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Friday, May 15, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
RELIGION BULLETIN-INDIA: Hindu Right-wing Recodes Culture Rules
India's new government, a shaky coalition of many more than a dozen regional parties, led by the right-wing Hindu Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) means business.RELIGION BULLETIN-NEPAL: Corruption Row Rocks Nepal’s Holiest Shrine
Nepal's most important temple, the large, gilded, triple-roofed 'Pashupatinath', dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, draws tens of thousands of devout Hindus from India and Nepal.RELIGION BULLETIN-RUSSIA: Political Wrangling Overshadows Buddhist Revival
The rapid revitalisation of Buddhism in Russia since the fall of the repressive Soviet regime, may yet be undermined by the increasing politicisation of the priesthood and their involvement in regional electioneering.RELIGION BULLETIN-LEBANON: Islamist Radicals Find Local Politics A Winning Game
Hezbollah, the Islamic political movement best known today for its guerilla war against the Israeli occupiers of South Lebanon, appears to have pulled off a stunning electoral victory in the poor quarters of southern Beirut.RELIGION BULLETIN-UZBEKISTAN: Human Rights Fears As State Targets Islamists
More Islamists are going on trial in Uzbekistan, charged with involvement in last year's unrest in the south-eastern city of Namangan, as president Islam Karimov backs up a draconian new law on religious activism passed this month.RELIGION BULLETIN-MEXICO: Church Excommunicates Notorious Kidnapper
In a new twist to a growing criminal industry, one of Mexico's most notorious alleged kidnappers was excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church.POLITICS-EAST TIMOR: US Support for Self-Determination Grows
The end of Indonesian dictator Suharto's 32-year regime has revitalised U.S. efforts to put pressure on Jakarta for its occupation of East Timor, with the U.S. Congress now considering self-determination for the island state.POLITICS: Post-Suharto Era Prompts Aust. Policy Re-think
Australia is re-thinking its support of total Indonesian control over its 17,000 islands and 300 ethnic groups following the resignation of Indonesia's longtime strongman, President Suharto.POLITICS-LEBANON: Lebanese Voting Again
In their eighth year of peace since the end of a bitter civil war, Lebanese voters trooped to the polls again Sunday enjoyinbg a right rare for an Arab state - electing local councillors in 700 districts by direct vote.AGRICULTURE-PANAMA: Peasants Battle Canal Grass
Landless peasants have settled into temporary villages on the west bank of the Panama Canal in a successful effort to produce food crops in areas covered by so- called "canal grass."RELIGION-PERU: Protestant Leaders Form Political Party
Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, still thinking of attempting to stand for a third consecutive term in office in the year 2000, can no longer count on half-a-million votes from Protestant church-goers, who played a decisive role in his 1990 triumph.HEALTH-RIGHTS: Voluntary and Forced Sterilisation in Peru
Delia Zamudio, the head of a neighbourhood women's shelter in the Peruvian capital was admitted to a public hospital for a simple operation to have a cyst removed. She and came out sterilised.RIGHTS-SOUTH AFRICA: Without Abortion, No Future?
For Thandi, a 22-year-old medical student, falling pregnant meant saying goodbye to her scholarship, her degree and dreams and ambitions for the future. So she aborted the foetus and said she would do so again if she fell pregnant, and the same circumstances prevailed.DEVELOPMENT: Technical Cooperation Provides ‘Innovative Impulse’
Post-conflict reconstruction is taking on a central role in the developmental effort in many countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America, and technical cooperation is playing an increasingly important part in it.DEVELOPMENT BULLETIN-PAKISTAN: Crippling Sanctions Dampens ‘N- Bomb’ Euphoria
Riding on a huge wave of public support for its decision to match India's recent nuclear tests, the Pakistan government appears to be in no mood now to back-off fro the dangerous path of nuclear confrontation with arch-rival India.DEVELOPMENT BULLETIN-AFRICA: Little Enthusiasm for Debt Initiative
There were few plaudits for an initiative aimed at easing the burden of Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) when it came up for discussion at the African Development Bank (AfDB)'s Board of Governors meeting that ended here Friday.ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN-BRAZIL: Water Project Revived in Brazil
The severe drought in northeast Brazil, that caused near riots by 10,000 hungry citizens has forced officials to dust off plans to divert the waters of the Sao Francisco river to irrigate parched farmlands.ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN-VENEZUELA: Endangered Species Seek Assistance at CITES Meeting
Endangered species ranging from snails to elephants are seeking refuge at a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meeting that got underway Monday in Venezuela.ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN-PANAMA: Organic Farming Gains Popularity In Panama
Organic farming is becoming increasingly popular in Panama but agriultural experts say it will be years before it becomes a real alternative to the large-scale production of food.ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN-UNITED STATES: Clinton Urged To Do More To Protect Oceans
More than 100 environmental groups, demanded Wednesday that President Bill Clinton increase U.S. efforts to protect ocean waters and wildlife from overfishing, coastal development, and pollution.ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN-MEXICO: Choking in ‘the Clearest Region’
Forty years ago, Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes baptised the capital of his country "the clearest region." But today residents of one of the world's largest cities are coing on the heavy smog and aging prematurely, while blue sky is a rare sight.Next Page »
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