RIGHTS-US: Justice to Probe Detainee Abuses

The issue of detainee interrogation and abuse – lately eclipsed by the debate over U.S. health care reform – bubbled back to the surface Monday in a number of headline-making developments.

POLITICS-JAPAN: Voters Sceptical of Change in Run-up to Election

The Aug 30 elections in Japan will be the most important in a generation, signifying many voters’ dissatisfaction with the current political status quo under the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

INDONESIA: 'Safe' Abortion Could Put a Brake on Women's Mortality Rates

Women's rights groups who are campaigning for widening the scope of abortion in Indonesia are calling for an amendment to a colonial era law that puts poor women at risk.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Incentives for Organic Farming

The Honduran Secretariat (ministry) of Agriculture and Livestock is using a new regulation to promote organic crops among some 60 non-governmental organizations that group 1,800 small and medium farmers.

Ecobreves – CUBA: Art Emerges from Garbage

The Ecological Processing Center for Urban Waste (CEPRU), in the far eastern Cuban city of Guantánamo, will open the doors before year's end on its open-air art gallery. The premise? Garbage also holds cultural riches.

Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Crops Grow in Former Garbage Dump

Community groups and Venezuela's Ministry of Environment planted 4,000 vetiver grass shoots (Vetiveria zizanioides) on the slopes of the Ojo de Agua terraces, a former sanitary landfill west of the capital.

Ecobreves – CHILE: Ecologists Celebrate Center for Renewable Energies

The Chilean government of Michelle Bachelet last week inaugurated the Center for Renewable Energies (CER), specializing in research, development and promotion of unconventional sources, like solar, wind, geothermal and wave motion.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Biodiesel from Soy Dregs

Soybean oil dregs can be turned into a useful biofuel, according to research going on at Brazil's University of São Paulo.

POLITICS-INDONESIA: After July Bombings, Life Goes On (Almost)

Dian Sabri likes to do a little test on the security guards whenever she goes to malls, hotels or office buildings. If she dresses up and acts busy, or if she brings along her toddler, she can avoid being frisked, said the freelance writer.

RIGHTS: Sweet 16 Marriages Cause Controversy in Malawi

Malawi's president, Bingu wa Mutharika, has come under severe pressure from civil society groups who are demanding he scrap a newly-passed bill allowing 16-year-olds to marry with the consent of their parents.

RIGHTS-US: ACLU Sues Controversial Sheriff

The man who boasts he is "America's Toughest Sheriff" - and who is being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department for civil rights violations - this week added another lawsuit to thousands already pending against him.

POLITICS: “Cautious Optimism” In U.S. About Afghan Elections

Security and diplomacy experts here are calling Thursday's polls in Afghanistan relatively successful, though they caution that the ultimate success of the elections in terms of security and legitimacy is yet to be seen.

AGRICULTURE-INDIA: Ropeway a Boon to Hill Farmers

Agriculture and allied activities are the main source of livelihood of the people of the hilly state of Uttarakhand, located in the northwestern part of India and one of the country’s most enchanting regions. But difficult terrain and lack of road connectivity is a major problem for most farmers to transport their local produce to the market.

VIETNAM: Sex Selection Skews Sex Ratio

Vietnam is something of a regional leader when it comes to gender equality. There are laws against domestic violence and discrimination, and very high female literacy.

POLITICS-US: Court Reins in Terror Finance Policy

A federal court this week ruled for the first time that the U.S. government cannot freeze an organisation's assets under a terror financing law without a warrant based upon probable cause and without telling the organisation the basis for its action and a meaningful opportunity to defend itself.

INDONESIA: Women Activists Draw Lessons from Failed Election Bids

Four months since Indonesia’s legislative elections, Ditah Indah Sari still grapples with her unsuccessful foray into electoral politics. "We are curious why we did not get elected," she said.

SPORTS: Women Carry a New Punch

Thanks to Clint Eastwood's blockbuster film 'Million Dollar Baby', his heroine Hilary Swank helped raise significantly the profile of women who climb into the boxing ring.

HEALTH: Swine Flu's Impact on 7 Billion Dollar Hajj Industry

A swine flu advisory issued by the Saudi government, banning the entry of pilgrims under 12 and over 65 years, is a blow for Hajj pilgrims as Muslims the world over prepare for Ramadan which starts this weekend.

BOOKS-US: The (Not So) Invisible Ones

People try to illegally enter foreign countries for many different reasons, and in many different ways. But they all have something in common - they are largely "invisible" to authorities and the media.

MIGRATION-US: More Deaths in Detention

In response to a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security revealed Tuesday that the government had failed to disclose 11 more deaths in immigration detention facilities.

SRI LANKA: Religious Feast Embodies a Nation’s Hopes for Peace

The jungle church was once again filled with devotees camping out for days to take part in the feast of the Virgin Mary of Madhu. It had been over 27 years since the last occasion when tens of thousands of believers streamed into the church located at Madhu, in the north-western Mannar District, about 300 km from the capital Colombo.