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Thursday, September 17, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Arabs Rise for Rights
DEVELOPMENT: Libyan Investments in Caribbean Under Threat
Although located over 9,500 kilometres from the North African country of Libya, the turmoil there has not left the leaders of some small Caribbean nations unscathed.SYRIA: Unrest Spreads Further
Despite scarce official news reports emerging from Syria, information leaking out from activists on the ground describe the situation as deteriorating. While the government remains vague about events unfolding in the country, Friday prayers continue to ignite dissent that seems to be spreading to all social classes.Emerging Markets Clash with Anachronistic Institutions
The first weeks of April have witnessed a maelstrom of multilateralism – from the chambers of the annual Spring Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) here to the round tables of the BRICS summit in the resort island of the Hainan province in China – leaving in its wake a tome of unanswered questions regarding the contours and configurations of the new world order.
EGYPT: Islamic Hardliners Becoming Aggressive
Shrines venerated for centuries by Sufi Muslims have come under attack as Islamic fundamentalists seek to purge the Egyptian landscape of "heretical" artifacts that do not conform to their strict interpretation of Islam.MIDEAST: U.S. “Democracy” Advisors Suddenly in Demand
For years, U.S. officials and nongovernmental organisations devoted to democracy promotion toiled in the Middle East with little expectation of success.BAHRAIN: U.S. Keeps Quiet over Repression
If President Barack Obama wanted to place Washington "on the right side of history" during the ongoing "Arab Spring", his reaction to recent events in Bahrain will likely make that far more difficult, according to a growing number of analysts and commentators here.Libya Group Agrees ‘Trust Fund’ for Rebels
The international contact group on Libya has agreed to set up a temporary "trust fund" to help the international community channel assets to the opposition Transitional National Council in Benghazi.Libyan Exodus Shrinks Remittances
The exodus of migrants streaming out of Libya due to ongoing unrest has highlighted the heavy dependence of some countries on remittances from their citizens working abroad. In several countries this flow has now become choked.Libyan Rebels Reject African Union Road Map
Libya's opposition Transitional National Council has rejected outright the African Union's proposal to negotiate a way out from the country's deepening crisis.CHINA: Social Stability Puts Squeeze on the Rule of Law
There is no "Jasmine Revolution" in China, but the Chinese government might be creating the seeds for one through its elevation of social stability above the rule of law, some experts say.
MIDEAST: Egypt Softens Towards Hamas
Two months since the ouster of longstanding president Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's new transitional government is turning its attention to unpopular Mubarak-era foreign policies - with the ongoing Israeli-Egyptian blockade of the Gaza Strip top of the list.
Gaddafi Accepts AU Plan to End Fighting
Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, has accepted a "road map" for a ceasefire with rebels, according to a delegation of African leaders.Arab Spring at Azerbaijan’s Door
Campaigners are asking the Azerbaijan government to introduce radical reforms early to avoid a popular uprising sweeping the Arab world.EGYPT: Shia Hope for New Chapter
The political currents that sweep across the Middle East often surge out of Iran, form treacherous eddies in Lebanon and Iraq, then slam into the front door of Ahmad Rasem El-Nafis' apartment in the northern Egyptian city of Mansoura.U.S. Reports Decry Curbs on NGOs, Internet, Minorities
Growing government harassment of civil society organisations (CSOs), restrictions on Internet use, and persecution of vulnerable minorities constituted three of the most worrisome trends that slowed the spread of human rights around the globe in 2010, according to latest annual edition of the State Department's massive "Country Reports".LIBYA: U.N. Experts Probe Human Rights Abuses
The international commission of inquiry established by the U.N. Human Rights Council to investigate alleged violations of human rights in Libya will start its mission next week, and report on all crimes, committed by anyone, including foreign powers.Privatisation Aided Egypt Revolt, Army Says
Anger at Egypt’s privatisation programme, involving the transfer of billions of dollars worth of public assets to private hands, aided the Egyptian revolution that elbowed the Western-backed Hosni Mubarak out of office in February, a top army general said.Bahrain’s Hospital of Ghosts
Salmaniya Medical Complex, once one of the most renowned medical facilities in the Gulf and a jewel in the crown of Bahrain's public healthcare system, has been transformed into a virtual ghost town.Migrant Workers Caught in Whirlwind of ‘Arab Spring’
Migrant workers caught in the crossfire of the ongoing upheavals in Bahrain and Libya highlight the need to develop international migration policies based on migrants' rights rather than the economic interest of labour sending and receiving countries, knowledgeable sources say.Amid Uprisings, Africa Readies for Slew of National Polls
As the resounding cry for multi-party democracy reverberates violently throughout the Middle East, the African continent, long known for military rule and dictatorial regimes, is readying for a slew of presidential and parliamentary elections this year.Arab Uprisings Break Down Media Stereotypes
Exhaustive media coverage of the wave of popular revolts sweeping the Middle East and North Africa has helped to dispel myths and stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims, and foster better cultural understanding, media experts said during a conference in Cairo on Wednesday.« 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
