Syrian Rebel Setbacks Spur Renewed Talk of No-Fly Zones Jim Lobe, Joe Hitchon WASHINGTON, 1 Jun (IPS) - A series of reversals for Syria’s rebels this month has prompted its supporters here to call for much greater U.S. military intervention in the civil war in order to give them a stronger bargaining position in advance of any peace negotiations. more...   Walmart, Gap Seek Separate Safety Standards for Bangladesh Factories Carey L. Biron WASHINGTON, 31 May (IPS) - Top U.S. companies are now in negotiations to agree on new safety standards for their clothing-producing contractors in Bangladesh, a month after a garment factory’s collapse in Dhaka killed more than 1,100 workers. more...   Obama Urged to Sign Arms Trade Treaty Immediately Cydney Hargis WASHINGTON, 31 May (IPS) - Advocacy groups here are stepping up a campaign to pressure President Barack Obama to quickly sign on to a new United Nations treaty aimed at regulating, for the first time, the international small-arms trade. more...   Five Native American “Champions” Call for Change Sudeshna Chowdhury UNITED NATIONS, 31 May (IPS) - It’s Sarah Schilling’s usual manner of greeting when she meets other members of her tribe: “Aanii Sarah Schilling n'diznakaas, which translates to ‘Hello, Sarah is my name’ in English,” she said. more...   OP-ED Iranian Elections John Limbert WASHINGTON, 31 May (IPS) - For Washington, obsessed with matters Iranian, it may be hard to accept a simple fact: Iran’s Jun. 14 presidential election is an Iranian event. If we attempt to make it about us, we will find ourselves on the same road that has previously led to multiple failures: Iran-contra; “goodwill begets goodwill”; and a non-existent two-track policy.   more...   U.S. Accused of Politicising Weapons of Mass Destruction Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS, 29 May (IPS) - When the United States invaded Iraq back in March 2003, one of its primary objectives was to track down and destroy weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) reportedly stockpiled by the regime of President Saddam Hussein. more...   OAS Chief Calls for “Long-Awaited” Debate on Drug Policy Joe Hitchon WASHINGTON, 25 May (IPS) - Following the release of a major draft report on drug policy in the Americas, the secretary-general of the Organisation of American States (OAS), Jose Miguel Insulza, called for the beginning of debate aimed at reforming those policies throughout the region. more...   Q&A "I Feel Indigenous No Matter Where I Am and Where I’m Going" Lucy Westcott UNITED NATIONS, 24 May (IPS) - Aboriginal youth are making their mark at the two-week United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. And this year, the gathering's twelfth, 24-year-old Angela Landry, whose Anishinaabe name is Eagle Heart Woman, is representing them. more...   Obama Narrows Scope of Terror War Jim Lobe WASHINGTON, 24 May (IPS) - Responding to growing criticism by human rights groups and foreign governments, U.S. President Barack Obama Thursday announced potentially significant shifts in what his predecessor called the “global war on terror”. more...   Q&A Guantanamo 'Has No Right to Exist' Robert Stefanicki WARSAW, 21 May (IPS) - For more than 100 days, detainees at American detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have been on hunger strike, drawing international attention back to the prison that U.S. President Barack Obama vowed during his first presidential campaign to close down. more...