Interpress Service articles from November 2008

Interpress Service archives from November 2008

RIGHTS-U.S.: LONGER WAITS ON DEATH ROW ERODE MENTAL HEALTH.
November 4, 2008... By Michael J. Carter SEATTLE, Nov. 4, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- The length of time convicted murderers wait for their execution is steadily rising in the United States, raising concerns that more will suffer from the mental illness known as "death...

THAILAND: ANTI-COUP FACTION ASSERTS CHOICE OF ELECTED LEADERS.
November 4, 2008... By Marwaan Macan-Markar BANGKOK, Thailand, Nov. 4, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- In a rally held Saturday, opponents of an anti-government movement argued back at what the people in the rally see as elitist efforts at intimidation to discourage free...

PORTUGAL: PAPER SAYS LOCAL BANKS HANDLED 'ANGOLAGATE' MONEY.
November 4, 2008... By Mario de Queiroz LISBON, Portugal, Nov. 3, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Portuguese banks that received transfers of money to Angolan politicians implicated in illegal arms sales have kept mum after the Lisbon paper P[pounds sterling]blico reported...

RIGHTS-COLOMBIA: U.N. MONITORING CIVILIAN KILLINGS BY MILITARY.
November 4, 2008... By Constanza Vieira BOGOTA, Colombia, Nov. 3, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- The extrajudicial executions being committed by government forces in Colombia constitute crimes against humanity, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said. ...

COLOMBIA: INDIGENOUS PROTEST CONTINUES AFTER TALKS WITH URIBE.
November 4, 2008... By Constanza Vieira BOGOTA, Colombia, Nov. 3, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- In his meeting with indigenous protesters Sunday, Colombian President lvaro Uribe did not grant any of the movement's main demands, and the demonstrators decided to continue...

POLITICS-U.S.: MASSIVE TURNOUT EXPECTED TO TIP VOTE FOR OBAMA.
November 4, 2008... By Jim Lobe WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- On the eve of Tuesday's elections, Sen. Barack Obama and his fellow Democratic candidates appear to be on the verge of a historic victory, according to political experts attached to both...

HEALTH: PUT SUICIDE CRISIS ON NATIONAL AGENDA, EXPERTS URGE.
November 4, 2008... By Mirela Xanthaki UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 3, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- With a million people dying by suicide every year and two suicide deaths per minute, it remains a major preventable cause of death worldwide, mental health experts say. "It...

POLITICS-US: CAN NATURALIZED CITIZENS TIP THE BALANCE?
November 4, 2008... By Nuzhat Naoreen NEW YORK, Nov. 3, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Juan Carlos Jimenez had already lived legally in the United States for nearly 40 years when he became a citizen in October, at 44. He joined hundreds of other immigrants at a New York...

POLITICS-US: RACISM WON'T KEEP ARAB AMERICANS FROM POLLS.
November 4, 2008... By Habib Battah NEW YORK, Nov. 3, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Arab Americans are expected to vote in large numbers Tuesday, despite concerns over voter intimidation and weak outreach from the presidential candidates, representatives of major...

POLITICS-U.S.: EARLY VOTERS REPORT TROUBLE ON E-VOTING MACHINES.
November 4, 2008... By Matthew Cardinale CHARLESTON, W.Va., Nov. 3, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Several voters reported watching their votes flip on electronic voting machines in different states during the early voting period, highlighting the continued vulnerability...

ENERGY-EU: INITIATIVE AIMS TO FORM 'ZERO CARBON COMMUNITIES'.
November 4, 2008... By Mario de Queiroz MOURA, Portugal, Nov. 3, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- The mayor of this small municipality in south Portugal, known for its alternative energy initiatives, is leading the charge to create "Zero Carbon Communities" in eight...

LEBANON: AGREEMENT BRINGS PEACE TO TRIPOLI, FOR NOW.
November 4, 2008... By Mona Alami BEIRUT, Lebanon, Nov. 3, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Following the recent political reconciliation between warring politicians, the army has made headway toward establishing stability in Tripoli by infiltrating a terrorist cell accused...

POLITICS-MOZAMBIQUE: WOMEN CANDIDATES ROLLING OUT CAMPAIGNS.
November 4, 2008... By John Keitta CHIMOIO, Mozambique, Nov. 3, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Municipal elections campaigning was to officially kick off Nov. 4 in Mozambique amid hopes more women would be taking office. One candidate who had her posters and fliers...

RIGHTS-U.N.: SECURITY COUNCIL'S RIGIDITY MAY PRODUCE INSECURITY.
November 4, 2008... Analysis by John Vandaele* BRUSSELS, Belgium, Nov. 3, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- International institutions like the World Trade Organization or the International Monetary Fund are slowly adapting to the growing economic impact of emerging...

FINANCE: WATCHDOGS CRITICIZE WORLD BANK, IMF MINING PROJECTS.
November 4, 2008... By Alison Raphael WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- The World Bank and International Monetary Fund came under fire last week for failing to adequately promote transparency in extractive industry operations in resource-rich countries...

PARAGUAY: PEOPLE LOOK TO PRESIDENT TO SETTLE LAND DISPUTES.
November 5, 2008... By Natalia Ruiz D az ASUNCION, Paraguay, Nov. 5, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo's administration is facing its first big challenge: finding solutions for age-old disputes over land ownership between peasant farmers,...

NEPAL: IN TIME OF PEACE, POLITICAL PARTIES ARE MILITARIZING YOUTH.
November 5, 2008... By Rita Manchanda KATMANDU, Nepal, Nov. 5, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Observers of southeast Asian politics have noted the addition of militarized youth organizations even as the oldest one is accused of violence and lawbreaking. When they...

POLITICS-U.S.: YES, HE COULD -- OBAMA HANDILY TAKES WHITE HOUSE.
November 5, 2008... By Jim Lobe WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- In a historic victory, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama has been elected the 44th president of the United States. Obama, the first African American to be elected to the nation's highest...

RELIGION-INDIA: HINDU NETWORK 'THREATENS THE SECULAR FABRIC'.
November 5, 2008... By Praful Bidwai NEW DELHI, India, Nov. 5, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- While investigating two bomb blasts, police in India unearthed a well-organized terrorist network inspired by intensely Hindu-chauvinist ideas. Police suspect the network has...

RIGHTS-COLOMBIA: ARMY CHIEF RESIGNS AMID INVESTIGATION.
November 5, 2008... By Constanza Vieira BOGOTA, Colombia, Nov. 4, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Gen. Mario Montoya stepped down as Colombia's army chief, putting an end to his career Tuesday. The general is under investigation in connection with death squads,...

MEDIA-U.S.: NATION FACES 'TRUTH EMERGENCY' IN TABLOID CULTURE.
November 5, 2008... By Marie-Helene Rousseau NEW YORK, Nov. 4, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- The year is 1994. Pictures of Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley cover the pages of prominent U.S. newspapers and magazines. Yet hidden from national view is the attempted...

ARTS-U.S.: PHOTOS SHOW WARS' HORROR FROM WARRIORS' VIEWFINDER.
November 5, 2008... By Dahr Jamail PORTLAND, Ore., Nov. 4, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Artist Jim Lommasson hates war. His exhibit of 1,500 photographs, taken by soldiers who served in Iraq, brings the war home to the United States in a way he hopes will help bring it...

POLITICS: CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS DEMAND VOICE AT AMERICAS SUMMIT.
November 5, 2008... By Peter Richards PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Nov. 4, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Caribbean civil society groups say they want to have direct input at the Fifth Summit of the Americas to be held in Trinidad and Tobago next April. They are also...

DISARMAMENT: ARAB STATES WANT WMDs PUT IN U.N. ARMS REGISTER.
November 5, 2008... By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 4, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- The League of Arab States has called for the inclusion of weapons of mass destruction in a U.N. registry. When the General Assembly decided to create that registry, the United...

VIETNAM: ELECTIONS IN UNITED STATES GARNER A COLLECTIVE YAWN.
November 5, 2008... By Helen Clark HANOI, Vietnam, Nov. 4, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- While the U.S. presidential election has gripped the world, there is little interest in this city where Republican candidate John McCain spent over five years as a prisoner of war....

RIGHTS-SPAIN: EX-INMATES SCRAMBLE TO SAVE FRANCO-BUILT PRISON.
November 5, 2008... By Jos Antonio Gurriar n MADRID, Spain, Nov. 4, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Even as wrecking balls began to smash the notorious Carabanchel prison, a call was going up for saving it. The notorious prison was built during the dictatorship of...

POLITICS: PAKISTAN CALLS FOR NEW PRESIDENT TO END ATTACKS.
November 5, 2008... Analysis by Beena Sarwar KARACHI, Pakistan, Nov. 4, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Tensions between the United States and Pakistan -- on the eve of the keenly watched U.S. presidential elections -- over unabated airstrikes into Pakistani territory bode...

ECONOMY-BRAZIL: CRISIS DELAYS THREAT OF 'VENEZUELAN DISEASE'.
November 5, 2008... By Mario Osava RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, Nov. 4, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- The global financial crisis has corrected the extreme overvaluation of Brazil's local currency, thus temporarily chasing away fears of "Dutch disease," which in the...

POLITICS-U.S.: EVADA IS NEW ELECTORAL MAP ON SMALLER SCALE.
November 6, 2008... By Peter Costantini LAS VEGAS, Nov. 6, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- To see what the new U.S. electorate looks like, one need only take a trip to Nevada. As you drive from the City of Angels to Sin City, you take Interstate 15, two thin strips of...

PAKISTAN-U.S.: OBAMA 'WILL BE GOOD' FOR MUSLIM NATION.
November 6, 2008... By Beena Sarwar KARACHI, Pakistan, Nov. 6, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- The most-watched polls ever in the world had their share of attention in Pakistan. The nation was glued to news updates, TV talk shows, call-ins from Pakistanis living in the...

CHINA: LEADERS WELCOME OBAMA BUT DON'T WANT HIS CRITICISM.
November 6, 2008... By Antoaneta Bezlova BEIJING, Nov. 6, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- While China appears to have succumbed to the euphoria unleashed by the election of Barack Obama as U.S. president, analysts warn of an assertive approach by Beijing to the new...

VIETNAM: GOOD RICE HARVEST IS NOT REAPING MONEY FOR FARMERS.
November 6, 2008... By Tran Dinh Thanh Lam -- Newsmekong* HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Nov. 6, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Rice farmers in the Mekong Delta are not being able to negotiate good prices for their produce. They are finding it difficult to pick their way...

CUBA: EASING VISITS TO U.S. KIN AMONG ISLANDERS' HOPES FOR OBAMA.
November 6, 2008... By Patricia Grogg HAVANA, Nov. 5, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- U.S. President-elect Barack Obama has a positive image among most Cubans, who are hopeful regarding his promises of loosening some restrictions toward the island. However, the...

U.S.: OBAMA WILL SEEK GLOBAL RE-ENGAGEMENT, BUT HOW MUCH?
November 6, 2008... Analysis by Jim Lobe* WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- While a President Barack Hussein Obama will present a strikingly different face of the United States to the rest of the world, how different his actual foreign policy will be...

COLOMBIA: ACTIVISTS WANT 'BODY COUNT' GENERAL INVESTIGATED.
November 6, 2008... By Constanza Vieira BOGOTA, Nov. 5, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- A human rights group is insisting that the resignation of Colombia's army chief not deter an in-depth investigation of the numerous rights abuses in which he is implicated. In a...

MEXICO: QUESTIONS SURROUND INTERIOR MINISTER'S DEATH IN CRASH.
November 6, 2008... By Diego Cevallos MEXICO CITY, Nov. 5, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Nobody dares to say for certain that foul play caused the Tuesday plane crash that took the lives of Mexican Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mouri[currency]o and eight others. But the...

BOLIVIA: OUSTING OF U.S. ANTI-DRUG TEAM LEAVES VOID, QUESTIONS.
November 6, 2008... By Franz Ch vez LA PAZ, Bolivia, Nov. 5, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- La Paz's recent decision to expel the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration puts the fight against drug trafficking and resources to rehabilitate addicts in jeopardy, experts warn....

POLITICS: U.N. CHIEF EXPECTS 'NEW MULTILATERALISM' UNDER OBAMA.
November 6, 2008... By Wolfgang Kerler UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 5, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- With the election of Democratic Sen. Barack Obama as U.S. president, many observers think the United Nations can look forward to stronger cooperation with Washington. "I...

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC-U.S.: ELECTION WATCHERS LEAN TOWARD OBAMA.
November 6, 2008... By Elizabeth Eames Roebling SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, Nov. 5, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- On the island where the African slave trade was introduced to the western hemisphere in 1520, the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo hosted more than 1,000...

CARIBBEAN: REGION SEES SYMPATHETIC ALLY IN OBAMA.
November 6, 2008... By Peter Richards PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Nov. 5, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Caribbean nationals acted as though Barack Obama had won the presidency of the entire English-speaking Caribbean and not the United States. People in Trinidad sat...

POLITICS-U.S.: DEMOCRATS BUILD ON MAJORITY IN HOUSES OF CONGRESS.
November 6, 2008... By Ali Gharib WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Propelled by a broken Republican Party brand and a resoundingly successful political star in the presidential slot, the Democratic Party had a good day down-ticket on Tuesday, securing...

ANALYSIS-MIDEAST: TO ACHIEVE PEACE, THE U.S. WILL HAVE TO CHANGE.
November 6, 2008... Analysis by Cherrie Heywood RAMALLAH, West Bank, Nov. 5, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Barack Obama has been elected U.S. president at a time when the number of extremists has risen dramatically since the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, going by the...

POLITICS-U.S.: EUROPE LOOKS FOR A NEW WAY FORWARD WITH OBAMA.
November 6, 2008... By David Cronin BRUSSELS, Belgium, Nov. 5, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Europe's political leaders swiftly applauded Barack Obama's victory in the U.S. presidential race. Whereas George W. Bush proved to be a divisive figure for the European...

ECONOMY-U.S.: SPEND HEAVILY AND WISELY, ECONOMISTS TELL OBAMA.
November 7, 2008... By Adrianne Appel BOSTON, Nov. 7, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- President-elect Barack Obama will inherit an ailing economy, and the way to help heal it is to spend -- and spend some more, independent economists say. "We need proposals that will...

ECONOMY: MARX, KEYNES WORKS MOVING TOWARD BEST-SELLER LISTS.
November 7, 2008... By Julio Godoy BERLIN, Nov. 7, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Among the few things with sales growth in these recessionary times are the works of Karl Marx and John Maynard Keynes. Both, in their own way, argue a central role for the state in...

CHINA: TALKS WITH TIBET, TAIWAN RECEIVE DIFFERENT REACTIONS.
November 7, 2008... By Antoaneta Bezlova BEIJING, Nov. 7, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Chinese negotiators this week discussed Tibet's quest for genuine autonomy with the Dalai Lama's representatives and also advanced the agenda to establish economic rapprochement with...

SOUTH PACIFIC: OBAMA'S VICTORY INSPIRES HOPE IN REGION'S PEOPLE.
November 7, 2008... By Shailendra Singh SUVA, Fiji, Nov. 7, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Washington's policy in the South Pacific is unlikely to change much with Barack Obama as president, but the historic victory can be an inspiration for the region, commentators say....

SOUTHEAST ASIA: MINORITIES DRAW HOPE FROM OBAMA'S VICTORY.
November 7, 2008... By Marwaan Macan-Markar BANGKOK, Thailand, Nov. 7, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Indonesia had a little more to celebrate than its neighbors did when former resident Barack Obama was declared president-elect on Tuesday. Among those who rejoiced...

RIGHTS-TUNISIA: FREE MORE THAN 21 POLITICAL PRISONERS, HRW URGES.
November 7, 2008... By Zainab Mineeia WASHINGTON, Nov. 6, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- On the heels of the release of 21 political prisoners in Tunisia, a human rights group urged the government to go further. Human Rights Watch is calling for Tunisia to free all...

U.S.: COCA CULTIVATION RISES DESPITE SIX YEARS OF PLAN COLOMBIA.
November 7, 2008... By Jim Lobe WASHINGTON, Nov. 6, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Despite the expenditure of nearly $5 billion for U.S. military, security, and economic assistance, the cultivation of coca leaf and production of cocaine in Colombia actually increased...

POLITICS-U.S.: OBAMA SET OFF POLITICAL EARTHQUAKE ON WAY TO WIN.
November 7, 2008... By Ali Gharib WASHINGTON, Nov. 6, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Ahead of Tuesday's presidential election in the United States, many critics were questioning the Democratic strategy. After the results came in, the critics were proven wrong. ...

MEXICO-U.S.: OFFICIALS SOUTH OF THE BORDER REACH OUT TO OBAMA.
November 7, 2008... By Diego Cevallos MEXICO CITY, Nov. 6, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Following President-elect Barack Obama's triumph, the Mexican government hopes to enter a new stage in the country's relations with its northern neighbor. But it will be no easy...

FINANCE: CHINA CEMENTS PARTNERSHIP WITH LATIN AMERICA.
November 7, 2008... By Emily Garr WASHINGTON, Nov. 6, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- China's evolving affiliations with Latin America and the Caribbean are again in the spotlight, with China's entrance into the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in late October. ...

POLITICS-U.S.: RELIGIOUS RIGHT, DOWN BUT NOT OUT, CRITICIZE OBAMA.
November 7, 2008... Analysis by Bill Berkowitz* OAKLAND, Calif., Nov. 6, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- The election of Sen. Barack Obama as the first African American president of the United States will not mark the end of the religious right. Although many in the...

EUROPE: ACTIVISTS PUSH FOR TROOPS TO CONGO AS EU MEETING SET.
November 7, 2008... By David Cronin BRUSSELS, Belgium Nov. 6, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Fighting between the Congolese army and forces controlled by Laurent Nkunda is to be one of the main topics discussed by the European Union's foreign ministers when they gather in...

RIGHTS: EUROPEANS UNABLE TO SEE AN OBAMA AMONG THEM.
November 7, 2008... By Sanjay Suri LONDON, Nov. 6, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Europeans were delighted to see the election of Barack Obama as U.S. president, but many of them say such an event for a minority person is unlikely in their countries. On his last visit...

RIGHTS-ARGENTINA: NATION ARGUES ON ISSUE OF YOUNG CRIMINALS.
November 7, 2008... By Marcela Valente BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Nov. 6, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- The recent murder of a man allegedly at the hands of teenagers has sparked a heated debate in Argentina about the nation's juvenile justice system. The argument is...

POLITICS-MOZAMBIQUE: WOMEN SLOWLY RISE IN POLITICAL ARENA.
November 7, 2008... By Boaventura Monjane MAPUTO, Mozambique, Nov. 6, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Only a handful of women are running in Mozambique's municipal elections scheduled for Nov. 19. Among the 111 candidates vying to become president in 43 municipal...

RIGHTS-PERU: AMNESTY PROPOSAL OFFERED FOR MILITARY AND POLICE.
November 7, 2008... By Angel Paez LIMA, Peru, Nov. 6, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- The chairman of the congressional committee on defense and internal order in Peru, Edgard N[pounds sterling][currency]ez, has introduced a draft law to grant an amnesty to members of the...

POLITICS-U.S.: PANEL DEBATES BOMBING NUCLEAR SITES IN IRAN.
November 11, 2008... By Ali Gharib WASHINGTON, Nov. 11, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- At this year's National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations meeting, much of the focus was on the Arab Middle East's ethnic Persian neighbor to the east: Iran. A question-and-answer...

MIDEAST: ARABS DIG IN HEELS AT IDEA OF JOINING ISRAELI ARMY.
November 11, 2008... By Daan Bauwens TEL AVIV, Israel, Nov. 11, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- The Israeli Arab community is opposing plans by the Israeli government to draw them into the military or civil service. The Israeli government has begun to actively promote...

BULGARIA: EU LOSING BILLIONS IN AID TO CORRUPTION IN BULGARIA.
November 11, 2008... By Claudia Ciobanu BUCHAREST, Romania, Nov. 11, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- While the situation is under investigation, the European Union has been watching its aid money to Bulgaria drain into the coffers of shady businessmen well connected with...

ECONOMY: CHINA MOVES TO ENCOURAGE MARKETS AT HOME.
November 11, 2008... By Antoaneta Bezlova BEIJING, Nov. 11, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- China has announced it would spend nearly $600 billion through 2010 to boost domestic demand and offset a decline in exports. The move is seen as a signal that while Beijing...

ECONOMY-SRI LANKA: FOES SAY 'WAR BUDGET' IGNORES CRITICISMS.
November 11, 2008... By IPS Correspondents COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Nov. 11, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- President Mahinda Rajapakse's annual budget, which increases spending on the armed forces, has drawn mixed reactions. While supporters have welcomed it as a budget...

TRADE: EXPERT URGES AFRICANS TO CONFRONT LEADERS ON DEALS.
November 11, 2008... By Stanley Kwenda HARARE, Zimbabwe, Nov. 11, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- African governments came under fire for "blindly" negotiating controversial economic partnership agreements and not educating "ordinary people" on what they were negotiating....

DEVELOPMENT-CAMBODIA: MORE WOMEN FISHING AS CATCHES FALL.
November 11, 2008... By Andrew Nette PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, Nov. 11, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- As Cambodian households' fish catches decline, putting pressure on food security, women are rising to the challenge and becoming involved in growing numbers. Just as...

TRINIDAD: PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO RADIO STATION IRKS JOURNALISTS.
November 11, 2008... By Peter Richards PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Nov. 10, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- When he "dropped in" on the Power 102 radio station last weekend to complain about the "unprofessional conduct" of two local broadcasters, Prime Minister Patrick Manning...

DEVELOPMENT: SUMMITS WILL TAKE 2 APPROACHES TO MONEY CRISIS.
November 11, 2008... By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 10, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- World leaders are scheduled to participate in two key international conferences aimed at seeking short- and long-term solutions to the growing economic crisis worldwide. The...

U.S.: FIRST, CLOSE GUANTANAMO, RIGHTS GROUPS BESEECH OBAMA.
November 11, 2008... By Jim Lobe WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- President-elect Barack Obama should make the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility a top priority when he takes office Jan. 20, U.S. and international human rights groups said...

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: BIAS AGAINST HAITIANS BOILS OVER -- AGAIN.
November 11, 2008... By Valeria Vilardo SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, Nov. 10, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Two recent events have reheated longstanding prejudice against Haitians in the Dominican Republic. "A group of Dominicans armed with pistols, machetes and...

BIODIVERSITY: SALMON FARMS DESTROYING WILD FISH, GROUPS SAY.
November 11, 2008... By Stephen Leahy UXBRIDGE, Ontario, Nov. 10, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Salmon aquaculture is devastating the world's oceans, and an international coalition of scientists, Canadian First Nations and tourism operators have called for a global...

MEXICO: CYCLISTS SPEED UP TRANSPORTATION CHANGES.
November 11, 2008... By Diego Cevallos /Tierramrica* MEXICO CITY, Nov. 10, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Cyclists in the Mexican capital are participating in designing plans to benefit this environmentally-friendly mode of transportation. Since September,...

ARGENTINA: NEW NEWSPAPER ACCENTS ABUSES OF POOR FARMERS.
November 11, 2008... By Marcela Valente BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Nov. 10, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Small farmers in the northern Argentine province of Santiago del Estero are publishing their own newspaper in an attempt to raise awareness about the constant abuses...

DEVELOPMENT: ZIMBABWEANS WORRY ABOUT AID WITH STRINGS.
November 11, 2008... By Stanley Kwenda HARARE, Zimbabwe, Nov. 10, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Aid with strings attached frequently does not translate into the improvement of the lives of the people for whom that money was sourced in the first place. Most of the capital...

POLITICS-U.S.: NATION MARKS DAY CHARACTER WON OVER COLOR.
November 11, 2008... By Bankole Thompson DETROIT, Nov. 10, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Last Tuesday's ascension of Democratic Sen. Barack Obama to the U.S. presidency -- the first African American in history to command the White House -- sent out a shock wave that a...

U.S.: OBAMA'S FOREIGN POLICY MAY NOT REQUIRE A CLEAN BREAK.
November 11, 2008... Analysis by Jim Lobe* WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- While much of the world and many of his U.S. supporters are expecting a sharp break with his predecessor's foreign policy after President-elect Barack Obama takes office Jan. 20,...

COLOMBIA-Q&A: MILITARY'S ROLE IN '83 COURT SIEGE COMING TO LIGHT.
November 12, 2008... By Constanza Vieira BOGOTA, Colombia, Nov. 12, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- New facts are coming to light about a face-off between nationalist guerrillas and government troops 23 years ago, and some members of the military at the time are being...

Q&A: EU ENVOY DESCRIBES SKIRMISH WITH ISRAELI SOLDIERS AT WALL.
November 12, 2008... by Cherrie Heywood RAMALLAH, West Bank, Nov. 12, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- The assault on Chris Davies has delivered a firm political message to the European parliament. Davies is Liberal Democrat party spokesman for the environment for the...

DEVELOPMENT-NAMIBIA: LAND REFORM BEARS FRUIT DESPITE SNAGS.
November 12, 2008... By Brigitte Weidlich WINDHOEK, Namibia, Nov. 12, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Almost two decades after independence, Namibia's land reform shows positive results and is guided by fair laws, but it is not without problems. Bureaucracy, slow...

RIGHTS-MALAYSIA: POLICE BREAK UP WEEKLY CANDLELIGHT PROTEST.
November 12, 2008... By Anil Netto PENANG, Malaysia, Nov. 12, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Police took action against a gathering of Malaysians protesting a draconian preventive detention law, and some protesters reported being handled roughly. The show of force near...

ENVIRONMENT-AUSTRALIA: DROUGHT-HIT PLAN STORMWATER HARVEST.
November 12, 2008... By Stephen de Tarczynski MELBOURNE, Australia, Nov. 12, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- With large parts of southern and eastern Australia enduring a drought, the regional center of Orange is developing Australia's first scheme to harvest stormwater for...

URUGUAY: CONGRESS VOTES TO LEGALIZE ABORTION, BUT VETO LIKELY.
November 12, 2008... By Diana Cariboni MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, Nov. 11, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Uruguayan President Tabar V zquez and his Cabinet have 10 days to allow or veto a bill that would decriminalize abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. A year ago,...

COLOMBIA-U.S.: EVENTS MOUNT AGAINST PASSAGE OF FREE TRADE DEAL.
November 12, 2008... By Helda Mart nez BOGOT , Colombia, Nov. 11, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- The Free Trade Agreement with Colombia appears unlikely to pass Congress due to the victory of President-elect Barack Obama, who opposes the treaty, and to the effects of the...

BIODIVERSITY: GLOBAL INVESTIGATION REVEALS OCEANS IN PERIL.
November 12, 2008... By Stephen Leahy UXBRIDGE, Ontario, Nov. 11, 2008 (IPS/GIN) -- Scientists from 82 countries are working to complete the decade-long global research effort called the Census of Marine Life. The census' 2008 report was presented this...