IPS Inter Press Service - Culture, Religion, Sport

IPS, civil society's leading news agency, is an independent voice from the South and for development, delving into globalisation for the stories underneath.

PARAGUAY: Fourteen Years in the Wilderness - (Found July 2, 2008 )

POZO COLORADO, Paraguay, Jul 1 (IPS) - Indigenous Enxet people are still waiting for the restitution of their ancestral lands, nearly three years after the Paraguayan state was convicted by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights of usurping territory and violating basic rights. Meanwhile, they endure overwhelming poverty.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=43024

MIGRATION-GERMANY: Some Uneasy Over New Citizenship Test - (Found July 2, 2008 )

BERLIN, Jun 30 (IPS) - What are the colours of the German flag and how are they displayed Who composed the Ninth Symphony and the "Ode to Joy" What is the population of this country
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=43012

AFRICA: Artists Reflect on World Through Toys With A Difference - (Found July 2, 2008 )

JOHANNESBURG, Jun 30 (IPS) - Its not childs play to showcase toys made by artists reflecting on a changing world in African countries. Miniature construction vehicles from Malawi, next to a diminutive Nelson Mandela presiding over South Africas first democratic parliament, jostle for space with the Belgian comic hero Tintin on safari in the Congo all captured in carefully crafted wood.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=43009

MALAYSIA: Sodomy Charge May Sideline Reform Agenda - (Found July 2, 2008 )

KUALA LUMPUR, Jun 30 (IPS) - Politics in Malaysia, which have been choppy since the Mar. 8 general election saw the opposition come within reach of state power, have now plunged into further turmoil after new charges of sodomy were brought against prime minister-in-waiting Anwar Ibrahim.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=43008

MALAYSIA: Opposition Pledges Yet Unfulfilled - (Found July 2, 2008 )

KUALA LUMPUR, Jun 26 (IPS) - Even as the Anwar Ibrahim-led opposition Peoples Alliance coalition celebrates 100 days in office this week with huge rallies across the country, the public euphoria that brought them into power is beginning to cool off as people tighten their belts in the face of a slowing economy and escalating cost of living. Demands are rising for the opposition to implement their pledges.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42967

LATIN AMERICA: Quality of Life at School Boosts Learning - (Found July 2, 2008 )

SANTIAGO, Jun 24 (IPS) - The school environment is the factor that makes the greatest difference in student learning in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to UNESCOs Second Regional Comparative and Explanatory Study (SERCE). Equality in the education system, however, is still a distant goal.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42940

RIGHTS: Mistreatment of Widows a Poorly Kept Secret - (Found July 2, 2008 )

UNITED NATIONS, Jun 23 (IPS) - Millions of women in many parts of the world are facing discrimination and abuse simply because they happen to be either widows or divorced, according to a new report released by a U.S.-based independent research organisation.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42931

RIGHTS-CHAD: "Africa&39;s Pinochet" Still Eluding Justice - (Found July 2, 2008 )

UNITED NATIONS, Jun 23 (IPS) - Two years after the African Union mandated Senegal to conduct the trial of Chadian dictator Hissen Habr, who is accused of thousands of political murders during his eight-year reign, the prosecution remains in limbo, six human rights groups complained in a joint statement Monday.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42929

MALAYSIA: Unprecedented No-Confidence Motion Against Abdullah - (Found July 2, 2008 )

KUALA LUMPUR, Jun 19 (IPS) - National politics in Malaysia entered uncharted territory this week after a party in the ruling 14-party National Front coalition said it will move a motion of no- confidence against beleaguered Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi. This unprecedented act of rebellion could potentially force Abdullah out of office or call for a snap general election.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42883