Latin America

Almost six months after the popular uprising that led to the ouster of former president Hosni Mubarak, the honeymoon between protesters and Egypt’s ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) – initially portrayed as a “defender of the revolution” – appears to be over.

In the midst of heated debate with agribusiness, the Bolivian government has launched an agricultural production model aimed at boosting food sovereignty by supporting small farmers, in order to generate surpluses to cushion the swings in international food prices.

Rebekah Brooks, the former head of media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper wing, will face questioning by British parliamentarians on Tuesday following her release on bail on suspicion of bribing police and illegally intercepting voicemail messages.

Faith leaders in the US representing 25 million citizens have expressed outrage about the case of Youcef Nadarkhani, an Iranian man who faces the death penalty if he refuses to recant his Christian faith.

With less than a year to go for the Rio+20 Summit, civil society in Latin America and the Caribbean is mustering its strength to defend the principles of sustainable development, as opposed to the model of a “green economy”, which it views as only benefiting the business interests of big companies.

Worn down by hunger, thirst and a military cordon, more than 1,000 prisoners involved in a 27-day standoff with the authorities in the El Rodeo 2 prison, 30 km east of the Venezuelan capital, finally surrendered and handed over their weapons Wednesday.

The French vessel Dignité-Al Karama is the only boat from the Freedom Flotilla II actually sailing for Gaza in an attempt to break the Israeli blockade imposed in 2006. At the same time, six Spanish members of the humanitarian aid mission went on hunger strike in the Greek capital.

Reviving U.S.-Iran friction over Iraq may have more to do with deteriorating relations over Iran’s nuclear program than with uncertainty over U.S. troop levels in Iraq beyond the end of this year.