SAUDI ARABIA: Despite Social Restrictions, Jobs Keep Migrants Staying

Abdul Rahman Abdel Qader says he has a simple slogan that keeps things in perspective for him in Saudi Arabia, and in life in general.

POLITICS: Activists Crusade Against E-Jihad

For millions of Muslims, invitation to martyrdom is just a mouse click away. So-called "jihad sites" are springing up all over the Internet to offer the latest news, images and slogans of Islamic holy war.

RELIGION-MEXICO: The Passion According to Iztapalapa

Jesus Christ was beaten, bound and crucified Friday in the Iztapalapa district of the Mexican capital in a massive annual re-enactment of the "Via Crucis" that dates to the mid-19th century.

RIGHTS-SUDAN: Women Demand a Place at the Negotiating Table

Strategic Initiatives for the Horn of Africa, a regional organisation that promotes women's participation in politics, has called for gender issues to be addressed in the Sudanese peace negotiations.

POLITICS-U.S.: From Nation-Building to Religion-Building

One thing that can be said about U.S. neo-conservatives is they do not lack for ambition.

THAILAND: Amid Violence, Muslim South Pins Hopes on New Approach

The graffiti on an abandoned fence in Pattani province in Thailand, near the border of Malaysia, reads, ''Is justice still out there?'' The sign is a reflection of the fear and confusion among residents of Thailand's three southernmost provinces - Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat - and their frustration over the government's inability to end the violence, arson, bombings and killings that Bangkok blames on separatists, but which critics question.

RIGHTS-RWANDA: Women Survivors of the Rwandan Genocide Face Grim Realities

Mamerthe Karuhimbi was 19 when the killers came to her home in the Rwandan town of Nyamata, a decade ago.

CHINA-TAIWAN: Intermarriages Mix Love, Suspicion, Torn Loyalties

-Amid the longstanding enmity between mainland China and separately-ruled Taiwan, intermarriages between people from both sides have been taking place -stories of love, hatred, suspicion and torn loyalties that could well rival Shakespearean dramas.

POLITICS-SRI LANKA: Peace Talks, Economics Priority of New Gov’t

Sri Lanka's new government is set to restart peace talks with the Tamil Tiger rebels, in a shaky process that has been complicated by a split in rebel ranks but now also has to pay equal attention to rural poverty and economic issues.

POPULATION: ‘Natural Family’ Definition Rankles Rights Activists

Conservative groups calling for a return to the "natural family" gathered in Mexico to shower praise upon each other and to pledge to work harder in fighting homosexuality, divorce and "sexual wantonness" - positions that set more than a few human rights activists' teeth on edge.

POLITICS-IRAN: Hamas Leader’s Death Highlights Rifts, Disaffection

The death in an Israeli rocket attack of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, has highlighted rifts between Iranians, and between Iran and its Arab neighbours.

POPULATION-PHILIPPINES: After ‘Fatwah’, Muslims Face Taboo Issues

Upon birth, a Muslim infant is called to greatness. An imam, the keeper of faith in the mosque, cuddles the infant and whispers prayers traditionally held to be the first words the baby should hear as Allah's blessing.

POLITICS-AFRICA: Interfaith Gathering Sets Its Sights on Conflict Resolution

The past few days have seen religious leaders around Africa take the lead in addressing violence on the continent.

POLITICS-SRI LANKA: Tamil Areas on Edge as Voting Day Nears

Tamil voters in the north and eastern parts of Sri Lanka, dominated by the Tamil Tiger rebels, have been receiving flyers highlighting the ''dangers'' ahead if Tiger-backed candidates sweep the Apr. 2 parliamentary polls.

MEXICO: Expelled British Cavers Barred from Country for Two Years

The Mexican government expelled 13 British cavers late Monday after their exploring activities in the country sparked a diplomatic row with London, in an episode that a local caver association described as ''embarrassing.''

SAUDI ARABIA: Social, Political Rights Bigger than Religion – Women

Discussing the role and rights of women in this highly-conservative and tightly-ruled kingdom, is a touchy subject, whether the interlocutor is a man or a woman.

POLITICS-INDONESIA: Islamic Parties Woo Votes, But Chances Poor

Indonesia has seen the Bali bombing, the defeat of an Islamic party in neighbouring Malaysia and the rise of Islamic militancy across South-east Asia. But voters in the world's most populous Muslim country are unlikely to give much support to Islamic parties in the Apr. 5 parliamentary elections.

/ARTS WEEKLY/FILM-BRAZIL: A True Believer in Documentaries

The ninth international "It's All True" festival is under way in Brazil until mid-April, celebrating the success of films that "creatively deal with reality," and honouring their main proponent in this Latin American country, Amir Labaki.

/ARTS WEEKLY/RELIGION-LATAM: Yes to Gibson, No to Da Vinci

The Catholic Church hierarchy in Latin America is riding the success of Mel Gibson's 'The Passion of the Christ' to promote a conservative religious agenda, while it scorns 'The Da Vinci Code', a best-seller based on a fictional storyline involving centuries- old plots by the Vatican.

/ARTS WEEKLY/BOOKS: Sweatshop Martyrs Gone But Never Forgotten

Just before quitting time on a pleasant Saturday in late March 1911, someone at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory in New York City shouted, "Fire!"

POLITICS-INDONESIA: Islamic Parties Woo Votes, But Chances Poor

Indonesia has seen the Bali bombing, the defeat of an Islamic party in neighbouring Malaysia and the rise of Islamic militancy across South-east Asia. But voters in the world's most populous Muslim country are unlikely to give much support to Islamic parties in the Apr. 5 parliamentary elections.