ALFAZ, Spain, Mar 08 (IPS) - That his life and his deeds had black dots is part of the story but should not prevent us from seeing the greatness of a maker of history. First, in his own country, Venezuela, Hugo Chávez lifted those at the bottom up from misery, into economic wellness, political participation, cultural pride (in their often African, or Indian, blood), social dignity – going far beyond Gini coefficients to measure increasing equality.

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 08 (IPS) - "In some communities, you can't talk about violence against women," says Agnes Leina, executive director of Il'laramatak Community Concerns (ICC), a group that promotes the human rights of pastoralist communities in northern and southern Kenya, with a special emphasis on women and girls.

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 08 (IPS) - Today is International Women's Day, and the issue of gender-based violence is topic A. Sadly, it has been a newsworthy topic in the global media, as well.

BUENOS AIRES, Mar 08 (IPS) - Argentina is set to become the first country in Latin America to legalise surrogate motherhood as an option for heterosexual and homosexual couples or single people who cannot conceive but want to have a child who is biologically their own.

TAIPEI, Mar 08 (IPS) - The just-completed review of Taiwan's initial state human rights report offers a new model featuring direct involvement by civil society organisations in examining compliance with international rights covenants.

WARSAW, Mar 08 (IPS) - A Polish official investigation into the existence of a secret CIA prison on its territory is being stalled, according to official sources, while pressure on the country to tell the truth mounts.

FREETOWN, Mar 08 (IPS) - On the fourth floor of a new office block in western Freetown, Cecil Williams sits beneath posters of idyllic tropical landscapes as he discusses the many natural attractions that once brought tourists flocking to the small West African nation of Sierra Leone.

UNITED NATIONS/WASHINGTON, Mar 08 (IPS) - North Korea, which has survived three rounds of diplomatic and economic sanctions since its first nuclear test in 2006, reacted with predictable fury, threatening to nuke the United States, in retaliation for a Security Council resolution imposing new sanctions against Pyongyang.

WASHINGTON, Mar 07 (IPS) - The United States has refused to vote for involvement by the World Bank Group in a massive but controversial mining project in Mongolia.

WASHINGTON, Mar 07 (IPS) - Since the 2008 financial crisis, and most recently with the broad federal spending cuts beginning Mar. 1, experts have warned that an austerity-minded political system could bring about dramatic changes in the U.S. foreign aid model.