U.S.: Amid Escalating Israel-Iran Tensions, a Glimmer of Hope?
After weeks of rapidly escalating tensions, particularly between Israel and Iran, signs emerged this week both here and in Tehran that serious negotiations over Tehran's controversial nuclear...
View ArticleMALAYSIA: ‘Cowgate' Turns Opposition Fodder
With the 83-million-dollar ‘cowgate' scam refusing to die down, a shadow hangs over Prime Minister Najib Razak's plans to call elections ahead of April 2013, when they are due.
View ArticleMIDEAST: After 25 Years, Cinema Comes to Divided Town
Palestinians in East Jerusalem can once again go to the movies, after Al Quds Cinema reopened its doors this week after being closed for 25 years. Organisers say this signals the rebirth for...
View ArticleENVIRONMENT: Weed Threatens Indian Rhino's Last Refuge
While shoot-at-sight orders are now effectively keeping rhinoceros poachers at bay, an aggressive weed is threatening the one-horned ungulate in one of its last retreats - the Kaziranga National Park...
View ArticleRights Groups Warn Against Diluted Arms Trade Treaty
After a week of tense negotiations, a United Nations preparatory committee concluded a final round of talks on Friday to define the rules of procedure for a global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which is...
View ArticleIran's Leadership on Edge as Parliamentary Elections Near
While the general public here is anxious about the increasingly harsh sanctions imposed by Western powers on Iran's financial and oil sectors, the leaders of the Islamic Republic appear more consumed...
View ArticleEU Moves on Myanmar Questioned
Extraordinary political changes in the year since former army general Thein Sein came to power in Myanmar have prompted European powers to ease restrictions on the isolated nation, raising questions...
View ArticleOrder Comes Slowly to Libyan Patchwork
A year after the Libyan uprising that overthrew dictator Muammar Gaddafi, the National Transitional Council (NTC) has yet to provide adequate security. Many armed groups are still calling the shots,...
View ArticleBuilding Sustainable Future Needs More Than Science, Experts Say
Contrary to popular belief, humans have failed to address the earth's worsening emergencies of climate change, species' extinction and resource overconsumption not because of a lack of information,...
View ArticleU.S. States Grapple with Exploding Prison Populations
Budget constraints combined with exploding prison populations are prompting a number of U.S. states, including some of in the politically conservative south, to rethink their criminal codes.
View ArticleBrazil's Construction Boom Eases Integration of Haitians
Pierre was in the next-door country of Dominican Republic when the January 2010 earthquake destroyed half of Port-au-Prince and killed at least 200,000 of his fellow Haitians, including his wife and...
View ArticleGUATEMALA: Zero Hunger Plan Must Focus on Production, Experts Say
"We don't want a repeat of welfare-oriented programmes, because they are unsustainable," said Rony Palacios of the National Network for the Defence of Food Sovereignty in Guatemala, criticising...
View ArticleGlobal Gender Imbalance Poses Critical Problems for Women
In 2005, there were 163 million more men in Asia, more than the entire female population of the United States. Asia is now facing serious consequences from sex selection, a situation the West might...
View ArticleJordanian NGOs Lead the Fight for Migrant Workers' Rights
As the number of domestic workers flooding into Jordan from Indonesia, Philippines and Sri Lanka reaches 140,000 annually, non-governmental organisations on the ground are working hard to protect...
View ArticleSomalia's Rich Maritime Resources Being Plundered, Report Says
The international community has failed to grapple with the real underlying political and economic issues facing the troubled East African nation of Somalia, which has been surviving without an...
View ArticleU.S.: To Arm or Not to Arm Syrian Rebels, That Is the Question
Just days before the opening meeting of the new international "Friends of Syria" in Tunis Friday, the debate over whether the United States should provide more support – including weapons – to...
View ArticleFM Radio Spells Change, Success for Mideast Women
Nisreen Awwad moves closer to the microphone as she signs off to her listeners, the words "Nisaa FM: music, change, success" displayed prominently over her left shoulder.
View ArticleEgypt-US Standoff Could Hit 40,000 NGOs
The ongoing crackdown by Egypt's military rulers on a handful of civil society groups accused of receiving illegal foreign funds has far-reaching implications for the estimated 40,000 non-governmental...
View ArticleVENEZUELA-US: Joined by Black Gold
Venezuela and the United States claim they want to reduce their co-dependence on oil, as supplier and importer, respectively. But their mutually beneficial relationship continues with hardly a hiccup...
View ArticleQ&A: How to Reverse the "Feminisation of Poverty"
The phrase "financing for gender equality" may sound dry, but it lies at the heart of some of the most intractable problems faced by women around the world today – and whether the political will...
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