The Week with IPS

	Populist Leaders Endanger Human Rights: Advocacy Organisation Tharanga Yakupitiyage Populist leaders pose a dangerous threat to human rights, fuelling and justifying intolerance and abuse across the world, said advocacy group Human Rights Watch during the launch of their annual global report. Among the many challenges the world faces today, Human Rights Watch particularly ... MORE > >
	Free Trade Agreements Promote Corporate Interests Jomo Kwame Sundaram and Anis Chowdhury So-called free-trade agreements (FTAs) are generally presumed to promote trade liberalization, but in fact, they do much more to strengthen the power of the most influential transnational corporations of the dominant partner involved. While FTAs typically reduce some barriers to the international ... MORE > >
	Looting and Unrest Spread in Mexico Over Gas Price Hike Emilio Godoy “We are absolutely fed up with the government’s plundering and arbitrary decisions. We don´t deserve what they’re doing to us,“ said Marisela Campos during one of the many demonstrations against the government´s decision to raise fuel prices. Campos, a homemaker and mother of two, came to Mexico ... MORE > >
	When Your Healers Become Your Killers Baher Kamal There is a major though silent global threat to human and animal health, with implications for both food safety and food security and the economic well-being of millions of farming households. It is so-called anti-microbial resistance. The problems arises from the indiscriminate, excessive use ... MORE > >
	Bangladesh’s Women Journalists Rise Against the Odds Mahfuzur Rahman Journalism is a profession that attracts both sexes, but social taboos and hostile office climates have kept the numbers of women working in Bangladesh’s media sector dismally low. Still, a new generation of women is stepping up, with the support of their path-breaking colleagues. According to ... MORE > >
	“Soares Is Dead: Long Live Soares!” Cries Portugal Mario Dujisin The death of Mario Soares, former Portuguese prime-minister, president, and historic leader of Lusitanian socialism, demonstrated just how united the Portuguese are with regards to his past and his historical projection. Analysts, politicians and foreign journalists have also pointed out that ... MORE > >
	Oceans, Tuberculosis and Killer Robots - the UN’s Diverse Agenda in 2017 Lyndal Rowlands UN member states hope to reach agreement on a diverse range of global issues in 2017, from managing the world’s oceans to banning killer robots to stopping tuberculosis, one of the world’s deadliest diseases. In recent years the UN has tackled big issues including ebola, the global migration ... MORE > >
	China’s Billion-Dollar Re-entry in Sri Lanka Met with Public Protests Amantha Perera Beragama is a typical Sri Lankan rural village, with lush green paddy fields interspersed by small houses and the village temple standing at the highest location. Despite being close to the island’s second international harbour and its second international airport, Beragama appears untouched by ... MORE > >
	Native Seeds Sustain Brazil’s Semi-Arid Northeast Mario Osava In his 76 years of life, Raimundo Pinheiro de Melo has endured a number of droughts in Brazil’s semi-arid Northeast region. And he remembers every one of them since 1958. “The worst one was in 1982 and 1983, the only time that the river dried up,” said Pinheiro do Melo, who has lived near the ... MORE > >
	Migrants Seeking Europe Catch Their Breath in Morocco Fabíola Ortiz With a stable economy and a peaceful political climate, Morocco – which has always been a transit country for migrants -- is becoming a potential new destination for settlement. The elusive dream for most of those who cross the Sahara, though, is still Europe. No more than 15 kilometers separate ... MORE > >
	January Brings Changes for UN Security Council Andy Hazel and Lyndal Rowlands Five of the UN Security Council's 15 seats were filled by new members this week, but a bigger shift in the council is expected later this month under the new US administration. Sweden, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan and Italy replaced outgoing non-permanent members Spain, Malaysia, New ... MORE > >