Tuesday, September 1, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
An Inter Press Service Feature
Rajiv Tiwari
- The costs of Russia’s military intervention in the breakaway republic of Chechnya are mounting each day with warnings that the war may prove to be too expensive.
Chances of a prolonged military campaign have prompted dire economic forecasts and underscored Moscow’s inability to deal with a growing refugee crisis.
Estimates of how much Russia may be spending to crush the separatist revolt vary between nearly 300 million dollars to one billion dollars.
But there is a consensus that the government can ill-afford to fund the operation which may knock the bottom out of the 1995 budget.
The exodus of tens of thousands of refugees is adding to budgetary worries at a time when the government is squeezing spending on vital industrial, agricultural and defence sectors.
Fighting between Russian forces and Chechen separatist militants entered its 20th day Friday and the military stalemate on the ground continues despite Moscow’s orders to bring the operation to a swift and successful end.
Official sources Friday indicated that militants loyal to Chechen president Jokhar Dudayev were putting up defensive barricades around the presidential palace along a one-kilometre radius in the capital city of Grozny.
The Russian government press service quoted the military command as saying that the fighters had overnight attempted to break through cordons around them but failed.
However, the military intervention which began on Dec. 11 has not run according to the script as earlier advances on Grozny got stalled due to civilian protests and the final assault on Dudayev’s hide-out has met fierce resistance.
Injured Russian soldiers brought back to Moscow for treatment on Friday told an international news agency that no quick end is in sight. lieutenant Oleg Rudnyuk has been quoted saying: “This war will last a long time, the Chechens will never lay down their arms.”
“They are experienced fighters. They have weapons and fight like the tough mountaineers they are for their land,” said Rudnyuk — who was wounded one week ago.
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An Inter Press Service Feature
Martin Khor
- A drastic shift in global health strategy has been silently taking place in the past few years, away from the principle of state responsibility for providing health care for all people.
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An Inter Press Service Feature
Rajiv Tiwari
- Her fists clenched tight in anger, middle- aged Lena Andreyeva does little to conceal her fury against the Chechens. “We should finish this problem once and for all. Why should our army hold back from hitting civilians when they are all against us?”
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An Inter Press Service Feature
Julian Samboma
- Relief workers who have visited Rwandan refugee camps in Zaire warn that the army of the deposed Hutu led government is preparing to launch an attack on the new government formed by the Tutsi-dominated Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF).
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An Inter Press Service Feature
Luz Rimban
- The past few months have been busy times here in this sleepy town, which happens to be the hub of the pyrotechnics industry in central Philippines.
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An Inter Press Service Feature
Ramesh Jaura
- A lack of cohesive economic policies among North African countries continues to make regional integration a “very difficult” goal to attain six years after the Union of the Maghreb (UMA) was formed, says a new European bank study.
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An Inter Press Service Feature
Julian Samboma
- The ongoing trial in Ethiopia of former officials in the defunct Mengistu regime for crimes against humanity represents an overwhelming victory for human rights and decency, say international campaigners and observers.
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An Inter Press Service Feature
David Rocks
- The Czech Republic’s new entrepreneurs are learning that elaborate packaging — often a lot of it — can mean more sales, but environmentalists are concerned that it is also leading to a bigger pile-up of waste.
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An Inter Press Service Feature
Samer Renno
- Palestinian-Americans, sent back to their ‘homeland’ by their parents, believe they have a key role to play in the future development of the fledging Palestinian state.
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An Inter Press Service Feature
Senthil Ratnasabapathy
- One odd result of Austria’s entry into the European Union (EU) next month will be that foreigners married to other EU citizens will find it easier to settle here than those wedded to Austrians, say migrant counsellors.
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An Inter Press Service Feature
Ives Marie Chanel
- Some Haitians are letting their hair down this festive season, while others pick up placards.
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An Inter Press Service Feature
Yojana Sharma
- Mr O, a Hong Kong resident, was seized by Chinese authorities in June. He did nothing wrong, but his son owes money to a company in China.
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An Inter Press Service Feature
Suvendrini Kakuchi
- The thought that her parents would be so proud of her once she finally saves enough to buy a house keeps Imelda going through her gruelling schedule of cleaning houses by day and working as a Tokyo bargirl at night.
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An Inter Press Service Feature
Milla Sundstrom
- The fate of around one million ‘non- citizens’ living in the now independent Baltic republics of Estonia and Latvia remains uncertain after three days of talks at a special workshop on migration issues which ended here Thursday.
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AN INTER PRESS SERVICE FEATURE
MAHESH UNIYAL
- A SMUDGY PROTEST BANNER FLAPS IN THE CHILLY WINTER BREEZE FROM THE DISTANT HIMALAYAS AS A CROWD OF LOCALS GATHER BELOW IN A SMALL TOWN IN THIS NORTH INDIAN HILL DISTRICT.
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An Inter Press Service Feature
Rajiv Tiwari
- Russian free market reforms have had a severe impact on the public education system which is starved for funds, beset by falling standards, and unable to cater to the country’s new commercial needs.
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An Inter Press Service Feature
Bob Mantiri
- The invitation of six central and eastern European countries to the European Union (EU) two-day summit in the south-eastern German city of Essen has caused a serious rift to develop among the 12 government leaders and heads of state.
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