• Egypt's Mediterranean coast protected in reserve
• Gabon centralizes taxes in bid to help business
• Shanghai declares indoor smoking ban ahead of World Expo

• Mayors at El Salvador congress enjoy presentation on Maharishi's programmes to alleviate violence and rehabilitate criminal offenders
• Maharishi University of Management honoured by visit of former President of Mozambique
• Nepal: Maharishi Vedic Pandits give traditional blessings to government leaders

• Greece warns of worse downturn as strikes loom
• Venezuelan officials take control of 2 sugar mills
• Nigeria urged to end impunity after village massacre

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Positive Trends
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

Egypt's Mediterranean coast protected in reserve
10 March 2010 - Egypt wants visitors to discover its Mediterranean coast at a marine reserve being established near the border with Libya, the government said on 9 March. 'The goal is to protect endangered species ... and encourage ecotourism in the reserve area, putting it on the global ecotourism map,' Environment Minister Maged George said. (more)

Gabon centralizes taxes in bid to help business
10 March 2010 - Gabon has banned the levying of taxes by all agencies except by the central treasury in a bid to eradicate the plethora of local charges squeezing the margins of small businesses. It is the latest in a series of measures by new President Ali Bongo Odimba aimed at stimulating enterprise and weaning the Gabonese economy away from dwindling oil revenues. (more)

Shanghai declares indoor smoking ban ahead of World Expo
10 March 2010 - Restaurants and office buildings in China's commercial capital Shanghai are scrambling to set up nonsmoking areas as the city bans lighting up in indoor public spaces ahead of the World Expo. There is rising awareness of the health risks of smoking in China, and this modern city of 20 million is cleaning up its act as it prepares to host the Expo, which begins 1 May. That six-month event is expected to attract 70 million people, with exhibits from 192 countries. (more)

US Justice Department set to hear seed industry complaints
10 March 2010 - Scrutiny of the US seed industry takes centre stage in the top corn-growing state of Iowa this week as the Justice Department probes complaints about alleged illegal restraint on development and sales of corn, soybeans, and other crops. The 12 March gathering is part of a government probe into allegations that large US seed companies, most notably Monsanto Co, have gained dominance of the US commercial seed market through unfair, and in some cases possibly illegal, practices. (more)

New climate partnership planned to protect forests - interview
9 March 2010 - Governments will seek a new climate partnership in 2010 to protect tropical forests with funds going through the United Nations, the World Bank, or bilateral channels, Norway said on Tuesday. 'The idea is to establish a partnership of everyone who wants to be included' in safeguarding forests, Environment Minister Erik Solheim told Reuters. French President Nicolas Sarkozy will open a one-day ministerial meeting on forests in Paris on 11 March with a follow-up hosted by Norway in May to spur talks on combating climate change after the UN's Copenhagen summit in December. (more)

Viet Nam to get $790 mln climate change funding
8 March 2010 - Viet Nam has received $790 million in pledges from donor countries and international organizations to devise measures to curb carbon emissions, a state-run newspaper reported on Monday. The money for Viet Nam will target energy efficiency, renewable energy, and enhancements to rail systems in Hanoi and Ho Ch Minh City, among other areas. (more)

Mediator sees progress in Venezuela, Colombia spat
7 March 2010 - Colombia and Venezuela are making progress in negotiations to end a diplomatic dispute that has battered trade and unnerved the Andean region, said the Dominican Republic's President Leonel Fernandez, who is brokering talks. President Fernandez met with Colombia's foreign minister and trade representatives and said he would soon meet Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to try to negotiate direct talks with his Colombian counterpart, Alvaro Uribe. (more)

US Vice President to try to boost Middle East peace prospects
7 March 2010 - US President Barack Obama is dispatching his Vice President to the Middle East on Sunday to try to build support for reviving Israeli-Palestinian peace talks despite deep skepticism on both sides. Vice President Biden will meet Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian, and Jordanian leaders starting on 8 March, but a main component of his trip will be public diplomacy. (more)

Spain and Venezuela end spat over terror accusation
6 March 2010 - Spain and Venezuela united to condemn all forms of terrorism on Saturday, ending a spat between the two countries that arose after a Spanish judge alleged links between the Venezuelan government and ETA rebels. 'Spain and Venezuela declare their firm intention to deepen their friendly and fruitful relationship, based on extensive co-operation between the two across all fields including the fight against terrorism,' a statement said. (more)

UN: Sarah Ferguson to deploy 'mothers' army' to connect women
6 March 2010 - Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, announced plans on Friday to deploy an army of mothers worldwide as part of an Internet-based network to connect women in need with people ready to help. 'I will be the general uniting mothers all over the world, wherever they are, so that they can come and be listened to,' Ferguson told reporters at the United Nations headquarters in New York. (more)

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Success of Maharishi's Programmes
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

Mayors at El Salvador congress enjoy presentation on Maharishi's programmes to alleviate violence and rehabilitate criminal offenders
4 December 2009 - A large congress of mayors in San Salvador, El Salvador, 23-24 November, featured a presentation on Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's programmes to improve every area of society. The presentation was given by Dr Pedro Ojeda, representing the Latin American Institute of Science, Technology, and Public Policy, who had been invited to address the congress. Mayors expressed particular interest in programmes for alleviating violence and rehabilitating criminal offenders, problems that plague the nation. (more)

Maharishi University of Management honoured by visit of former President of Mozambique
10 November 2009 - Joaquim Alberto Chissano, who was President of Mozambique from 1986-2005, recently addressed a celebration honouring him at Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, Iowa, USA. President Chissano introduced the Transcendental Meditation Programme and Yogic Flying to the military in his country and ended the long-standing civil war. (more)

Nepal: Maharishi Vedic Pandits give traditional blessings to government leaders
8 November 2009 - A group of Maharishi Vedic Pandits, experts in the ancient Vedic Science brought to light and fully restored by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, presented traditional Vedic blessings recently to leading government officials in Nepal. Accompanying the Pandits was Dr Deepak Baskota, National Director of the Maharishi Vedic Foundation and the Global Country of World Peace for Nepal, who spoke about the goals and methodologies for bringing peace and prosperity to the nation. (more)

Honouring the parental role of Traditional Leaders: Traditional Leaders from the Amazon visit MERU, Holland
1 October 2009 - The Album of Events page of Global Good News is now featuring colourful photos of 'Honouring the parental role of Traditional Leaders: Traditional Leaders from the Amazon visit MERU, Holland'. During their visit, the leaders, in traditional dress, were welcomed in a beautiful celebration by leaders of the Global Country of World Peace. (more)

The beginning of indomitable progress for 'all the city halls and cities of Latin America': Dr Pedro Ojeda on mayors' summit
21 September 2009 - Dramatically increased receptivity to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's programmes for ideal administration--especially apparent at the recent major summit of Latin American mayors in Argentina--is one expression of the 'indomitable growth of consciousness' across the continent, said Dr Pedro Ojeda, National Director of Paraguay for the Global Country of World Peace. Another indicator of rising invincibility, he said, is the founding of the Latin American Institute of Science, Technology, and Public Policy, to present these programmes. (more)

Now is the time to approach government leaders in all countries: Mayor Robert Wynne
20 September 2009 - In speeches to the major summit of Latin American mayors in Argentina earlier this month, Mayor Ed Malloy of Fairfield, Iowa, USA, and Mayor Robert Wynne of neighbouring Maharishi Vedic City presented Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's programmes for ideal governmental administration. Mayor Wynne emphasized creating invincibility for each country and the whole Latin American continent through groups of Yogic Flyers, the basis for success in every area of individual and social life: 'Do the one thing by which all others are accomplished.' (more)

Maharishi's principles of administration find warm welcome at summit of 2,000 mayors, 6,000 administrators
16 September 2009 - The recent founding of the Latin American Institute of Science, Technology, and Public Policy was a natural outcome of the Latin American Association of Mayors' summit from 2 to 4 September in Argentina. Association members and guests were deeply inspired by presentations and knowledge provided by leaders of the Global Country of World Peace. (more)

Latin American mayors' summit: 'The path to invincibility and enlightenment has been made clear'
15 September 2009 - The recent summit of several thousand members of the Latin American Association of Mayors, held in Argentina from 2 through 4 September 2009, was unprecedented--not only in opportunities extended to Global Country of World Peace leaders to present Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's programmes for ideal governmental administration. Those presentations also had a profound impact on attendees, generating a high level of enthusiasm. (more)

Latin American mayors' summit sparks unprecedented interest in Maharishi's programmes
13 September 2009 - At a major summit in Argentina from 2 to 4 September 2009, attended by several thousand members of the Latin American Association of Mayors, Global Country of World Peace leaders from North and South America presented the programmes of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi for ideal governmental administration, which were enthusiastically received. (more)

Designed to promote government in accord with Natural Law: Vedic Architecture parliament building proposed for Vedic Siam
11 September 2009 - An innovative design proposal for Thailand's new parliament building not only incorporates many up-to-date 'green' and 'smart' features, but is based on principles of Maharishi Vedic Architecture -- to attune individual life with cosmic intelligence and promote governmental administration in accord with Natural Law. (more)

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Flops
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

Greece warns of worse downturn as strikes loom
10 March 2010 - The Greek economy is set to shrink by more than expected this year, the government said on Wednesday, as it braced for nationwide strikes protesting its plans for bringing the country's budget deficit under control. Greece, grappling with a ballooning deficit and a 300 billion euro (272 billion pound) debt pile, told the European Union that 2010 gross domestic product (GDP) would 'most likely' shrink by more than the 0.3 per cent currently forecast. Another key concern among economists is whether the government has the will and the support it needs to deliver on its budget commitments. The ADEDY and GSEE unions have called a nationwide strike for Thursday, leaving flights grounded; boats docked; and ministries, tax offices, schools, and hospitals shut. In Athens, where tourist attractions such as the Acropolis are due to be shut, police said they were bracing for trouble after clashes with demonstrators last week. (more)

Venezuelan officials take control of 2 sugar mills
10 March 2010 - Venezuela's government seized control of two sugar mills Tuesday and threatened to expropriate them, accusing managers of hoarding a basic good and violating the labour rights of employees. Commerce Minister Richard Canan said authorities were taking over management of the Santa Elena and Santa Clara mills in the central state of Portuguesa for 90 days 'to guarantee the operations of the mills, so our people don't go without sugar'. The government raised the price of sugar by 30 per cent Tuesday. Sugar -- one of dozens of foodstuffs subject to price controls -- has become scarce at some stores and supermarkets. Mr Canan threatened mill owners who fail to observe regulations with possible expropriation of the businesses. Jose Ricardo Alvarez, president of the National Federation of Sugar Growers, said Tuesday's sugar price increase would do little to help mill owners who are struggling to turn a profit due to price controls. (more)

Nigeria urged to end impunity after village massacre
9 March 2010 - Nigeria must prosecute those behind a weekend massacre and address underlying issues of poverty and discrimination if it is to end a cycle of violence in the zone between its Muslim north and Christian south, rights groups and diplomats said. The raids were in apparent retaliation for four days of violence around Jos, the capital of Plateau state, in January which killed several hundred people, many of them in an attack on the mostly Muslim settlement of Kuru Karama. More than 300 people were arrested in January and about half of them were due to be sent to the capital Abuja for prosecution, but it is unclear how many actually faced justice. Local officials said many of those responsible for January's violence were the same people arrested but not prosecuted after similar unrest in November 2008. (more)

Israel weighing construction of nuclear power plant
8 March 2010 - Israel will this week unveil plans to produce nuclear-generated electricity, officials said on Monday, a move that could draw fresh international attention towards its assumed atomic arsenal. Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau told Reuters he will announce at an energy conference in Paris on Tuesday that Israel is officially looking into the possibility of building a nuclear power plant to diversify its energy sector. Landau said Israel, which generates electricity mostly using imported coal and local and imported natural gas, is capable of building a nuclear reactor. But it would prefer to work with other countries. Israeli officials have said the Jewish state hopes to have a functioning nuclear power plant by 2020 or 2025. (more)

Nuclear energy gets new French-driven boost
8 March 2010 - Poor countries need nuclear power, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Monday, urging rich lenders to help pay for a global nuclear expansion. His vision of nuclear reactors dotting the horizon won over international energy officials from India to Brussels and French executives eager to market their expertise abroad, all present at a Paris conference Monday. Some experts, however, say Sarkozy's push is opening the door to risks that deadly nuclear technology gets into the wrong hands, and warn consumers to pay attention to the staggering price tag of potential nuclear energy growth -- up to $3.9 trillion worldwide by 2050. Mycle Schneider, an independent researcher on France's nuclear industry, warned that costs of nuclear plants have been 'systematically underestimated' by governments worldwide for decades. (more)

Security tight after hundreds die in central Nigeria
8 March 2010 - Soldiers patrolled the central Nigerian city of Jos on Monday and aid workers tried to assess the death toll after attacks on outlying communities in which several hundred people were feared to have been killed. Acting President Goodluck Jonathan called an emergency meeting with all security service chiefs on Monday to discuss strategies to prevent clashes spreading to neighbouring states, Presidential sources said. Residents of three predominantly Christian settlements near Jos said Muslim herders from surrounding hills launched what appeared to be reprisal attacks in the early hours of Sunday following sectarian clashes which killed hundreds in January. Plateau state lies at the crossroads of Nigeria's Muslim north and Christian south and fierce competition for control of fertile farmlands between indigenous groups and settlers from the north have repeatedly triggered unrest over the past decade. (more)

UN sleuth says torture occurs in most countries
8 March 2010 - Torture is a reality in a majority of the world's countries but many governments refuse to let the United Nations investigate whether it is happening on their territory, the UN expert on the issue said on Monday. Austrian lawyer Manfred Nowak told the 47-member United Nations' Human Rights Council that it should pay special attention to torture but complained that many governments, including some on the council, blocked his investigations. In the vast majority of states, he said it happened either in isolated cases, in a more regular manner, or was widespread and systematic. He cited Equatorial Guinea, which he visited last year, as an example of the third. The major reason for the widespread practice was malfunctioning criminal justice systems, with confessions seen as prime evidence in many countries, (more)

Chile: Some quake survivors wait for aid a week on
6 March 2010 - Some survivors were still waiting for government aid on Saturday in south-central Chile, a week after one of the strongest earthquakes on record killed hundreds and repeated aftershocks rattled nerves. Homeless and desperate, they voiced anger and frustration at outgoing President Michelle Bachelet's handling of the disaster, saying her administration was too slow to mobilize after the 8.8-magnitude quake struck early on 27 February. Many outraged survivors say they were not warned of the tsunamis, which followed hours after the quake, and the Navy acknowledged its alert system broke down and fired the head of its catastrophe warning unit. It was one of a series of blunders. (more)

Chile: Doctors warn of health threat from wreckage
6 March 2010 - Huge piles of wreckage and tons of rotting fish and other debris blanketing the ground are turning the coastal towns shattered by Chile's earthquake and tsunami into nests of infection, doctors warned. As Chileans lined up for hepatitis and tetanus shots Friday on the opening day of an extensive vaccination campaign, doctors said cases of diarrhea are increasing from people drinking unclean water and a growing number of patients are suffering injuries wading through the mess. The government faces other health care problems, looting of pharmacies has made medicine scarce for people suffering from diabetes, hypertension, and psychological illnesses, and 36 hospitals were heavily damaged or destroyed in the quake. (more)

EU drafts warn of biofuels' link to hunger
6 March 2010 - The European Union's promotion of plant-based biofuels will raise EU farm incomes and agricultural commodity prices, but could create food shortages for the world's poorest consumers, draft EU reports show. Impact studies drafted for EU policymakers reveal concerns about the unintended impact of Europe's thirst for biofuels. 'A new and strongly growing non-food demand for agricultural output will undoubtedly boost farm prices and hence farmers' incomes,' one report says. 'However, the desired effect may come at a potentially high cost: a human cost paid by the world's poorest consumers who may face higher food prices or food shortages.' High food prices in 2008 led to food riots in some developing countries and were partly blamed on biofuels such as ethanol consuming part of the US corn crop. 'The simulated effects of EU biofuels policies imply a considerable shock to agricultural commodity markets,' the report reads. (more)