CULTURE-COSTA RICA: New Status to Help Preserve ‘Treasure Island’

Tiny Coco Island in the Pacific Ocean, already a UNESCO World Heritage Site, will now enjoy even greater protection by the Costa Rican government as it was declared a national historical and cultural heritage site this month.

CHINA: Disneyland, Entertainment Dreams Ride High

Undaunted by the huge sums already squandered by domestic investors on building large amusement parks, most of which are empty, China is cashing in on multinational entertainment giants' dream to conquer the world's largest and still untapped market.

JAMAICA: Vibrant Capital Under Siege From Violent Crime

Violence in downtown Kingston has claimed another victim - a traditional holiday pageant that is being relocated for the first time in more than 60 years.

JAMAICA: Vibrant Capital Under Siege From Violent Crime

Violence in downtown Kingston has claimed another victim - a traditional holiday pageant that is being relocated for the first time in more than 60 years.

POLITICS: U.S. Military Momentum Marches Minus Muslim Opinion

A number of steps taken by the United States in December are pointers to a military operation against Iraq early in 2003, irrespective of the findings of U.N. inspectors or opposition from Muslim public opinion.

POLITICS: Compassion Must Be the New Religion – Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, called Wednesday for the establishment of compassion as the new universal religion - ironically on a day when a special court in India sentenced three men to death for complicity in a militant attack on Parliament a year ago.

/ARTS WEEKLY/FILM-VIETNAM: ‘The Quiet American’ Creates a Stir

The screening here of the latest Hollywood adaptation of 'The Quiet American', based on Graham Greene's 1955 novel, is a long-awaited one after the Vietnamese authorities gave the film the ideological green light.

/ARTS WEEKLY/JAMAICA: Groups Work to Preserve Jonkunnu Christmas Event

Neville Gordon still laughs when he remembers the first time he saw a Jonkunnu parade nearly 40 years ago in his community of Grange Hill, Westmoreland.

/ARTS WEEKLY/ART-MEXICO: Quality Copies of Masterpieces at a Modest Price

Museum quality reproductions of the works of old masters like Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet and Pierre Auguste Renoir can now be purchased legally in Mexico at affordable prices ranging from 4,000 to 15,000 U.S. dollars.

/ARTS WEEKLY/FILM-LATAM: Brazilian Stories Conquer Havana Festival

Two Brazilian films, one a bold incursion into violence and the other the story of a homosexual man who seeks stardom, captivated audiences and critics alike at the 24th Festival of New Latin American Film.

JAMAICA: Groups Work to Preserve Jonkunnu Christmas Event

Neville Gordon still laughs when he remembers the first time he saw a Jonkunnu parade nearly 40 years ago in his community of Grange Hill, Westmoreland.

BOOKS-AFRICA: A Day in the Life of the Continent

A new book presents a multi-dimensional perspective of Africaa continent often depicted as a one-dimensional basket case.

/ARTS WEEKLY/FILM-VIETNAM: ‘The Quiet American’ Creates a Stir

The screening here of the latest Hollywood adaptation of 'The Quiet American', based on Graham Greene's 1955 novel, is a long-awaited one after the Vietnamese authorities gave the film the ideological green light.

/ARTS WEEKLY/ART-MEXICO: Quality Copies of Masterpieces at a Modest Price

Museum quality reproductions of the works of old masters like Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet and Pierre Auguste Renoir can now be purchased legally in Mexico at affordable prices ranging from 4,000 to 15,000 U.S. dollars.

/ARTS WEEKLY/FILM-LATAM: Brazilian Stories Conquer Havana Festival

Two Brazilian films, one a bold incursion into violence and the other the story of a homosexual man who seeks stardom, captivated audiences and critics alike at the 24th Festival of New Latin American Film.

PERU: Activist Priest Wins Regional Election, Loses Parish

Roman Catholic priest Salvador Espinoza will take office as governor of the region of Huancavelica in southern Peru, one of the poorest parts of the country, on Jan 1. But he has lost his parish, because the Church does not allow members of the clergy to become directly involved in politics.

INDIA: Hindu Extremists’ Win in Gujarat Will Infect Politics

The stunning victory of the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the assembly elections in India's western state of Gujarat is a triumph of an aggressive, violent form of Hindu fundamentalism or fascism, and a shock defeat for pluralism, secularism, multiculturalism and democracy.

BANGLADESH: Journalists’ Detention Shows Sensitivity to Coverage

The release from detention of two foreign television journalists last week and the continued imprisonment of two of their local colleagues underscores Bangladesh's sensitivity to media coverage relating to claims that religious extremists are operating there.

PERU: Activist Priest Wins Regional Election, Loses Parish

Roman Catholic priest Salvador Espinoza will take office as governor of the region of Huancavelica in southern Peru, one of the poorest parts of the country, on Jan 1. But he has lost his parish, because the Church does not allow members of the clergy to become directly involved in politics.

INDIA: Hindu Extremists’ Win in Gujarat Will Infect Politics

The stunning victory of the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the assembly elections in India's western state of Gujarat is a triumph of an aggressive, violent form of Hindu fundamentalism or fascism, and a shock defeat for pluralism, secularism, multiculturalism and democracy.

POLITICS-MIDEAST: Increasing Scrutiny Chains Islamic Charities

Muslim charity organisations are coming across increasing scrutiny into their work, but say that global efforts to plug loopholes in the system to prevent funds from reaching terrorists must not undercut the tradition of helping needy Muslims around the world.