CHINA: Khmer Rouge Trials Raise Ghosts of the Past

The skeletons are tumbling out of China’s cupboard of buried memories. The 30th anniversary of China’s brief but bloody war with Vietnam may have gone unmarked but for the fact that Feb.17 also saw the start of the trial of the chief torturer of Cambodia’s grisly Khmer Rouge.

PAKISTAN: Fatal Polio Thrives on Conflict Along Porous Border

The battle to eradicate polio in Pakistan has become more complicated.

HEALTH-BOTSWANA: HIV Prevalence Remains High

Despite significant financial investments in both prevention and treatment, Botswana has been experiencing only a modest decline in HIV prevalence, especially among women.

RIGHTS-US: Court Passes the Buck on Fate of Chinese Muslims

As U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder prepared for his first trip to the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, next week, human rights advocates suffered a stinging defeat when a federal appeals court ruled that 17 Chinese Muslims scheduled for release from the Caribbean detention centre could not enter the U.S. and must remain in custody.

MIDEAST: Hamas Offered a Bullet to Bite

Israel's outgoing prime minister Ehud Olmert is risking a crisis of confidence with Egypt by insisting that a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas precede any Egyptian-mediated ceasefire arrangement to end the Gaza war.

ENVIRONMENT: Food Crisis Under the Spotlight

Worldwide demand for food is expected to grow steadily over the next 40 years, but 25 percent of the world's food production may be lost to 'environmental breakdowns' by 2050 unless urgent action is taken.

US-AFGHANISTAN: Civilian Casualties May Surge As Well

U.S. President Barack Obama announced Tuesday that he is sending two additional combat brigades to Afghanistan, marking the start of what many believe will be an escalation that will ultimately see the U.S. forces there double.

RIGHTS-MEXICO: Ordeal Ends for Sons of Alleged Guerrillas

Antonio and Héctor Cerezo, whose parents have been accused by the Mexican authorities of founding a guerrilla group, walked free out of prison this week after serving seven-and-a-half year sentences. According to human rights organisations, they were victims of state revenge.

US-SYRIA: Signs of a Thaw, But Differences Run Deep

This week, two high-level U.S. Congressional delegations are setting out for Syria to meet with President Bashar Al Assad. The trips are seen as a precursor for engagement with Syria, but the extent of possible diplomatic deal-making is still in question.

PHILIPPINES: Media Has Key Role in Fighting Corruption

When administrative officer Bryan Baylon discovered irregularities in the state-run hospital that employed him he first tried resolving them by informing his supervisors and proposing measures to curb corrupt practices.

CULTURE-NIGERIA: Award-Winning Film Lands Director in Jail

The first time I visited award-winning Northern Nigerian filmmaker Hamisu Lamido Iyan-Tama in prison, a week after his arrest, the former Kano State gubernatorial candidate seemed to be in high spirits.

ECONOMY-CHINA: Consumption Coupons Sans Protectionism?

Under pressure to address trade imbalances by boosting domestic demand, China has approved the handing out of consumption coupons. The measure, touted as China’s antidote to economic recession, is free of protectionist overtones like the contentious "buy American" in the U.S. economic stimulus bill.

MIDEAST: Waiting to See Who Blinks First

An indiscreet whisper following a hastily scribbled note around the Israeli cabinet table exposed the deepening political stand-off in the wake of last week's inconclusive elections.

Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: Anti-Soybean Video for Kids

With a 13-minute video starring puppets and aimed at children, the environmental group Bios Argentina sets out its views on the monoculture of soybeans and the crop's environmental impact.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: World Bank Finances Protected Areas

The World Bank granted Honduras a three-million-dollar loan to protect its main areas of ecological and forestry preserves.

Ecobreves – MEXICO: Drafting Eco-Laws for Automobiles

The Mexican government is drawing up new standards that will require automobile manufacturers to offer vehicles with low carbon dioxide emissions.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Acceleration in Refrigerator Replacement

The Brazilian government decided to speed up the subsidized replacement of 10 million old refrigerators over the next 10 years.

RIGHTS-US: Lawsuit Sheds More Light on Terror War Abuses

Three human rights groups have released documents that they say reveal close cooperation between the U.S. Defence Department and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in rendering terrorism suspects to secret prisons, creating 'ghost prisoners' by concealing their identities from the Red Cross, and delaying their release to counter negative publicity about their treatment at Guántanamo Bay.

HEALTH-NIGERIA: Polio – Making Up For Lost Time

Six years ago, authorities in the northern Nigerian state of Kano suspended polio vaccination campaigns for thirteen months. It was a major setback for eradication of the disease, which has since regained a foothold in Africa's most populous nation and re-infected several other countries that were considered polio-free.

ZIMBABWE: Question Marks As Tsvangirai Sworn In

His first days as prime minister of Zimbabwe's government of national unity have, as expected, thrown down several challenges to Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change.

CHINA-US: Clinton Urged to Press Beijing on Human Rights

Seven major U.S. and international rights groups are calling on U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to make human rights issues a top priority in her meetings in Beijing next week with Chinese officials.