/ARTS WEEKLY/BOOKS: A Diamond in the New York Rough

Since the September 2001 suicide attacks on New York, the city's bookstores have been flooded with volumes of nonfiction works attempting to explain the phenomenon of terrorism and its links with the world of Islam and the Middle East.

UAE: Arab Media Asks Tough Questions – of Itself

Arabs are no longer blaming external forces for giving the region and its media a bad name. As debates at the 'Arab and World Media Conference' revealed, they are also attempting to identify the deficiencies in their own systems and demanding remedies to overcome them.

JAPAN: Foreign Workers Wanted, Must Bear Xenophobia

Intrusive media reports on the case of a Peruvian worker, arrested a fortnight ago on suspicion of killing a seven-year-old girl, have exposed the vulnerability of foreign workers to Japan's famous xenophobia.

POLITICS: East Asia Summit, Another Talk Shop?

The United States, for once, was looking in from the cold, as 16 nations-the 10-member ASEAN, six regional powers plus Russia as observer-held the inaugural East Asia Summit on Wednesday.

MIDDLE EAST: Indigenisation Policies Hit Expatriates

''It's time to go home,'' said Omer Ali, a Pakistani salesman in a supermarket in the capital of Oman, ‘‘Jobs in many sectors are no longer open to expatriates with this Omanisation drive going on and many of my friends have returned home.''

CHALLENGES 2005-2006: Where Are Malawi’s Women Legislators Now?

More than a year ago, IPS profiled several of the women who had won seats in Malawi's parliament, something that enabled them to break new ground in the drive to make the legislature less of male-dominated forum.

RIGHTS-THAILAND: Raw Deal for Food Hawkers

Hawking fresh fruit on busy Sukhumvit Road, Nu-Han, 29, makes a tidy 500 baht (12 US dollars) in daily profit - which is more than what a smart, front desk receptionist at a luxury hotel earns in this bustling megacity of 6.5 million people.

POLITICS-US: The Mogul, the Movie and the Mission

As moviegoers flocked to see the first major film adaptation of C.S. Lewis' popular children's book, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", this weekend, its backer, conservative billionaire Philip Anschutz, is on his way to becoming one of the most powerful media moguls in the United States.

WTO-SPECIAL: Japan’s Rice Farmers, a Dying Breed

For rice farmer Yuji Koshino, next week’s World Trade Organisation (WTO) summit in Hong Kong can turn out to be a make or break affair, especially in the light of recent concessions made by the Japanese government to the country’s long-controlled agricultural sector.

BURMA: Ban on Marriages, Another Yoke on Rohingya Muslims

In Burma's remote west, young men and women are subject to a form of discrimination, considered harsh, even for the military regime in this country. They are banned from getting married.

BALKANS: Muslim Exaggerations Begin to Surface

The death toll in the wars of the 1990s in Bosnia stands at about half the usually stated figure of 200,000, new research shows.

BALKANS: An Unusual Friendship Club Flourishes

Overriding bitter memories held by some of the influence of the Ottoman empire, and the religious hatred that Serbian society is often known for, an unusual Serb-Arabic club in Belgrade has been doing rather well.

MEXICO: Massive Turnout at Fair Shows Interest in Books Is Alive and Well

The belief that people in Mexico do not read much may have to be revisited, said literary critic Carmen Vargas, who declared that she was greatly impressed by the size of the Guadalajara International Book Fair that ended Sunday with the participation of 1,614 publishing houses from 39 countries and just under 500,000 visitors.

RIGHTS: Abuse of Women in Custody Shames Malaysia

A video clip of a naked female in a locker room, forced to perform repeated squats in front of a woman in police uniform and arms akimbo, has sparked an uproar in Malaysia that may not easily die down.

POLITICS-US: It’s a Holly Jolly Christmas Conspiracy

Christian fundamentalists, right-wing Christian legal groups, and most of the Fox News Channel's prime time crew are echoing variations on the same theme - liberals are out to take the Christ out of Christmas.

/ARTS WEEKLY/CUBA: Restoring Old Havana – With a Social Twist

Colonial era houses converted into hostels, pharmacies that double as museums, concerts in colonial era courtyards, taverns and coffee shops: all of these have sprung up from the ruins of the historic city centre in the Cuban capital.

/ARTS WEEKLY/ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires, a City that Inspires Design

A large number of young people are at the centre of an explosion of creativity in the Argentine capital. Now that the country has finally pulled out of a severe economic crisis, thousands of graduates of design courses have found much to be done, and they have set to with a will.

/ARTS WEEKLY/LITERATURE: Will the Real Bond Please Stand Up?

Was there ever a real superspy like James Bond, Her Majesty's secret agent with a licence to kill? A resounding "No" was the answer given by Dusan "Dusko" Popov, himself the real character who inspired writer Ian Fleming to create agent 007.

/ARTS WEEKLY/ARTS: “Pessoptimism” Colours Palestinian Experience

As the settlements lie in rubble, and Gazans reclaim the right to cross into Egypt and sell the first fruits and vegetables of the autumn harvest, Palestinian writers, directors and actors are reminding audiences far from the conflict that it's not quite time to pop the champagne cork.

CUBA: Angolan War Memories Live On

The arrival of December in Cuba, as well as signalling the end of the hurricane season and the scorching temperatures of summer, is also a time for remembering one of the most dramatic periods in recent Cuban history: the country's 13-year-long participation in the war in Angola.

RIGHTS: Thai Courts Still Defend Press Freedom

A handful of recent judgements delivered by Thai courts is helping to push the country's judiciary into a new realm of respect, as one of the only remaining institutions prepared to defend media freedom and journalists under siege.