U.S. Strategy on Water, Development a “Major Advance” Carey L. Biron WASHINGTON, 22 May (IPS) - U.S. officials Tuesday formally unveiled the government’s first comprehensive strategy aimed at integrating water into all U.S. development funding and programmes, a step long urged by advocates and development experts. more...   U.S. Gov't Accused of “Corporate Diplomacy” for Biotech Industry Carey L. Biron WASHINGTON, 14 May (IPS) - A consumer protection group here is accusing U.S. diplomats of engaging in a concerted and at times forceful advocacy campaign on behalf of genetically modified seeds and even specific biotechnology companies, particularly aiming to influence governments in developing countries. more...   U.S. Links Pesticides to Honey Bee Deaths, but Resists Ban Carey L. Biron WASHINGTON, 3 May (IPS) - A major study by the U.S. government’s environment and agriculture agencies has suggested a strong link between the use of certain pesticides and the widespread deaths that have afflicted honey bee populations around the world in recent years. more...   Monetising Human Waste and 101 (Slightly) Crazy Other Ideas Stephen Leahy UXBRIDGE, Canada, 30 Apr (IPS) - One, two or more of the 102 newly launched out-of-the box ideas to improve global health could be world-changing breakthroughs. more...   U.S. Proposal Would Require Labelling on Genetically Modified Foods Carey L. Biron WASHINGTON, 24 Apr (IPS) - A decades-long push to require the labelling of foods containing genetically modified ingredients in the United States received a significant boost Wednesday, when bipartisan bills on the issue were simultaneously proposed in the House and Senate. more...   New York Nuke Waste in Limbo as Concerns Rise NEW YORK, 16 Apr (IPS) - Over one million kgs of nuclear waste sit in limbo on the banks of the Hudson River, in dry cask storage units and spent fuel pools just 60 kms north of New York City, according to environmental organisations.   more...   Obama Requests Modest Bump in Foreign Aid Jim Lobe WASHINGTON, 11 Apr (IPS) - U.S. President Barack Obama Wednesday asked Congress to approve some 52 billion dollars in foreign aid and international spending in 2014, slightly higher than the current year’s budget which was cut due to the partisan impasse over how to reduce the yawning federal deficit. more...   U.S. Global Health Cuts Threaten Gains on Lethal Diseases Katelyn Fossett WASHINGTON, 9 Apr (IPS) - A U.S.-based civil society coalition is calling on Congress and President Barack Obama’s administration to keep spending on global health aid at current levels, warning that recent budget cuts risk a dangerous backslide in health and development gains achieved over the past three decades. more...   Q&A Leaving Youth on the Streets Creates a 'Social Disaster' Mathieu Vaas UNITED NATIONS, 6 Apr (IPS) - For homeless youth, life on the streets is brutal. They experience sky-high rates of mental health problems, substance abuse and sexual assault. But despite the fact that it costs just under 6,000 U.S. dollars to permanently end homelessness for one youth, too little is being done to help them. more...   Universities “Not Living up to Missions” on Global Health Research Carey L. Biron WASHINGTON, 4 Apr (IPS) - A first-time ranking of 54 top research universities in the United States and Canada has found that a miniscule percentage of funding goes to neglected diseases, despite the outsized influence that public universities play in developing medicines for illnesses often ignored by the private sector. more...