SciDev.Net

Just three out of Costa Rica's nine presidential candidates attended a national science and technology council debate on the country's science challenges.

The country's budget for science will increase by 67 per cent in 2010, with an emphasis on supporting new PhD students.

Funds have fallen and the future is "worrying", the AU's science chief told the TWAS meeting, but some countries gave confident reports.

The academy of sciences for the developing world unveiled ambitious funding hopes at its general meeting in South Africa.

The director of Chile's science council has been dismissed following irregularities in the allocation of scholarships granted by the state.

The Indian government will now consult the public before deciding whether to agree with regulators and approve GM aubergine.

The African Biosafety Network of Expertise can now begin building African countries' biosafety knowhow in earnest.

Lidia Brito, a passionate advocate for science-based development, has accepted a top UNESCO post.

Bulgaria's Irina Bokova has defeated the Egyptian Farouk Hosni but must await endorsement at next month's general assembly.

After a weekend of voting two women remain in the running against Farouk Hosni, leading contender for the post of UNESCO director-general.

The election of a new UNESCO director-general is in full swing but science is low on the candidates' agendas.

As the world's most populated nation puts tackling greenhouse gases on the agenda, science and technology are given centre stage.

Cuba and the United States have accused eachother of preventing scientists from each country travelling to the other to attend academic meetings.

Five more science and technology centres have been launched in Chile, part of a funding programme to boost S&T innovation.

The dismissal of a top Venezuelan scientist from a government institute, among other threats, has revived accusations against president Hugo Chávez.

Kenya has maintained second place in Sub-Saharan Africa innovation rankings while other African countries have shown improvement.

The Costa Rican government says that it will not be able to invest one per cent of the country's GDP in science and technology, a promise made in previous political campaigns.

Brazil will award grants to students and professionals in the Dominican Republic, enabling them to study in Brazilian universities.

Tanzania's commitment to raise its science budget will be put into action this year, long before the country's self-imposed deadline.

A higher education expert has lambasted India's new higher education bill, which will allow foreign universities into the country.