ENVIRONMENT-US: Rising Sea Levels Worry Floridians

A dramatic rise in sea levels predicted by researchers at a major U.S. government agency has renewed concerns among scientists and community planners about the fate of Florida's coastlines.

HEALTH: As AIDS Drugs Fail, Few Have Any Alternative

While modest gains have been made in lowering the cost of many life-saving HIV/AIDS drugs, these formulas no longer work for a growing number of people, who now need so-called "second-line" drugs that are still priced far out of reach.

POLITICS-INDIA: Nuclear Deal With US Clears Domestic Opposition

The controversial United States-India nuclear cooperation agreement has overcome a major domestic obstacle in the form of a threat by India's major opposition parties to press for a Parliamentary resolution which would have tied the Manmohan Singh government's hands in final-stage bargaining with Washington.

ENVIRONMENT: Information Cleansing, Canadian Style

If you're a teacher, student, journalist or just a plain concerned citizen interested in finding well-researched documentation about climate change, you can no longer depend on the Canadian government to supply that information.

TRADE: India, Brazil, S. Africa Ties to Soar on Aerospace

An ambitious attempt to revive South-South economic cooperation around India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) is expected to receive a major fillip when the heads of state of these developing country majors meet in Brazil during the second week of September.

HEALTH: Cautious Optimism on Eve of Global AIDS Meet

The world's largest gathering of HIV/AIDS experts and activists will meet in Toronto starting on Sunday with renewed hopes of halting the spread of this devastating disease, which an estimated 40 million people are currently living with.

ARGENTINA: Residents Face Uranium Threat in Water Supply

Argentine judicial authorities are investigating cases of uranium contamination around the Ezeiza Atomic Centre, in Buenos Aires province. A married couple who have been diagnosed with cancer have been accepted as plaintiffs in a related lawsuit.

ENVIRONMENT: Deep Oceans Teeming With Exotic Microbes

The world's oceans may contain 100 times more types of microbes than previously believed, scientists revealed Monday.

SOUTH ASIA: Indo-US Nuclear Deal Sows Resentment, Rivalry

Just as the nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and India receives a major boost in Washington with the House of Representatives strongly voting for it, the deal continues to face flak in India's own Parliament.

HEALTH/SCIENCE: Transgenic Mosquitoes Enlisted in Fight Against Malaria

Brazil's René Rachou Research Centre has genetically modified a mosquito to eliminate its ability to transmit the parasite that causes malaria.

INDONESIA: DeathToll Crosses 500 Despite Tsunami Precautions

As the death toll in the earthquake and tsunami that struck Java island's southern coast on Monday crossed the 500 mark, officials admitted to having been caught by surprise, despite the elaborate precautions taken after earthquake-triggered monster waves smashed into Aceh province in northern Sumatra in December 2004.

POLITICS: No Evidence of Secret Enrichment by Iran

U.S. and European officials have been saying for years that Iran is using its publicly declared nuclear programme as a cover for a clandestine nuclear weapons programme, but has never produced concrete evidence to support that argument.

TECHNOLOGY-INDIA: Exposed by Dud Missile, Space Vehicle Crash

The failure in rapid succession, this week, of a satellite launcher and a new ballistic missile have shown up the technological and budgetary difficulties faced by India's space establishment - civilian and military.

POLITICS: N. Korean Missiles May Ease Indo-US Nuclear Deal

After the successful passage, last week, of two resolutions favouring the Indo-United States nuclear deal through the foreign relations committees of both chambers of Congress, it appears highly likely that it will clear the full Senate and House of Representatives.

ENVIRONMENT: Ailing Reefs Face New Threat of Acidity

Climate change is making the world's oceans more acidic, seriously endangering marine ecosystems, including coral reefs.

HEALTH: Pre-Pandemic Vaccine at the Forefront in Bird Flu Fight

Some 17 countries are hard at developing experiments ultimately aimed at preventing the spread of bird flu amongst humans. So far, avian influenza has killed 120 people. The rapid production of effective, low-cost vaccines will not prevent a pandemic from happening, but could sharply reduce its impact, say experts.

POLITICS: Indo-US Nuclear Deal Clears First Hurdle

With the House International Relations Committee (HIRC) of the United States House of Representatives gaining overwhelming bipartisan support for a draft bill to allow resumption of civilian nuclear commerce between India and the U.S., the path is clearer for the controversial nuclear deal signed a year ago between President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

POLITICS: Testing Times for Indo-US Nuclear Deal

As the United States and India held yet another round of intensive talks this week to flesh out the landmark nuclear deal they signed in July, it became clear that they will both explore how far they can push each other for concessions that would ease Congressional approval.

DEVELOPMENT: Scientific Diaspora Could Ease Brain Drain

Many expatriate scientists and medical professionals who work in Canada want to contribute their skills to their native developing countries - all that is lacking are mechanisms to help them do so without permanently returning to their country of origin, reports a study to appear Friday in Science magazine.

ECUADOR: Is Indigenous Unity More Than Skin Deep?

The selection by Ecuador's indigenous movement of a presidential candidate of its own for the October elections could be interpreted as a sign of unity and strength, but a closer look reveals underlying divisions.

BRAZIL: Controversy Over Digital TV

The current global battle in the field of communications is about taking a decision now for one of the three digital TV standards, or postponing it till later. But in Brazil the debate involves several dilemmas and disputes that are set to run on for years.