News headlines in April 2009, page 7

Trade affects women and men differently. Women can be particularly adversely affected by trade liberalisation. Despite this fact, gender analysis is usually absent from trade negotiations and agreements.

A big confrontation is brewing between the United States and Israel’s new government over the Palestine issue.

Human rights campaigners are looking to the House of Lords to thwart, or at least dilute, a proposed new law to enable secret inquest.

Former pariah and now Europe’s cautious partner, Libya’s leader Muammar Gaddafi seems determined to flex new-found diplomatic muscles on issues ranging from trade to regional security, North Africa observers say.

In an Apr. 6 address to the Turkish Parliament on the final day of his European trip, President Barack Obama praised Muslim Americans for 'enriching the United States'.

A new government policy on glaciers adopted by Chile 'is a step forward, but it doesn’t resolve all of the problems,' German geographer Alexander Brenning, who blames mining companies for threats to this South American country’s rock glaciers, told IPS.

The Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) was until a few weeks ago - and for the first time since its inauguration half a century ago - on the verge of being postponed because of a lacklustre response from exhibitors to what was once southern Africa's premier showcase of trade opportunities.

As results of South Africa's fourth democratic elections held on Apr. 22 come in, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) is poised to return to power in the 400 seat National Assembly. The party is also on course to emerge as the governing party in all but one of the nine provinces. The main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, is likely to take the Western Cape.

The recent onslaught against the Gaza Strip - and Israel's failure to achieve its military objectives there - left Palestinian resistance group Hamas politically stronger than ever. Concurrently, it dealt a possible death blow to the faction within Fatah led by strongman Mohamed Dahlan, long known for its closeness to Israel.

The parties to the Middle East conflict are coming to understand the U.S. President means business - that, unlike his predecessor in the White House, Barack Obama means to tackle the world's most intractable problem head on. And, soon.