U.S. ELECTION: Poll Watchers May Outnumber Voters

The most closely scrutinised election in U.S. history is also proving to be the most litigious, with dozens of states fending off challenges to aspects of their electoral laws, and some experts predicting the vote count will again drag out for weeks.

U.S. ELECTIONS: Public Interest Groups Pump Up Spending

Groups devoted to electing one of the two main contenders in the U.S. presidential contest are raising cash at an unheard of rate, but that does not signal ''special interests'' are dominating the democratic process, say experts.

U.S. ELECTION: Faith Versus Facts – The Revolt of the Experts

Increasingly concerned about a ''faith-based presidency'' under President George W Bush, normally Republican or non-partisan experts on a range of national and international issues have decided to either publicly endorse his challenger, Senator John Kerry, or make clear their opposition to the incumbent.

POLITICS: U.S.: Bush and Kerry Neck and Neck

With just over three weeks before the Nov. 2 elections, pundits and polls agree that the presidential race between incumbent George W Bush and his Democratic challenger Senator John Kerry is too close too call.

POLITICS: Bush-boosting Network Pushes Anti-Kerry Doc

Watchdog groups have found a new poster child for the evils of media deregulation with the news that a powerful broadcasting conglomerate will show a documentary excoriating Democratic candidate Senator John Kerry just days before the presidential vote.

/CORRECTED REPEAT/OIL: Kerry, Bush Spar Over Mideast Dependency*

The two main U.S. presidential candidates may differ on many issues but appear to agree on at least one thing - cutting U.S. dependence on Arab oil, although some analysts say it will not be as easy it sounds.

/ARTS WEEKLY/BOOKS: U.S. Immigration Jails Have Long History of Abuse

"Long before Abu Ghraib, and even before Sep. 11, detainee in America's immigration prisons were being stripped, beaten, and sexually abused."

OIL: Kerry, Bush Spar Over Mideast Dependency

The two major U.S. presidential candidates may differ on many issues but appear to agree on at least one thing - cutting U.S. dependence on Arab oil, although some analysts say it will not be as easy it sounds.

POLITICS: Anti-Bush Bandwagon Rolling, but Does it Matter?

Add the names of some of the most honoured ''brains'' in the United States to the rock & rollers and billionaires who have launched tours designed to beat President George W. Bush in November's election.

DEVELOPMENT: Debt, and Hope, Remain

The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) wrapped up weekend meetings here with no major results for developing nations, but the gathering might have moved the issue of poor nations' debt onto rich nations' permanent agenda.

CANADA: Monsanto Victory Plants Seed of Privatisation

Canadian farmers' traditional right to save seeds is being threatened by proposals to collect royalties on virtually all such seeds following agribusiness giant Monsanto's victory over grower Percy Schmeiser.

/APOLOGY/CANADA: Police ‘Excessive’ at 2001 Quebec FTAA Protest – Report

On Nov. 14, 2003, IPS reported that Malcolm Rogge spoke to the agency concerning the 2001 Summit of the Americas in Quebec City. That was incorrect - our reporter did not speak to Rogge. In addition, Rogge was not arrested in Quebec City, nor does he have a complaint against the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

POLITICS-U.S: Arab, Muslim Americans Targeted Again

Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are again contacting Arab and Muslim Americans for what they describe as "voluntary interviews," as the Bush administration launches a new anti-terrorism campaign designed to thwart efforts to disrupt the U.S. elections.

RIGHTS-US: Gay Ban Eroding Military Effectiveness, Report Says

For eight years, Army Staff Sergeant Brian Muller served his country. An expert in counter-terrorism, he was once selected to guard President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, and served tours of duty in both Bosnia and Afghanistan. He had celebrated his 18th birthday in Bosnia, had been to war and had twenty-one medals to show for it.

POLITICS: Bush May Support Sharon, But Jewish Voters Back Kerry

If U.S. President George W. Bush thought that aligning U.S. Middle East policy behind the Likud-led government in Israel would win him substantial numbers of Jewish votes in the November election, he must be sorely disappointed.

RIGHTS: First Same-Sex Divorce Sets Legal Precedent

A lesbian couple who married just days after same-sex marriage was declared legal by a Canadian court in 2003 has been granted a divorce by a judge in Toronto.

POLITICS-U.S.: Regulatory Agencies Asleep at the Switch, Report Charges

Federal watchdog agencies tasked with protecting public health and safety have been virtually dormant under the George W. Bush administration, says a new report, which found the government has failed to complete more than 70 percent of its own regulatory agenda.

POLITICS-U.S.: Bush Gains on Kerry for Arab-American Vote

Despite the worsening situation in Iraq and the continued impasse between Israel and the Palestinians, U.S. President George W. Bush has cut Sen. John Kerry's previously substantial lead among Arab-American voters in four key swing states, according to a new survey released here Wednesday.

POLITICS-U.S.: Asian-American Voters Leaning Toward Kerry

A plurality of the nearly three million Asian-American voters intends to vote for Sen. John Kerry in November, with his strongest support coming from Chinese- and Indian-Americans, according to a new national survey that found that a surprisingly large 20 percent of the entire bloc remain undecided.

RIGHTS-CANADA: Proposed Sharia Court Raises Fears of Gender Bias

Muslim women who fled the strict Islamic laws in their home countries to live in a more liberal environment in Canada may now face a similar regime in the largest province, Ontario, where a Muslim civil court for family disputes is being considered under the arbitration act.

RIGHTS-U.S.: Racial Profiling Much Worse Since 9/11, Amnesty Says

The practice of profiling by race, religion, and national origin on the part of U.S. law-enforcement agencies not only violates the human rights of its targets, but is also often counter-productive, according to a new report released here Monday by Amnesty International.