Lauding the conviction of a Khmer Rouge leader Monday as a historic moment in the history of Cambodia, some international human rights groups also expressed disappointment with what they view as a lenient sentence, and urged an end to what they described as 'political interference' in the judicial process.

The anniversary of the attack on the Moncada barracks, commemorating Revolution Day, one of the most important dates on Cuba's calendar, found the country caught up in speculation that Fidel Castro might appear on the platform, and raised fresh expectations about changes promised four years ago.

InterAction is the largest alliance of U.S.-based NGOs, with over 190 members. Its head, Sam Worthington, spoke recently with IPS about the role of NGOs in Haiti, the U.S. and throughout the world.

Gay rights organisations are heartened by the official United Nations accreditation granted to the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHR) last week, after a prolonged three-year struggle.

Uruguay is on the point of reaching the Millennium Development Goal for reducing the maternal mortality ratio, but it is still behind in other aspects of maternal health, like providing integrated sexual and reproductive health care, fighting syphilis and checking on mothers and babies during the postpartum period.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent passage through South-east Asia saw Washington close ranks with its former adversary Vietnam, sending a warning to Asian heavyweight China that its assertive foreign policy in the region will be challenged.

The Khmer Rouge tribunal delivered its first verdict Monday and sentenced a top leader of genocidal regime, Comrade Duch, to 30 years behind bars, but many victims were left complaining over this sentence outside the emotional courtroom.

A group of women huddled together sitting on stones in front of traditional birth attendant Elizabeth Sibuor's home in Nairobi's Mathare slum. One of them, 21-year-old Eunice Okoth, is heavily pregnant, her face anxious. She rises as quickly as she can and follows Sibuor into her one-roomed house.

For the past 19 years, Wendell Eversley has been staging a one-man protest calling for a public inquiry into the failed coup by a group of radical Muslims against the then Trinidad and Tobago government headed by Prime Minister Arthur N.R. Robinson.

As African Union heads of state consider child and maternal health at the 2010 summit in Kampala, Uganda, the perennial question of user fees has reared its head in Zimbabwe. Fees for services are opening a growing gap between policy and implementation in maternal health care in the Southern African country.