/ARTS WEEKLY/INDIA: Bold Film ‘Busts’ Female Beauty Stereotypes

Tollywood, the eponymous Bengali film industry based in the ill-equipped Tollygunge studios of this eastern Indian metropolis, often rushes where perhaps Hollywood fears to tread.

ENVIRONMENT-VENEZUELA: Indigenous Peoples Protest Coal Mining

Bare-chested, clad in traditional dress and wielding bows and arrows, hundreds of representatives of the Barí, Yukpa and Wayúu indigenous peoples from the westernmost region of Venezuela marched on the capital to demand a halt to coal mining near their lands in the Sierra de Perijá mountain range.

MEXICO: Lax Legislation Creates "Free Zone" for Internet Paedophiles

More than 4,000 child pornography websites have been uncovered in Mexico over the last five years, but thanks to legal loopholes, the perpetrators quite frequently escape punishment.

PAKISTAN: Despite Hurt and Pain, Gang Rape Victim Shows Compassion

Tucked away in sprawling lush green fields dotted with date palms and an irrigation canal crisscrossing nearby is the home of Mukhtaran Mai whose resistance against the powerful Mastoi tribe has made her the symbol of struggle for all Pakistani women.

INDONESIA: After Tsunami, Acehnese Women Lead the Way Home

''Home sweet home.'' This motto explains many tsunami victims' desire to return to their homes, even if they have been levelled in the December disaster.

VIETNAM: Brides for ‘Instant Marriages’ Spark Debate

News of the sale of young Vietnamese girls to single men in neighbouring China seeking wives and the public exhibition of ''Vietnamese brides'' for ''instant marriage'' at a recent fair in Singapore have shocked the public here.

RIGHTS-BRAZIL: No End to Violence Against Indigenous People

Killings of indigenous leaders in Brazil that have largely gone unpunished, a rise in suicide rates among the Guaraní ethnic group, and the slow pace at which the official demarcation of indigenous reserves is moving ahead raise concerns about the future of Brazil's Indians, warns a new Amnesty International report.

HUMAN RIGHTS: More Than 100 Million Homeless Worldwide

Homelessness is a growing problem around the globe, affecting both the industrialised and developing worlds, Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing Miloon Kothari told the 61st session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, currently underway.

PAKISTAN: The Maiming by Landmines Continues

When Abdul Malik's best friend Salahuddin stepped on a landmine in a village schoolyard six years ago and lost one of his legs, little did he realise that later in 2002 the next victim would be him.

TSUNAMI IMPACT: New Quake Sees Relief Agencies Rushing Aid to Island

Relief agencies are scrambling to make their way to the Indonesian island of Nias, where over 2,000 people are feared dead, after a massive overnight earthquake off the coast of Indonesia spread fear and panic across Asia that another killer tsunami was on its way.

DEVELOPMENT-ASIA: Economic Disparity Spells Disaster for Children

The East Asia-Pacific region has experienced unprecedented economic growth in the past 14 years, despite several crises, but the increasing disparity between and within countries means that not everyone is sharing in the prosperity. Those being left behind include the most vulnerable - the region's 600 million children.

POLITICS-UGANDA: A Road to Hell, Paved With Good Intentions?

Walking in the eerie darkness engulfing Noah's Ark, a centre that children in northern Uganda escape to for fear of being kidnapped by the rebel Lord's Resistance Army, it is easy to see why so many in the region are eager for peace.

MEXICO: Murders of Women Not Limited to Ciudad Juarez

A Mexican congressional commission is drawing up a nationwide map of murders of women, which totalled 625 in just four of the country's 31 states last year alone - almost double the number recorded since 1993 in Ciudad Juárez, which has gained international notoriety over the past decade.

POPULATION: Russia Running Out of Russians

Squeezed between emigration and growing economic problems, Russia is experiencing a serious population decline.

RIGHTS-INDIA: Women on Top in Tamil Nadu

It is way past midnight on inspector Usha Rani's watch at a suburban police picket when she attempts to flag down a small car with three suspicious looking young men in it.

DEVELOPMENT: Formal Land Titles Necessary But Not Sufficient

As soon as they purchased land with a collective loan, a group of peasant farmers in San Francisco, in Ecuador's northern Andean department (state) of Imbabura, divided the property into small plots for each family.

RIGHTS-ASIA: Children Face Violence In Every Realm of Life – Groups

If you gave children a video camera and asked them to document their daily lives, the results probably would be shocking.

RIGHTS: Italy Offers Little Refuge

Refugees seeking asylum in Italy often see their rights denied, and are prevented fair access to asylum procedures, the Italian human rights organisation International Consortium of Solidarity (ICS) said in a report Tuesday.

DEVELOPMENT-ASIA: Growth Disparity Sees Children Worse Off

While some Asia-Pacific countries continue to enjoy unprecedented economic growth, recent trends showing sharp declines in child health and nutrition are alarming. And for this reason, government ministers have gathered in this historical city - home to the famous Angkor temples - to discuss issues facing the young and to adopt strategies to improve their lot.

CHILDREN-MEXICO: Cancer and Poverty a Lethal Mix

María Concepción, an eight-year-old Mexican girl, is dying of cancer. Her life might have been saved by early treatment, but this was not an option in her case. She is one of thousands of Mexican children whose lives are cut short every year by the lethal mix of illness and poverty.

BRAZIL: Progress and Pitfalls on the Road to Zero Hunger

Two years after its launch, the Brazilian government's Zero Hunger Programme has yielded some impressive results, like the 6.5 million families provided with special grants, but it has also earned its share of criticism.