Central America Raises Its Voice in Defence of Its Migrants

Spiralling violence against Central American migrants in Mexico has prompted legal reforms, diplomatic actions, and the creation of new mechanisms to protect citizens in this region.

EGYPT: Why the Army Won’t Shoot Protesters

Khalid Ibrahim Al-Laisi has been a soldier in the Egyptian army for 20 years. Today, far from shooting protesters, he says the time has come "to revolt against oppression."

U.S.-EGYPT: Obama Calls for Transition “Now”

Hours after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak vowed to stay in place until September's elections, the Barack Obama administration sent its strongest signal yet that the aging autocrat and one-time staunch U.S. ally must relinquish his hold on power sooner rather than later.

EGYPT: Litany of Abuses Fuelled Protesters’ Fury

In Egypt, where protestors continued to demonstrate Tuesday for the eighth day in a row, the use of torture by law enforcement officials over the past two decades has contributed to the growing unrest, rights groups say.

MEXICO: Migrants – Victims of Crime, Not Criminals

Although Central American migrants continue to face all kinds of abuses and even death on their way north through Mexico to the U.S. border, experts and activists have begun to see a slight change in approach to the issue.

Does it Matter if the Torturer Is Right-Handed or Left-Handed?

Jeanne Kirkpatrick, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, once made the highly-debatable distinction between "friendly" right-wing "authoritarian" regimes (which were mostly U.S. and Western allies) and "unfriendly" left-wing "totalitarian" dictatorships (which the U.S. abhorred).

Q&A: ‘Responding As We Would To A Friend In Crisis’

Working with grassroots organisations is the only viable way to genuinely help people, according Yifat Susskind, the newly appointed Executive Director of the New York-based women's organisation MADRE.

EGYPT: A Million Voices, One Message

Organisers called it Egypt’s "million man march". Whether they achieved that targeted head count is unclear, but their message was unequivocal.

EGYPT: A Revolution, Unplugged

Despite the Hosni Mubarak regime's attempts at muzzling communication and dissent, and the reportedly government- sanctioned shutdown of Egypt's last standing Internet service provider to individual users Monday, Egyptians are still managing to get their voices heard and mobilise - both through advanced technical workarounds and older, traditional technologies.

CENTRAL AMERICA: Tragedies Suffered; Lessons Learned?

The disasters caused by torrential rains in South America have set off alarm bells in Central America, whose extreme vulnerability was made all too clear over the last few years when it was slammed by hurricanes Mitch and Stan and tropical storm Agatha.

HEALTH-PERU: Cost of Medicines Out of Control

When the price of medicines for treating cancer soared by up to 64 percent in 2010, the Peruvian government set up a watchdog commission that will also monitor prices of drugs for diabetes and HIV/AIDS.

EGYPT: Unrest Spreads to Sinai

A Bedouin youth casually spreads out a piece of cloth before a police headquarters in Sheikh Zwayyed town in Sinai, the vast desert area to the east of Cairo across the Suez. "I will leave when Mubarak leaves," he says.

SRI LANKA: Press Freedom Burns in Colombo

At 2 a.m. on Monday morning, the headquarters of one of Sri Lanka's leading bilingual news sources, Lanka E-News (LEN), was burned down in the predawn darkness.

U.S.-EGYPT: Obama Looking Beyond Mubarak

With new anti-government demonstrations expected in Cairo and other Egyptian cities Tuesday, the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama appears to have concluded that the 29- year reign of President Hosni Mubarak is coming to an end.

MALAWI: Women’s Voices to the Fore in New Development Policy

As Malawi works on its second development blueprint, the Malawi Development and Growth Strategy (MDGS II), the country’s women are hoping health and education will be prioritised and given proper attention in implementation.

AFRICA: ICC Justice a Dream Deferred

The African Union Summit drew to a close today in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. Among the headline decisions was the continental body's support for Kenya's planned request to defer prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of six suspects in post-election violence that claimed more than 1,200 lives in 2008.

Latin Americans ‘Guinea Pigs’ for Foreign Clinical Trials

Leonor, a Mexican citizen, took part in a 2006 clinical trial of a drug to treat kidney disease, designed by a transnational pharmaceutical company.

POLITICS: UN Falling Apart Under ‘Ban Ki-Who’

United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon is under fire again. Inga-Britt Ahlenius - until recently one of the highest-ranking officials at the U.N. - explains to IPS her blistering attacks on Ban’s leadership.

CUBA: Looking for Roots Across the Ocean

Their tanned skin is weathered by years of sun, and their voices preserve traces of accents from different parts of Spain.

Khmer Rouge Leaders Seek Release Before Trial

Standing in an air-conditioned courtroom on the outskirts of the Cambodian capital, an aging former Khmer Rouge figure accused of genocide offered few words as he asked for his release.

Torn Egypt Resigned to Sudan Split

Egypt, now itself torn by strife, has worked since 2005 to promote the unity of Sudan, Africa's largest country that is its neighbour to the south. But after overwhelming support for independence for southern Sudan, Egyptians are now preparing to accept partition.