Billion Dollar Audit Missed by Pentagon Watchdog Pratap Chatterjee* WASHINGTON, 31 Aug (IPS) - Military auditors failed to complete an audit of the business systems of an Ohio- based company - Mission Essential Personnel - even though it had billed for one billion dollars worth of work largely in Afghanistan over the last four years. more...   Sao Tome and Principe at Oil Bonanza Crossroads Megan Iacobini de Fazio NEW YORK, 24 Aug (IPS) - With the discovery of large amounts of oil in the Gulf of Guinea, the small archipelago of Sao Tome and Principe faces the possibility of benefiting from considerable oil revenues. However, a report released by Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Tuesday documents the difficulties in managing the revenues from the hydrocarbon business in an effective and transparent way. more...   Pakistani Officials Seek Funds, Debt Relief in Washington Matthew O. Berger WASHINGTON, 24 Aug (IPS) - Pakistani officials continued their quest for help in light of the floods that have affected 20 million people in their country by meeting with officials at the International Monetary Fund here Monday. more...   Mississippi Shrimpers Refuse to Trawl, Fearing Oil, Dispersants Dahr Jamail BILOXI, Mississippi, 20 Aug (IPS) - The U.S. state of Mississippi recently reopened all of its fishing areas. The problem is that commercial shrimpers refuse to trawl because they fear the toxicity of the waters and marine life due to the BP oil disaster. more...   Obama-Cameron Meet Overshadowed By BP and Libya Eli Clifton WASHINGTON, 21 Jul (IPS) - British Prime Minister David Cameron's visit to Washington, DC on Tuesday was supposed to be an opportunity for the Conservative Party leader to build a rapport with U.S. President Barack Obama. more...   Civil Society Hails New Oil and Mining Transparency Standards Jim Lobe* WASHINGTON, 15 Jul (IPS) - National and international civil society groups Thursday hailed the U.S. Senate's passage of a major financial reform act that includes a key anti-corruption provision requiring energy and mining companies to publicly disclose payments they make to governments around the world. more...   IRAN Unrest Grows over Economic Woes Barbara Slavin WASHINGTON, 13 Jul (IPS) - Last year's Iranian political demonstrations have given way to economic protests that could prove more worrisome for the Tehran government. more...   Wealthy Reap Rewards While Those Who Work Lose Adrianne Appel BOSTON, 9 Jul (IPS) - Times are tough for workers in the U.S. where a recession has a stranglehold on much of the economy, but life is perfectly rosy for those at the top. more...   US-CUBA Key Congressional Committee Votes to Lift Travel Ban Jim Lobe* WASHINGTON, 30 Jun (IPS) - In a major victory for anti-embargo forces, a key Congressional committee voted here Wednesday to lift restrictions on travel by U.S. citizens to Cuba. more...   Free Ride for Oil and Coal Industry May Be Over Stephen Leahy BERLIN, 29 Jun (IPS) - Every day, governments give away an estimated two billion dollars of taxpayer money to the fossil fuel industry. This unmatched largesse to a highly profitable sector by countries verging on bankruptcy or unable to feed large numbers of their own people is "complete madness", according to many experts. more...