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...   As Canada's Democracy Trembles, a New Global Architecture Emerges Anthony Fenton TORONTO, 28 Jun (IPS) - Nearly 600 people were arrested as global leaders and elites met behind a fortified perimetre during the G8 and G20 Summits in Huntsville and Toronto this weekend. more...   Connecting the Dots from Detroit to Dakar Bankole Thompson DETROIT, 25 Jun (IPS) - Africa's continued struggle for political and economic independence in many ways mirrors the very own struggles of communities in the U.S. that are now being tabled at the 2010 U.S. Social Forum in Detroit. more...   Shift in Illicit Drug Use Bodes Ill for Developing World Matthew O. Berger WASHINGTON, 23 Jun (IPS) - While drug use has largely stabilised in industrial countries, there are signs that it may be on the rise in developing countries, says a new report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and the impact of a rise in drug abuse could cause a lot more damage in developing countries than it has for their richer counterparts. more...   Hearings Reveal Lapses in Private Security in War Zones Pratap Chatterjee* WASHINGTON, 21 Jun (IPS) - Jerry Torres, CEO of Torres Advanced Enterprise Solutions, has a motto: "For Torres, failure is not an option." A former member of the Green Berets, one of the elite U.S. Army Special Forces, he was awarded "Executive of the Year" at the seventh annual "Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards" in November 2009. more...