News headlines in August 2014, page 2

WASHINGTON, Aug 29 (IPS) - Large-scale dams are likely having a detrimental impact on water quality and biodiversity around the world, according to a new study that tracks and correlates data from thousands of projects.

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 28 (IPS) - Tarzie Vittachi, a renowned Sri Lankan newspaper editor and one-time deputy executive director of the U.N. children's agency UNICEF, once recounted the oft-quoted story of an African diplomat who sought his help to get coverage in the U.S. media for his prime minister's address to the General Assembly.

MEXICO CITY, Aug 28 (IPS) - Four wind farm projects in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, operated or financed by European investors, could violate Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) rules, say activists.

JUBA, Aug 28 (IPS) - "What is the benefit when children are crying and people are dying due to hunger? There is no need to cry when you have the potential to dig," sings Juba-based dancehall reggae group, the Jay Family, in their latest single "Stakal Shedit," which means "Work Hard" in Arabic.

BANJUL, Aug 28 (IPS) - With the approach of the Gambia's 2016 presidential elections, which will see President Yahya Jammeh seek re-election for a fifth, five-year tenure, more than a dozen opposition activists have been arrested, detained and prosecuted in the past eight months.

KOLKATA, India, Aug 28 (IPS) - In 2011, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned: "Combat Drug Resistance - No Action Today, No Cure Tomorrow." The slogan was coined in honour of World Health Day, urging governments to ensure responsible use of antibiotics in order to prevent drug-resistant viruses and bacteria, or ‘super bugs'.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 27 (IPS) - Problems in access to quality drinking water, supply shortages and inadequate sanitation are challenges facing development and the fight against poverty in Latin America. A new regional centre based in Brazil will monitor water to improve its management.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Aug 27 (IPS) - Concerned that climate change could lead to an intensification of the global hydrological cycle, Caribbean stakeholders are working to ensure it is included in the region's plans for Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM).

NAIROBI, Aug 27 (IPS) - Mary Wacu lived in the Rift Valley region for 10 years prior to the 2007/08 post-election violence that rocked Kenya after a disputed general election.

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 27 (IPS) - Can we envision a day when a critical mass of companies is investing in a better world? Where business is delivering value for the long-term – not just financially, but also socially, environmentally and ethically? Over a decade ago, it was hard to imagine, but we can now say with confidence that a global movement is underway.