News headlines in July 2009, page 28

A new survey of global opinion reveals strong negative feelings toward U.S. foreign policy, even as an average of 61 percent of those polled have at least some confidence in President Barack Obama to make sound decisions.

The recently created People's Media Network of Chile seeks to forge links that will strengthen newspapers, web sites and radio and TV stations that give a voice to those who are basically ignored by the mainstream media.

'You write about human rights. Why don't you write about this man?' asked Agha Saleh, an old acquaintance of this writer who runs an internet café in Jackson Heights, a Queens neighbourhood heavily populated by immigrants from South Asia and Latin America.

The global economic crisis is bringing together countries in regions with emerging markets, such as Russia and South Africa, to move beyond the dollar-based economic model. Given their politico-economic similarities, these two countries should build on opportunities to share expertise and technology.

Awareness of pollution and the amount of waste going into limited landfill space is encouraging the growing adoption of products with biodegradable plastic packaging. But environmentalists are challenging the claims made for these green products.

While Australia remains committed to playing an ongoing role in assisting the six nations of the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) to protect their marine environments, a leading scientist here says that an Australian-style of management in the triangle will not work.

With the presence of U.S. soldiers, flesh trade is flourishing near the Camp Stanley Camptown close to Seoul.

Following a court appearance on Jul. 3, six of the seven Gambian journalists who arrested and charged with sedition last month were again sent to Mile 2 Prison.

Human rights groups have expressed concern over the deadly clashes involving Uighur protestors in the western China's Xinjiang region Sunday, which left 156 dead and over 800 injured.

After Sunday's aborted effort by exiled Honduran President Manuel Zelaya to return home, the week-old international crisis over the restoration of constitutional rule in the Central American country appears set to return to Washington.