News headlines in 2013, page 101

WASHINGTON, Jul 11 (IPS) - Technology education programmes are increasingly becoming a viable alternative to the standard four-year undergraduate university programme, according to the OECD, a major international grouping of rich countries.

WASHINGTON, Jul 11 (IPS) - An alliance of 17 major U.S. brands and retailers, including Walmart and the Gap, has unveiled a five-year agreement aimed at strengthening conditions and worker rights at garment factories in Bangladesh.

COLOMBO, Jul 10 (IPS) - It has been four years since the guns fell silent in Sri Lanka's northern Vanni region, after almost three decades of ethnic violence. Unfortunately peace does not mean the end of hardship for the most vulnerable people here: the women.

UNITED NATIONS, Jul 10 (IPS) - With the Cambodian national assembly elections fast approaching on Jul. 28, local and international organisations are expressing concerns about the fairness and transparency of the electoral system.

HAVANA, Jul 10 (IPS) - Rather than talk about forecasts for hurricanes at the start of this year's season, Cuban meteorologist José Rubiera prefers to discuss the importance of reducing the country's vulnerability and improving preparedness.

WASHINGTON, Jul 10 (IPS) - In May 2011, almost a year and half after a Tunisian street vendor's self-immolation sparked waves of revolution still rocking the Middle East, Bahraini journalist Nazeeha Saeed was tortured during her 13-hour detention before signing a confession she was not allowed to read.

UNITED NATIONS, Jul 10 (IPS) - Indonesia's forest fires, a predictable annual ritual, will continue to have serious implications for health and the environment in Southeast Asia unless the government strengthens forest protection, warn environmental groups.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jul 10 (IPS) - In response to the mass street protests in Brazil, President Dilma Rousseff proposed a raft of reforms of the political system which appear to be bogged down by red tape and interminable party negotiations - precisely the kind of thing the demonstrators are complaining about.

MILAN, Jul 10 (IPS) - It didn't take the financial crisis for hundreds of thousands of workers across Europe to protest the new plague of the labour market – precarity. But the financial crisis has only made it worse.

KHARTOUM, Jul 10 (IPS) - Lawyers and rights activists are calling for a change in Sudan's laws which allow for the marriage of girls as young as 10.