# World

Wind Power Helping to Keep Lights on in Japan

Good news in post-earthquake Japan: All the wind turbines survived the quake and offered stability to the electrical grid during the crisis. Even the offshore turbines in the vicinity of the earthquake epicenter survived. In some regions of Japan, this has saved the day, as power utilities struggle.

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Shattering Stereotypes: Islamic Militant Extremists

Hassan Karatiya is a former Islamic militant in the Egyptian underground who traded in his bullets and bombs for a shot at success. He was offered a small business loan to lure him back to mainstream society in exchange for a promise to abstain from violence.

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Tiny Mite Saves African Crops

Crop yields of Cassava, the main staple in the diets of 200 million Africans have rebounded since the introduction of a mite from across the ocean. Cassava has thrived in the poor drought-hardened soils of Africa without any of its natural pests since its introduction in the 15th century from Latin America. That was true until the 1970's when the Cassava Green Mite arrived on the scene wiping out half the cassava yields and endangering the livelihoods of poor farmers who relied on the crop.

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Nature's on the Rebound Thanks to DDT Ban

June 14, 1997 marked the 25th anniversary of the banning of DDT. Bird species nearly wiped out by the pesticide have rebounded remarkably.

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Chavez Reverses Course on Citizen Spying Rules

"Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he would scrap new rules that oblige citizens to spy on each other, backing down after an outcry from the opposition, rights groups and the Roman Catholic Church."

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UN Serves Lunch Made From Food Scraps to 30 World Leaders

World leaders dined on food scraps that would have ended in a landfill to highlight world hunger and climate change related to farming.

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Historic US-China Ban to End Ivory Trade Ensures Elephant Survival

The U.S. and China announced new ivory restrictions in both countries that could save tens of thousands of elephants.

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Dozens of Global Clothiers Sign Bangladesh Work Safety Accord

Dozens of international companies have made a legal commitment to improve safety in Bangladesh's garment factories, in the wake of last month's building collapse that killed more than 1,100 people. The decision last week by major retailers in Europe such as Inditex, Carrefour and H&M, to sign the fire-and-safety agreement was in many ways unprecedented, said the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Rupert Colville.