RIGHTS-MEXICO: Legal Shield for Military Holding Strong

The international courts are the last resort for victims of abuse at the hands of Mexican soldiers, now that the Supreme Court has upheld the jurisdiction of military courts to try troops accused of crimes against civilians.

NORTH AMERICA: Scant Results for Mexico at Summit

At the two-day summit between the heads of state of Canada, Mexico and the United States, Mexican President Felipe Calderón failed to obtain a positive response with respect to the situation of millions of undocumented Mexican immigrants in the United States, a solution to the dispute over access to U.S. highways by Mexican trucks, or the removal of the visa requirement for Mexicans, put in place by Canada last month.

MEXICO: Tequila Leaves Environmental Hangover

Tequila, part of the national identity of Mexico, is invariably present at family celebrations and national holidays. But many are unaware of the bitter taste the tequila industry leaves in the water and soil.

Tequila Leaves Environmental Hangover

The environmental impact of tequila production is only recently being recognized by the industry, say observers.

NICARAGUA: Therapeutic Abortion Ban a "Disgrace" Says Rights Group

"What happened to me shattered my dreams, my hopes – I wanted to be someone who worked outside the home but I spend all day at home looking after the baby...I can’t even sleep and I feel very unsafe, many of my days are a nightmare, it’s very hard to carry on and I feel very sad and very tired," said "M", who was raped at age 17 by a relative.

ENVIRONMENT: Open Pit Disasters in Mexico and Peru

Mariana Rangel is filled with nostalgia as she gazes at the abandoned installations of the Dos Estrellas mine, where she worked as a secretary for six years. "Those were years of prosperity; this is all there is left," she tells IPS, pointing to what used to be the local hospital.

MEXICO: New Visa Requirement Complicates Travel to Canada

Jair Gutiérrez was lucky, because he was able to make a stopover in Canada on his way to Japan without being asked for a visa. But things have changed now for the thousands of Mexicans who pass through, visit or move to the North American country every year.

MEXICO: Int’l AIDS Funds Necessary but Not Sufficient

For the first time, Mexico is eligible for a grant from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. But even if its application is successful, resources for HIV/AIDS prevention among high-risk sectors of the population will fall short.

MEXICO: X-Ray of Civil Society

What kinds of work do Mexico's civil society organisations do? How are they structured? Where do they obtain their financing? These are some of the questions that a new edition of the CIVICUS Civil Society Index (CSI) will attempt to answer.

HEALTH: ‘Global Response Needed for Global (Flu) Challenge’

Health ministers and representatives of 43 countries and the World Health Organisation (WHO) began to meet Thursday in the Mexican resort city of Cancun to discuss a common strategy to curb the spread of the H1N1 flu virus.

ENVIRONMENT: Scientists Study the Riches of the Mexican Pacific

Mexico’s Pacific coast, one of the world's richest seaboards in terms of biodiversity, has been the focus of very few scientific studies. A new observatory aims to fill that void.

Scientists Study the Riches of the Mexican Pacific

A rigorous study of the waters and coastline of the Mexican Pacific is a pending task that will be taken on by a group of 30 scientists.

TECHNOLOGY: Rare Metals Could Trigger Next Trade War

Used in electric car motors and wind turbines, neodymium, a "rare earth metal," is at the epicentre of the race between wealthy and emerging nations to create green technologies, while poorer countries appear to be relegated to spectator status.

Rare Metals Could Trigger Next Trade War

China beat the United States to the punch and has cornered production of rare metals used in environmentally friendly technologies that the world needs to curb climate-changing pollution.

ENVIRONMENT: Mexico Yet to Cross Clean Energy Threshold

Despite its great potential for energy from the sun, wind and water, Mexico has not taken advantage of the Clean Development Mechanism laid out in the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.

Mexico Yet to Cross Clean Energy Threshold

Mexico, chosen as this year's headquarters for celebrations of World Environment Day, is lagging behind in developing renewable energy sources.

HEALTH-MEXICO: Training Professional Village Midwives

Mexican communications specialist Marla Vargas had her baby in the bathtub at home, attended by a midwife, because, she says, "I wanted a different experience, and a better way for my child to come into the world."

MEXICO: Swine Flu Fears Take Toll on Pork Industry

Esther de Anda has stopped eating pork since the appearance of swine flu in Mexico. "They say there’s no problem in eating it, but for now I prefer fish or chicken," the homemaker told IPS.

LABOUR-MEXICO: “They First Asked if I Was Pregnant”

When Paulina was interviewed for a job at a local Wal-Mart in the Mexican capital, the first thing she was asked was whether she was pregnant – a question she did not know at the time was illegal.

LATIN AMERICA: Changes in Land Use, Changes in Climate

The countries of Latin America have failed to design integrated policies to control the processes of changes in land use, one of the causes of climate change. The region produces 12 percent of the world's emissions of greenhouse gases, which are driving up the planet’s average temperatures and changing the climate around the globe.

Changes in Land Use, Changes in Climate

The International Commission on Land Use Change and Ecosystems, launched in Mexico, will propose radical changes in the way we place value on natural resources, say its promoters.