SRI LANKA: Film Reveals Atrocities in Final Months of Civil War

A new documentary showing graphic footage from the end of Sri Lanka's war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009 is rejuvenating calls for an investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Arms Trade Treaty May Bypass Anti-Riot Weapons

When weeklong negotiations on the control and regulation of the global arms trade were concluded last week, there was one missing link in the proposed treaty: riot control equipment used recently against peaceful demonstrators in the streets of Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Syria, Yemen and Jordan.

Court Orders Thai-Cambodia Troop Pullback

The United Nation's highest court has ordered both Thailand and Cambodia to withdraw troops from a disputed border area around an ancient Khmer temple - the scene of years of violent clashes.

Brooks to Face Phone-Hacking Questions

Rebekah Brooks, the former head of media mogul Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper wing, will face questioning by British parliamentarians on Tuesday following her release on bail on suspicion of bribing police and illegally intercepting voicemail messages.

Iranian Man Faces Death over Religious Conversion

Faith leaders in the U.S. representing 25 million citizens have expressed outrage about the case of Youcef Nadarkhani, an Iranian man who faces the death penalty if he refuses to recant his Christian faith.

Egypt Embraces Oil Monarchs, Dubiously

With the nation's economy in tatters from the uprising that ousted its dictator of 30 years, Egypt's transitional government has turned its back on the Western lending institutions that once propped the Mubarak regime. But its decision to accept the massive aid packages dangled by the oil-rich Arab Gulf states has raised suspicions about their intentions, as well as its own.

Cambodia Stock Exchange to Push Transparency

Besides attracting international investors, Cambodia’s new stock exchange is expected to nudge this Southeast Asian country towards greater transparency.

MIDEAST: Alternative Remedies Fall Short in Gaza

"When I came back to Gaza in 2006, before the siege started, people came to me for acupuncture," says Dr. Hisham Mwtoweh, a medical doctor and acupuncture practitioner trained in China and Korea.

Hidden Bombs Hit Libyans

The conflict in Libya between pro- and anti-Gaddafi forces will continue to take its toll on communities long after the war has ended as long as hidden bombs remain scattered across public areas.

MIDEAST: Marching in Step for Peace

For the first time in over 20 years, thousands of Israeli and Palestinian peace activists marched peacefully together on Friday to support the Palestinian drive for statehood expected to be endorsed at the UN General Assembly in September.

INDIA: Temple Treasures Open Up Problems of Plenty

The discovery that treasures lying in the vaults of an ancient temple in Thiruvananthapuram may be worth more than 25 billion dollars is raising questions regarding the vast wealth owned by religious shrines in this impoverished country.

MIDEAST: Borders in Way of Orders

Waddah Bsaiso is ready to export, if the Israeli-imposed siege would allow him. He has the experience, the contacts, and the products, but is prevented by Israel's strict ban on virtually all Gazan exports, save a token amount of flowers periodically allowed out of the Strip.

CUBA: Communist Academic Recovers His Party Card

Cuban historian and columnist Esteban Morales, who was reinstated as a member of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) after being expelled a year earlier for writing articles about corruption in the country, said he would continue exercising his right to express criticism, as the duty and moral obligation of "any revolutionary intellectual."

LATIN AMERICA: Sustainable Development, Not ‘Green Economy’

With less than a year to go for the Rio+20 Summit, civil society in Latin America and the Caribbean is mustering its strength to defend the principles of sustainable development, as opposed to the model of a "green economy", which it views as only benefiting the business interests of big companies.

COTE D’IVOIRE: Disagreement Over Scope of ICC Investigation

Government and civil society in Côte d'Ivoire are divided over the scope of the investigations to be undertaken by the International Criminal Court into atrocities and serious violations of human rights committed during the post- electoral crisis.

COLOMBIA: ‘Matriarch’ Leads Struggle to Recover Stolen Land

"God willing, we will make it" reads the sign on a rusty old all-terrain vehicle, ideal for the complicated drive to the remote Curbaradó river valley in the banana-producing region of Urabá in northwest Colombia.

U.S.: In Shifting Political Landscape, Gay Couple Granted Two More Years

A California immigration judge has allowed Alex Benshimol, a Venezuelan citizen, and his U.S.-born husband Doug Gentry to remain together in the United States for at least two more years, in another victory for same-sex bi-national couples.

Latin America Has One-Fifth of Global Oil Reserves

Fossil fuels are an energy source condemned by environmentalists, but do not appear to be on the way out in Latin America and the Caribbean, given the rise in the region's proven oil reserves in recent years.

HEALTH: Israeli Takes a Step Forward

"One step at a time," this fairy tale says. "Wonders and miracles, these shoes brought me back my life!" For Miriam Gilebsky, walking is no simple thing, it’s an achievement greater than life, like walking on the moon, perhaps. One small step for health is one giant leap when you suffered a stroke.

U.S. Warns of Dark Path Ahead Without Cooperation in Sudan

As South Sudan was admitted as the 193rd member of the United Nations on Thursday, officials in Washington said the hard work in the fragile new country has just begun.

China Eclipsing U.S. in Global Reach, Poll Finds

A growing number of people around the world believe that China will eventually surpass the United States as the world's premier superpower, if it hasn't already, according to the latest survey of 22 countries released here Thursday by the Pew Global Attitudes Project.