Since the start of the month, Massachusetts has been the first American field study for the ambitious task of ‘universal’ sanitation. It’s an obsession for many States, including Schwarzenegger-governed California, to achieve health cover for all citizens, and Massachusetts has become the first case to be put into practise. The system binds every citizen to insure him or herself, even if health insurance is not paid by employers, as is usually the case, and even if the citizen does not fall within the limitations of destitution which entitle him or her to social allowance

Until a few months ago a front-runner, now Republican senator John McCain is perceived as a loser

Argentinean first lady, Cristina Fernández, will run for presidential elections. This is the opinion of Manuel Ferreira

An israeli journalist tells the demolition of two bedouin villages in Negev

At the summit in Accra the debate is about the continent union

Given his position on key issues, it’s no wonder Fred Thompson is popular with conservative American voters. He supports the war in Iraq and cutting taxes; he’s against gun control, abortion, and easy immigration. He’s second in the polls among Republican candidates, behind ex-New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, which is no small feat considering that he hasn’t yet officially announced his candidacy

US forces attack militia strongholds but complain about lack of support from Iraqi troops

Government invests millions of euros in war against poverty in order to placate discontent

Iran's wave of moralism goes on, but fuel rationing sets off people's anger

Georgia sets up a summer camp for kids on the border with Abkhazia

Hanefi is a free man again. At 4 p.m. afghan time, he got out of the prison door

Egypt bans every form of woman circumcision, but much remains to be done

Prachanda's Maoists have cheated: they bypassed the peace agreements commitments, thus deceiving the UN Nepalese mission (Unmin). A fraud that is putting the whole peace process at risk. The deal that last November stopped ten years of civil war – with more than 13,000 victims – was to intern all the People Liberation Army (PLA) Maoist guerrillas in 28 camps managed by Unmin and dismantle all the parallel government structures that “the Reds” created in the areas under their control

Bosnian writer Elvira Mujcic tells about her Srebrenica

Russia lays claim on the North Pole, threatening to annex it

In Southern Thailand, war between Muslims and Buddhists rages on