News headlines in February 2014, page 7

WASHINGTON, Feb 19 (IPS) - An estimated 400 million acres of farmland in the United States will likely change hands over the coming two decades as older farmers retire, even as new evidence indicates this land is being strongly pursued by private equity investors.

Feb 18 (IPS) - Residents in low-lying areas in Tanzania's largest city, Dar es Salaam, are potentially at risk of contracting waterborne diseases as heavy rains, which started last week, continue to pound the city.

JONAS ROAD, Antigua, Feb 17 (IPS) - Antigua is one of the most drought-prone countries in the Caribbean. So whenever it rains, the inhabitants generally regard the weather as "showers of blessing".

CARACAS, Feb 17 (IPS) - Violence on the streets of Venezuela, with anti-government protests in the capital and 12 other cities, is a sign of hardening stances by both the government and its opponents as President Nicolás Maduro takes a trial-and-error approach to the economy in crisis.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Feb 17 (IPS) - Disturbed by civilian casualties and moved by the plight of people living like refugees in their own country, students from Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) are demanding an end to army operations against militants on their native soil.

PENJWIN, Iraqi Kurdistan, Feb 16 (IPS) - No one here has heard of the Sochi Winter Olympics. But the snow conditions are perfect in these Kurdish mountains of Iraq and 11-year-old Syrian refugee Hassan Khishman is thrilled to glide on skis for the first time.

MOGADISHU, Feb 16 (IPS) - Osman Ali, the owner of an electronics shop in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, has been hard-hit since Al-Shabaab forced the biggest telecoms company to switch off its mobile internet service in this Horn of Africa nation.

BERN, Switzerland, Feb 15 (IPS) - A ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in relation to a Turkish national has kicked up a new row on anti-racism legislation.

MOSCOW, Feb 15 (IPS) - Sitting in the dining room of a Moscow hotel, manager Yulia Golovanova explains why she always likes to see Russians, rather than foreigners, bring guests in.

NUEVO VALLARTA, Feb 15 (IPS) - Countries in favour of nuclear disarmament have reached the point where they are ready to set a date for the start of formal negotiations to eliminate nuclear weapons, a decision that could be taken in Austria at the end of this year.