developing world news stories on Newser

To Help Third World, Send Cash, Not Stuff

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:49:05 CDT

The common practice of sending hand-me-downs or excess merchandise to developing countries seems like a good idea—after all, if the NFL can’t sell all those “Pittsburgh Steelers: Super Bowl XLV Champions” shirts, what’s wrong with sending them to Zambia? The problem is, Zambians don’t need our old shirts, even...

Illegal Immigrants Aren't Really Criminals

Kevin Spak — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 09:49:00 CDT

Illegal Immigration hawks like to paint immigrants as hardened criminals, conflating them with the drug traffickers hopping over the border to sell their wares to a hungry American populace. But in truth the vast majority of illegal immigrants are hardworking people who “come from societies in which legal rules were...

Developing Nations Were In on 'Danish Text'

Harry Kimball — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 10:17:29 CST

The “Danish text”—the leaked climate change agreement that infuriated developing nations in Copenhagen and sparked accusations of bullying by rich countries—was actually drafted by a group that included China, India, and Brazil, among other countries. They had “input into the process and product” of the agreement, which seeks...

Global Rates of Alzheimer's Disease Soar

Nick McMaster — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:40:37 CDT

Rising life expectancy in the developing world will lead to a dramatic increase in the number of people stricken by Alzheimer’s disease, HealthDay News reports. The number of dementia cases worldwide will reach 35.6 million in 2010, a 10% increase over the total in 2005. That number is expected...

WHO Sounds Alarm on Homeopathy

Jane Yager — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 04:24:24 CDT

The World Health Organization has issued a warning against homeopathic treatments for TB and other life-threatening illnesses, reports the BBC. The organization issued the alert after pressure from a group of young researchers who complained that homeopathy was being promoted in poor countries as a treatment for TB, infant diarrhea,...

Climate 'Urgency' Takes a Backseat to Progress: Will

Kevin Spak — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:27:55 CDT

At their recent summit, the G8 nations vowed to cut emissions 80% ... within 41 years. That seems like a pretty lethargic response to a so-called “emergency,” but as Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi said, the effort is virtually futile while “5 billion people continue to behave as they have always behaved.” The...

Gadget Turns Phone Into Microscope

Nick McMaster — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:29:34 CDT

A new gadget could mean big improvements for health care in the developing world. Called the CellScope, the device attaches to any cell phone with a camera, turning it into a microscope, Science Blogs reports. Invented by researchers at UC Berkeley, the CellScope also features an LED that can detect...

Bombed-Out US Economy Blasts Globe Into Recession

Ambreen Ali — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 04:05:08 CDT

The world economy is plunging into its first global recession since World War II, and sending 46 million people in developing countries back into poverty, warns a World Bank report. The global lender is urging leading nations to pledge a portion of their stimulus packages to stem the mounting crisis...

Developing World Needs More Sweatshops: Kristof

Kevin Spak — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:41:02 CST

Before Barack Obama follows through on tough talk about global “labor standards,” Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times wants to take him to a certain garbage heap in Cambodia. Here, where families live in shacks, scavenging in the hot sun, a sweatshop job is “a cherished dream, an escalator...