Syria Blast Strikes at Heart of Assad’s Rule

(Al Jazeera) - Syria’s defence minister and interior minister are among those who were killed after a suicide bomber struck the National Security building in Damascus during a meeting of cabinet ministers and senior security officials, state media reported.

UN COMMEMORATES NELSON MANDELA DAY

The 193-member U.N. General Assembly Wednesday commemorated International Nelson Mandela Day in honour of the former South African president.

Organized Crime Earns $870 Billion Annually, UNODC Warns

UNITED NATIONS July 16 2012 (IPS) – “Transnational Organized Crime: Let's put them out of business,” is the new campaign by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) aimed at raising global awareness of the size and cost of this illicit network.

Preparations for Quadrennial Review Underline Broad Support for “Delivering as One”

Efforts to ensure the UN's continued relevance in global development took centre stage on Monday, as executive heads of UN funds and programmes, including UNDP, UNICEF, UN-Women, WFP, UNOPS, UNFPA and ESCAP assembled in the ECOSOC Chamber to reviewed successes and challenges in integrating development missions across a plethora of UN agencies.  

Plain Speaking Says a Lot For a Changing Middle East

With ever increasing sanctions against Iran, escalating violence in Syria and the continuing political struggles in Egypt, a new dynamic has been added to the long-standing policy challenges in the Middle East.

Chile Debates Control over Lithium Production

SANTIAGO DE CHILE, Jul 15 2012 (IPS) - The Chilean government’s decision to invite companies to tender offers for mine lithium resources has been widely rejected by mining trade unions and legislators of the opposition.

After Turtle Hatchlings Destroyed, Trinidad Govt Defends Its Actions

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Jul 13 2012 (IPS) - Ordinarily they live for at least half a century. But at least 20,000 leatherback sea turtle hatchlings never made it past their nesting ground at Grand Riviere, a stretch of shoreline along Trinidad’s north coast, in what’s been described as “an engineering disaster” last weekend.

TURKMENISTAN: Ashgabat Quietly Builds Up Caspian Military Might

WASHINGTON, Jul 12 2012 (EurasiaNet) - When it comes to the brewing arms race in the Caspian Sea region, no one can accuse Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov of navel-gazing. Ashgabat is now able to back its claims to some energy-rich patches of the sea with considerable firepower.

Post-Genocide Rwanda Demonstrates Re-building is Possible

UNITED NATIONS July 12 (IPS) – Eighteen  years after the genocide,  Rwanda demonstrates that rebuilding a nation is possible. On Thursday the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched the world premiere of the short documentary: “Rwanda - Reaching New Heights”  which  was followed by an online  discussion with film-maker Zak Mulligan and UNDP Rwanda Country  Director Auke Lootsma, who was on video call from Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.

Uses of Technology to Educate Children and Young Adults in Uganda

The Uganda Scouts Association, described as a youth development organization, is spearheading a nation-wide campaign to reach young people in schools and out of school through their programmes targeting  the health of students and their  households, according to Cleopatra John Byarugaba,director of the U Report in Uganda.

Asian Mussel Invasion Largely Ignored by Southern Cone Governments

The governments of most of the countries that share the Río de la Plata basin are doing little or nothing to halt the golden mussel invasion, despite the serious damages and losses it is causing.Limnoperna fortunei, an inedible freshwater bivalve mollusk, is native to the rivers and streams of China and Southeast Asia. From Asia, it travels around the world as a “hitchhiker” or “stowaway” on ocean-going cargo vessels. It first appeared in South America in 1991.

Iowa Firm Accused of Displacing Tanzanians for Profit

A major U.S. energy company, AgriSol Energy, is accused of engaging in land grabs in Tanzania that would displace more than 160,000 Burundian refugees who have lived there for decades, according to a report by the Oakland Institute, an organisation focused on environmental issues.

Scientists Declare State of Emergency for World’s Coral Reefs

Coral reef scientists urged local and national governments to take action to save the world’s coral reefs and said they’d be “on call 24/7″ to assist politicians and officials.

Small Minority Gains Big Voice in Arms Trade Negotiations

The slow progress of the first week of arms trade treaty negotiations has sparked concerns among strong treaty advocates who sense the delaying tactics of a sceptical minority.