IRAN: Benetton Gets Lessons in Shock Advertising

When the pro-government ‘Iran’ newpaper ran a full-page advertisement for the United Colours of Benetton, it indicated official approval for the famed Italian clothing manufacturer.

CULTURE-VIETNAM: Drawing Tourist Dollars – Sans Noise, Sleaze

As Vietnam vies for a slice of South-east Asia's tourism pie, it finds itself grappling with a familiar problem - how to let the locals make a living out of the industry while maintaining the peace and exclusivity that foreign tourists seek.

BOOKS-US: Decoding the Enigmatic Republic of Iran

Condoleezza Rice was in a triumphant mood the day Baghdad fell in April 2003, writes journalist Barbara Slavin in her new book, "Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies".

POLITICS-BURMA: Will the Olympic Card Nudge China to Act?

Having scored a subtle victory in using the Olympics card to nudge China to apply pressure on Sudan, international activists are now hoping to tie the 2008 Beijing Olympics with the unfolding civil crisis in Burma and draw the world’s attention to China’s potential to act there.

SOUTH PACIFIC: Hero’s Welcome for Bainimarama at Regional Do

Fiji’s interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama will return from the 38th Pacific Island Leaders meeting in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, pleased, if not surprised by the hero’s reception he got - to the consternation of the leaders of Australia and New Zealand.

ENVIRONMENT: Indigenous People Make Best Forest Custodians

The millions of indigenous people living across Asia and the Pacific are finally gaining recognition for the key role the play in forest conservation.

MEXICO: Cardinal Off the Hook, But Sex Abuse Controversy Rages On

The Roman Catholic Church in Mexico celebrated a legal ruling that dismissed a case against Cardinal Norberto Rivera in which he was accused of protecting an alleged pedophile priest, while the press published Church guidelines in which the clergy are asked to sign a letter releasing the archdiocese of responsibility in case of charges of sex abuse.

Q&A: ‘Being Silenced Is So Serious That the Reason Pales in Comparison&#39

A decision by the Cuban Radio and Television Institute (ICRT) not to broadcast several video clips by national filmmakers rekindled controversy about the government’s cultural policy and its effects on the media.

RIGHTS-AUSTRALIA: Indigenous People See Common Ground in Struggles

Indigenous people around the world are finding common cause in their struggles to retain their identities and their land.

RIGHTS-SRI LANKA: Tamils Traumatised by War, Tsunami – Study

Residents of war-wracked Jaffna city in northern Sri Lanka are a community on the run; every family has a bag packed with essentials, ready to flee at a moment's notice, a new research study reports.

RELIGION-US: Keeping the Muslim Faith – And a Low Profile

Ali Hanif is an African-American Muslim living in Oakland, California. On Fridays, his day off, he attends group prayers at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Northern California (CCNC). But Hanif says that he never volunteers his religion to strangers.

DEVELOPMENT-INDIA: Sanitation Is About Mobilising Communities

Off the dusty highway that connects the temple town of Madurai to the provincial capital of Chennai, this village strikes the stray visitor with its cleanliness.

Q&A: "No Cookie-Cutter Solution to Sanitation Crisis"

As the United Nations finalises plans to launch the "International Year of Sanitation 2008" in mid-November, South Korea is leading a global campaign to help resolve one of the world's most neglected health issues.

FILM-BRAZIL: Elite Unit – Heroes or Anti-Heroes?

The recently released film "Tropa de Elite" (Elite Squad) has sparked unprecedented debate in Brazil about the role and actions of the security forces as they combat drug trafficking mafias in shantytowns.

ARGENTINA-SPAIN: Letters from Political Prisoners

A book of the collected writings of over 100 women who were political prisoners during Argentina’s 1976-1983 military dictatorship, a symbol of what it means to fight for freedom and justice from inside a prison, was launched in Spain.

RIGHTS-BURMA: Buddha&#39s Peace Prevailed in Mandalay

When Burma’s military regime mounted an attack on unarmed Buddhist monks and civilian protestors in Rangoon, the residents of this ancient city feared similar treatment.

RIGHTS-ARGENTINA: Priest’s Life Sentence Draws Widespread Praise

The life sentence handed down to former police chaplain Christian Von Wernich, a symbol of the Argentine Catholic Church’s complicity with the 1976-1983 military dictatorship, was described Wednesday by Argentine President Nestor Kirchner as "a good example for the world."

RIGHTS-SRI LANKA: Arbour’s Visit a Guided Tour – Critics

United Nations Human Rights Commissioner Louise Arbour’s five-day tour of this strife-torn country is already circumscribed by the fact that she will not be allowed to visit areas in the Jaffna peninsula controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

HEALTH-AFGHANISTAN: US Army Medics Win Some Hearts and Minds

Colourfully-clad Afghan villagers with dirty, barefoot children sit outside a makeshift coalition clinic in a tiny village in Kandahar province, impatiently awaiting their turn to see the medics.

INDIA: Tribals Get an Education – Through Their Children

"I’d like to be a teacher to help educate our people," says Neeta Kantha, a 14-year-old student at the Gram Vikas (Village Development) high school here for adivasi (tribal) children. "I too want to be a teacher,’’ chimes in her classmate Vijayalakshmi.

LATIN AMERICA: Revving Up for Bicentennial Celebrations

Several Latin American countries have set in motion plans for celebrating the bicentennial of their independence from Spain, many of which will fall between 2008 and 2010. But the festivities will not take place without controversy.