News stories by Carey L. Biron, page 16

WASHINGTON, Jun 03 (IPS) - The U.S. federal prison system's use of solitary confinement and other forms of "segregated housing" has increased substantially over the past five years, according to new data released by the U.S. Congress's official independent watchdog.

WASHINGTON, May 31 (IPS) - Top U.S. companies are now in negotiations to agree on new safety standards for their clothing-producing contractors in Bangladesh, a month after a garment factory's collapse in Dhaka killed more than 1,100 workers.

WASHINGTON, May 30 (IPS) - Consumer advocates and environmentalists this week are taking advantage of an industry conference to highlight concerns over the U.S. government's pending approval of a genetically modified eucalyptus tree.

WASHINGTON, May 29 (IPS) - At an annual shareholder meeting held Wednesday, upper-level management for the oil conglomerate Chevron faced renewed questioning over its record-setting political contributions during last year's national election.

WASHINGTON, May 28 (IPS) - Over the past three decades, Africa has functioned as a "net creditor" to the rest of the world, the result of a cumulative outflow of nearly a trillion and a half dollars from the continent.

WASHINGTON, May 23 (IPS) - Development groups and corruption watchdogs are applauding landmark new standards adopted Wednesday by an international initiative focused on ensuring greater transparency among oil and mining companies operating particularly in developing countries.

WASHINGTON, May 22 (IPS) - U.S. officials Tuesday formally unveiled the government's first comprehensive strategy aimed at integrating water into all U.S. development funding and programmes, a step long urged by advocates and development experts.

WASHINGTON, May 20 (IPS) - Myanmar's President Thein Sein on Monday became the first leader of that country in almost a half-century to pay a call on the White House, a visit that has simultaneously highlighted a series of monumental changes seen in Myanmar in recent years as well as a reforms process that many are warning may have stalled.

WASHINGTON, May 17 (IPS) - Over the next decade and a half, a major global shift will result in the developing world controlling roughly half of the world's capital, up from less than a third today.

WASHINGTON, May 16 (IPS) - Trillions of dollars a year are being produced through extractive industries, but just a tiny percentage of this money is impacting on the lives of poor communities in developing countries, according to a first-of-its-kind study released Wednesday.