Bill Clinton and Bill Gates held forth Wednesday afternoon at the Time Global Health Summit in New York City. Both have made global health issues a priority through their foundations, and both received a standing ovation for the work that they have done. What was fascinating was how much they shared the same strategies, priorities, and sense of urgency—even though Clinton is focusing on working with governments while Gates focuses on funding science and working with global health agencies.

The conference was tied to the launch of the PBS series Rx for Survival airing this week and special coverage of global health issues in this week’s Time magazine. The event covered the big three infectious diseases (malaria, TB, AIDS), the threat on an avian flue pandemic, and other topics. It finishes today.

The Newsroom has been regionalized, allowing you to easily view the latest BOP news from a specific part of the world. Regional RSS feeds are now available as well.

The regions, defined on the map below, include: Latin America, North Africa & the Near East, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe & Eurasia, South Asia, and Asia Pacific. To view a complete list of countries included in each region, click here.

What Works: First Mile Solutions' DakNet Takes Rural Communities Online, the latest of WRI's What Works case study series, is being released today. The full-length business case study, written by two Harvard University graduate students under WRI supervision, highlights how the innovative DakNet technology is being rolled out to the benefit of rural Cambodia.

Telecommunication companies are usually reluctant to extend their network due to high infrastructure costs, low population density, and limited ability to pay for the services. First Mile Solutions (FMS) counters this problem by providing telecommunications equipment that can cheaply connect rural and remote populations to the Internet through an innovative technology: DakNet. DakNet leverages short- range wireless technology in tandem with traditional telecommunication and physical transportation infrastructures. Local transportation - e.g., public buses, motorcycles, and supply trucks - facilitates data exchanges between rural villages and Internet hubs. This unconventional communication network provides end users with asynchronous access to e- mail, voice messages, and Internet browsing.