AGRICULTURE-BRAZIL: Using Alternative Methods to Adapt to Drought

"It is painful to think that global warming will further aggravate the lack of rainfall" in Brazil’s semiarid northeast, said Luiz Tomacheski, who was stunned to see firsthand the dry landscape of twisted thorny shrubs and patches of brown grass in this region.

POLITICS-BURMA: Buddhist Clergy on Collision Course With Junta

Burma’s Buddhist monks are threatening to turn an on-going protest against steep hikes in fuel prices into a religious and moral showdown with the country’s oppressive military regime.

RIGHTS-SRI LANKA: Consider Sanctions Says Parliamentarian

As the nationalist government of President Mahinda Rajpakse continues to resist calls for a United Nations rights monitoring mission in Sri Lanka an elected Tamil leader said the time may have come to consider international sanctions.

AFGHANISTAN: Taliban Ready for Talks – Agenda Unknown

Taliban spokesperson, Qari Yusof Ahmadi, has confirmed to the press that the Taliban are ready to directly negotiate with the Afghan government.

MEXICO: Church Lashes Out at Sex Abuse Victim

Catholic Church leaders in Mexico accused a victim of sexual abuse, who brought charges in a U.S. court against Mexican Cardinal Norberto Rivera for protecting an alleged pedophile priest, of seeking economic gain.

BOLIVIA: Morales Gets Boost from UN Declaration on Indigenous Rights

President Evo Morales’ dream of creating a "plurinational" state in Bolivia, with territorial and administrative autonomy for indigenous peoples, has just received an international boost that is as welcome as it is unexpected, arising as it did from what seemed like a never-ending debate.

HEALTH-THAILAND: Legal Hassles, Taboos Hamper Organ Donation

"I feel great! I've never felt better," said Gisele Ceppi of Switzerland. At 61, she exudes vitality and is positively glowing with health. The toned muscles, lithe steps, bright eyes and smile belie the fact that she is a kidney recipient.

TURKEY: Now to Jobs and Education

While two-thirds of the country fasts in this holy month of Ramazan, the Turkish version of Ramadan, and activities slow down during the day, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to get to grips with the post-electoral challenges of his government.

RIGHTS-AUSTRALIA: Aborigines Insist on Ancestors’ Repatriation

Successful negotiations with the renowned Natural History Museum (NHM) in London, for the repatriation of human remains against claims made by indigenous Australian communities, have extended the hope that more institutions will follow suit.

Q&A: How Brazil Haunts

Fifty years since it was first introduced to Brazil, bossa-nova continues to fuel the imagination of South American musicians, as well as a coterie of U.S. and European artists.

TURKEY: Military and Government in Uneasy Marriage

Despite the verdict at the polls, Turkey's staunchly secular military is far from caving in to the Islamic-rooted civilian authority that is now in full control of parliament, the government and the presidency. At best it appears willing to accept, for the time being, an uneasy co-existence.

DEVELOPMENT-INDIA: Women Hold Key to Accepting Indoor Toilets

Like other women in this largely tribal, central Indian state, Draupati Bhosale was averse to the idea of having toilets built within homes, but went along because the government was building them at heavily subsidised costs. ‘’I thought it would give me extra storage space,’’ she said.

Q&A: &#39War on Terror Served Iran&#39s Interests Best&#39

Eminent writer, historian and filmmaker Tariq Ali was born in Lahore in 1943. While a student at Oxford University, he became involved in the movement against the war in Vietnam. That was the beginning of a long career in the literary arts and in peace activism that has earned him iconic status.

US-IRAQ: Religious Violence Spiking, State Dept Says

Despite the addition of 30,000 U.S. troops to enhance security in the country, the freedom of average Iraqis to practice their religions deteriorated sharply during the past year, according to a report released Friday by the U.S. State Department.

ENVIRONMENT: Can Networking Teenagers Save the World?

Global trends indicate a looming environmental catastrophe, and engaging high school students around the world may be the only hope.

EDUCATION-IRAQ: Back to School, Back to Horror

As another school year begins in Iraq, parents approach it with dread, fearing for the safety of their children.

ARGENTINA: Borges’ Literary Legacy Looking for a Home

It’s all ready and waiting. Some 20,000 items of legendary Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986), including original manuscripts, photographs, personal letters, portraits and out-of-print books, are classified and packaged. The only thing missing is the museum site promised by the Culture Secretariat to house them.

ENVIRONMENT-FIJI: Turtle Slaughter Exposes Toothless Ban

Following reports of the slaughter of 84 turtles, as part of festivities for an annual church conference, conservationists have called on Pacific Island countries to enforce legislations that ban the killing or molestation of the endangered sea reptiles.

POLITICS-IRAN: Rafsanjani – the Man to Watch

When Iran’s reformist Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, ‘keeper of the Revolution’s secrets and kingmaker’, was elected as speaker of the powerful Assembly of Experts earlier this month, it signalled a major shift in the country’s tumultuous political scene.

ARGENTINA: Hope for Unbiased Placement of Official Advertising

Civil society organisations in Argentina are urging Congress to establish clear guidelines for the transparent allocation and oversight of public advertising, in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling against the arbitrary placement of ads by a provincial government.

RUSSIA: Winter Olympics – Putin Warns Against Corruption

President Vladimir Putin has issued a blunt warning to heads of organisations and regional administrations involved with the preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia’s southern sea resort, to eschew corruption.