RIGHTS: U.N. Deeply Split over Same Sex Marriage

The United Nations is heading for a rancorous new political dispute - this time over same sex marriage - that threatens to split the world body.

POLITICS: Bush Terror War Suffers Body Blow in Spain

It was just last week, on the eve of the bloodiest act of terrorism in Europe's modern history, that Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director George Tenet warned that the U.S. administration's optimistic rhetoric on winning the ''war on terrorism'' was premature.

EUROPEAN UNION: Circulation Restrictions Rock Expansion Boat

All citizens of the European Union have equal rights, but some seem to be more citizens than others as the bloc expands from 15 to 25 states, with restrictions on international movements of people from the new Eastern European members.

ENVIRONMENT: Climate Change Lays Waste to Global Treaty

Retreating glaciers and more forest fires, floods and other severe weather events are arriving as predicted, 10 years after the world community agreed to limit the greenhouse gas emissions believed to cause global warming, says a new report.

ENVIRONMENT-GABON: Turtles Fight a Losing Battle

As most people who've seen them will attest, Gabon's leatherback turtles are a majestic sight.

DEVELOPMENT: Tourism Can Tackle Poverty

The World Tourism Organisation is urging multilateral development assistance agencies to recognise tourism as an important instrument to tackle poverty.

SPAIN: Terrorism, Lies and Elections

Within just four days, terrorism radically changed the direction of the general elections that took place Sunday in Spain, and tested the public's tolerance of concealment and manipulation of information in the investigation effort.

SPAIN: Terrorism, Lies and Elections

Within just four days, terrorism radically changed the direction of the general elections that took place Sunday in Spain, and tested the public's tolerance of concealment and manipulation of information in the investigation effort.

POLITICS-GREECE: NATO Called In for Olympics Security

NATO is being asked to take a hand in security for the Olympic Games to be held in Athens in August.

HAITI: Aristide Takes Fight to French Court

Ousted Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide has taken his battle to a court in Paris.

ECONOMY: Asia Expects Tourist Boom This Year

After a shock slump in travel levels last year, ebullient Southeast Asian country representatives at an international fair in Berlin are expecting a major turn-around in Asian tourism fortunes for 2004.

AUSTRALIA: Standoff Peaks with PNG over Immunity to Police

Papua New Guinea's refusal to grant legal immunity to 300 Australian police and government officials has led to a standoff between the two countries over the fate of a development cooperation agreement.

POLITICS-SOUTH KOREA: Frustration Rises after Impeachment Vote

Shame, frustration and anger are coming to the fore among many South Koreans in a country divided after Friday's impeachment vote in Parliament against President Roh Moo-Hyun.

POLITICS: Deft Chinese Diplomacy Reflects Asian Dynamism

China denounces U.S. trade policy as protectionist one day after the Bush Administration threatens to take Beijing to the World Trade Organisation for coddling its semiconductor industry.

SPAIN: As Nation Mourns Bomb Victims, Socialists Score Surprise Win

The Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) scored a surprise landslide victory in Sunday's general elections in Spain, contrary to all previous opinion polls, which said the governing Popular Party (PP) would win.
      The train blasts Thursday that left a death toll of 200 in Madrid, for which Islamic terrorist groups have claimed responsibility, were brutal reminders for Spanish voters that Prime Minister José María Aznar gave unconditional support to the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq.

SPAIN: As Nation Mourns Bomb Victims, Socialists Score Surprise Win

The Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) scored a surprise landslide victory in Sunday's general elections in Spain, contrary to all previous opinion polls, which said the governing Popular Party (PP) would win.

RIGHTS-UGANDA: An Equal Hearing for Women in Divorce Cases

The ideal of gender equality in Uganda was brought closer to realisation recently with a Constitutional Court ruling on the country's Divorce Act.

POLITICS-AFRICA: Dogs of War to Nip at Heels of Continental Parliament

When the new Pan-African Parliament is inaugurated in Ethiopia next week, it will confront a host of challenging issues - not least the role of mercenaries in Africa.

ECONOMY: Global Tourism Industry Rallies Behind Spain

When Spain was struck by civil war in 1936, volunteers from around the world formed an 'international brigade' to fight alongside the Republican Army. A new kind of 'brigade' is emerging from the world tourism fair in Berlin to ensure unhindered travel to Spain.

SPAIN: Question of Who Was Responsible for Attacks Will Influence Elections

The outcome of Spain's elections Sunday will be influenced by the question of who was responsible for the brutal terror attacks that left 200 dead and more than 1,400 wounded Thursday in Madrid.

RIGHTS-KENYA: Constitutional Endorsement of Muslim Courts Provokes Anger

A meeting of church leaders in Kenya has been called to discuss how they can remove a clause in the draft constitution that recognises Muslim courts - also referred to as Kadhi's courts.