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WHO/UNICEF JMP report: World is on track to meet drinking-water target of MDGs

With 87% of the world's population or approximately 5.9 billion people using safe drinking-water sources, the world is on track to meet or even exceed the drinking-water target of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), according to the new WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme report Progress on Sanitation and Drinking-Water -2010 Update Report, released today.

16 Mar 2010

Unlicensed software usage: iCan Benefit pays BSA $61,500 to settle claims

The Business Software Alliance (BSA), the voice of the world's commercial software industry, today announced a settlement with iCan Benefit Group of Boca Raton, FL. iCan Benefit paid $61,500 to BSA to settle claims that it had unlicensed copies of Adobe, Microsoft and Symantec software installed on its computers. As part of the settlement agreement, the company agreed to delete all unlicensed copies of software from its computers, acquire any licenses necessary to become compliant, and commit to implementing stronger software asset management (SAM) practices.

15 Mar 2010

WWF, TRAFFIC welcome WFCMS statement on banning use of tiger bones for medicinal benefits

WWF and TRAFFIC welcome a World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies statement urging its members not to use tiger bone or any other parts from endangered wildlife.

15 Mar 2010

African leaders, donors endorse 'ambitious' agriculture development plan

At a meeting this week in Nigeria to address African agriculture production, "African leaders and donor agencies have endorsed an ambitious plan to generate employment, income and food security in Africa by developing agribusiness and agro-industries," Punch reports.

15 Mar 2010

U.N. not fully funded to meet needs in Haiti, says humanitarian chief; Media examines care for country's elderly

After announcing a revised appeal of $1.4 billion in February to finance emergency relief as well as recovery and reconstruction, the U.N. "is struggling to provide support for equake-ravaged Haiti," according to humanitarian chief John Holmes, Reuters reports.

15 Mar 2010

Specialists convene to address future climatic trends

Specialists from various Earth system science disciplines recently gathered to address a major question: what will our environment look like in the future?

15 Mar 2010

AAPHP urges FDA to reclassify electronic cigarette as tobacco product

The American Association of Public Health Physicians submitted a petition to the US Food and Drug Administration on February 23rd in response to their official stance concerning electronic cigarettes.

15 Mar 2010

Life insurance industry is for faster pace of change in the use of technology

The long-term outlook for the life insurance industry is for a faster pace of change, particularly in the use of technology. That was the conclusion of a survey of top industry executives by LOMA.

12 Mar 2010

More U.S. investment in diplomacy, development needed, say former military leaders

A group of former U.S. military leaders have joined "recent calls by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen to expand U.S. civilian capacities to reduce dependence on the military," Politico's Laura Rozen reports on her blog.

12 Mar 2010

High-intensity workout as effective as traditional types of exercise: study

The usual excuse of "lack of time" for not doing enough exercise is blown away by new research published in The Journal of Physiology.

12 Mar 2010

Obama renews promise to assist with Haiti's earthquake recovery during Preval's visit to the White House

"President Barack Obama on Wednesday renewed America's commitment to the recovery and reconstruction of earthquake-devastated Haiti, telling visiting President Rene Preval he knows the crisis has not passed," the Associated Press/TIME reports (Feller, 3/10).

12 Mar 2010

Highly anticipated Academic Reputation Survey launched

Thomson Reuters today announced it has launched the highly anticipated Academic Reputation Survey, which will help inform the Times Higher Education's influential World University Rankings. The survey reflects a new approach to data gathering and analytics to provide a one-of-a-kind resource to the global scholarly community.

11 Mar 2010

A global initiative to protect the rights of adolescent girls

As leaders gather for the fifteen-year review of the Beijing Platform for Action, we, the members of the United Nations Adolescent Girls Task Force, jointly pledge to intensify our efforts to fulfil the human rights of adolescent girls.

11 Mar 2010

Global Food Security: New programme aims at providing sustainable, secure supply of good quality food

The UK's main public funders of food-related research and training will today (11 March) join together to launch a new programme aimed at meeting the challenge of providing the world's growing population with a sustainable, secure supply of good quality food using less land and fewer resources. The organisations will work together through a new programme - Global Food Security - to coordinate and align their research interests.

11 Mar 2010

Zumba Fitness to appear at France’s largest fitness trade show

Zumba Fitness, LLC, a United States-based company providing Latin-inspired dance fitness products and services (such as Zumba® classes, DVDs, music, and Zumbawear™), announces its appearance at France’s largest fitness trade show, Salon Mondial du Fitness in Paris, March 12-14.

10 Mar 2010

Food aid phase over for Haiti, focus should be on jobs, hurricane season preparation, schools, Haitian President says

At their meeting on Wednesday, Haitian President Rene Preval is expected to ask President Barack Obama to stop food aid to Haiti, Reuters reports. "Preval told a news conference on Monday the aid could in the long term hurt the economy of the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. 'I will tell him (Obama) that this first phase of assistance is finished,' said Preval," according to the news service.

10 Mar 2010

New York Times examines millennium villages in Africa

The New York Times examines development and health improvements in Sauri, Kenya, which was the first Millennium Village in Africa, a project conceived by economist Jeffrey Sachs, which aims "to show that tightly focused, technology-based and relatively straightforward programs on a number of fronts simultaneously - health care, education, job training - could rapidly lift people out of poverty."

10 Mar 2010

A contemplative approach to understand the secrets of lasting happiness

Philosophers, historians, economists, social scientists and creative arts practitioners will gather next week at the University of Hertfordshire to discuss what happiness means and how a greater depth of the state can be achieved.

9 Mar 2010

Study shows sizable increase of Australia's collaboration with China

A study from Thomson Reuters released today shows broadening international collaboration in the research of Australia and, to a lesser degree, New Zealand, over the past 10 years. The United States continues to be the biggest contributor to Australian and New Zealand publications, but of special interest is a sizable increase of Australia's collaboration with China.

9 Mar 2010

Haitian President to meet with Obama as long-term rebuilding plans take shape

Haitian President Rene Preval is expected to meet with President Barack Obama Wednesday in the U.S. to ask for "billions of dollars to rebuild" Haiti, Agence France-Presse reports.

9 Mar 2010