HAITI: U.S. Soldiers’ Boots Follow Footprints From the Past

For the fourth time in the past 100 years, U.S. army boots are marching on Haitian soil.
     Humvee armoured cars rumble down the main boulevards of the capital and camouflaged tanks train their long cannons towards the pedestrians and drivers who pass the proud gleaming white National Palace and stately prime minister's office.

POLITICS-ZIMBABWE: The Relentless March of the Military Men

A silent revolution, with far-reaching political and social implications, is underway in Zimbabwe. In many divisions of the public service including the judiciary, and state-run companies, military men are on the ascendant.

VENEZUELA: Lull in the Storm

After days of protests and clashes with security forces in which seven people were killed, the Venezuelan capital was calm Thursday. But the tense quiet could be just a lull in the storm, as the opposition is gearing up for new demonstrations over the weekend.

POLITICS-GREECE: Minorities May Hold Election Key

Minority groups could hold the key to the outcome of elections in Greece this week.

HAITI: Latin American Gov’ts Shelve OAS Democratic Charter

With the sole exception of Venezuela, the Latin American governments consider there was no coup d'état in Haiti last weekend, and therefore it is not a case for invoking the Democratic Charter of the Organisation of American States (OAS).

HAITI: U.S. Soldiers’ Boots Follow Footprints From the Past

For the fourth time in the past 100 years, U.S. army boots are marching on Haitian soil.

TRADE: Banana War Looms Over EU Expansion

Banana growers are preparing for a new confrontation with the EU after its expansion May 1 this year.

HAITI: Democrats Grill Bush Officials Over Aristide Departure

The Bush administration's role in facilitating the ouster of Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide came under sharp and sustained attack by opposition Democrats in Congress on Wednesday.

POLITICS: The Commonwealth Mask Slips a Little

The Commonwealth dedicates itself to freedom next week. But the Commonwealth grew out of the British Empire which had brought denial of freedom. That clash surfaces as a museum in Britain invites people to recall the Empire as it celebrates the Commonwealth.

ECONOMY-SOUTH AFRICA: Financial Gains Elusive for Black Majority

Ten years after the demise of apartheid, South African blacks are still waiting for a slice of the economic pie they were denied in the past.

POLITICS: The Commonwealth Mask Slips a Little

The mask over the origins of the Commonwealth is off, or at least it will be next week.

ECONOMY-PAKISTAN: Car Imports Seen as Boom by Some, Bust by Others

Auto sellers anticipate a car boom following a government decision to allow imports of new and used vehicles. Local car and parts makers, however, are bracing for job losses.

POPULATION-INDIA: Film on Gender Cleansing Shocking but Timely

Married off at a young age to five brothers, Kalki is compelled to provide sexual services to her father-in-law as well because their village in eastern Bihar state is bereft of women, thanks to decades of systematic female foeticide.

ECONOMY-JAPAN: Finally, Tokyo Takes Notice of India

After years of pushing India to the sidelines, Japan is now changing its tune and actively courting the world's largest democracy, lured by its growing international economic and political prowess.

TRADE: U.S. Sets First Piece of Mideast Trade ‘Mosaic’ in Morocco

Building on a spree of "free" trade deals across the world, the United States has announced an agreement with Morocco that it says could be used as a model for the proposed U.S.-Middle East Free Trade Area (MEFTA).

VENEZUELA: Referendum Decision Leaves Opposition at a Crossroads

The opposition movement in Venezuela is debating whether to accept a ruling by electoral authorities that would force people to come out and confirm at least 600,000 of the more than three million signatures collected for a recall referendum, or declare civil disobedience and seek other means to achieve its ultimate goal: the removal of President Hugo Chávez.

HAITI: Rights Groups Demand Action Against Rebels

With uncertainty still clouding the political situation in Haiti, two major human rights groups Wednesday called for U.S. and other foreign troops to immediately stop violence by rebel forces and arrest known human rights violators among them.

LATIN AMERICA: UNEP Regional Office Urges Caution on Transgenics

The United Nations Environment Programme warned Wednesday in Mexico that transgenic crops could pose a threat to biodiversity and human health, and recommended that the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean act with caution in using genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

HAITI: Caribbean Calls for Independent Probe of Aristide Ouster

Caribbean leaders ended a two-day emergency meeting in Jamaica on Wednesday calling for an independent investigation into the circumstances that led to the removal of former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide from office and into exile.

HAITI: Caribbean Calls for Independent Probe of Aristide Ouster

Caribbean leaders ended a two-day emergency meeting in Jamaica on Wednesday calling for an independent investigation into the circumstances that led to the removal of former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide from office and into exile.

LABOUR-ARGENTINA: New Law, Old Flexibility

Argentina passed a new labour law Wednesday, replacing the one enacted four years ago amidst a corruption scandal. But critics see little progress in protection for workers' rights in a context of high unemployment and widespread poverty.