Victims of War, Victims of Oblivion

"In 1982 they killed my mama and 15 other people, and they burned down our house. Now we are trying to get support, because we have not received any aid," says Jacinto Escobar, an Ixil Indian who is seeking reparations for the damages sustained during Guatemala’s 1960-1996 civil war.

Q&A: Cuban Census “Will Show a Very Diverse Reality”

Thirteen hurricanes, three of which had a major impact on housing; increased access to goods and services; and the start of the so-called "updating" of the country’s economic and social policies are a few of the aspects that make Cuba different from what it was a decade ago.

‘Sons of Iraq’ Orphaned

"We have not been paid since the Americans left Iraq last December. If nothing changes, I will abandon this checkpoint," Saif Ahmed tells IPS. He is one of the militiamen who claim to have defeated Al Qaeda in Iraq.

U.S.: More Bad News on the Afghan Front

While U.S. officials insisted their counterinsurgency strategy is still working, Sunday's pre-dawn massacre by a U.S. staff sergeant of 16 people, including nine children, in their homes in Kandahar province has dealt yet another body blow to Washington's hopes to sustain a significant military presence in Afghanistan after 2014.

Argentine Dictatorship’s Economic Crimes Coming to Light

While the trials against members of the military and police for human rights abuses committed during Argentina’s 1976-1983 dictatorship move ahead, the regime’s economic crimes have also begun to come to light.

For Caribbean Bloc, It’s Adapt or Perish

More than a decade of efforts to promote closer socioeconomic cooperation among the 15 nations of the Caribbean Community are threatened by stagnant funding and a grim global financial situation, experts warned here.

Alleged Photos of “Clean-up” at Iran’s Parchin Site Lack Credibility

News stories about satellite photographs suggesting efforts by Iran to "sanitise" a military site that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said may have been used to test nuclear weapons have added yet another layer to widely held suspicion that Iran must indeed be hiding a covert nuclear weapons programme.

Campus Radio Turns Grassroots Voice

Since it first hit the airwaves more than 50 years ago, the University of the Philippines (UP)'s campus radio has evolved into a community broadcaster, serving as the voice of the people.

Israel Faces an Army of the Ultra-Orthodox

The High Court of Justice in Israel has annulled the 2002 Tal Law that had allowed Yeshiva students - scholars of Jewish religious texts - to avoid an otherwise mandatory service in the Israeli army. While politicians on the left and right welcome the court’s decision, the Haredim community considers it an assault on their way of life.

Q&A: ‘Returning to Burma is OK, Not for Journalism’

When he returned home after over two decades as a political exile, Aung Zaw, a prominent figure among Burma’s exiled media community, was served a slice of truth by the country’s notorious censorship board.

Palestinian Children Inherit Political Separation

For Taiseer Khatib and his wife Lana, the most difficult aspect of Israel’s policy of forced family separation is the impact it is having on their children. "Our children are paying the price psychologically. We are trying to protect them, but they have a good sense of what’s going on and they understand that there’s something wrong," Khatib, who has two children under the age of five, Adnan and Yosra, tells IPS.

Democratic Blow to India’s Ruling Dynasty

India's premier political dynasty - the Nehru Gandhi clan - has failed to charm voters in elections held across five states in the country, including the key Hindi heartland state of Uttar Pradesh.

Burma’s Armed Ethnic Minorities Present Agenda for Successful Ceasefire

"Our past experiences have demonstrated that a mere ceasefire agreement will not result in the durable peace that we have long sought. Political peace is the only way forward."

Q&A: Prevention Is the Best Cure for Gender Violence

As many as seven in 10 women in the world report experiencing physical and/or sexual violence at some point in their lifetime, leaving a devastating aftermath for individuals, communities and nations.

Cuba Never Asked to Attend Summit of the Americas

Cuba never asked to be invited to a Summit of the Americas, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said in response to protests from some governments in the region at Havana’s exclusion from the meetings of Western Hemisphere leaders.

Sweden in Saudi Arms Deal Controversy

Confidential documents revealed this week show how Sweden has in secret been helping Saudi Arabia to plan the construction of an advanced arms factory to produce anti-tank missiles.

U.N. Chastises Mexico’s Support for Agribusiness

The United Nations criticised Mexico’s food policy, a month and a half after President Felipe Calderón launched to great fanfare an alliance of agribusiness for sustainable development, which was welcomed by giant food corporations.

Indian Farmers Hostage to Middlemen

Agriculture experts blame the crisis faced by India’s small farmers on a highly inefficient supply chain for perishable farm produce, a situation exploited by traders and middlemen.

Porn in the Land of the Pure

Dark and smoky, the cinema hall reeks of hashish. An overly made-up woman on screen in provocatively figure-hugging clothes dances suggestively to the beat of loud music. The audience, all men, cheer and whistle. The music stops, the scenes get racier and sexually titillating. The crowd abandons all caution. The whistles turn to grunts and growls, chairs begin to bang.

Neo-Nazis Taking to Terror

Just days after a hotel was firebombed in a suspected racist attack, experts and activists have warned of neo-Nazi groups turning to ‘terrorist’ campaigns as they become increasingly influenced by far-right movements in other countries.

U.S.: Bomb-Iran Week Turns Syrious

This week was supposed to be all about Iran – at least, that's how Israel and its powerful U.S. lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), had planned it - and why the U.S. should prepare to bomb it very, very soon if its leadership doesn't cave into Western demands to abandon its nuclear programme.