RELIGION-VATICAN: John Paul II’s Conservative Legacy

All signs are that the next pope, most likely a Latin American or Italian, will maintain the same conservative profile as John Paul II, despite the many points of dissent it has caused within the Roman Catholic Church.

HEALTH-MALAWI: Being Pregnant is Shrouded By a Shadow of Death

With one in every 15 pregnant women dying from pregnancy and delivery complications, giving birth is risky business in Malawi.

POLITICS-ZANZIBAR: Rape on the Increase as Justice Systems Falter

Tanzania's isles of Unguja and Pemba Isles are reporting an increase in the number of rape cases.

RELIGION: Latin America Marked by Pope’s 25-Year Tenure

In his 25 years in the papacy, John Paul II visited as many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, and his travels changed the face of the Roman Catholic Church in the region, pushing to the sidelines its once vigorous progressive wing.

POLITICS: Islamic World under Siege by West, Internal Divisions

Leaders of 57 Islamic nations are gathering here for their summit, amid mistrust, and a sense of betrayal, fear and danger that Islam and the ‘ummah' or community are on trial and under siege - not just by the west but also by its own lethargy and deep divisions within it.

/ARTS WEEKLY/ARTS: "Fast Food Nation" Author Turns Critical Eye on Prisons

Why is author Eric Schlosser hanging around Swedish prisons? Well, drugs, black market labor, pornography, and fast food can all be ruled out. He's already written about those subjects.

/ARTS WEEKLY/ FILM-PARAGUAY: Not the Normal Big Screen Fare

Feature-length and short films from 22 countries are in the line-up for Paraguay's international film festival, one of the very few opportunities in this country to see something besides Hollywood blockbusters, which fill the big screens the rest of the year.

/ARTS WEEKLY/SPORT: In India, It's Cricket versus Hockey

Sports in India these days is a matter of which game can capture not just the eye of fans but sponsorships - gentlemanly cricket favoured by the country's anglicised elite, or the rough and tumble of field hockey that is dominated by tribals and players from deprived social backgrounds.

/ARTS WEEKLY/ LITERATURE: From Chile’s McOndo to Mexico’s Manifesto

The literary movements of Chile and Mexico have been at the vanguard of Latin American literature since 1996, according to the participants in "Amón Literario", a gathering in Costa Rica of 35 writers from Latin America and Spain.

RELIGION-CHILE: Divorce, Catholic-Style

Chile should have a new law making divorce legal before the end of the year, despite the fierce resistance of the Roman Catholic Church, which has made this the only country in the Americas, and one of the only countries in the world, where divorce is still banned.

MEDIA-PAKISTAN: Activists Tune in to Radio’s New Sound

Shahzad Nasir now switches on to radio as soon as he starts his car. He enjoys the variety of Urdu and English songs on three FM radio channels in Islamabad, which he says keep him on top of the local and international music scene.

RIGHTS-ZAMBIA: Land Rights for Women Still Far From Becoming a Reality

When Lands Minister Judith Kapijimpanga announced recently that government had, with immediate effect, directed local authorities to intensify land allocation to women to empower them through ownership, there was a huge round of applause.

RIGHTS-IRAN: Reformists Hail Nobel Prize Win, Others Frown

''Look, an Iranian lady has won the Nobel Peace Prize! Unbelievable, another nail in the coffin of the Islamic regime, '' Narges Khordadi, a 23-year-old student at Tehran university, said upon hearing the news of Shirin Ebadi's victory.

RIGHTS-AFRICA: Gays, Lesbians Fight Conservative Gov’ts, Unkind Society

It can pass for any high-class restaurant in Kenya's capital Nairobi. With the serene environment, soft piped music and colourful lights, curiosity of passers-by is aroused, and some are tempted to get inside for a swig.

POLITICS-MALAYSIA: Memoirs Reopen Wounds of Communist Insurgency

Malaysians are woefully divided over Chin Peng, the man who led a bloody and violence-filled communist insurrection four decades ago that killed thousands of people but is now seeking forgiveness for that still-sensitive episode in history.

PAKISTAN: Assassination of Sunni Leader to Fuel More Violence

Though he was facing charges of involvement in at least 18 sectarian murders, Maulana Azam Tariq was the pulse of Sunni politics in Pakistan and his assassination this week has raised fears of a backlash against minority Shiites.

CULTURE-MALAWI: Property Grabbing Impoverishes Widows

The death of 48-year-old school teacher, Juma Matemba, of a heart attack, would have been just another loss in Malawi.

CULTURE-ZAMBIA: Reality Show Star Under Fire from Media, Women’s Groups

Now in the saddle of 'stardom', Cherise Makubale is finding that perhaps the 106 days she spent in the 'Big Brother Africa House' in South Africa, and the100,000-U.S.-dollar prize was easy pickings compared to the scrutiny her private life is getting now.

RIGHTS-RWANDA: Marriage by Abduction Worries Women’s Groups

Judith Kanzayire, a 29-year-old mother of three children from northern Rwanda, admits that she was the victim of 'marriage by abduction'. "What can you do? It's the tradition here. We have no choice but to accept it," she says.

/ARTS WEEKLY/ HISTORY-VENEZUELA: A Realist in Bolivar’s Shadow

María Antonia Bolívar, the "odd" sister of South American Liberator Simón Bolívar has been rescued from the archives of history by Venezuelan researcher Inés Quintero, whose new book reveals how the "realist" opposed her brother's heroic exploits and passionately defended the Spanish Crown.

/ARTS WEEKLY/ MUSIC-COLOMBIA: Song from Nature’s Depths

The song of the humpbacked whales on their trek from Antarctica to Colombia's Pacific coast is melded with the voice of mezzo-soprano Martha Senn in the seven-movement cantata "Pacificanto", premiered 35 metres underground.