/ARTS WEEKLY/INDIA: Interest Rises in 17th-century Gothic Palace

To the tourists who visit the riotously gaudy temple pagodas that this southern Indian city is famous for, the unmistakable European Gothic style of the 17th century Tirumala Nayak Palace must come as both relief and surprise.

/ARTS WEEKLY/CULTURE: Arts Project Goes Beyond Boundaries

''When I explained to O my wish to present this (shopping) bag at Womanifesto as an item that stands for the ex-political prisoners' struggle to manage their daily life. and also the lives of their families, he agreed.''

/ARTS WEEKLY/ CUBA: Biennial a Showcase for Critical Eye on Society

Flags from some 20 nations painted black, grey and white flutter in the wind over the colonial fort La Cabaña, where a critical vision of today's world abounds at the central exhibition of the 8th Havana Arts Biennial, underway until Dec. 15.

POLITICS-IRAN: For Many, Qods Day a Wornout Cliche

''Cutting ties with the Zionist regime is a must for the Islamic world,'' reads a placard in Tajrish Square in the north of the Iranian capital, a well-off area with lots of fashionable young passersby.

INDIA: To Get Justice, Venue of Pogrom Cases May be Shifted

In a stinging rebuke to the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in western Gujarat state, India's Supreme Court Friday indicated that it may order the transfer of cases relating to last year's pogrom against the Muslim community outside the state in the interests of ensuring justice for the victims.

POLITICS-INDIA: Fight over Jobs Turns into Ethnic War

A fight over coveted jobs in India's massive railway system has turned into an ugly ethnic conflagration, leading to the deaths of at least 30 Hindi-speaking settlers this week in the north-eastern Assam state, where the army has been out since Wednesday to stop the carnage.

CULTURE: U.S. Students Must Open Avenues to the World – Panel

America's global woes can be solved only with a greater understanding of different cultures and languages, attainable only if more U.S. students study abroad, said a panel of experts Tuesday.

PAKISTAN: Latest Case Highlights Abuse of Blasphemy Law – Critics

A Muslim priest is far from being the first person to face blasphemy charges in Pakistan, but his case is different from the scores that have received wide publicity in the past. He is accused of having made derogatory remarks about Jesus Christ.

/ARTS WEEKLY/ CHILE: Theatre a Santiago Symbol – and a National Problem

The Santiago Municipal Theatre, Chile's leading cultural venue and a jewel of the capital, was about to close its doors due to financial troubles, but has gotten a second chance with the national government's decision to intervene.

/ARTS WEEKLY/CULTURE: Guerrilla Admakers Try to Buy U.S. TV Airtime

Independent film producer Steve Garfield says there are two reasons he is planning to enter MoveOn.org's 'Bush in 30 Seconds' commercial competition.

/ARTS WEEKLY/ INDIA: Hard-Hitting Documentary Reveals Hidden Apartheid

Minutes into 'Behind The Open Door' we see a woman, a ragged broom in one hand and a small metal board in the other, reaching across into a filthy dark recess at the foot of a brick house. From it, she is scraping out into a bin a slurry formed from human faeces.

/ARTS WEEKLY/ BRAZIL: Ageing Newcomer Melds Classical into Pop Music

Music is the area of the cultural industry in which Brazil remains dominant on the domestic market, even in these times of globalisation. Three-quarters of music sales are nationally-produced albums, including those of the multifaceted but little-known José Miguel Wisnik.

POLITICS-MALAYSIA: Islamic Debate Deepens Divisions

The division between moderates and fundamentalists among Malaysia's majority Malay Muslims has sharpened dramatically, if not irrevocably, in recent weeks.

POLITICS-SWAZILAND: A Boost for Women in Parliament

Women now comprise 30 percent of Swaziland's legislature, following King Mswati's appointments of new MPs and Senators. For a traditional nation where women are still legal minors, this accomplishment is impressive.

POLITICS: Bush Re-inventing ‘War on Terror’

Two years down the line, facing difficulties in Afghanistan and Iraq and stiff opposition at home and abroad, U.S. President George W Bush has tried to re-invent the 'war on terror'.

RELIGION-CUBA: Local Bishops More Critical Than Vatican

Local Roman Catholic Church authorities in Cuba tend to take a more critical stance than the Vatican towards the situation in this socialist island nation, according to some analysts.

/ARTS WEEKLY/FILM: Documentary Highlights Human Side of North Korea

Few Americans know that no army won the Korean War - it ended in a truce. But most are familiar with U.S. charges that North Korea has weapons of mass destruction, and they might also be used to thinking of the communist nation as a serious threat.

/ARTS WEEKLY/ MEXICO: Museum Tells Children, ‘Do Touch’

Seeing through the eyes of a dolphin, acting on television, travelling through space or crawling inside an anthill are just some of the experiences that more than 12 million people have taken away from the Papalote Children's Museum in Mexico over the past decade.

/ARTS WEEKLY/MUSIC-JAMAICA: Marley Son Seeks Own Sound

It has been six years since Julian Marley's debut album, 'Lion In The Morning', was released. But the singer-songwriter says the songs on his new album, 'A Time and Place', are so timeless it is unlikely fans will notice that he has been away.

/ARTS WEEKLY/FILM-AUSTRALIA: Street Youth Come to Reel Life

The first feature film produced on a shoestring budget by a Vietnamese-born Australian filmmaker has taken the arts film scene here by storm, given its poignant and powerful depiction of the often depressing lives of Australian youngsters who live on the streets.

/ARTS WEEKLY/ETHIOPIA: Rastafarians Promoting Alternative Farming Method

For decades the Rastafarian community, in their spiritual home here, had not been taken seriously and Ethiopians have even termed them as ludicrous.