LATIN AMERICA: Unimpressive Medal Haul Expected at Beijing

Some 1,200 athletes from Latin America and the Caribbean will be taking part in the Olympic games in Beijing, but only a handful stand a real chance of landing a medal, to judge from their past performance and their own expectations.

MALAYSIA: Make or Break Election for Ibrahim, Reforms

Undaunted by serious new charges of sodomy, which he says is a frame-up, opposition icon Anwar Ibrahim is making a bid to return to parliament in a by-election that he calls the final battle for a "New Malaysia" sans racial discrimination.

POLITICS-US: Marketing Obama to Evangelicals

For the past three decades, the religious right has dominated the religio- political dialogue in the United States. The right’s growth, and its agenda - which revolved around so-called traditional family values issues including, but not limited to, opposition to abortion and full equality for gays and lesbians - was pursued on two tracks: they built multi-million dollar political and media enterprises, and they made themselves an indispensable force within the Republican Party.

POLITICS-US: Faith in a Time of War

From Republican contender John McCain's Jul. 25 meeting with the Dalai Lama in Aspen, Colorado to Democratic candidate Barack Obama's visit to Jerusalem's Western Wall the same day, the intersection of religion, politics and the "war on terror" has been a recurrent theme in the 2008 U.S. presidential election.

CHINA: Hu Plea Not to Politicise Beijing Olympics

A gathering storm of international criticism over China’s security crackdown and limits on free speech while hosting the Olympic games this month has prompted Chinese president and communist party chief Hu Jintao to step in with a plea not to politicise the sporting event.

Q&A: "Longing for the Past Yet Belonging to the Present"

Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, thousands of intellectuals, activists and poets have left Iran, many fleeing to Europe and the United States. A new book brings together the work of 18 Iranian poets from this diaspora to share their experiences with a wider audience.

PHILIPPINES: ‘Church Ban on Contraceptives Adding to Poverty’

A growing and heated debate in this predominantly Catholic country revolves around the church’s uncompromising stance against the use of contraceptive devices that is said to be contributing to poverty and affecting the quality of life for many Filipinos.

AUSTRALIA: Road to Olympic Success Paved With Gold

While Australia is expected to feature prominently during medal presentations at this month’s Beijing Olympics, success will have come at a price.

THEATRE-US: Native Son Rising

Edwina, played by de'Adre Aziza, an attractive young lady in the church choir, has her eye on "the Youth" (Daniel Breaker). She informs him, "And after we marry and you've got a job in the corporate sector, you'll buy me a sprawling two-storey house fulla African sculptures from tribes we know nothing about, kente cloth couch covers, and Malcolm X commemorative plates lining the walls of our airy, peach-coloured breakfast nook?"

RIGHTS-NEPAL: Court Ruling Emboldens Third Gender

Suman Tamang, 26, remembers feeling guilty for wishing he were a man. Tamang, born a woman, wanted to do the heavy work only men do, was friends with more men than women and was attracted to girls. "At that time, I didn’t really understand I was transgender, I was awkward and I knew I was different."

BRAZIL: Market Access – Key to Autonomy for Rural Black Community

From the 16th century onward, the densely forested, mountainous terrain of the Ribeira River Valley made it an ideal area for runaway slaves to establish settlements of their own, known in Brazil as "quilombos". But the geographical isolation that once offered refuge has now become an obstacle to the development of these Afro-Brazilian communities.

POLITICS-US: My Big, Fat Geek Voter Drive

Few events elicit the passion evident at the International Comic Con convention, as fanboys and gals descended upon San Diego over the weekend, braving long lines to marvel at the latest creations of their long-standing heroes.

PAKISTAN/US: Gilani Can Expect Grilling Over Spy Agency’s Role

By attempting to place Pakistan's shadowy Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) under civilian control, ahead of a trip to the United States, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has revealed eagerness to deflect mounting criticism over the agency’s role in the failing 'war on terror' in neighbouring Afghanistan.

FIJI: Another Move to Muzzle the Media

Since independence in 1970, this Pacific Island nation has had a succession of elected and unelected prime ministers. Both sets of leaders have tried to muzzle what they see as errant, if not dangerous, media.

TRADE: EU ''Rushing'' EPAs Lest African States Change Their Minds

Brussels is tempted to skip the translation of the interim economic partnership agreements (EPAs) into the 23 official European languages because of concerns that some African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries may change their minds about signing the final agreements.

CULTURE-SOUTH AFRICA: Made in Khayelitsha, Sold in New York

Entering the Monkeybiz shop, one is confronted with hundreds of brightly coloured beaded animals, dolls, place mats and pictures. You find yourself smiling involuntarily.

UAE: US-Iran Detente Viewed With Caution

The turnaround in Washington-Tehran ties is being viewed with relief on the one hand and anxiety and anger on the other by various quarters within the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) bloc.

POLITICS-MALAYSIA: Malay-Muslim Call Shakes Opposition Unity

A key constituent of the opposition People’s Alliance coalition led by Anwar Ibrahim has opened secret talks with the ruling United Malay National Organisation (UMNO) party of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi in a move that threatens the stability of the fragile five-month-old opposition alliance.

POLITICS-US: Latino Voters Heavily Favour Obama

Democratic Sen. Barack Obama is preferred by a nearly a three-to-one margin over his Republican rival, Sen. John McCain, among Latinos who are registered to vote, according to a major new poll released Thursday by the Pew Hispanic Centre.

CAMBODIA/THAILAND: Temple Row – Latest in Testy Ties

The armed standoff between Cambodia and Thailand over ownership of the ancient Hindu temple of Preah Vihear is the latest chapter in the neighbouring countries’ troubled relationship.

BRAZIL: Livelihoods Vs. Environment – Afro-Descendants Caught in the Middle

"They won’t let us plant our crops," says Leonila Costa Pontes, referring to the laws that require an environmental permit for her to cultivate her small plot of land.