Mass Protests Fail But Angolan Activists Remain Defiant

An attempt to organise a mass protest against the government in Angola’s capital Luanda this week may have fallen flat, but there is no doubt that a fuse has been lit among people who for so many years have not dared to challenge authority.

Bloggers Track Down China’s Lost Boys

Peng Gaofeng spent three years looking for his abducted son, launching an Internet campaign that eventually drew 300,000 followers. Last month, Peng was reunited with his son, and the 34-year-old has vowed to help the thousands of Chinese parents who are still trying to find their missing children.

U.S.: Critics Condemn Islam Hearings as Witch Hunts

On the eve of a controversial hearing by lawmakers on extremist Islam in the United States, civil rights and Muslim- American groups are warning of its potential repercussions, which they say may undermine the very intent of the proceeding.

Tanzania Biofuel Project’s Barren Promise

An ambitious project to produce clean energy for the Netherlands and Belgium has degenerated into a controversial abuse of natural resources in Africa.

IBSA Together in Resisting No-fly Zone

India has found backing at this week's India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) ministers meeting for its stance that a no-fly zone over Libya must follow multilateral consultations.

New Air Raids Hit Libyan Oil City

Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi have launched new air raids on the oil city of Ras Lanuf and are closing in on the western town of Az Zawiyah.

EUROPE: Greek Tragedy, Act II

Fears are growing that in the coming months Greece will face increasing difficulty in responding to its debt obligations, despite the ambitious structural adjustment package that was introduced last year.

WOMEN’S DAY: Without Grassroots, the Tree Will Not Stand

Women from grassroots organisations all across the globe arrived in New York this week for a five-day summit dedicated to bolstering female and community- based representation at all levels of political decision making.

Libyan Weapons May Come Back to Haunt Europe

When Muammar el-Gaddafi went on an arms-buying spree in the 1970s and 80s - stockpiling a staggering array of sophisticated weapons systems both from the East and West - the United States warned that Libya was in danger of becoming one of the world's most "overarmed" countries.

The New Egypt: Leaving Women Behind

Marwa Sharaf el-Din, an Egyptian law PhD candidate at Oxford University, spent part of International Women's Day in Tahrir Square this afternoon to perform Zajal, a popular traditional form of Arabic poetry.

Will the Libya Syndrome Spread in OPEC?

The combination of a leader in power for 42 years, underground political forces bursting on the scene with violence, fractured armed forces and a fast-developing civil war would appear to be a specifically Libyan phenomenon that is unlikely to expand to the rest of OPEC.

Q&A: “The Trial Against Chevron Is Totally Corrupt”

Chevron, the second largest U.S. oil company, believes that to overturn the verdict ordering it to pay 9.5 billion dollars in reparations for environmental and public health damages in Ecuador's Amazon jungle, the best defence is a good offence.

LIBYA: Rebels Set Demands for Gaddafi Exit

Rebels will not pursue Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi over crimes they say he has committed if he steps down from his post by Friday, the head of the rebel National Libyan Council has said.

Soaring Commodity Prices a Mixed Bag for Mexico

While Mexico is earning more revenue from oil exports, the cost of food imports has risen to the point where food security is threatened.

WOMEN’S DAY: Comic Strip Tells a Serious Story

Violence against women is not a subject that one would normally associate with comic strip books, but a French publisher thought this would be a "perfect" medium for raising awareness among both young and old.

WOMEN’S DAY: Pakistan Is Not for Single Women

Sobia Aslam, in her forties and twice divorced, often feels she should get married a third time.

WOMEN’S DAY: DRC Mobile Court a Sign of Hope

Eleven soldiers found culpable in the rape of more than 50 women in the Congolese town of Fizi Centre in January, have begun serving lengthy sentences in the provincial capital, Bukavu. Their speedy trial and sentencing by a mobile court is a welcome sign of a new commitment to ending impunity for sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

WOMEN’S DAY: Reflecting on Struggle for Equality in Kenya

"It is yet another significant day in the life of women across the world in the struggle for gender equality and equity. It is for this reason that women look forward to marking yet another International Women Day," says Janet Kanene, a gender studies university student.

LIBYA: Obama Inches Closer to Military Intervention

Under growing political pressure at home, President Barack Obama inched closer here Monday towards committing U.S. military power to at least protecting areas under rebel control, if not ending the 42-year reign of Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi.

Chavez Gambles on Gaddafi Diplomacy

Hugo Chavez's offer to mediate in the Libyan crisis marks the Venezuelan president's latest attention-grabbing foray onto the world stage, yet analysts warn that he risks "ending up on the wrong side of history" if he stands by Muammar Gaddafi's internationally discredited regime.

LIBYA: Aid Groups Struggle with Rising Tide of Refugees

The international community is ramping up efforts to alleviate the growing humanitarian crisis in Libya, which has affected over 200,000 people since the Muammar Gaddafi regime first began a violent crackdown on opposition forces some three weeks ago.