Interpress Service articles from August 2007

Interpress Service archives from August 2007

ZIMBABWE: SEVERE WATER SHORTAGE WRACKS BULAWAYO.
August 1, 2007... By Ephraim Nsingo* HARARE, Zimbabwe, Jul. 31, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- The City Council of Bulawayo has issued a warning that a rash of diseases may spread across the city as water becomes increasingly unavailable to its residents. This is...

PARAGUAY: LONG AFTER FIRE, APPEALS DELAY TRIAL OF STORE OWNERS.
August 1, 2007... by David Vargas ASUNCION, Paraguay, Jul. 31, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Three years after a deadly fire killed 364 at a Paraguayan supermarket, injured survivors and victims' relatives are frustrated that the people responsible for the blaze have...

ZIMBABWE: AGING PIPES LEAD TO WATER SHORTAGE IN HARARE.
August 1, 2007... by Tonderai Kwidini* HARARE, Zimbabwe, Jul. 31, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Taps in Zimbabwe's capital are running dry, even though the city's main supply dams are more than 60 percent full. More than half of Harare's 3 million inhabitants are...

UGANDA: ACTIVISTS RENEW FIGHT AGAINST HYDROELECTRIC DAM.
August 1, 2007... by Peter Wamboga Mugirya* -- IPS/IFEJ KAMPALA, Uganda, Jul. 31, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- A coalition of civil-society groups in Uganda are pressuring the World Bank and the African Development Bank to reconsider their decision to pay for the...

U.S./INDIA: NUCLEAR DEAL MAY SPARK ASIAN ARMS RACE.
August 1, 2007... by Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS, Jul. 31, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- U.S. leaders' recent decision to pursue a controversial civilian nuclear deal with India has triggered strong negative responses from peace activists, disarmament experts and...

PERU: GOVERNORS SEEK TO RESTORE RIGHT TO SOCIAL PROTEST.
August 1, 2007... by Milagros Salazar LIMA, Peru, Jul. 31, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Peruvian governors, legislators, trade unions and activists are demanding the repeal of repressive decrees issued by President Alan Garc a, who has sought to crack down on the...

GUATEMALA: ACTIVISTS CALL FOR PROSECUTION OF FORMER DICTATOR.
August 1, 2007... by Ins Ben tez GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, Jul. 31, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Guatemala's attorney general has received 1,200 letters from 23 countries urging him to speed up proceedings against former dictator Efra n R os Montt, who has been...

KENYA-REPORT: WOMEN ENDURE ABUSE IN DELIVERY WARDS.
August 1, 2007... by Barin Masoud UNITED NATIONS, Jul. 31, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Josephine traveled to St. Mary's Hospital in Langata, Kenya, hoping to find a caring professional to deliver her baby. She didn't realize her mistake until she was already trapped...

MIGRATION: CARIBBEAN STRUGGLES TO ABSORB DEPORTEES FROM U.S.
August 1, 2007... by Bert Wilkinson GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Jul. 31, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- U.S. and Caribbean lawmakers have renewed their efforts to address problems surrounding the ad hoc deportation of Caribbean nationals from the United States. Last week...

U.S.: FLORIDA JUDGE DISMISSES SUIT AGAINST DUBAI AUTHORITIES.
August 1, 2007... by Carmen Gentile MIAMI, Fla., Jul. 31, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- A U.S. judge in Miami has stymied lawyers' attempt to sue two leaders from Dubai who stand accused of enslaving thousands of children and forcing them to participate in camel...

LATIN AMERICA: CANDIDATES HIRE CONSULTANTS FROM U.S., MEXICO.
August 1, 2007... by Emilio Godoy MEXICO CITY, Mexico, Jul. 31, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Political consulting firms from Mexico and the United States have begun exporting their aggressive strategies and mudslinging tricks to parties on both the right and the left...

CANADA: CLIMATE CHANGE CAUSES PINE BEETLE TO DEVOUR FORESTS.
August 1, 2007... by Am Johal* -- IPS/IFEJ VANCOUVER, Canada, Jul. 31, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Climate change is largely to blame for the pine beetle epidemic that is ravaging forests in western Canada, according to environmental researchers. The infestation...

CORRECTION: SCIENTISTS DEBATE EFFECT OF POPULATION ON WARMING.
August 1, 2007... By Zofeen Ebrahim KARACHI, Pakistan, Jul. 31, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Climate-change researchers are divided as to the effect of population growth on global warming: Some say larger populations are a problem, whereas others say lifestyle choices...

Q&A: FEMINISTS DISCUSS FUNDAMENTALISMS' ATTACK ON RIGHTS.
August 2, 2007... by Sabina Zaccaro ROME, Aug. 2, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- The rise of various fundamentalisms -- not just fundamentalist Islam -- is to blame for attacks on women's rights across the world, according to feminist groups. Feminist networks have...

SOUTHEAST ASIA: REGIONAL ASSOCIATION ADDRESSES MIGRANT RIGHTS.
August 2, 2007... by Stella Gonzales MANILA, Philippines, Aug. 2, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations recently strengthened the rights of migrant workers by approving two documents at a meeting in Manila. ...

RUSSIA: CHRISTIAN LEADERS ADVISE ARMY TO LEGITIMIZE CHAPLAINS.
August 2, 2007... By Kester Kenn Klomegah MOSCOW, Aug. 2, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Religious leaders are convinced that Russia could improve soldiers' morale and lower crime rates within the army, if the interior ministry and the military authorities would only...

TURKEY: MILITARY REITERATES ITS COMMITMENT TO SECULARISM.
August 2, 2007... Analysis by Jacques N. Couvas ANKARA, Turkey, Aug. 2, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- The election of Turkey's 11th president has returned to the table as a hot issue after the military reiterated Monday evening that the country's leader must respect...

CLIMATE CHANGE: EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT MAY CAP CAR EMISSIONS.
August 2, 2007... by David Cronin BRUSSELS, Belgium, Aug. 2, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Members of the European Parliament are mulling over a proposal to restrict the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by cars. The lawmakers will almost certainly be heavily...

CHILE: ARICA RESIDENTS PROTEST BORON LEVELS IN MURKY TAP WATER.
August 2, 2007... by Daniela Estrada SANTIAGO, Chile, Aug. 1, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Residents of the northern Chilean city of Arica are demanding immediate regulations to limit the amount of boron in their drinking water. City authorities, on the other...

U.S.: OBAMA CALLS FOR ANTI-TERRORISM EFFORTS IN AFGHANISTAN.
August 2, 2007... By Jim Lobe WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Barack Obama said Tuesday that he would unilaterally strike terrorist targets across the border in Pakistan if the government of President Pervez Musharraf failed to do so. Obama, a...

COLOMBIA: PEACE WALKER SEEKS TO FREE HOSTAGES AND GUERRILLAS.
August 2, 2007... By Constanza Vieira* BOGOTA, Colombia, Aug. 1, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Colombian teacher Gustavo Moncayo arrived Wednesday in Bogot , bearing a petition signed by 2 million in favor of swapping imprisoned guerrillas for hostages held by the...

CANADA: NATIVE GROUPS GIVE MIXED REVIEWS TO LAND DEALS.
August 2, 2007... by Am Johal VANCOUVER, Canada, Aug. 1, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Costly land claims negotiations between native groups and the government in British Columbia finally seem to be achieving results. Two recent treaties have won overwhelming support...

PHILIPPINES: CHIEF JUSTICE CALLS FOR DEFENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS.
August 2, 2007... by Stella Gonzales MANILA, Philippines, Aug. 1, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- The chief justice of the Philippines Supreme Court recently expressed concern that the prevalence of violence in the country has numbed residents' feelings of outrage. ...

PARAGUAY: ARTIST RAISES AWARENESS ABOUT TOXIC HOSPITAL WASTE.
August 2, 2007... by David Vargas ASUNCI N, Paraguay, Aug. 1, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- A thousand inflated transparent plastic bags labeled "Pathological Garbage" cover the floor of an exhibition room at the Juan de Salazar Cultural Center in the Paraguayan...

CUBA: MILK VENDOR LEADS SUCCESSFUL REFORESTATION CAMPAIGN.
August 2, 2007... by Patricia Grogg HAVANA, Aug. 1, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Mario Vliz -- a thin, wiry man with a face seamed with age -- has been planting trees in the garbage dump near his shantytown for 10 years. Lovingly called "environment boy" by his...

IRAN: CHARGED WITH TREASON, KURDISH REPORTERS FACE EXECUTION.
August 2, 2007... by Kimia Sanati TEHRAN, Iran, Aug. 1, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Kurdish human rights and political groups have launched an Internet campaign to save the lives of two Iranian Kurdish journalists who were sentenced to death on July 16. The...

MAURITIUS: PROPOSED LAW WOULD ALLOW COMPANIES TO RENT SEA.
August 2, 2007... by Nasseem Ackbarally PORT LOUIS, Mauritius, Aug. 1, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Mauritian environmentalists and fishermen are lobbying against a bill that would allow sea and lagoon areas to be leased to private businesses for up to 30 years. ...

CHINA: BEIJING CONDUCTS NATIONWIDE FOOD AND DRUG INSPECTION.
August 2, 2007... by Antoaneta Bezlova BEIJING, Aug. 1, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- The Chinese government is struggling to defend the reputation of its goods in an uphill battle against numerous product-safety recalls and steady foreign media coverage of...

EGYPT: BUSINESS LEADERS HOPE TO REVAMP NATION'S REPUTATION.
August 2, 2007... by Leslie-Ann Boctor CAIRO, Egypt, Aug. 1, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Egyptian business leaders are preparing to launch a national branding initiative intended to draw foreign direct investment by strategically marketing the country's image and...

SRI LANKA: TEA, GARMENT SECTORS CATER TO 'CONSCIOUS CONSUMERS'.
August 2, 2007... by Feizal Samath COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Aug. 1, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Sri Lanka often faces criticism about its dismal human rights record, but its main exports -- tea and garments -- are gaining global recognition as goods produced in settings...

IRAQ: RESIGNATIONS WEAKEN MALIKI'S GOVERNMENT.
August 3, 2007... By Ali al-Fadhily* BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 3, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- The recent resignation of Iraq's Army Chief of Staff and the departure of several of his council military leaders underscore the unraveling of Iraq's U.S.-backed government. ...

DEVELOPMENT: PACIFIC STATES STAND UP TO BULLYING FROM EU.
August 3, 2007... By David Cronin BRUSSELS, Belgium, Aug. 3, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Governments in the Pacific region have reacted furiously to the European Union's threat to punish them for holding up the finalization of a trade deal with the 27-nation bloc....

CHINA: MILITARY EXHIBITION SERVES AS WARNING TO TAIWAN.
August 3, 2007... By Antoaneta Bezlova BEIJING, Aug. 3, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- The Chinese government sent a belligerent message to the pro-independent government of Taiwan by means of its Aug. 1 celebration of the People's Liberation Army's 80th anniversary....

SRI LANKA: TRADE UNIONS FLOUNDER AS INFORMAL ECONOMY GROWS.
August 3, 2007... By Feizal Samath COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Aug. 3, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Many Sri Lankan trade unions are becoming weaker as the country's job market becomes less formal: Due to globalization-triggered changes, many workers scurry to do two or more...

BURKINA FASO: FARMING CUTS INTO FORESTS OF EASTERN PROVINCE.
August 3, 2007... By Brahima Oudraogo and Miche Boko OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso, Aug. 2, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Burkina Faso's eastern province of Kompienga is the country's most verdant region, but its forests are quickly disappearing, according to a recent...

Q&A-BRAZIL: FOREIGN MINISTER PROMOTES SOUTH-SOUTH ALLIANCE.
August 3, 2007... By Paranjoy Guha Thakurta NEW DELHI, Aug. 3, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Brazil's Foreign Minister believes that cooperation among developing countries can change the way people perceive the world. The foreign minister, Celso Amorim, also heads...

MEXICO: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATES RIGHTS ABUSES.
August 3, 2007... By Emilio Godoy MEXICO CITY, Mexico, Aug. 2, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- "They tortured me, took away my shoes and beat me brutally, with a lot of hatred and fury," said Pedro Alvarado, a human rights activist who was arrested by Mexican police this...

U.S.-REPORT: IRAQ WAR MAY COST MORE THAN $1 TRILLION.
August 3, 2007... By Eli Clifton WASHINGTON, Aug. 2, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- The war in Iraq could cost U.S. taxpayers a total of $1 trillion, according to a report sent earlier this week from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office to lawmakers in...

SOUTH AMERICA: CRITICS WIN GROUND IN FIGHT AGAINST GAS PIPELINE.
August 3, 2007... By Humberto M rquez CARACAS, Venezuela, Aug. 2, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Ch vez is frustrated that his ambitious plan to construct a South American megapipeline for natural gas appears to be falling flat. The...

GUATEMALA: JOINT U.N. COMMISSION INVESTIGATES JUSTICE SYSTEM.
August 3, 2007... By Ins Ben tez GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, Aug. 2, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- A joint commission will soon investigate the Guatemalan national police, as well as Guatemala's prison and customs systems, in an attempt to shore up the country's justice...

BOOKS: BRICMONT'S 'HUMANITARIAN IMPERIALISM' FOCUSES ON IRAQ.
August 3, 2007... By Daniel Luban WASHINGTON, Aug. 2, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Few political debates have changed as rapidly over the last four years as the one surrounding humanitarian military intervention. As the U.S. invasion of Iraq got underway in 2003,...

POLITICS-U.S.: PROMINENT EVANGELICAL LEADS PRO-ISRAEL EVENT.
August 3, 2007... By Bill Berkowitz* OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 2, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- An impressive array of Republican Party elected officials and political leaders attended a recent "Israel Summit" held in Washington by a group called Christians United for...

BRAZIL: YOUTH LEAD GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN AGAINST GANG VIOLENCE.
August 3, 2007... By Mario Osava SAO LUIS, Brazil, Aug. 2, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Elias da Silva, a 22-year-old in Brazil, says that out of the 25 original members of his gang, he's "the only one still alive and free." Most of his peers were 15 or 16 years...

BURMA: PRO-JUNTA MILITIA EXPLOITS MIGRANT WORKERS.
August 3, 2007... By Marwaan Macan-Markar MAE SOT, Thailand, Aug. 2, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Thai authorities force nearly 500 undocumented migrant workers from Burma to cross back over the Moe River and return home to Burma every day, according to labor...

MEDIA-U.S.: MURDOCH ACQUIRES WALL STREET JOURNAL.
August 3, 2007... By Khody Akhavi WASHINGTON, Aug. 2, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Australian media mogul Rupert Murdoch added one of the most respected brands in journalism to his already vast media empire this week: Dow Jones & Company, the publisher of the Wall...

CLIMATE CHANGE: U.N. DEBATE IGNORES QUESTIONS OF GENDER.
August 3, 2007... By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 2, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- The United Nations' recent debate on the effects of climate change addressed deforestation, desertification, greenhouse gases, renewable energy sources, biofuels and sustainable...

SOUTH KOREA: FEAR MOUNTS OVER HOSTAGE CRISIS IN AFGHANISTAN.
August 3, 2007... By Ahn Mi-Young SEOUL, South Korea, Aug. 2, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- South Koreans are shocked, confused and furious about the uncertain fate of 21 Korean citizens who are being held hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Most of the hostages...

IRAQ: WHITE HOUSE WANTS TEHRAN TO RESTRAIN SHIITE GROUPS.
August 3, 2007... Analysis by Gareth Porter* WASHINGTON, Aug. 2, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- The George W. Bush administration appears more interested in persuading Iran to use its influence over Shiites in Iraq than in pursuing the question of the country's alleged...

MEXICO: RAIN MAY OVERPOWER CAPITAL'S AGING DRAINAGE SYSTEM.
August 3, 2007... By Emilio Godoy MEXICO CITY, Mexico, Aug. 2, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Mexico City, one of the most populous cities in the world, is at risk of being submerged under 5 meters of water for several weeks, according to Mexico's National Water...

PAKISTAN: MEDIA OUTLETS FAIL TO COVER DEVASTATING FLOODS.
August 3, 2007... Zofeen Ebrahim KARACHI, Pakistan, Aug. 2, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- "Media are not interested in human suffering where the process of death is slow," said a relief worker in Pakistan, where nearly 2.5 million people are struggling to recover from...

GREECE: ACTIVISTS DECRY EXPULSION OF IRAQI REFUGEES.
August 6, 2007... By Apostolis Fotiadis ATHENS, Greece, Aug. 6, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Sixteen Greek nongovernmental groups have launched a campaign to prevent their government from redirecting Iraqi refugees to Turkey. Until the beginning of this year,...

MALAYSIA: ANNIVERSARY FESTIVITIES PLAY DOWN RELIGIOUS TENSIONS.
August 6, 2007... By Baradan Kuppusamy KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Aug. 6, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Malaysia's public spaces display many sentimental posters depicting racial harmony, but in truth conflicts are brewing among the country's Malay Muslims and its Chinese...

JAPAN: SURVIVORS ACCUSE LEADERS OF REVISING OKINAWAN HISTORY.
August 6, 2007... By Suvendrini Kakuchi OKINAWA, Japan, Aug. 6, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- More than six decades have passed since hundreds of civilians took refuge in the caves of Okinawa, but politicians and historians are still arguing about what happened during...

BRAZIL: COCONUT GATHERERS OPPOSE USE OF PALM-BASED BIODIESEL.
August 6, 2007... By Mario Osava/Tierramrica IMPERATRIZ, Brazil, Aug. 4, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Women who gather the fruit of Brazil's baba[pounds sterling] palm trees are worried that international interest in the palms as a source of renewable energy may cost...

PAKISTAN: SMUGGLERS PROFIT FROM AFGHAN TRADE AGREEMENT.
August 6, 2007... By Ashfaq Yusufzai PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Aug. 4, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- A massive contraband trade system has sprung up involving goods imported into Afghanistan and smuggled back into the markets of Peshawar, a frontier town in Pakistan. ...

WEST AFRICA: CROP FARMERS BUTT HEADS WITH STOCK BREEDERS.
August 6, 2007... By Aly Ouattara and Miche Boko KORHOGO, C"te d'Ivoire, Aug. 3, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- More than 50 of Samba Diallo's farm animals died before he decided that staying in Burkina Faso was no longer an option. With no more grass for his...

Q&A-DEVELOPMENT: EU SHOULD FOSTER DEMOCRATIC GLOBALIZATION.
August 6, 2007... By Tito Drago MADRID, Spain, Aug. 3, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- The European Union is in a unique position to promote a form of democratic globalization characterized by peace and social justice, according to Enrique Barcentsn Crespo. A member...

U.S.: ARMS SALES PRESERVE ISRAEL'S ADVANTAGE OVER ARAB NATIONS.
August 6, 2007... By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 3, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- When the United States sells state-of-the-art weapons systems to Arab nations, it invariably provides even more lethal and sophisticated arms to its steadfast ally in the region,...

BOLIVIA: MORALES INITIATES SECOND ERA OF AGRARIAN REFORM.
August 6, 2007... By Franz Ch vez LA PAZ, Bolivia, Aug. 3, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Many indigenous farmers in Bolivia may soon receive plots of land under a redistribution program spearheaded by President Evo Morales. The era of the latifundium, or large...

AUSTRALIA: MINISTER MISHANDLED TERRORISM CASE, ACTIVISTS SAY.
August 6, 2007... By Stephen de Tarczynski MELBOURNE, Australia, Aug. 3, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Human rights activists are criticizing Australia's immigration minister for his treatment of an Indian doctor who has been accused of supporting a terrorist...

MIDEAST: BUSH DISCOURAGES HAMAS-FATAH COMPROMISE.
August 6, 2007... By Khody Akhavi WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Political factions Fatah and Hamas must reconcile before a sustainable peace can emerge in the Palestinian territories, according to a report released by an influential nongovernmental...

THAILAND: ELVIS LIVES ON, 15,000 MILES FROM GRACELAND.
August 7, 2007... By Shaun Wee BANGKOK, Thailand, Aug. 7, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Strobe lights flashed and wild sounds filled the grand ballroom of Bangkok's Asia Hotel on Aug. 3, as hundreds of fans gathered to commemorate the death of Elvis Presley. ...

CHINA: BEIJING ORGANIZES PRACTICE RUN OF 2008 OLYMPICS.
August 7, 2007... By Antoaneta Bezlova BEIJING, Aug. 7, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Chinese leaders are staging a grand rehearsal to ensure that next year's Summer Olympics will go without a hitch. Image-conscious and averse to public gaffes, leaders in Beijing...

ROMANIA: 'EUROPEAN CITY OF CULTURE' DRAWS INFLUX OF TOURISTS.
August 7, 2007... By Claudia Ciobanu BUCHAREST, Romania, Aug. 7, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- A series of 1,000 cultural events is occurring this year in Sibiu, a Romanian city that was named as the "European City of Culture" for 2007. On Aug. 2, Goran Bregovic...

HUNGARY: OFFICIALS HOPE TO REDUCE ENERGY DEPENDENCE ON RUSSIA.
August 7, 2007... By Zolt n Dujisin BUDAPEST, Hungary, Aug. 7, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Energy dependence has become a controversial topic in Hungary, one of the most gas-dependent countries in Europe, which seems destined to rely on Russian energy sources for the...

IRAQ: SHIA MILITIA INFILTRATES POLICE FORCE IN DIYALA.
August 7, 2007... By Ahmed Ali* BAQUBA, Iraq, Aug. 7, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- The militia of Badr, a Shia organization, has taken over the police force in the Iraqi province of Diyala, according to residents. The government led by Prime Minister Nouri...

INDIA: MANIPUR STATE QUELLS OUTBREAK OF BIRD FLU.
August 7, 2007... By Anjulika Thingnam IMPHAL, India, Aug. 7, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Local leaders from the Indian state of Manipur lifted its ban on the import of poultry feed Monday, following a fortnight of attempts to stamp out an outbreak of avian...

CAMBODIA: WORLD BANK PRESIDENT MINCES WORDS ON CORRUPTION.
August 7, 2007... By Marwaan Macan-Markar BANGKOK, Thailand, Aug. 7, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- The World Bank's new president uttered gentle warnings regarding graft in Cambodia this weekend, echoing the words of many of his predecessors. Phnom Penh should...

SPAIN: BASQUE SEPARATISTS EXTORT MONEY FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES.
August 7, 2007... By Tito Drago MADRID, Spain, Aug. 6, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- The Basque separatist movement has stepped up its pressure on local businesses in an attempt to raise money through extortion, and it is preparing a new attack, according to police....

JAPAN/U.S.: PEACE ACTIVISTS COMMEMORATE NUCLEAR ATTACKS.
August 7, 2007... By Emma Winterbottom NEW YORK, Aug. 6, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- On this date 62 years ago, the U.S. bomber "Enola Gay" descended from the skies above the Japanese city of Hiroshima to drop an atomic bomb named "Little Boy." Three days later,...

BRAZIL/MEXICO: LULA SIGNS ETHANOL AGREEMENT WITH CALDERON.
August 7, 2007... By Emilio Godoy MEXICO CITY, Mexico, Aug. 6, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Brazil's leftwing president, Luiz In cio Lula da Silva, and conservative Mexican President Felipe Caldercentsn recently signed a cooperation agreement for producing biofuels....

SUDAN: ABSENCE OF LEADING REBELS MAY UNDERMINE PEACE TALKS.
August 7, 2007... By Daniel Luban WASHINGTON, Aug. 6, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Leaders of Darfur's fractious rebel groups have settled on a common negotiating position following a four-day round of talks in Tanzania, United Nations and African Union, mediators...

U.S.-POLL: PUBLIC DISAPPROVES OF BUSH'S FOREIGN POLICY.
August 7, 2007... By Eli Clifton WASHINGTON, Aug. 6, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- The U.S. public is dissatisfied with the destabilizing effect that the United States is having on other countries, according to a compilation of recent public opinion polls. ...

INDIA: COURT RULING DEFENDS ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE MEDICINE.
August 7, 2007... By Gustavo Capdevila GENEVA, Aug. 6, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- An Indian court ruled Monday to dismiss a challenge brought by the Swiss-based drug-maker Novartis, drawing applause from organizations that advocate for poor countries' access to...

SIERRA LEONE: LACK OF EDUCATION PREVENTS WOMEN FROM VOTING.
August 7, 2007... By Rachel Horner FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, Aug. 6, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Women in Sierra Leone are unlikely to exercise their full voting rights in the country's general election on Aug. 11, according to a survey funded by Britain's Department...

TRADE: CHINA AND U.S. PLEDGE TO MONITOR PRODUCT SAFETY.
August 7, 2007... By Abid Aslam WASHINGTON, Aug. 6, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- China and the United States have agreed on measures to improve the safety of Chinese exports of food and drugs, following a wave of scandals involving tainted products. The move could...

SWEDEN: AFGHAN REFUGEES PROTEST STRICT DEPORTATION POLICY.
August 7, 2007... By Lisa Monique S"derlindh STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Aug. 6, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Afghan and Iraqi asylum-seekers in Sweden have launched a nationwide protest against the Swedish Migration Board's recent decision to deport asylum-seekers to...

BOLIVIA-REPORT: WOMEN INCREASINGLY PRIORITIZE CAREERS.
August 7, 2007... By Bernarda Claure LA PAZ, Bolivia, Aug. 6, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Most Bolivian women are pursuing their careers rather than marriage and motherhood, according to a national survey carried out by a nongovernmental group. The National...

EUROPE: AGGRESSIVE FISHING PUSHES BLUEFIN TOWARD EXTINCTION.
August 7, 2007... By Stephen Leahy BROOKLIN, Canada, Aug. 6, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Fishing wiped out Atlantic Bluefin tuna stocks in Northern Europe 50 years ago, and ongoing pressure on the remaining stocks is pushing the entire species to the edge of...

SINGAPORE: USING THEATER, MIGRANT WORKERS CALL FOR EQUALITY.
August 8, 2007... By Kalinga Seneviratne SINGAPORE, Aug. 8, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Siti Muyasaroh completed a nursing aid course and acquired a diploma in business English from a British university during her years as an underpaid and overworked migrant worker...

LEBANON: NGO TRAINS WOMEN TO SEARCH FOR CLUSTER BOMBS.
August 8, 2007... By Rebecca Murray TYRE, Lebanon, Aug. 8, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- A Danish charity in southern Lebanon has taken the unusual step of training women to methodically clear land of deadly cluster bombs. Battle Area Clearance "is a male-dominated...

U.S.: PROPOSED SALE TO SAUDI ARABIA COULD TRIGGER ARMS RACE.
August 8, 2007... Analysis by Meena Janardhan DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Aug. 8, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- The United States' new plan to counter Iran's influence by selling weapons to Saudi Arabia and other allies could trigger an arms race and worsen...

AUSTRALIA: LAW COUNCIL CRITICIZES TRIAL OF GITMO INMATE.
August 8, 2007... By Stephen de Tarczynski MELBOURNE, Australia, Aug. 8, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- The Law Council of Australia recently slammed the Australian Government for its acquiescence to the imprisonment of former Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks. ...

DISARMAMENT: CHEMICAL WEAPONS TREATY PASSES 10-YEAR MARK.
August 8, 2007... By Gustavo Capdevila GENEVA, Aug. 7, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- The head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons urged United Nations officials Tuesday to rekindle the dynamism that led many countries to agree to dismantle these...