/ARTS WEEKLY-THEATRE/UGANDA: Inspired by Women

Uganda's celebrated playwright and director, Charles Mulekwa, owes his success to the women who have instilled in him values that have inspired his writings.

/ARTS WEEKLY/MALAYSIA: Film Dares to Venture into Race Relations

Malaysia's obsession with the 'Malaysia Boleh' or 'Malaysia Can Do It' culture has sent its citizens up Mt Everest, across the English Channel and soon into space, albeit on a Russian rocket.

/ARTS WEEKLY/ TV-CHILE: Revenge of the Puppets

Beyond the ongoing Chilean television network wars, pitting dramas against reality shows against variety programmes in which, critics say, vulgarity is the norm, the surprise hit this year has been the puppet-driven "31 Minutes" news show.

/ARTS WEEKLY/BRITAIN: Old Magic Gets a New Touch

The story of Aladdin, one of the many exotic tales to be found in 'The Thousand and One Arabian Nights', and his journey from poverty to the Sultan's palace has fascinated readers for generations. Aladdin's luck in finding a magic lamp, which in turn would grant his every wish, is the stuff of legend.

RELIGION: Gay Controversy Spreads to Other Churches

The controversy surrounding the Anglican Church over homosexuality appears to be spreading to other churches.

CULTURE-ZIMBABWE: Communities Make Funerals Their Core Business

It's the first Sunday of the month. On the streets in Mpopoma - a working class area - many adults, both men and women but especially men, are distinguishable by their smart ties and dark blazers.

RELIGION-INDIA: Ruling Party Milks the Holy Cow

Faced with uncertain prospects in elections to five state legislatures due within three months, India's pro-Hindu coalition is bringing in a bill in the national parliament to ban the killing of cows and win the sympathies and votes of Hindus, but this is likely to stir a hornet's nest.

CULTURE-SWAZILAND: Women in the Forefront of the Battle Against AIDS

Gogo ("Granny") Mkhatjwa, 62, has had enough of watching her grandchildren die of "the disease that cuts you down completely," as AIDS is colloquially known in the SiSwati language.

SOUTH-EAST ASIA: Hambali Driven to Defeat ‘Enemies of Islam’

This week's capture of 38-year-old Hambali, who real name is Riduan Issamuddin, has effectively ended the career of a successful and dedicated Islamic militant who was fired by zeal at the age of 20 to leave his Indonesian village, and go defeat the 'enemies of Islam'.

SOCIETY: Jamaican Talk Comes of Age

More than 150 years after emancipation from slavery, many Caribbean nationals still struggle with the socially acceptability of the languages that evolved from the African tongues of their ancestors and the English spoken by slave owners.

ENVIRONMENT-VIETNAM: Demand Thrives for Bear Bile Products

When Nguyen An bruised his legs in a motorcycle accident, the traditional doctor next door to his home prescribed that he use an ointment mixed with some bear bile. "It's very effective. You can find it everywhere in town," he said.

RELIGION: Gay Debate Splits Africa

The Anglican Church in Central Africa is threatening to cut ties with America over a decision by the church in the United States to confirm a gay bishop.

/ARTS WEEKLY/CHILE: Reality TV Too Real, Too Late

"Reality shows" have reached Chilean television en masse this year, a bit late in comparison to other countries, with critics saying they add little to already poor local programming. But one show has sparked controversy related to human rights violations committed during the Pinochet dictatorship.

/ARTS WEEKLY/LITERATURE-VENEZUELA: Prize Goes to the Dogs and Cats

This year's Rómulo Gallegos International Prize for the Novel, awarded by the Venezuelan state, could be among the strangest in its history, with the 100,000 dollars in prize money ending up in the hands of a foundation that protects the dogs and cats on the streets of Caracas.

/ARTS WEEKLY/CULTURE/SOUTH AFRICA: A Legacy of Apartheid

India has the Gandhi memorial park in Delhi, the United States has its Vietnam memorial in Washington and the French have the Eiffel Tower, now South Africa is seized with how it will remember apartheid and establish a legacy project that speaks quintessentially of the country and its history.

/ARTS WEEKLY/FILM-JAPAN: New Documentary Revisits Costs of War

A new documentary on the horrifying experience of female high school students who were forced to work as nurses for the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II is the latest reminder of the hopelessness of war.

/ARTS WEEKLY/JAMAICA: Scorned Statue Shows Public’s Unease at Nudity – Sculptor

Life has not been the same for Jamaican sculptor Laura Facey-Cooper since her statue, Redemption Song, was unveiled here at Emancipation Park on Aug. 1.

/ARTS WEEKLY/GERMANY: Chinese Summer Comes to Berlin

On a blazing hot afternoon, perspiring visitors ascend the steps to Berlin's imposing Altes Museum with its Greek columns. The museum is exhibiting art works spanning some 2,000 years of Chinese history.

RIGHTS-ZIMBABWE: Women of Amazing Courage

When she opened the front door to her house, 28 year-old Patience Makoni (not her real name) thought she was letting in a friend who had called earlier to say she would be visiting her later that day.

RIGHTS: More Clashes Ahead as Gay Rights Gain Recognition

Gay rights activists and some of the world's most entrenched institutions appear poised for more clashes following recent decisions that signal a growing liberal attitude towards gays and lesbians in many regions.

SOUTH-EAST ASIA: Fallout of Bali Verdict Will Gauge Scale of Militant Islam

The spectacle that unfolded in an Indonesian court this week, as it issued its verdict on the Bali bombings, would have added to the long list of stereotypes critics of Islam have of this faith - that it encourages violence and that Muslims kill civilians without remorse.