IRAQ: Where Al-Qaeda Reigns

Refugees from Baquba city who have now found shelter in Damascus describe their hometown as a "dead city" where armed men roam the streets and al-Qaeda reigns.

VENEZUELA: Global Women Activists Speak Out Against War, Imperialism

Condemnation of the United States' war in Iraq was rife at the 14th Congress of the Women's International Democratic Federation (WIDF) which concludes this Friday in Caracas. Over 1,000 delegates representing 165 organisations in 80 countries participated.

FILM-CUBA: Young New Directors Provide a Fresh Look

Run-down neighbourhoods, cynical, sceptical young people, locals surviving in buildings crumbling around them, people forging new paths in remote mountain villages: these are all fragments of reality that live and breathe in documentaries by a new generation of Cuban filmmakers.

ENVIRONMENT: Competing for Top Prize as Argentina’s Filthiest River

The Riachuelo, a river that runs through the southern part of the Argentine capital, is the dirtiest river in the country and one of the most polluted in the world. But a new scientific study shows that the Reconquista, which borders the city to the northwest, is giving it a run for its money.

RELIGION-PHILIPPINES: Crucifixions Gory but Bring in Tourist Dollars

The throngs that gather every year on Good Friday on a hill overlooking the paddy fields of San Petro Cutud, three km from this city, to witness gory reenactments of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ are creating unease within the Catholic church here.

CHILE: Transantiago Shakes Up Transport and Politics

A new public transportation system that was intended to curb air pollution in the Chilean capital and improve quality of life has prompted hundreds of protests and the worst crisis yet for the administration of Michelle Bachelet. But what is it about the controversial Transantiago project that doesn't work?

RELIGION-MEXICO: Authorities Go Up In Flames

Mexican President Felipe Calderón and other authorities will be burned in effigy on Saturday as part of the traditional custom of "burning Judas", who is viewed by Christians as the arch-traitor.

ENVIRONMENT-ROMANIA: That Lethal Name, Copsa

In Copsa Mica the cemetery, a heavy metal factory and a complex of apartment buildings for the factory workers are all close together. To the residents the message seems to be that they are disposable.

DEVELOPMENT-SOUTHERN AFRICA: Surviving Informal Work – and Politics

While informal work is insecure and low-paying, it has become the primary way in which most Southern Africans earn a living. Without such work, the meagre livelihood options in the region dwindle even further, as shown by a number of recent studies.

WORLD HEALTH DAY-PAKISTAN: Anti-Polio Drive Hits Resistance

''After climbing up several flights of stairs, sometimes seven or even more, our teams may be told brusquely, that the child is asleep and they should come later," says Seemi Fatema, one many health workers in this city charged with administering polio vaccine drops to under-five children.

CULTURE-SINGAPORE: Nanny State Ready to Let Hair Down

Music festivals. International art shows. Ballet under the stars. Literary readings. Fashion galas. Film fiestas. No, we are not talking about New York, London or Paris, but the city state of Singapore - known better for its ban on chewing gum and for caning offenders than its cultural offerings.

CLIMATE CHANGE: Southwestern U.S. Becoming a Dust Bowl

The severe seven-year drought in the Southwestern United States is just the beginning of a new and even drier climate for the region due to climate change, scientists say.

CUBA: Dogs Suffer the Mean Streets

More than 20,000 stray dogs can be found on the streets of Cuban cities, their lives threatened by traffic and by violence - human and canine.

POLITICS-CHILE: Women Assess Bachelet’s Record

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet is being showered with criticism from both left and right over her ability to govern. But she is being unfairly condemned for the mistakes of others, like the crises affecting parties in the governing coalition and "machista" or male chauvinist attitudes that exaggerate her every slip, Chilean women say.

CUBA: Cracking Down on Irregular Workplace Survival Strategies

Ofelia Hernández spends a large part of her workday away from her desk, visiting an office on housing problems in an attempt to find a solution for her own troubles, while Antonio López (not his real name) uses the tools from the government machine repair shop where he is employed to do his own moonlighting jobs on the weekends.

ARGENTINA: Software, a Growing Success Story

Software production and information technology services are a rapidly expanding industry in Argentina. This industry has a number of advantages: it is clean, requires little investment, provides employment for highly qualified personnel, and can operate in even the poorest regions.

MEXICO: Beach-Going in the Land-Locked Capital

Crowds of people flocked to the Mexican capital's first artificial beach Tuesday - a stretch of bright white sand studded with palm trees and beach chairs, and with plenty of hot sunshine. At an elevation of 2,250 metres above sea level and more than 400 kilometres from the nearest coast, it is surrounded by a cement jungle and chronic smog.

RELIGION-SPAIN: Archbishop Deals Blow to ‘Priests of the Poor’

"I wouldn't be able to stand it if they close the parish. They have given me everything," said Maite Molina, 48, referring to a decision by the archbishop of the Spanish capital to punish the priests in a parish that reaches out to the poor, immigrants, drug addicts and other marginalised sectors.

NORTH AMERICA: Uphill Effort for Eco-Friendly Housing

The buildings in which we live and work account for a large part of the climate changing gases that are of great concern to citizens and scientists alike. What we do in our homes and offices translates into polluting emissions, wastewater and garbage.

ARTS-BRAZIL: Graffiti Comes In Off the Street

Chico realised that his drawings on the walls of Rio de Janeiro were an art form when, at the age of 18, he read an article about the pioneers of graffiti in this Brazilian city.

ECONOMY-UAE: Indians, Pakistanis Fuel Fresh Real Estate Boom

Indians and Pakistanis are leading several other Asian nationalities in spending millions of dollars gobbling up real estate investment opportunities in the northern emirates of this tiny Gulf state, industry sources here say.