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Sunday, May 24, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Arabs Rise for Rights
Syria Escapes Threatened Sanctions by Third Double Veto at U.N.
Syria became the first country in the history of the United Nations to be "protected" for an unprecedented third time by double vetoes cast by Russia and China in the Security Council.Syria Blast Strikes at Heart of Assad’s Rule
Syria's defence minister and interior minister are among those who were killed after a suicide bomber struck the National Security building in Damascus during a meeting of cabinet ministers and senior security officials, state media reported.
Russia Says West Using “Blackmail” over Syria
Russia has said it would block moves at the U.N. Security Council to extend a U.N. monitoring mission in Syria if Western powers did not stop resorting to "blackmail" by threatening sanctions against Damascus.‘Israeli Bouazizi’ Raises Questions
During a march Saturday marking one year since social protests engulfed Israel, a man silently set himself on fire, leaving behind him a painful “I accuse!” letter that exposes widespread disillusionment in the face of the immense expectation for change, and the abyss between the people and the State.
Brotherhood Wins, Military Prevails
The first major confrontation between Egypt's new Islamist president and its quasi-ruling military council – fought over the issue of legislative authority – appears to have been won by the latter.
Human Rights Worse After Gaddafi
“The human rights situation in Libya now is far worse than under the late dictator Muammar Gaddafi,” Nasser al-Hawary, researcher with the Libyan Observatory for Human Rights tells IPS.
Voting for Peace in the Distant Desert
On election day long lines of people from Sabha’s impoverished community of Tayuri waited to vote under the harsh Saharan sun. Four hundred miles from the Mediterranean coast, Sabha is tucked into the volatile southwest bordering Algeria, Niger and Chad.Widespread Muslim Scepticism of U.S. as Democracy Advocate
Despite continuous assurances that the United States favours democratic rule during the 18-month-old "Arab Spring", majorities or pluralities in six predominantly Muslim countries see Washington as an obstacle to their democratic aspirations, according to a new survey released here Tuesday.Key Syrian Defection Heartens U.S.
The defection this week of a key general with longstanding ties to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad was hailed Friday by officials in the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama as an important step towards ending the regime.The Battle for Federalism in Libya’s East
With Libya's first election in more than four decades looming, a vocal group of people in the east of the country is far less enthusiastic about this democratic milestone than those in the west.Report Details Widespread Torture in Syrian Jails
Since March 2011, Syrian authorities have subjected tens of thousands of people to torture, rape, sexual abuse and unlawful detention, with some cases of ill treatment leading to death, according to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report released Tuesday.OP-ED: Bahrain Repression Belies Government Stand on Dialogue
Bahrain remains a repressive state, and civil rights are violated daily.2012 Shaping Up as Worst Year Ever for Journalists
It's the type of honour roll that journalists would prefer not to be on.
Presidential Showdown Brings Egypt to the Brink
A week after Egypt's presidential runoff between the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi and Mubarak-era premier Ahmed Shafiq, the military's preferred candidate, both men continue to claim victory amid tit-for-tat allegations of electoral fraud.
No Rest for Cyber Activists
One and a half years since the beginning of the Arab Spring, activists who guided their fellow citizens through the relatively unchartered terrain of social media activism feel their fight for human rights, democracy and transparency is only just beginning.
What is Stopping the Algerian Spring?
The on-going hunger strike of nine Algerian court clerks, coupled with the government’s indifference to their demands for an independent labour union, have stirred debate about Algeria’s role in the Arab Spring, which many see as an incomplete attempt to overturn a deeply flawed political and economic system.
Brotherhood Vs Former Regime in Egypt Runoff
Egyptians are returning to the polls this weekend to choose between Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi and Ahmed Shafiq, ousted president Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister, in a hotly-contested presidential runoff.
U.S.: “No Going Back” on Democratic Transition in Egypt, Says Clinton
As angry demonstrators gathered once again in Cairo's Tahrir Square to protest what many are calling a "soft coup" by the military, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton insisted that Washington still expects "a full transfer or power to a democratically elected civilian government" in Egypt.
SYRIA: Conscience Is Their Only Armour
With the international community vowing to ratchet up pressure on the Syrian government, non-violent activists say they remain undeterred even as the situation seems to be deteriorate daily.U.S.: Obama Resists Growing Pressure to Intervene in Syria
While reports of two mass killings in Syria by pro-regime forces in the past week have increased pressure on President Barack Obama to intervene more directly in support of the opposition, his administration appears determined to avoid any military involvement.Calls for Jihad Split Salafist Movement
The Arab Spring brought a host of new actors to the political stage. In Jordan, it pushed the Salafists to the fore, where some of the group’s more radical elements are now calling for holy war in neighbouring Syria.« Previous Page — Next Page »
The Arab Spring has changed the Arab seasons that have followed; it had to. The struggle continues in Syria; in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and in countries that did not change that dramatically, such as Bahrain and Yemen, the political world, and the tone of society itself has changed. IPS has not left these countries with the headlines that accompanied cataclysmic changes. We continue to track changes closely, always keeping in our sights first the rights of peoples, and then reporting changes from fresh, newsy and human perspective.
Middle East & North Africa
