporters of intensified diplomatic engagement with Iran appear to be gaining strength here.

Tensions Rise as Walmart Refuses to Pay “Living Wage”

Proponents of a proposed higher “living wage” requirement for workers at large retailers here in Washington are stepping up their campaign, urging the city’s mayor to sign pending legislation into law.

OECD Proposes Plan to Curb International Tax Avoidance

Finance ministers from the Group of 20 (G20) countries on Friday received a previously requested strategy under which the world’s largest economies could crack down on international tax avoidance, particularly on the part of multinational corporations.

Fight over NSA Spying Spills into U.S. Courts

A wide variety of individuals and organisations have filed lawsuits challenging the National Security Agency (NSA) and other federal agencies and officials for conducting a massive, dragnet spying operation on U.S. citizens that was recently confirmed by whistleblower Edward Snowden.

OP-ED: Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood: Exclusion Breeds Radicalism

The Egyptian military’s removal of the democratically-elected President Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood from power upended the MB’s 20-year old political participation programme. If the new regime aims to achieve genuine reconciliation and political consensus, the MB and its supporters must be included in the restructuring of Egyptian politics.

BOOKS: Iran’s Coup, Then and Now

Ervand Abrahamian, a leading historian of modern Iran, has recently explored the 1953 Anglo/American-sponsored coup that overthrew Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq.

U.S. Urged to Safeguard Trade Benefits for Low-Income Countries

A broad spectrum of interests are urging U.S. lawmakers to extend a law offering trade preferences to developing countries, slated to expire at the end of the month.

OP-ED: Iran in the Era of Moderation and Reform

Do you expect a miracle from Rouhani? You are heading down the wrong road. Please take it easy!

Power Woos Critics with Pro-Israel Charm Offensive

Samantha Power, U.S. President Barack Obama’s nominee for the post of ambassador to the United Nations, made a strong case for her confirmation Wednesday with strong pro-Israel and interventionist statements that will appeal to many of the hawks in the U.S. Senate.