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By Region: Middle East

Mideast WMD-Free Zone Inches Forward Amid Gripes About U.S. Role

WASHINGTON — An international meeting in Belgium this month to discuss prospects for banning weapons of mass destruction from the Middle East showed some glimmers of progress, but complaints are mounting that the United States is falling short in its leadership role (see GSN, July 12). (Jul. 22) – Annalisa Giannella, the European Union’s personal Read More »

July 25, 2011
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, and Research
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Polio resurgence casts doubt on global eradication hopes

The Guardian – The hope of eradicating polio from the planet by the end of 2012 is in serious doubt, a monitoring committee is warning, because the virus is resurgent in places where it had disappeared and cases continue to rise in Pakistan, one of four countries where it is endemic. “It is on a Read More »

July 21, 2011
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, South Asia, International, and Public Health
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EU calls for stronger anti-biological weapons Convention

New Europe – The Council of Europe has introduced its position for a forthcoming review conference, that will be held in December 2011 in Geneva. They stressed a need for a stronger Convention prohibiting biological weapons and co-operation with other states around …

July 20, 2011
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, South Asia, International, and Policy & Initiatives
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Rinderpest, Scourge of Cattle, Is Vanquished

(New York Times) On Tuesday in a ceremony in Rome, the United Nations is officially declaring that for only the second time in history, a disease has been wiped off the face of the earth. The disease is rinderpest. Everyone has heard of smallpox. Very few have heard of the runner-up. That’s because rinderpest is Read More »

June 29, 2011
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, South Asia, Agriculture, International, and Public Health
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East Africa and Middle East seek plan to keep animal diseases from disrupting livestock trade

(Burness Communications) — With increased trade in livestock products offering a possible antidote to high food prices, livestock experts from the Middle East and 12 African countries are meeting this week in Dubai to develop a strategy that eliminates the need to impose devastating bans on livestock imports from the Horn of Africa, as prevention Read More »