SRI LANKA: UNICEF Calls for Week-long Ceasefire

The U.N children's agency, UNICEF, has called for a week-long ceasefire in Sri Lanka to enable a visiting U.N special envoy to meet with children in the war zone.

POLITICS-ST. LUCIA: The Resurrection of John Compton

In late 1995 when it was first rumoured that John Compton planned to step down as leader of the United Workers Party (UWP) he had co-founded in 1964 and as Prime Minister of St. Lucia, the response of political observers in the Eastern Caribbean sub-region ranged from scepticism to disbelief.

POLITICS-SIERRA LEONE: Rebels Attack Cattle Farmers in the North

While the West African Peacekeeping Force (ECOMOG) has managed to contain rebel attacks on villagers in eastern Sierra Leone, cattle farmers in the northern part of the country have not been so lucky.

ECONOMY-RWANDA: Banking on Gas

Rwanda's government is looking towards the abundant natural gas in Lake Kivu, which it shares with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to spur efforts to revive its economy.

POLITICS-SERBIA: Only Soccer Sanction Threat Disturbs Serbs

Hit by a new round of sanctions and facing war in its southern Serbian province of Kosovo, the Belgrade authorities advised Serbs everywhere -- to take a long May Day holiday weekend.

CONFLICT-MEXICO: Chiapas, Resisting Assault and Trust all No Go

Don't visit the southern state of Chiapas, never resist assault and don't trust anyone, even the police, run recommendations to visitors issued by the United States government and several North American, European and Asian embassies.

PARAGUAY: Last Hope for Postponement of Elections Lies in Floods

The Paraguayan government's last hopes for a postponement of next Sunday's elections lie in the massive flooding which has led to the evacuation of 30,000 people.

DISARMAMENT: Treaty Targets Argentina, Brazil and Chile

The preparatory commission of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) has launched an offensive to get the treaty ratified by Argentina, Brazil and Chile, the three Latin American countries with the greatest number of monitoring stations.

RIGHTS-CHILE: Communists Request UN Intervene in Colonia Dignidad

Chilean Communist Party leader, Gladys Marin, asked the United Nations (UN) to investigate claims more than 120 of the dictatorship's disappeared are still alive in Colonia Dignidad, a "Nazi" colony in the south of the nation.

POLITICS-MIDDLE EAST: Talks Into The Night Without Progress

U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright talked into the night Monday with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in an attempt to seal a deal on the size of a long-overdue Israeli troop withdrawal from West Bank territory.

POPULATION-JAMAICA: Women Still Having Too Many Children

For more than 20 years the Jamaican government has been telling the population that two is better than too many, when it comes to children. But the findings of a recent survey shows that while the island's fertility rate has been steadily dropping, women are still having too many children.

ECONOMY-LATAM: Investment Boom Safe from Asian Crisis, Says ECLA

Direct investment in Latin America and the Caribbean, which set a new record in 1997, accompanied by an unprecedented rise in investment by Latin American countries abroad, will not be affected by the Asian crisis this year, according to a new ECLA report released Monday.

RELIGION: Maximon Inspires Good Business in Guatemala

A long line of people slowly winds its way to the altar amidst a dense cloud of smoke, carrying candles, guaro (liquor), herbs, or simply prayers.

ENVIRONMENT: Environmental Degradation Poses Health Threat

Environmental factors are causing unprecedented numbers of preventable illnesses and premature deaths worldwideparticularly in developing countriesdespite vast improvements in medical science, according to a new report.

RELIGION BULLETIN-AFRICA: Culture and Religion Limit Women’s Access to Land

Women's access to land in most of Africa is blocked by obstacles linked to religious and cultural beliefs that even stymie non-discriminatory property legislation in those countries where such laws exist.

RELIGION BULLETIN-GUATEMALA: Bishop’s Murder Deals Peace Process Hard Blow

The murder of Roman Catholic Bishop Juan Gerardi dealt a harsh blow to the peace process and consolidation of democracy in Guatemala, and harked back to past bloodied by political crimes and human rights violations.

RELIGION BULLETIN-UNITED STATES: New Battle Over Sanctions and Religious Persecution

A proposed U.S. congressional Bill that would impose sanctions against foreign governments accused of religious persecution, in some areas of Asia, Africa and the Arab world, is causing its own concern within political and business circles.

AUSTRALIA-ASIA: Local Casinos Suffer Reversal of Fortunes

Casino operators should be among the most knowledgeable about how fortunes are easily made and lost. But those in Australia may not have expected to suffer from bad financial luck themselves -- at least not this soon.

DEVELOPMENT: Liberia Slowly Begins to Pick Up the Pieces

The Liberian government of President Charles Taylor, now almost 10 months in power, is under no illusions about the daunting post-war needs and challenges facing the West African country.

ENVIRONMENT-US: Pressure on Washington to Sign Kyoto Protocol

The U.S. government is beginning to feel the heat after dozens of governments in the past week signed on to the Kyoto Protocol to reduce carbon emissions linked to global warming.

MIDDLE EAST: Chances Slim for Revival of Peace Process

On the eve of high level negotiations between Israeli, Palestinian, U.S. and British leaders, there appears only a slim chance of an end to the year-long stalemate in the Middle east peace process.