SOUTH KOREA: At Home in Mr Toilet’s House

Generally relegated to the far and hidden corners of a house, or even outside in rural areas, toilets have never been given the attention they deserve.

PAKISTAN: Constitution Under the Jackboot Yet Again

Pakistan has seen several coups and military dictators in the 60 years of its existence, but President Gen. Pervez Musharraf will go down in history as the man who staged a coup against his own government.

AFGHANISTAN: Uneasy Over Pakistan’s Emergency

A wary Afghanistan has been closely following events across the border in Pakistan where President Gen. Pervez Musharraf clamped an emergency on Nov. 3 citing rising militancy and "interference" by the judiciary.

POLITICS-US: The World According to Pat

In a two-week span that saw several conservative Christian evangelical leaders finally climb down off the fence and begin spreading their endorsements across the field of Republican Party presidential candidates, it was the unexpected endorsement by one of Christian conservatism's longtime leaders that garnered the most media attention.

ARGENTINA: University Opens Doors to the World

The University of Buenos Aires (UBA) is the alma mater of four of Argentina’s five Nobel Prize winners. It is regarded as one of Latin America’s most prestigious universities, and thousands of young foreign students are entering its halls of learning.

CULTURE-US: Text Me the Webisode About Avian Flu…

As the winter holiday season approaches and brand-new dictionary editions hit U.S. bookshelves, researchers and lexicographers have been immersed in a lively debate over which new words should make the cut.

EDUCATION: After Lull, Foreign Students Return to U.S.

For the first time since the 2001-02 school year, there has been an increase in the number of foreign students enrolled at colleges and universities in the United States, according to the latest annual report of the Institute of International Education.

RIGHTS-US: Economic Ladder Shaky for African Americans

Black families in the United States lag significantly behind whites in economic mobility over the past 35 years, says a report by the Pew Charitable Trusts released Tuesday.

RELIGION-THAILAND: ‘Monks With Traits of a Crow’

Few would have thought that a painting would have the power to shake the foundations of modern-day temple life in Thailand, a country which prides itself as the centre of Buddhism.

MIDEAST-US: New Scholars Group Seen as Close to White House

A small group of Middle East and African studies scholars in the United States has announced the creation of a new professional association to change the direction of scholarship in the field.

LATIN AMERICA: Journey to Bring Big Screen to Small Towns

A young Argentine couple will set out from this capital city in December on an overland journey through 12 Latin American countries, as far as Mexico, taking their country’s films to small towns in rural areas, with backing from the state and civil society organisations.

DEATH PENALTY-JAPAN: Dissenting Judge Breaks 40-Year Silence

Norimichi Kumamoto says he still feels "tremendous anger" and cannot maintain his silence any longer. In 1968, he was one of three judges who sentenced a boxer to death on charges of murdering a family of four, although at the time he was convinced the man was innocent.

PARAGUAY: The Dark Side of the Soy Boom

A sea of green stretches as far as the eye can see on both sides of the dirt road leading to the communities of Lima, Capiibary and Guayaibí, 250 km from the capital, in the northern Paraguayan department (province) of San Pedro, one of the country’s poorest.

IBERO-AMERICA: Portugal Wants a Bigger Role

The Portuguese government has decided on a new strategy in Latin America: to cease being a wallflower at Ibero-American summits and take on a more active role, beyond the confines of Brazil, in relation to the Spanish-speaking countries.

RIGHTS-INDIA: Muslim Youth&#39s Death May Cost Communists Dear

On a narrow lane in this city’s Muslim ghetto of Park Circus lives Kishar Jahan - a frail woman whose cry for justice following the suspected murder of her son who dared marry the daughter of a wealthy Hindu family, has caught West Bengal state’s ruling communists on the back foot.

AFGHANISTAN: Police Academy Duties Faze US Troops

Like other troops, the Sep.11, 2001 attacks against the United States inspired Sgt. First Class Darryl Cheatham to join the military. The South Carolina native had already served 10 years in the army before returning to civilian life, but patriotism lured him back into uniform.

CUBA: Churches Tackle Divisions by Discussing Ethics, Not Doctrine

A group of Christian denominations and ecumenical organisations in Cuba have launched an ethical dialogue aimed at smoothing over their historical differences and fomenting mutual understanding, knowledge, and openness to debate.

RIGHTS-COTE D&#39IVOIRE: Fighting FGM From Mosque and Pulpit

In certain parts of Africa, female genital mutilation (FGM) has been linked to religion, with Muslim communities mistakenly believing that the practice is a religious requirement. But in Côte d'Ivoire, religion is also being put at the service of fighting FGM.

POLITICS-PAKISTAN: Pro-Taliban Militants Grip Swat Valley, Defy Army

Violence has escalated this week in Swat, a high valley in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) bordering Afghanistan, where a tenuous ceasefire was broken by brazen attacks on government targets by pro-Taliban militants.

TRINIDAD: Divided Opposition Makes Last Pitch Before Polls

As an economist and former Central Bank governor, Winston Dookeran is well aware of the numbers game.

LABOUR-SOUTH PACIFIC: ‘Australia Short-Changing Neighbours’

A leading economist has urged Australia to reconsider its opposition to a migrant worker scheme that could act as a safety valve for social and political pressures in neighbouring countries caused by bourgeoning youth populations.