Spain: Two Journalists on Trial for Revealing Corruption in Catalonia

On September 27, Albano Dante and Marta Sibina, editors of the magazine Cafè amb Llet, will appear in court in Catalonia, Spain. The journalists are being sued for libel by an advisor to the Catalan president after alleging that senior officials are involved in corruption of the health care system.

Uruguay: Legislators Move Forward Bill to Depenalize Abortion

After 14 hours of intense debate, Uruguay’s Chamber of Deputies voted 50 to 49 in favor of depenalizing abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Twitter was abuzz during the whole day as Uruguayans shared their opinions on abortion and the bill under debate.

Singapore: Charity Group Targets Poor Children in Laos and Vietnam

A group of seven professional Swedish women based in Singapore have formed the charity organization Together for Charity. Today, the group gathers donations to support an orphanage in Laos and an English school in Vietnam. The group's founders discussed with Global Voices how their charity work is helping poor children in the region

The Pain of Being Physically or Mentally Challenged in Pakistan

Being a physically or mentally disabled person in Pakistan is a very painful existence because society finds it exceedingly hard to accept people who are a bit different, and who need a little special care. In this post, differently abled people from Pakistan talk about their experiences.

Bangladesh: Jibon Tari – A Floating Hospital for the Poor

Jibon Tari is a floating hospital in Bangladesh, which sails to remote regions within the country - taking medical services to the poor people in places where medical help is otherwise not easily accessible.

Senegal: ‘Completely White’ Whitening Cream Stirs Outrage

Lightening the skin is a common practice in Africa where the sale of skin lightening products is legal in many countries. In Senegal, a product named 'Khess Petch' is creating controversy on the web, as its name means 'complete whitenesss'.

Costa Ricans Debate In Vitro Fertilization

After several years of social and political debate on the issue of in vitro fertilization, and after the Legislature did not reach a consensus on the matter, Costa Rica was sued in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights for prohibiting its citizens from obtaining this type of fertilization to have children. The country is awaiting the court's final verdict.

Mexico: A Photographic Glimpse into Midwifery Around the World

Intercultural Midwifery is the topic of this Offbeat Mama guest photo blog post by Brooklyn based photographer Alice Proujansky. While 5 months pregnant she traveled to photograph a cultural knowledge exchange in Quintana Roo where students from the only government- accredited program in midwifery went to study with Mayan traditional midwives from rural area.

France: Study Shows GM Corn Fed Rats Display Higher Tumors Levels

Guillaume Malaurie reports that [fr] a team of French researchers led by Pr. Gilles-Eric Séralini found that laboratory rats fed with a steady diet of Monsanto genetically modified corn displayed...

China: Cancer Villages

Shelley Jiang from Tea Leaf Nation blogs about the painful cost of development in China – the increasing number of cancer villages all over the country: Officially and unofficially, the...

Kenyans Rally to Help Destitute Former Female Champion Boxer

A moving television interview has shown how former Kenyan female champion boxer, Conjestina Achieng, is currently destitute and suffering from mental illness. Kenyan netizens have rallied round to support her.

Should Uganda's Abortion Law Be Revised?

Ugandans are divided over the Center for Reproductive Rights and Development's campaign to revise the abortion law in Uganda. There are approximately 267,000 abortions carried out in Uganda every year, although the practice is currently illegal except where the life of the mother is in danger.

Burkina Faso, Niger: Cholera Kills 80 after Floods

Bark Biiga writes on Fasozine [fr] that  following the floods that plagued Niger and Burkina Faso, 80 people have succumbed to Cholera in the Western Region of Niger. The disease also threatens to...

Belarus, Ukraine: No More Gratis UK Visas for Chernobyl Children?

According to this online petition, bringing Belarusian and Ukrainian children affected by the 1986 Chernobyl disaster to the UK for recuperative charity-sponsored visits will soon cost an additional £86 per...

Nigeria: First Lady's Sickness – Fact and Fallacy?

Nigeria’s First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, is currently in Germany but uncertainty is surrounding her trip. SaharaReporters broke the news on September 2, that Mrs Jonathan was admitted to a German hospital and netizens have been debating the turn of events.

Australia: Web Wet Nurses Share Breast Milk Via Social Media

Sharing breast milk via social media, in Australia and other parts of the world, has prompted surprise in some sections of the mainstream media. But are web wet nurses just the kind of evolution to be expected in the digital age?

East Timor: Insecticide Treated Net

Cuba: On Euphemisms

Blogger Miriam Celaya offers a critique [es] of Cuban official press and it's coverage of the impact of recent outbreaks of cholera and dengue on the Island.