Thailand recognized for its role in promoting the rights of the disabled
19 May 2013 - Thailand has been recognized for its commitment to promoting the rights of persons with disabilities. The Thai government hosted a regional consultation of Asia-Pacific countries on 15-16 May 2013, when Thailand presented its report under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process in the Thai Braille version. This publication would enhance accessibility and engage the visually impaired in Thailand's UPR process. (more)

Universitas 21 ranking of national higher education systems 2013
19 May 2013 - Following on from the successful 2012 project, U21 has now published the 2013 Rankings report, which gives an overview of higher education systems across the world. The project aims to highlight the importance of creating a strong environment for higher education institutions to contribute to economic and cultural development, provide a high-quality experience for students and help institutions compete for overseas applicants. Overall, in the 2013 Universitas 21 Ranking of Higher Education Systems, the top five countries were found to be the United States, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, and Denmark. (more)

UN human rights chief welcomes signing of Bangladesh work safety accord by major companies
19 May 2013 - The United Nations human rights chief has welcomed the decision of dozens of international companies to sign on to an fire-and-safety agreement in the aftermath of the deadly factory collapse in Bangladesh, while calling for additional actions to overhaul the entire garment sector. The companies that sign on have 45 days from the signing to develop and agree on an implementation plan to monitor their textile production in Bangladesh. Speaking on behalf of the Office of the High Commissioners for Human Rights (OHCHR), Mr Colville said measures taken so far may mark 'a turning point' in the history of Bangladesh's clothing industry but should only be a beginning. (more)

South Africa: Construction of MeerKat satellite dishes kicks off
19 May 2013 - The construction of the 64-dish MeerKat satellite dishes -- a precursor of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project -- had commenced, the Minister of Science and Technology Derek Hanekom said on Thursday. Government has injected R2 billion in the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project over the next three years and Hanekom said the MeerKat would be completed by 2016. (more)

Canada: Quebec Premier Pauline Marois unveils 'ambitious' buy-local food policy
19 May 2013 - Schools, hospitals, day-care centres, and other government-financed institutions across the province will be enlisted to help boost Quebec's self-sufficiency in food from the current 33 per cent to 50 per cent, Quebec Premier Pauline Marois announced. The buy-local goal 'is ambitious, very ambitious,' Marois declared, accompanied by François Gendron, her Minister of Agriculture. (more)

Capannori, Italy is Europe's first Zero Waste town
19 May 2013 - Capannori, a rural town in the Italian province of Lucca, in Tuscany, boasts a proud history. Six years ago, it became a trendsetter and leader, not just in Italy but throughout all of Europe, as the continent's first Zero Waste town. Giorgio del Ghingaro, the mayor of Capannori (population 46,000), defines this trend as a 'cultural revolution' that began with rubbish and in time went much further. Since 2007, residents of Capannori have reduced their urban waste by 30 per cent as part of a Zero Waste strategy, which calls for the elimination of all superfluous waste -- anything that can be recycled -- by 2020. (more)

Canada: Saskatchewan creates first new provincial park in nearly 20 years
19 May 2013 - Saskatchewan's newest provincial park is on the edge of the boreal forest, north of Prince Albert. Great Blue Heron Provincial Park covers more than 11,000 hectares and is the 35th protected park set aside by the government. It's near Anglin and Emma Lakes, just east of Prince Albert National Park, and is the first provincial park to be established in almost 20 years. (more)

Chinese Premier visits India to boost ties
19 May 2013 - Just weeks after a tense border standoff, China's new Premier visited India on Sunday on his first foreign trip as the neighbouring giants look to speed up efforts to settle a decades-old boundary dispute and boost economic ties. China says Premier Li Keqiang's choice of India for his first trip abroad since taking office in March shows the importance Beijing attaches to improving relations with New Delhi. (more)

Eight countries submit action plans to combat illegal trade in elephant ivory - UN
19 May 2013 - Eight countries identified as being the most affected by the illegal trade in elephant ivory have submitted national action plans to the United Nations-backed treaty for the conservation of endangered species containing measures to combat the scourge. The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) received plans from China, Kenya, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Uganda, Tanzania, and Viet Nam -- identified as primary source, transit and import countries affected by the illegal trade in ivory. (more)

Hong Kong launches first electric taxis
19 May 2013 - Hong Kong has introduced its first fleet of electric taxis in a bid to reduce the territory's high pollution levels. The cars have been rented by the Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association, which is testing them over the next six months. The idea of being environmentally-friendly is a global trend and the electric car is one good example,' said Wong Chung Keung, head of the association. (more)

Markham is Canada's most diverse community, according to Statistics Canada
19 May 2013 - Markham, Ontario is now Canada's most diverse community with the highest proportion of visible minorities than any other city, Statistics Canada's National Household Survey shows. A total of 72.3 per cent of the population comes from visible minorities. 'I do believe that we did a lot of things to accommodate new immigrants when they move to Markham,' said Regional Councillor Joe Li. 'We make them comfortable. We're the only municipality that hosts a national day for every community. When you walk into the city hall, you see the diverse workforce in the city and if you look at council you can see the diversity there, too.' (more)

Sea turtle comeback in a corner of the Caribbean
19 May 2013 - Giant leatherback turtles, some weighing half as much as a small car, drag themselves out of the ocean and up the sloping shore on the northeastern coast of Trinidad while villagers await wearing dimmed headlamps in the dark. The turtles are the focus of a thriving tourist trade, with people so devoted to them that they shoo birds away when the turtles first start out as tiny hatchlings scurrying to sea. The number of leatherbacks on this tropical beach has rebounded in spectacular fashion, with some 500 females nesting each night during the peak season in May and June, along the 800-meter-long (875-yard) beach. (more)

US President Obama seeks to cut Afghan war spending by 10 per cent
19 May 2013 - President Barack Obama on Friday trimmed his funding request for the war in Afghanistan and other overseas operations by 10 per cent, reflecting his plans to wind down the US presence in that country. The US chief executive has said he plans to draw down troops in Afghanistan after 2014 but has not specified by how much. (more)

US: Utility emissions down
19 May 2013 - According to a new report -- Benchmarking Air Emissions -- from Natural Resources Defence Council and major energy companies, sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) are 70 per cent and 72 per cent lower, respectively, than they were in 1990. Mercury is down 40 per cent since 2000, the first year that it was tracked. 'The electric power industry is moving to cleaner sources of energy, demonstrating that cleaner power generation is achievable,' said Mindy Lubber, president of Ceres, a co-sponsor of the report. 'Stronger regulations will reinforce those trends and stimulate further investment in low-carbon, low-risk resources like renewable power and energy efficiency.' (more)

US: Rising consumer demands aids organic industry sway
18 May 2013 - The organic food industry is gaining influence on Capitol Hill, prompted by its entry into traditional farm states and by increasing consumer demand. Representative Kurt Schrader of Oregon, a former organic farmer, offered an amendment to make it easier for organic companies to organize industry-wide promotional campaigns. The amendment was adopted. Representative Vicky Hartzler, a Missouri Republican who owns a farm equipment business and a corn and soybean farm, said she supported the amendment not only because helping organics is good for agriculture but because many of her constituents eat organic foods. The amendment would allow the organic industry to organize and pay for a unified industry promotional campaign called a 'check-off' that is facilitated by the Agriculture Department but is no cost to the government. (more)

Caribbean talks conservation
18 May 2013 - Political and business leaders gathered Friday to back an initiative aimed at expanding protection for the Caribbean's imperilled coasts and waters. The 'Caribbean Challenge' calls for special protected zones along at least 20 per cent of the region's coasts by 2020 in hopes of protecting its biodiversity and its crucial tourism market. The region's scattered islands have 10 per cent of the world's coral reefs and some 1,400 species of fish and marine mammals. (more)

US: Dow, S&P end at records, stocks mark fourth week of gains
18 May 2013 - US stocks continued their climb into uncharted territory on Friday, racking up the fourth week of gains in a row as encouraging economic data prompted investors to pick up shares of growth companies. The Dow and the S&P 500 finished at fresh record highs. The indexes have pushed to a series of never-before-seen levels as part of the rally that has lifted equities more than 16 per cent for the year so far. Data showed Americans felt better about their economic and financial prospects in early May, with consumer sentiment at its highest in nearly six years, while a gauge of future economic activity rose in April to a near five-year high. (more)

Microcredit helps small businesses buck the system in Madagascar
18 May 2013 - Madagascar's microfinance sector was established in 1990, but it began to experience rapid growth only in the last 10 years; it was worth about 22.7 billion ariary ($10 million) in 2002, and by 2011, it was valued at about 244.4 billion ariary ($112 million). Microfinance is seen as a vehicle to help Madagascar attain some of its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), particularly the goal on eradicating extreme poverty. All microloan borrowers receive business advice, but with technical assistance and funding from the UN Development Programme, microfinance players have also established microcredit education programmes aimed at vulnerable groups. (more)

Scotland awarded Fair Trade Nation status
18 May 2013 - All Scottish cities now have Fairtrade status and 62 towns have either achieved Fairtrade status or have active steering groups. Almost two-thirds of higher education institutions are also on board, and the Scottish government supports Fairtrade through the use and promotion of Fairtrade products at meetings and catering outlets. (more)

US: Senator Jeff Merkley pushes 'Monsanto Protection Act' repeal
18 May 2013 - Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) is planning to push an amendment to the upcoming farm bill that would repeal the secret provision known as the Monsanto Protection Act, a rider attached anonymously to a spending bill that sailed through Congress in March. An outcry greeted the news of the legislation once the public learned that it had been passed by Congress with no debate and signed into law by President Barack Obama. The provision allows Monsanto and other companies to continue selling genetically engineered seeds, even if a court has blocked them from doing so. Merkley will press for a floor vote on his repeal amendment when the farm bill is taken up next week, a Merkley aide told HuffPost. (more)

As yen falls, goods from Japan are more affordable
18 May 2013 - Japanese goods are getting more affordable. For consumers worldwide -- and for Japan's economy -- it's welcome news. When the yen's value falls, many Japanese goods become less expensive worldwide. Toyotas become cheaper in Germany, the United States, and South Korea. So do Sony electronics. For tourists, Tokyo doesn't cost so much to visit. In the long run, economists say other nations gain, too. An economically stronger Japan means its consumers and businesses can afford to buy more goods from other countries, helping lift their economies, too. (more)

World stocks strong into the weekend
18 May 2013 - World stock markets rose steadily on Friday after two key indicators suggested the US economic expansion will continue. The Conference Board reported that its leading indicator index for the US increased 0.6 per cent in April, following a 0.2 decline in March, due to recovering housing and labour markets. 'In general, the (index) points to a continuing economic expansion with some upside potential,' said Ataman Ozyildirim, an economist at the private research association. In addition, the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index rose to 83.7 in May, the highest level since July 2007 and better than analysts had expected, in part due to lower gasoline prices at the pump recently. (more)

Chile telecoms: The future of 'Chilecon Valley' looks promising
18 May 2013 - Chile telecoms and entrepreneurship have been gaining in popularity and success over the past few years, a fact acknowledged by President Sebastián Piñera multiple times during the past month. The start-up culture characteristic of places like Silicon Valley (California) has begun to infiltrate Chilean culture and economy over the past few years. The movement that has gained extra momentum under Piñera during his tenure as President. Last month, Piñera announced that 29 April would from here forth be recognized as National Entrepreneurship Day in Chile. This move by Piñera illustrates a growing dedication to the advantages that entrepreneurship offers a country. (more)

Organic food is $63 billion global industry
18 May 2013 - 2011 is the most recent year for statistics on the growth of the organic industry worldwide, but here's an update. Organic food is a $63 billion industry globally, according to the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). From 2002 - 2011, the industry grew 170 per cent, or about 19 per cent a year. The US is the largest single market for organic food (and beverages), but developing countries are the biggest producers. Germany and France are the other dominant markets for organic food and Switzerland, Denmark, and Luxemburg consume the most organic food per capita. (more)