Languages
Sunday, August 2, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Tunisia Speaks Up, Shakily
Freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of the press are the big gains of Tunisia's so-called Jasmine Revolution, according to a top Tunisian economist, writer and opposition figure. But he warns that dark days still lie ahead.
France Holds Back the Sun
France's high tariffs for solar-generated electricity have led to an investment boom in photovoltaic panels, but now the government is rowing back, much to the chagrin of environmentalists.DEVELOPMENT: Running Out of Engineers
As Brazil looks ahead to hosting the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics, the country is struggling to line up the technical workers necessary for these projects, officials say.Walking Precariously on Uncertain Water
Around a billion people already face scarcity of fresh water, and the problem is expected to grow in the future, with pollution, over-population and climate change affecting water supply, experts say.
Sharks Make It Through the Net, Bluefin Tuna Don’t
Governments have moved to ban the commercial fishing of at least two species of endangered sharks, but the Atlantic bluefin tuna received little protection at the end of a ten-day intergovernmental meeting here.HAITI: ‘Adoption Not the Best Choice for Quake Orphans’
Thirty-three children from Haiti arrived in France to adoptive parents Friday evening, as charities and international organisations differed on whether adoptions should be speeded up or halted while the search for relatives continues.FRANCE: Time to Pay Back Haiti
As thousands of people filled Notre Dame Cathedral here Saturday evening in a special mass for victims of the earthquake in Haiti, the solidarity and sadness reflected the historical ties that bind France to the Caribbean nation.
CULTURE: ‘Understanding Diversity Can Help Avoid Clashes’
The International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures (2010) has not had an auspicious start.
FRANCE: Sarkozy – Unlikely Champion of Environmental Action
For a centre-right politician, best known for his law-and-order stance and tough immigration policies, French President Nicolas Sarkozy would seem an unlikely champion of environmental issuesRIGHTS-FRANCE: Domestic Violence – Everybody’s Business
Several people are gathered outside a window, staring wide-eyed at a scene within. They watch as a man brutally beats a woman, pounding her face with his fists, kicking her. No one says anything, until an onlooker screams agonisingly: "stop".
RIGHTS: Tick the Right Box If You Feel French
The stereotypical image of a French person is of someone wearing a beret and carrying a baguette under his arm. But can one wear a burqa and also be French? Can one prefer pitta bread to baguettes and still be French?FRANCE: Top Designers Make Dolls to Fund Darfur Vaccinations
Designer rag dolls, the concept couldn't sound more frivolous. But dolls made by top fashion designers such as Armani and Prada are helping to fund a vaccination programme in war-torn Darfur.HEALTH: New Vaccine for AIDS Raises Conditional Hope
The possibility that a vaccine could soon be developed to fight the deadly HIV virus has the scientific community brimming with hope and excitement, but there is also disagreement about how effective it could be in the global war against AIDS.
CULTURE: First Woman Head Seeks New Direction for UNESCO
The rapturous applause that greeted Irina Bokova Thursday as she was confirmed UNESCO's new director-general was a sign that the organisation is keen to move on from recent controversies.
ENVIRONMENT: Turning Junk Mail Into Art
Like everyone else, Barbara Hashimoto hated the junk mail coming in through the door. Until she decided one day that it could be transformed into art, and lessons about the environment.EUROPE: Failing Both Governments and Migrants
The police have cracked down Tuesday on makeshift shelters that migrants moved into after the immigration camp at Calais in France was razed to the ground a week back. The migrants, mostly Afghans, are now homeless again - and in search of new shelter.
HEALTH: Dutch Rethink Mixing Cannabis With Coffee
Along with "canal" and "dyke", young people visiting this city will learn some other interesting words in a very short time - words such as "cannabis", "bong", and "marijuana". The words are hard to avoid, especially in the tourist area that boasts a museum devoted to "hash".FRANCE: Taking the Beach to the People
It could almost be the French Riviera: women basking in the sun on wooden deckchairs; toddlers rolling in the sand or building castles; young people in colourful kayaks and sailboats on the water; elderly men playing a game of pétanque on the beach.
FRANCE: ‘Where Is the Burqa They Want to Ban?’
There was not a burqa in sight. On the bustling streets around Boulevard de Belleville, in one of the most diverse neighbourhoods here, women wore a variety of clothing, including summer dresses, jeans, chadors, headscarves and traditional African dress, but no burqas.FRANCE: Ambiguous on Nuclear Disarmament
As the international war of words over nuclear programmes heats up, with North Korea threatening to strengthen its "nuclear deterrence" against the United States, countries such as France are taking a position that some analysts describe as ambiguous and hypocritical.RIGHTS: Call to Drop Case Against Journalist
Press freedom groups are calling on the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) to drop its case against a French journalist accused of contempt over a book about the workings of the court.« Previous Page — Next Page »
The Week with IPS
NEXT STOP - SDGs
Tracking global progress towards a sustainable world
Tracking global progress towards a sustainable world
