New Rule Puts Brakes on U.S. Public Housing Demolitions Matthew Cardinale ATLANTA, Georgia, 3 Feb (IPS) - Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the publication of a new notice which significantly tightens its procedures for the processing of public housing demolition applications by local housing authorities. more...   Once a Food Chain, Now a Corporate Supply Chain – Part 2 Kanya D'Almeida WASHINGTON, 2 Feb (IPS) - While Indian retailers are losing sleep over the possible entrance of multinationals like Walmart into the dense South Asian consumer market, very little thought has been given to the Indian small farmer, who stands to lose even more at the hands of the world's biggest commercial food retailer. more...   "Kitchen Nightmares" Alleged at World's Largest Restaurant Group Ben Case NEW YORK, 1 Feb (IPS) - An organisation of restaurant workers is suing Darden Restaurants, the largest full-service restaurant group in the world, in U.S. federal court, alleging widespread racial discrimination and illegal labour practices. more...   U.S. Building Communities Around Sustainable Food Matthew Cardinale ATLANTA, Georgia, 31 Jan (IPS) - With more and more communities in the U.S. South turning to cooperatives as a way to produce and consume food in a sustainable manner, several cooperatives are hoping to expand on what they view as more than just a "shopping experience" but a way of life. more...   Indian Retailers on Edge as 800-Pound Gorillas Come Knocking Kanya D'Almeida WASHINGTON, 31 Jan (IPS) - Home to over 44 million small retailers, many of them family- owned, neighbourhood stores no bigger than 200 square feet, India is a land renowned for its various "wallas" – small traders who produce, hawk, repair or deliver just about anything you could want at any hour of the day or night. more...   US-BAHRAIN Rights Groups Oppose Smaller Arms Transfer Jim Lobe* WASHINGTON, 30 Jan (IPS) - The decision by the administration of President Barack Obama to approve limited transfers of military equipment to Bahrain is coming under renewed fire by human rights and pro-democracy groups here. more...   U.S. "Money Isn't Speech, Corporations Aren't People" Kanya D'Almeida NEW YORK, 21 Jan (IPS) - In most mainstream media the words "corruption" and "election fraud" accompany images of makeshift polling stations manned by armed guards in Burma or burning tires beside tattered ballot boxes in South Sudan – the insidiousness of stolen elections and a crumbling democracy is very seldom associated with the United States. more...   U.S. A Credit Union to Bail Out People, Not Big Banks Judith Scherr SAN FRANCISCO, California, 21 Jan (IPS) - Occupy activists from Wall Street to San Francisco's financial district have dramatised their anger with big financial institutions by blocking JP Morgan Chase Bank doorways, dancing atop Wells Fargo counters, pitching a tent in a Bank of America lobby, hanging banners across Citibank windows, and accompanying the actions with the now-familiar chant "Banks got bailed out, we got sold out." more...   Melting Ice Makes Arctic Access a Hot Commodity Stephen Leahy UXBRIDGE, Canada, 16 Jan (IPS) - China, Brazil and India want seats on the Arctic Council as global warming creates new opportunities for shipping and resource extraction in the vast Arctic region. more...   Iran's Relations with Latin America Less Than Meets the Eye Charles Davis WASHINGTON, 13 Jan (IPS) - Its economy hurting from sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been making a show of bolstering its ties to Latin America, with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad this past week making his sixth official visit to the region since taking office in 2005. more...