Q&A: “Education Must Reach the Marginalised”

Although more girls are enrolling in school - notably in countries with the greatest gender gaps like Chad, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Yemen - two-thirds of the world's illiterate adults are still women.

SRI LANKA: Cricket Unites Fractured Island

Twenty-year-old Veethirasa Winston is planning his schedule meticulously for the next few weeks, making sure he keeps his diary free on days when Sri Lanka’s national team takes the cricket field.

ARGENTINA: Theatre’s Far Fringe Gaining Spaces

Unconventional venues for high-quality experimental theatre have found a voice of their own in the Argentine capital's cultural scene, and are demanding freedom from the red tape that is hindering their development.

Q&A: “Art Can Transform Small Aspects of Society”

For the first time, Cuba's National Fine Arts Prize was awarded to a member of the country's "80s generation": René Francisco Rodríguez, whose work crops up in the most unexpected places in urban communities, and who finds it hard to relinquish the "utilitarian character of art."

Elephants Find a Place in Cricket Cup

Sri Lanka goes into a frenzy this month as it plays co-host to the 2011 Cricket World Cup. Conservationists hope the national pasttime will share national and international media attention with an endangered Sri Lankan resident: the elephant.

ARGENTINA: Boom in Gay-Friendly Theatre

The nearly 200 theatres in the Argentine capital have been staging an increasing number of plays exploring gender identity or specifically gay issues in recent years, in mainstream, fringe and state-run productions.

Tunisia Speaks Up, Shakily

Freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of the press are the big gains of Tunisia's so-called Jasmine Revolution, according to a top Tunisian economist, writer and opposition figure. But he warns that dark days still lie ahead.

Rape, As Sweden Redefines It

The number of reported rapes in this Nordic country has increased dramatically in recent years, especially after the Swedish Sexual Crimes Act was reformed in 2005. This does not, however, necessarily mean that the actual number of rapes has increased, according to analysts.

CUBA: Looking for Roots Across the Ocean

Their tanned skin is weathered by years of sun, and their voices preserve traces of accents from different parts of Spain.

The Ethics of Social Networking for Journalists

The digital revolution is turning people into producers, as well as consumers, of media content. But this new reality has yet to be fully assimilated, and journalists face questions and uncertainties about their social role, their duties and also their rights.

ARGENTINA: Guarani Effort to Strengthen Culture Through Tourism

Since recovering part of their territory in 2005, an indigenous Guaraní community in the northeastern Argentine province of Misiones is working to maintain and expand a cultural tourism initiative.

MEXICO: Native Craftswomen Harness Their Skills

It took María de los Ángeles Carrillo, a native craftswoman from Mexico, eight months to weave a decorative junco reed basket, for which she won an 8,000 dollar prize from the Mexican government.

Q&A: “In Mexico, We Have Let the Violent Ones Do the Talking”

"In Mexico, we have let the violent ones do the talking," says journalist Marcela Turati, author of "Fuego Cruzado" (Crossfire), a new book that tells the stories of victims of President Felipe Calderón's war on drugs, which has left an official death toll of 30,000 in four years.

CHILE: Grassroots Heritage Preservation Efforts Growing

With the first National Congress on Heritage Neighbourhoods and Areas, community groups in Chile plan to draw attention to their struggle to defend the country's vulnerable historic heritage.

MALAYSIA: Muslim Gay Faces Govt Wrath

Muslim engineer Azman Ismail has sparked a huge storm of criticism, invited official censure and even death threats by going on YouTube.com and confessing that he is a gay.

ARGENTINA: Indie Bands Find New Outlet on the Web

A new way of sharing music has caught on in Argentina, with bands -- both new and established -- filmed in impromptu performances on rooftops or in markets and other public spaces in Argentina. The high-quality videos, which are shot in one single take, are then posted on the Internet.

ECUADOR: Keeping Age-old Weaving Technique Alive

Outside the modest two-story adobe house, a flag of Ecuador flutters alongside a large sign that reads "Ikat: weaving demonstrations and sales." Hanks of yarn and colourful fabrics hang from the handrail running around the edge of the courtyard and balcony, and weaving looms can be seen inside.

The Peace Dividend in South Sudan

This is the story of Francis Odong, a southern Sudanese man from Eastern Equitoria state.

A Caribbean Cinderella: St. Domingo’s Colonial Zone

Santo Domingo de Guzmán was the New World’s first colonial city, the Spanish Empire’s capital, the Catholic Church’s Rome in the West Indies, and Francis Drake’s most coveted prize.

Anonymous Afro-Cubans Heroes Remembered for Posterity

Under the spreading shade of a wild fig tree in Old Havana, a small plaque now recalls the sacrifice made by five Afro-Cubans, "anonymous Abakuá who died trying to save medical students" shot by firing squad, when this island was still a Spanish colony.

JAPAN: Becoming International, But Not Quite

Forget dropping names or slipping the hostess a bill or two. It’s luck that’s important in snagging a reservation at Dhaba, an average-priced Indian restaurant that has become such a must-go place for Tokyo residents that guests are limited to a maximum stay of two hours.