SAN SALVADOR, Aug 21 (IPS) - Josefina Escamilla was in the Salvadoran capital to protest against UK brewing giant SABMiller, whose local subsidiary plans to drill a new water well on land alongside her community that, she says, will cause water scarcity for local residents.

GENEVA, Aug 21 (IPS) - On Aug. 31, I will be stepping down after eight years as Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

NEW YORK, Aug 21 (IPS) - U.S. Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel welcomed Chinese Defence Minister Chang Wanquan to the Pentagon Monday as part of Chang's four-day tour of U.S. defence compounds.

MBABANE, Aug 21 (IPS) - Archaic and chauvinistic practices are being used to prevent Swazi women from taking part in the upcoming primary elections, despite the country having a constitution that guarantees their rights, says political analyst Dr. Sikelela Dlamini.

WASHINGTON, Aug 20 (IPS) - Countries in nearly every region of the world are continuing to turn to a U.S.-led model of prison privatisation despite mounting evidence that such systems are often neither cost-efficient nor able to provide adequate services.

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 20 (IPS) - Upon first glance, the emergency checklist distributed in Haiti after the 2010 earthquakelooks like any other. Organised into key categories like water, sanitation and hygiene, and psychosocial support, the information is typical of the kind circulated for emergency response.

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 20 (IPS) - Death threats are hardly uncommon in Colombia. In fact, if you are a human rights activist, it is practically guaranteed.

WASHINGTON, Aug 20 (IPS) - The United States government is recommending new preparations aimed at protecting vulnerable communities from climate change-related disasters, a year after a major hurricane devastated swaths of the country's East Coast.

SINGAPORE, Aug 20 (IPS) - A new Pacific islands forum will seek to challenge the dominance of Australia and New Zealand in a regional body. The new grouping's approach is being billed the ‘Pacific Way', and also the ‘green and blue' way for its commitment to environmentally sustainable oceans as well as land.

COLOMBO, Aug 20 (IPS) - Gulam Rasul, chief meteorologist at the Pakistan Meteorological Department, was sure early this month that the second leg of the annual monsoon due in the latter half of the month was going to be bad. "Normally it peaks towards late August," Rasul told IPS.