RIGHTS-KENYA: A Glimmer of Hope for the Ogiek

It's probably fair to say that the plight of the Ogiek receives little attention on a continent with more than its share of political and economic crises.

HEALTH-VENEZUELA: ‘I Bet and Won for 21 Days Straight – then Lost for 200’

"I started gambling and kept winning for 21 days straight, and I felt like I was on top of the world. But by then I was hooked, and I started to lose and just kept on losing, for 200 days," says Jorge B., a 56-year-old Venezuelan who says he ruined decades of family life and a professional career as he watched the roulette wheel spin.

RIGHTS-CANADA: Proposed Sharia Court Raises Fears of Gender Bias

Muslim women who fled the strict Islamic laws in their home countries to live in a more liberal environment in Canada may now face a similar regime in the largest province, Ontario, where a Muslim civil court for family disputes is being considered under the arbitration act.

RIGHTS-U.S.: Racial Profiling Much Worse Since 9/11, Amnesty Says

The practice of profiling by race, religion, and national origin on the part of U.S. law-enforcement agencies not only violates the human rights of its targets, but is also often counter-productive, according to a new report released here Monday by Amnesty International.

RELIGION: The Turbans Will Not Go Away

Jasvir Singh touches his turban like it was his most precious property. "I will never take it off," he says sitting in the yard of the Sikh temple in Bobigny, 10 km from Paris.

IRAQ: Headscarves Become a Life or Death Issue

The two French journalists kidnapped in Iraq more than three weeks back are still in captivity despite efforts by French and Iraqi leaders to secure their freedom.

/ARTS WEEKLY/FILM-PALESTINE: Occupation Comes Home

The open-air cinema at Piazza Vittorio is full, but people are still walking in as Saverio Costanzo explains his film 'Private' to the audience.

/ARTS WEEKLY/MUSIC-THAILAND: The French Master DJ and His Buddhas

It's difficult to describe Claude Challe - the French DJ behind the successful 'Buddha Bar' and 'Nirvana Lounge' chill-out CD series.

/ARTS WEEKLY/FILM-BRAZIL: Life of German Communist Jew Set to Become a Sensation

'Olga', based on the life of a German Jew who was the bodyguard and lover of Brazilian Communist leader Luiz Carlos Prestes, looks set to become this year's movie sensation in Brazil.

RIGHTS-KENYA: Women Seek Access to Land

A campaign to set up a women’s land movement has kicked off in Kenya, at a time when the East African country has embarked on a controversial land-reform debate.

MEXICO: Wal-Mart, the Pyramids’ New Neighbour

Less than two km from the heart of the Mexican archaeological zone of Teotihuacan and its awe-inspiring pyramids, the U.S.-based retail giant Wal-Mart is overcoming the resistance of a group of local residents and, to the amazement of UNESCO, is building one of its hypermarkets.

POLITICS-TRINIDAD: Dueling Awards Ceremonies Expose Ethnic Rift

A move by an Indian group here to stage its own "national" awards in response to what it says is discrimination in the annual awards handed out by the state to deserving citizens of Trinidad and Tobago has stirred up long-simmering ethnic and religious divisions in this twin-island republic.

HEALTH: At Three Cents a Unit, Condoms Often Rare as Hen’s Teeth

‘Countdown 2015: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for All’, a conference that wrapped up in London Thursday, was awash with statistics on a range of matters. One statistic had particular resonance, however - namely that men in sub-Saharan Africa only have access to an average of three condoms a year.

RIGHTS: 2008 Games Will Open China to International Scrutiny

Obsessed with image building and sport triumphs, China has pledged to host the best ever Olympics in 2008.

HEALTH: Men – Final Frontier for Education on Sex and Family Planning?

It's not as if men are conspicuous by their absence at 'Countdown 2015: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for All'; quite a few have braved the meeting, even though it must be disheartening to hear the shortcomings of their gender so thoroughly dissected.

RIGHTS: Athens Produces Some Losing Winners

The old wisdom that you win something by just playing the game could hardly have been more true than for the Iraqi, Palestinian and Afghan teams at the Olympics.

HEALTH-MOZAMBIQUE: AIDS Stripping Widows Of Their Rights

When her husband died two months ago, Albertina Come did not only lose him. She also lost their house and belongings acquired through hard work over ten years of marriage.

OLYMPICS-LATAM: Overall Poor Performance Blamed on Lack of State Support

Latin America chalked up several outstanding victories in the Olympic Games in Athens. But with the exception of Cuba, the region's overall performance was low, which analysts attribute to poor state support for sports.

BRAZIL: Culture Ministry Proposal Aimed at Bringing Cinema to All

The Brazilian government is drafting a bill aimed at strengthening the national audiovisual industry and bringing movies to the 90 percent of the population that now lives in areas that have no cinemas.

VENEZUELA: Black Contribution to Local Culture Has Been Largely Ignored

When Berta was a little girl, she met Micaela, "an old black woman, whose back was full of scars." When she asked the adults around her why, she was told "it was the whips and red-hot iron bars, because she was a slave."

SPORTS-MIGRATION: Wanted – Talented Foreign Athletes

Any anonymous foreign national seeking a better life in the European Union (EU) endures nightmarish situations just to obtain a temporary residency permit. But if they show great talent in sports, the barriers disappear as if by magic.