In the Spotlight

Mother Teresa of Skopje

The city of Skopje, Macedonia, commemorates Mother Teresa with a special award for humanitarian engagement that bears her name and, this year, with the construction of a new memorial house. By Risto Karajkov.

Has the Surge Prevented Peace in Iraq?

Republican presidential candidate John McCain has made his earlier endorsement of the "surge" strategy in Iraq a prominent feature of his campaign, but he might one day be embarrassed by it. By Dan Lieberman.

Settler Violence Against Palestinians on the Rise

Violence by settlers perpetrated against Palestinians has been on the rise in recent weeks in Hebron and the surrounding areas, residents and international observers said. From IRIN.

Venezuela Calls Visit of U.S. Drug Czar 'Useless'

The Foreign Ministry rejected the "animosity and hatred" of John P. Walters and reaffirmed its accusations against the D.E.A., calling it "a body that operated in a criminal way in Venezuelan territory." By Elvia Gómez.

Rwanda: Call to Indict French Leaders for Genocide

It is unlikely that former prime ministers Dominique de Villepin or Alain Juppé, or anyone else on the commission's list of French genocide suspects, will be extradited to Rwanda. By Tony Iltis.

Fiji Charter in Unchartered Waters

Upon the release of the much anticipated draft Peoples' Charter on Aug. 5, Bainimarama warned that all of its recommendations must be implemented before any general election was possible. By Sanjay Ramesh.

Fighting African Poverty, Village by Village

Innovative Millennium Villages Project in Bonsaaso, a cluster of poor and remote settlements in Ghana's Ashanti Region, focuses on achieving Millennium goals. By Ernest Harsch.

Voice of Power Threatens Voice of Dialogue

Abu Ghraib. Guantanamo Bay. Shocking arrests and mysterious disappearances. Extraordinary renditions. Will these initiatives really make the world a better place or contribute to irreversibly dividing it? By Sharunas Paunksnis.