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Sunday, September 20, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Religion
Teenage Pregnancies Soar as Church Looks the Other Way
Pressure from the Catholic Church to effectively stop sex education in schools is threatening the health of tens of thousands of teenagers who fall pregnant every year because they have little or no knowledge of safe sex, education groups in Poland have warned.MIDEAST: Israeli Navy Storms Humanitarian Flotilla
Israeli naval commandos shot dead at least 16 people and wounded over 30 on Monday morning, as they attacked an unarmed humanitarian and civilian flotilla - in international waters - trying to bring desperately needed aid to Gaza. The death toll was expected to rise.
Young People Blurring Borders
Incorporating young people into the task of fostering understanding between people of various cultural and religious backgrounds is one of the four priority areas of the Alliance of Civilisations.Texas Texts Tilt to the Right
The American Civil Liberties Union has launched a letter-writing campaign designed to persuade book publishers not to use the "ideologically-slanted standards for social studies textbooks" approved by the Texas State Board of Education as a model for use in other states.
Iran’s Hijab Crackdown Intensifies as Election Anniversary Nears
It might be hard to imagine that a woman's attendance at a university would be contingent upon the way she dresses.
MIDEAST: Hamas’ Turn to Demolish Palestinian Homes
On Sunday approximately 150 Palestinians from 20 families were driven out of their homes in Rafah, in the southern Gaza strip, by heavily armed police and soldiers who menaced them with clubs.ISRAEL: Settlement Policy Wrong – European Jews
Prominent Jewish intellectuals living in Europe have begun denouncing the Israeli policy of allowing settlements to come up on Palestinian territories as "morally and politically wrong.’’
Q&A: “The World Is One, Whether You Like It or Not”
Since its inception in 2005, the Alliance of Civilisations (AoC) has worked to improve understanding and cooperation across nations, cultures and religions in order to counter the forces that fuel polarisation and extremism.
MIDEAST: US Funds Apartheid Roads on West Bank
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is helping Israel to construct an apartheid road infrastructure in the occupied Palestinian West Bank by financing nearly a quarter of the segregated road system primarily for the benefit of Israeli settlers.FRANCE: Burqa Ban May Prove Counter-Productive
France is likely to have a law banning the burqa by autumn of this year, but human rights groups say that such legislation would be discriminatory, counter-productive and also difficult to enforce.CUBA: Castro, Church Discuss Political Prisoners
Talks between the government of President Raúl Castro and leaders of the Catholic Church in Cuba may alleviate internal tensions and lead to the release of political prisoners, although the dialogue should be extended to include other social sectors in the country, religious leaders and analysts told IPS.EGYPT: Historically Apolitical, Sufis Now Side With the State
Although Egypt's many Sufi orders have traditionally been known for keeping a safe distance from politics, recent events suggest they are now closer than ever to the ruling regime.MIDEAST: Where Commemorations Are Split
In Israel and Palestine memory is a split matter, depending on which side of the map you come from. Especially this May, as Israeli and Palestinian leaders restart negotiating a border acceptable to their peoples.
MIDEAST: Palestinian Economic Boycott Hits Israeli Settlers
Israeli settlers are beginning to feel the bite of an economic boycott campaign launched by the Palestinian Authority (PA) against goods produced in the illegal Israeli settlements dotting the occupied West Bank.EGYPT: Hopes Fade for US Help to Restore Civil Liberties
Egypt's decision to extend its oppressive Emergency Law for two more years drew a tepid response from Washington, prompting criticism that U.S. administrations - including that of President Barack Obama - only push for political reform in Egypt when it suits their geostrategic interest.ISRAEL: The Only Democracy in the Middle East?
Noam Chomsky, a fierce espouser of left-wing causes, is widely admired in countries which parade themselves as "democracies". Apparently, the admiration does not extend to Israel.More Faiths, Greater Religious Fluidity in Cuba
Interest in religion is on the upsurge in Cuba, indicated by the growth and variety of the faiths being practised as well as by the ease with which people participate in more than one spiritual community at a time.
MIDEAST: Chomsky – Latest Jewish Thinker Savaged by Israel
When internationally renowned linguist, philosopher and political analyst Noam Chomsky was barred from entering the West Bank, he joined a chorus of Jewish intellectuals savaged by the Israeli government for outspoken criticism.
MIDEAST: Israel, Iran Talking War to Ward Off War?
Suddenly, the Middle East is awash with talk of war this summer. Or, is the talk of war merely meant to keep war at bay?
COLOMBIA: “Death Threats Have Become Routine,” Says Jesuit Priest
The death threats against Catholic priest Javier Giraldo painted on walls in the Colombian capital may have come from far-right paramilitaries, the military, drug trafficking gangs or groups with interests in African oil palm plantations.MIDEAST: Divided We Celebrate
"What kind of celebration is this," said Bat-El, 22, engulfed in a sea of blue- and-white Israeli flags in a huge procession marking Israel's self-celebrated Jerusalem Day, the anniversary by the Hebrew calendar of Israel's conquest of East Jerusalem 43 years ago during the 1967 Arab-Israel war.« Previous Page — Next Page »
Religion plays a big and in some cases growing role in the socio-political dynamics within countries and often is a factor in civil and cross-border conflict, conflict resolution and peace building. From Burmese monks' marches to the role of religious fundamentalism, this dedicated site gathers IPS stories about how religion affects our world, from daily life to geo-politics.
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