RIGHTS-9/11: War on Terror Equals War on Minorities

The U.S.-led global war on terror - which began five years ago after a rash of terrorist attacks on the United States - has been transformed primarily into a war against minorities, says a London-based human rights organisation.

ASIA-9/11: GWOT Leaves Region in Turmoil

Five years after U.S. President George W. Bush launched his "global war on terrorism" (GWOT), the world has become more unsafe, more divided, more strife-prone, more paranoid, and ironically, more vulnerable to terrorism.

ENVIRONMENT-INDIA: Coke, Pepsi Face Public Ire

A month after seven Indian states imposed severe restrictions on the sale of colas and other aerated drinks, the Coca-Cola company has become the target of a vigorous popular campaign in Uttar Pradesh, India's largest state.

POLITICS-JAPAN: Prince’s Birth Setback for Feminists

The birth of a royal prince on Wednesday morning has effectively suppressed a long-awaited debate on a new law, opposed by conservatives, to allow females to succeed to the imperial throne, say analysts.

POLITICS-GUYANA: Once Again, the Race Hinged on Race

Political commentators here say it wasn't supposed to be this way.

IRAN: Much More Than Beards and Black Veils

Nothing could be more misleading than the stereotyped image of life in Iran, as projected by the western media, as one of bearded men throwing stones at embassies and women peering out of slits in heavy, black veils.

SCIENCE: Excellence and Cooperation in the Developing South

High-quality scientific research is also carried out in the developing South, especially in response to problems specific to the Third World, and in a spirit of cooperation - all of which will be on display as of Saturday at a paradisiacal Brazilian beach resort.

RIGHTS-IRAN: On Bail, Jahanbegloo Tells US to Let Iranians Be

One of Iran's best-known intellectuals Ramin Jahanbegloo, who was released on bail this week after spending four months in prison on charges of compromising national security, has said it would be best for the United States and its institutions to avoid contacting prominent Iranians.

RIGHTS-US: For Muslim Law Students, Knowledge Is Power

His name is Junaid Ahmad. He is 24 years old. And he is among a rapidly increasing number of first generation Muslim-Americans who have decided to pursue careers in the law.

ARTS: The Grape War

Two years ago, filmmaker Jonathan Nossiter shook up the arcane world of wine-making with a documentary portraying the struggles of small vineyards around the world to compete in an increasingly homogenised and cutthroat marketplace.

ENVIRONMENT: Japan Swelters Under Urban Heat Island Effect

The gleaming high rise buildings that crowd the cityscape may symbolize Japan's economic recovery but they have also converted this priciest of human habitats into vast heat-trapping canyons in what is known as the urban heat island (UHI) effect.

SRI LANKA: Monitors Accuse Military of Killing Aid Workers

When the Nordic Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission (SLMM) held government troops responsible Wednesday for the cold-blooded executions of 17 workers from a French charity earlier this month, few were surprised.

POLITICS: Doubts Grow Over Bush’s Syria Policy

A growing debate within Israel over whether United States President George W. Bush's Middle East policies really serve the interests of the Jewish state has spread to Washington, where influential voices within the U.S. Jewish community are questioning the administration's hard-line positions in the region.

RIGHTS-THAILAND: Ethnic Discrimination Extends to Widow Relief

With bright-coloured fabric and sewing machines, the Thai army is stitching together a relationship of trust with the Malay-Muslim villagers in this village that has, like others in southern Thailand, been bloodied by a conflict now in its third year.

NEPAL: A Nod to Indigenous People

Nepal's parliament moved again to right the wrongs of the past Monday, directing the government to ratify an international law on indigenous people.

RELIGION: More Politics Than Faith at Global Meet

While delegates to the World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP) keep highlighting the value of religion in resolving conflicts, the discussions at the 8th assembly, underway here, are decidedly political.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Soldiers Take Over the Streets

When a grim soldier in the capital of the Dominican Republic ordered him to get out of his car, Manolo could only obey and hold his tongue. It was the second time in a week joint military and police patrols had pulled him over for a search at around 10 p.m.

INDIA: Not Protesting Enough About Racial Profiling

As more details emerge of the events that led to the detention of 12 Indian Muslims travelling aboard an aborted Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam last week, it becomes apparent that they were victims of racial and religious prejudice.

BRITAIN: Foreign Policy Hangs Above Terror

The suspects in the bomb plot case in Britain are a long way from being convicted, but Muslim leaders are blaming government policy for provoking youths to consider terrorist ways.

POLITICS: ‘Middle East Conflict Threatens Global Peace’

Warning that spiralling violence in the Middle East presented a serious threat to world security, religious leaders gathered in this ancient city for a global inter-faith meet are calling for urgent resolution of festering conflicts in the region.

RUSSIA: Church Prepares to Resist Madonna

Thousands of fans are expected to greet pop superstar Madonna when she arrives in Moscow early next month, but the Russian Orthodox Church wants Moscow city hall to ban the concert, and is asking fans to boycott it.