HONDURAS: Regime Gives Signs of Easing Up after Stiffening Stance

The electoral authorities and allies of Honduras' de facto government in Congress have criticised the suspension of key civil liberties, while the top military chief called for talks between de facto President Roberto Micheletti and ousted President Manuel Zelaya, who has been holed up in the Brazilian embassy since early last week.

RIGHTS-UGANDA: Suppressing ‘Enemies' of the State

In the wee hours of one Saturday morning, Mary Serumaga was woken up by a disturbing phone call. Her younger brother Robert Kalundi Serumaga had just been abducted by four unknown gun-wielding men the previous night.

DEVELOPMENT: Gender Advocates Keep a Close Eye on Climate Talks

After nine months of a rollercoaster ride pushing for a gender perspective on climate change, advocates are finally beginning to reap the fruits of their labour.

ZIMBABWE: Virgins Forced into Marriage to ‘Appease’ Evil Spirits

Three years after being seized from their families and forced to marry and have sex with adult men in a Shona ritual to appease an avenging spirit, five teenagers are facing a dismal reality.

CARIBBEAN: British Jurist Rekindles Debate on Colonial-Era Court

Whether or not his words were meant to rekindle debate on the merits of a Caribbean court, the statement by British jurist Lord Phillips that "in an ideal world" the former Commonwealth countries would stop using the Privy Council and instead set up their own final courts of appeal has done just that.

SOUTH AFRICA: Less Water More Money

South Africans may have to start paying more for water if they do not manage their water resources efficiently.

ASIA: Calls for Massive Financing Kick Off Climate Change Talks

The need for adequate financing to assist developing countries in meeting the challenges of climate change was highlighted on Monday’s opening of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations in Thailand’s capital.

MALAWI: Pre-school Education A Luxury

Less than a third of Malawi's children attend pre-school; the others will lag behind their peers for their entire school careers.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: Pacific Coast Threatened by Hurricanes

Deficient urban and coastal planning are contributing to heightened risk from hurricanes along Mexico's western seaboard on the Gulf of California, warns an environmentalist.

Ecobreves – URUGUAY: Anti-Tobacco Fight Needs More Time

The strict measures against smoking that Uruguay implemented in March 2006 "are very good, but don't take into account the health consequences of those who have been smoking for 30 or 40 years."

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Pure and Cheap Biokerosene

Biokerosene developed by the Brazilian University of Campinas as a means to reduce polluting emissions from the aviation industry is notable for its purity and low cost, says one of the scientists involved in producing it.

POLITICS-CHINA: Coming Soon: A Stage-Managed 60th Anniversary Bash

When it comes to pageantry, China’s communist leaders leave little to chance. This October, which marks six decades of their rule over the Middle Kingdom, mass events and grand spectacles would have needed little choreography to elicit a joyous mood.

MIDEAST: A Good Time Not to Make Peace

Most analysts agree that the past week of Middle East diplomacy has actually set back the cause of peacemaking. If they are right that the intensive U.S.-led effort has actually diminished prospects for a breakthrough towards Palestinian-Israel peace, who is to blame?

RIGHTS-EL SALVADOR: Anti-Gay Reform Fails in Congress

Constitutional reforms that would ban same-sex couples from marrying and adopting children in El Salvador failed to obtain the required number of votes in Congress.

MIDEAST: Jerusalem Palestinians Defining Their Own Future

Almost a year ago a barely noticed event took place in Sawarha, a Palestinian neighbourhood in the Israeli-occupied part of the city.

ASIA: Climate Change Puts Mekong Region’s New Species at Risk

The rich and unique biodiversity of the Mekong region, which has been discovered only since the recent years, is likely to be put at risk by environmental impacts that climate change is expected to bring, says the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) in a report launched here Friday.

MALAWI: Non-Voters Denied Farm Subsidies

Gina Champiti, a widowed mother of eight children aged between three and 12 did not register to vote in the May presidential and parliamentary elections. This is going to cost her her livelihood.

SRI LANKA: Coastal Village Rises Up from Ravages of War, Disaster

Vakarai is a dust bowl of a village, right at the edge of the coast in Sri Lanka’s east. The last three decades have not been too good for this fishing village — located about 300 kilometres east of the capital Colombo — and its inhabitants, mostly from the minority Tamil community.

WATER-LESOTHO: Compensation Victory for Displaced Villagers

Taelo Motseki had every reason to wear a broad smile despite the afternoon chill. His family along with 21 others displaced by Phase 1B of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project at Ha Mohale had won a decade-long struggle seeking compensation.

ZIMBABWE: Board Gives School System Failing Marks

Primary and secondary school education in Zimbabwe has "fallen woefully behind" other southern African countries due to shortages of textbooks and other materials as well as deteriorating working conditions and resultant low morale for teachers.

ENVIRONMENT: China Backpedals on Emissions But Still Noncommittal

Although pledging to break away from its highly polluting economic path, China has managed to stick to its guns and not compromise on what it believes is its national agenda.