THEATRE-US: The Houswife’s Lament

Since the 1950s, views in the United States have changed a lot about whether marriage is good for women - or at least about the nature of its serious disadvantages.

Q&A: Ukraine Divided Over Russia

Key pro-Western politicians in Ukraine are promoting the revival of an ethno-cultural nationalism which is built on opposition to Russia and has driven a wedge between Ukrainians - western Ukrainians tend to see the eastern neighbour as the eternal enemy, while many in the east see Russia as a part of themselves.

CHINA: Peeved at 'Insults' to Olympic Flame

When the Eiffel Tower was lit up in red to celebrate the Chinese New Year in 2004 during the year of China in France, Chinese people generously professed their love for all things French. "The warmth the Chinese felt could not be described in words," gushed the People’s Daily.

Q&A: "As a Woman Politician in Kenya, You Need to Think Out of the Box"

A coalition cabinet for Kenya was sworn in Thursday amidst mingled relief and exasperation on the part of those living in the East African nation: relief at the possibility of Kenya now being able to rebuild in earnest after post-election violence, and exasperation at the price tag attached to this hope.

Q&A: &#39Brutalisation of State, Society Behind Spurt in Executions&#39

In 2007, Pakistan executed someone, somewhere on an average, every three days. And every single day 7,000 others died - ''figuratively speaking" - waiting in dread for the black warrant announcing their own date with the gallows, says I.A. Rehman, director of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).

INDIA: China Keeps Torch, Tibetans Get Media Mileage

With the Olympic torch passing safely through India, home of the government-in-exile of the Dalai Lama, China got what it wanted. But then so did the large community of Tibetan expatriates in this country: publicity for their cause.

BRAZIL: The Body Beautiful – Women’s Ladder to Success

Brazilians, especially women, are among the global leaders in taking meticulous care of their bodies and exhibiting them to advantage. This is a significant factor in climbing social and economic ladders, establishing identities and competing successfully in markets, from employment to romance.

Q&A: "I Will Give the Big Boys a Run For Their Money"

She's made her mark in the history books by becoming one of only three women to contest the presidency in Kenya; but, Nazlin Umar won't be taking up residence in State House, at least not during the current political term.

POLITICS-SOUTH ASIA: Dealing With Nepal’s Himalayan Shift

After greatly surprising the world through its spectacular victory in direct first-past-the-post elections to the country’s new constituent assembly, the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) now appears likely to perform far better than expected in the proportional representation (PR) component of the house too.

POLITICS: Democracy Unfinished

A new report by the Geneva-based Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) has shown that women are changing the priorities and sometimes the tone of legislatures around the world. But, it also highlights the slow pace at which the number of parliamentary seats held by women is increasing.

INDIA/BANGLADESH: Rail Link Revived After 43 Years

It was a trip down memory lane for old timers who travelled from Dhaka to Kolkata by train on Monday. The last time they could do this was 43 years ago.

ARGENTINA: Museum Charts Roller Coaster of Foreign Debt

Anyone wondering why a country as rich in natural resources as Argentina has such a large proportion of its population living in poverty should definitely visit a cultural enclave that is virtually hidden away in the bustling capital city: the Foreign Debt Museum.

POLITICS-US: Religious Right – Growing Pains, or Death Throes?

During a recent appearance at the National Religious Broadcasters conference, Dr. James Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, expressed deep concern about the future of the conservative Christian movement he helped build and define.

SRI LANKA: Beating Grain Prices With Home Grown Rice

Drastically lowered wheat consumption in this island country - once running close to that of the domestically grown staple rice - has been welcomed by food security experts as the only way to beat the current rise in global grain prices.

ARCHAEOLOGY-VENEZUELA: Treasure Island

Cubagua, a 24-square-kilometre island off of Venezuela’s northern Caribbean coast, is uninhabited but guards the archaeological testimony of three stages of human history and prehistory in the Americas.

RIGHTS-PAKISTAN: Harsh Colonial Law Set To Change

In May 2007, officials sealed a multi-storey shopping plaza belonging to three brothers from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) because their tribesmen were reported to have abducted two former employees of the Pakistan Tobacco Company.

CULTURE: Martyrs and Scholars Meet in the Middle

In an age when suicide bombings and religious and ethnic riots comprise the bulk of the evening news, it seems as though compassion and compromise are more elusive than ever.

MEXICO: Church Uproar Over Drug Traffickers’ ‘Good Works’

A senior Catholic bishop’s acknowledgement that drug traffickers contribute money and buildings to their communities, and occasionally seek out priests to redeem themselves, was merely a restatement of old news. The novelty here was the angry reactions from within the Church, experts say.

MEXICO: “Emos” Under Attack

"We are a komplex organisation, kapable of eliminating EMOS in this world, if you want to kontact us, our email is (...)" On-line messages like this one have been fanning a wave of intolerance against one of the lesser-known young counterculture groups in Mexico.

POLITICS-MALAYSIA: Two-Party System Taking Shape

Following its big gains in the Mar. 8 polls, Malaysia's once disparate opposition, led by the charismatic former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, has forged a formal coalition capable of taking on the ruling 14-party National Front (NF) coalition.

CULTURE-CUBA: The Times, They Are A-Changin’

Topics that are taboo in Cuba, absent from media coverage and missing in the political discourse were nevertheless present in debates at a congress of intellectuals who advocated a greater role for criticism in society, and more room for dialogue and participation.