by Sudha Ramachandran, Asia Times, Hong Kong- Iran's adoption of the Kashmir cause as its own is part of a larger attempt to assume the leadership mantle for the Muslim world.

by Dr. Christine Loudes, New Europe, Belgium - It is time for each of us to realise our responsibility as citizens, residents, and fellow human beings, to ensure that we bring female genital mutilation to an end and protect women and girls.

by Frances Kissling, Religion Dispatches, USA - Last week marked a rare moment in the Catholic Church. Common sense and a modest amount of compassion trumped authority and fear-based moral teaching about sexuality.

by Daniela Estrada, Inter Press Service, Italy - The wide-ranging knowledge about climate variation possessed by native people and other small farmers, such as the people in one region of Colombia, is almost a perfect match to scientific measurements recorded on high-tech instruments.

by Vuvu Vena, Mail & Guardian, South Africa - For the first time, companies and government departments -- including Bidvest Bank, the Alliance Mining Group and the Performance, Monitoring, Evaluation and Administration in the Presidency -- have been called to account for their lack of gender transformation.

by Nileena M. S., The Hindu, India - We consider ourselves members of a civilised society, yet have not learnt to recognise and respect a section that constitutes half the population.

by Sandra Nyaira, VOA News, USA - Thousands of Zimbabweans gathered on Wednesday in Kadoma, a northern resort town on the Zambezi River, to mark World Aids Day as the country took stock of the human loss from the pandemic and the progress made in responding to it.

by Margret Aldrich, Utne Reader, USA - The fashion industry needs an eco-makeover. Natalia Allen is up for the challenge.

by Alexandra Scherle, Deutsche Welle, Germany - It's a dangerous life for those who try to help the young girls who are victims of human trafficking in the Balkans. This includes Mara Radovanovic who oversees a woman's shelter in Bosnia.

by Janet Davies, Guardian, UK - Housing associations need to find their voice and lobby against inequality, as well as embracing tenant profiling if they're to support those who need it most.

by Amy Goodman, Truthdig, USA - Lives might actually be saved, since the way that the U.S. conducts diplomacy is now getting more exposure than ever—as is the apparent ease with which the U.S. government lives up (or down) to the adage used by pioneering journalist I.F. Stone: “Governments lie.”

by Marta Falconi, Swisster, Switzerland - After encouraging results in Germany, Zurich city officials are considering the installation of "sex boxes", fenced parking areas, where prostitutes and their clients can conduct business away from the public eye. In a city where prostitution is on the rise, the measure could help protect residents and prostitutes alike.

by Lamis Andoni, Al Jazeera, Qatar - With a sectarian power-sharing agreement and interfering neighbours, Iraq is looking a lot like Lebanon.

by Ofra Edelman, Ha'aretz, Israel - The more women point out men who harass, who don't consider a woman's right to decide what happens with her body, the more women speak about it, the more they will change the atmosphere and force these men to be considered criminals.

by Kesha West, Radio Australia News, Australia - Instead of heading to the city's clubs and bars, Filipino crowds are instead going to the grounds of El Shaddai, where a celebration of the holy kind is in full swing.

by Elizabeth Dickinson, Passport, USA - Brought to you be WikiLeaks: the State Department memo on how to deal with walk-ins.

by Fatma Disli Zibak, Today's Zaman, Turkey - Survey results have once again shown that an overwhelming majority of the public do not have any problem with the use of headscarves, so politicians should listen to the public’s voice and rid Turkey of this shameful ban, which has so far prevented many women from having access to university education.

by Gloria Omoruyi, Sunday Observer, Nigeria - In some hospitals, equipment such as sphygmomanometers, thermometers, weighing scales, delivery kits, waste bins and mucus extractors are unavailable. Many do not have regular supply of electricity because they cannot maintain a standby generator. Some do not even have a regular water supply and thus require their patients to provide their own water.

by Marjorie Cohn, McClatchy-Tribune, USA - Washington is becoming increasingly concerned that Iran is expanding its influence in Latin America. The question is should the Obama administration act swiftly to oppose these developments?

by Isolda Agazzi, IPS, Italy - Least developed countries (LDCs) in Africa did not use the commodity export boom of the mid-2000s to diversify their economies from commodity dependence to manufacturing value-added products. Significantly, the agricultural sector has also not benefited, with the result that LDC reliance on imported food has become even worse.

by Lisa Vetten, Sowetan Live, South Africa - We could all ask ourselves if we are good neighbours. When there is shouting and screaming from next door, do we investigate?

by Tina Chadwick, Atlanta INtown, USA - Crop Mob Atlanta is a new grassroots organization that’s going a step further than buying and eating local food – they’re actually going to the farms and volunteering on the weekends.

by Cindy Sui, Taipei Times, China - Every day gaggles of Chinese tourists converge on a converted warehouse in Kaohsiung to see first hand the clothes Teresa Teng wore, the car she drove, and even her old mahjong table.

by Mona Eltahawy, Jerusalem Post, Israel - Why is another culture’s conservatism always so much more attractive?