CULTURE-VENEZUELA: New Compendium on Yanomami Language

When a Yanomami Indian dies, his or her name is not to be pronounced for some time, so as not to soil the memory of the deceased.

HEALTH-NIGER: Enlisting Men in the Fight Against Fistula

When poverty and traditional practices collide in Niger, the results can be ruinous – particularly for teenage girls.

/ARTS WEEKLY/MEXICO: Wrestling Superhero El Santo Takes on the World

After decades of cult status in his homeland, Mexican wrestler/superhero El Santo (The Saint) is now being introduced to the rest of the world through a new animated series.

/ARTS WEEKLY/FILM: A ‘Leaf Doctor’ Serving Haiti’s Poor

Madam Ti Zo, nearly 100 years old, has lost track of how many babies she has delivered in six decades as a "medsen fey," "leaf doctor" or traditional Haitian herbalist and midwife.

/ARTS WEEKLY/TELEVISION-BRAZIL: Latest Soap Opera Keeps Viewers Glued to Seats

A woman from the impoverished Brazilian northeast who triumphs as a business owner in Rio, a newspaper shut down by the military dictatorship, the 20-year search for a kidnapped daughter, homosexuality and corrupt politicians are just a few of the plot threads keeping Brazilians glued to their TV sets waiting for the next episode of the latest hit soap opera, Senhora do Destino (Lady of Destiny).

CULTURE: Safeguarding Spanish in the Age of the Internet

Does the fact that cyberspace is full of ignorant people mean that ignorance should be accepted as the new norm? If millions of people speak their own language poorly, and their writing is even worse, should we simply sit back and witness the "downward democratisation" of a "dumbing down" of society?

CULTURE: Alternative Congress Celebrates Linguistic Diversity

Many people realise that legendary Latin American revolutionary Che Guevara's name was actually Ernesto, and that "Che" was a nickname given to him by his Cuban comrades.

SPORTS-CHINA: Corruption Ruining Soccer Games

China's failure to attain the status of a football superpower is quickly becoming a national scandal and may prompt reforms of a sporting system long dominated by central control and driven by the Communist Party's exhortations to win sporting glory for the state.

ANTARCTICA: The Cinema at the Bottom of the World

Some will hike or ride in on snowmobiles, others will come by boat, navigating around the icebergs, and some will even hop a small plane.

CULTURE: Anglicisms, ‘Neutral Spanish’, and Linguistic Diversity

How is the Spanish language affected by Anglicisms, the Internet and the use of a standard "neutral" dialect in movies and television? How can linguistic unity and distinctly regional nuances both be preserved? Can one country assume responsibility for preserving the integrity of a language spoken by 400 million people around the world?

CHILE: Porn Star Launches Election Campaign

Her real name is Maritza Gáez Arismendi, but she's better known as Reichell, the stage name she adopted to become one of the leading stars in Chile's new erotic film industry - and the name under which she is running for a seat in the lower house of parliament in the federal elections of December 2005.

HEALTH-SOUTHERN AFRICA: HIV/AIDS Burden on Women Grows

‘’We cannot have women carrying hospital beds on their heads,’’ says Quinton Mageza of global charity ActionAid International, referring to the growing army of women and girls playing the role of nurse at home for relatives living with HIV/AIDS.

CULTURE-AFRICA: Publishing Takes on NEPAD

Many column inches have been devoted to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) – a blueprint for using improved governance to attract more investment to the continent. However, it could be argued that the plan remains something of an enigma to many.

INDIA: Pride Rises over Win of U.S. Politicians of Indian Descent

A world away from the hurly burly world of U.S. politics, the residents of the small township of Malerkotla, the only Muslim-majority township in the Indian state of Punjab, have been celebrating over the results of the recent election.

RIGHTS-SOMALIA: UN Urged to Probe War Crimes

Rights groups are sceptical of the ability of the proposed Somali government to address the thorny issues of human rights abuses which have been at the heart of the collapse of Somalia since 1991.

CULTURE: Portugal Surrenders to Brazil

Both the rapid modernisation of Portugal since it joined the European Union (EU, or European Economic Community at the time) in 1986 and the fact that Brazil is now among the world's ten largest economies have increased the mutual respect between the two countries.

INDIA: Top Hindu Hawks May Face Trial for Demolition of Mosque

The top leadership of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could stand trial for the December 1992 demolition of the medieval Babri Masjid mosque, which propelled the right wing, pro-Hindu party to national power but deeply polarised the country's two main religious communities - the Hindus and Muslims.

POLITICS: Dalai Lama Conciliatory During Visit to South Africa

"I’m not seeking independence for Tibet. But the Chinese government and the media still call me a separatist. There is a lot of suspicion," the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader, told journalists in South Africa’s commercial hub of Johannesburg Thursday.

U.S. ELECTION: Religion Figures Big in Bush Win

Conservative Christian groups may have rocked the vote in Tuesday's U.S. election, which saw right wing president George W Bush renew his tenure for another four years, according to several experts and analysts here.

CHINA: From Big Time Games Spenders to Penny-Pinching Conservatives

The 2008 Olympic Games' enterprise has become the latest showcase of the Chinese government's shift towards a more balanced and people-centric approach to economic development.

HEALTH-MOZAMBIQUE: The Condom and Culture Clash

Earlier this year, a chilling statistic cropped up repeatedly at a conference on reproductive rights that was held in London.