RELIGION-KENYA: Church Severs Ties with U.S. Gay Bishop

The Anglican Church of Kenya has barred all its 28 dioceses from having any involvement with Gene Robinson, the new bishop of New Hampshire in the United States - and the first openly gay clergyman.

POLITICS-U.S.: Electorate More Polarised Than Ever

Of all the campaign lines delivered in his stump speeches country-wide in the autumn of 2000 this one, ''I'm a uniter, not a divider'', was perhaps the most reassuring among voters who were not entirely sure what George W. Bush was all about.

RIGHTS-MALAWI: Gays Fear That Bishop Row Will Have Ripple Effect

For Madalo and Trevin, a gay couple in Malawi, the romance began in 1997 during a holiday break at the country’s best-known tourist attraction. Trevin, a laid-back 34-year-old, had joined the band-wagon of South African tourists seeking the sun and sand of Lake Malawi.

RIGHTS-KENYA: Women Resurrect Debate on Affirmative Action

Kenyan women are challenging a report by a state-appointed taskforce which, they say, has ignored issues that have contributed to their marginalisation.

/ARTS WEEKLY/ CUBA: Spectre of Censorship Haunts Biennial

The pluralistic nature of the Havana Arts Biennial is being called into question in its eighth edition since emerging in 1984 as a space for artists of the developing South.

/ARTS WEEKLY/ VENEZUELA: A Native Musical Treasure-Trove

The largest collection of native Latin America musical instruments is found in Venezuela, where a group of musicologists and anthropologists have maintained an orchestra dedicated to disseminating and teaching the region's ethnic music - and to keeping it alive.

/ARTS WEEKLY/CULTURE: Musician to Sing the Links Between Trade, U.S.’ Big Media

Disgusted that "the media is no longer reporting the stories that really matter", British folk-rocker Billy Bragg is taking his message directly to the people with a 'Tell Us The Truth' U.S. tour that brims with outrage over corporate swashbucklers and talking head tele-zombies.

/ARTS WEEKLY-UGANDA: Children Use Pictures to Convey a Message of Peace

The pictures of flying bullets, burning houses, dead bodies and fleeing villagers, show just how Uganda's 17-year-old conflict has become part of the children in the north of the country.

POLITICS: U.S. Quest for Foreign Policy Continues

U.S. foreign policy continues to be in a quandary, and not just because U.S. troops are bogged down in the two Muslim countries that they invaded and occupied after Sep.11, 2001.

RIGHTS-BANGLADESH: Despite Laws, Dowry Demands Still Kill Women

For the last 20 years of her married life, Maksuda Aktar, who is now 40, has been regularly and ruthlessly beaten.

CULTURE-JAPAN: Savvy Businesswomen Storm Services Sector

At 55, Noriko Suda is the proud owner of a chic clothes boutique that enjoys a downtown Tokyo address, and she loves every minute of her work.

SRI LANKA: Buddhists, Hindus Join to Keep New Churches at Bay

Slowly and steadily, Buddhists and Hindus in this island nation are forging new bonds as leaders of both religious communities face what they see as the threat posed by new Christian groups.

/REPEAT/ECONOMY-AFRICA: Making Gambling a Safe Bet

Love it or hate it, the gambling industry is making inroads on the African continent. If not closely monitored however, it could bring with it a host of evils such as money laundering and fraud - not to mention gambling addiction.

RIGHTS-KENYA: Battered Men Emerge From Cocoons of Silence

For the first time, Kenyan men are admitting that they are at the receiving end of domestic violence.

CULTURE-SOUTH AFRICA: Protestors Build Global Solidarity

The T-shirt, the poster, the billboard. Traditionally the weapons of protest and of solidarity are remarkable for their ability to cross oceans with similar messages, as displayed in an exhibition at the Johannesburg Art gallery.

POLITICS-U.S.: Bush’s Muslim Troubles

U.S. President George W. Bush's latest gesture to persuade Muslims both here and abroad that the United States is not seeking a ''clash of civilisations'' has not gone over well with its intended audience.

ARGENTINA: Book Distribution in Stadiums – a ‘Novel’ Project

Fans in Argentina's football stadiums will now have a new activity during half-time: reading short stories by local writers, handed out as part of an innovative initiative aimed at calming tempers, which often flare up during games, while boosting the reading habit.

POLITICS-GHANA: Women Prepare To Make Their Mark In Elections

Ghana is scheduled to hold both presidential and parliamentary elections next year – a prospect that has galvanized the country’s women. A series of meetings is being held nationwide to draft a women’s manifesto for the two polls. Organisers hope this will end a situation where – as they put it – women have been left behind in the democratisation process.

/ARTS WEEKLY/CULTURE-BALKANS: Romans Rise from the Waters

After 15 years of pause, archaeological excavations have been resumed in Serbia, an area rich with remains of ancient Roman sites along the Danube and Sava rivers.

/ARTS WEEKLY/ THEATRE-CHILE: Transvestites Trade Streets for Footlights

The "First Transgender Theatre Company" in Chile has become a reality, providing an opportunity for its members to make a living in the arts of the stage instead of the sex industry, often the only means of subsistence in a society that discriminates against sexual minorities.

/ARTS WEEKLY/ BRAZIL: Buarque’s Pen as Mighty as His Microphone

Chico Buarque de Hollanda, a Brazilian singer-songwriter of international fame, added literature to his artistic endeavours in 1991, and his third novel, "Budapest", has been on the national best-seller list for the past three weeks.