U.N. Struggles to Reach Displaced in South Sudan

Following fighting in the South Sudan state of Jonglei , the United Nations is trying to coordinate a humanitarian effort to help tens of thousands of people who have fled to the bush. The World Food Programme (WFP) has launched an operation to provide food for those who have escaped the conflict.

Biochar Could “Turn Back Clock” on Climate

Even as policymakers around the world wrestle with how to cut future emissions of global greenhouse gases, some scientists and environmentalists are increasingly turning their attention to the carbon dioxide that is already in the atmosphere, trying to discern ways that this level can be efficiently and safely brought down.

Human Rights Office Launches Global Campaign for LGBT Equality

Although the 193-member U.N. General Assembly remains sharply divided over gay and lesbian rights, the U.N. human rights office Friday launched an unprecedented global public education campaign for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality.

Extreme Floods Hit North Korea

Heavy seasonal rains over the past two weeks has caused extreme flooding and consecutive landslides across large areas of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Kurds Find a German Healing Touch

"I witnessed a Turkish tank made in Germany destroying a Kurdish village. Civilians, children included, were wounded, and many were taking shelter inside a besieged church,” said Media, the German nurse who has become legendary in the Kurdish mountains of northern Iraq and is known here only by this name.

Olympics Gold Medalist Sets Sights on Ethiopia’s Parliament

Ethiopia’s track legend Haile Gebrselassie is mostly known for one thing – his world records. The two-time Olympic gold medallist, multiple world 10,000 m champion and holder of more than 27 world records in distances ranging from 1,500 m to the marathon, is now contemplating running a different race – for political office.

Without Funding, Haiti Faces “Endemic Cholera”

Lack of financing for a 10-year eradication plan means that cholera will likely be endemic to Haiti for years to come.

Activists Demand Justice for Victims of Clerical Sex Abuse in Mexico

Human rights groups are calling for the Committee on the Rights of the Child to bring the Mexican state to account, as it has done in other countries, for failing to investigate widespread reports of sexual abuse of minors in Catholic institutions.

Nepal Moves to Curb Child Labour

Last December, Pradeep Dongol, child protection officer at the Kathmandu-based Children and Women in Social Service and Human Rights (CWISH), received an urgent call from one of the NGO’s many offices in Nepal’s sprawling capital city.

Report Says 220,000 Have Died in Colombia Conflict

Almost a quarter of a million Colombians have been killed in the country's internal conflict since 1958, most of them civilians, a government-funded report has said.

Kenyan Spring Failing to Blossom

Kenyan police are said to be investigating the rise of a group dubbed the March 4th Movement (M4M), which aims to make Kenya ungovernable by recruiting youths to take part in protests, similar to those that saw Egyptians overthrow their president. But politicians and analysts here say they do not foresee the movement capable of creating an East African Spring.

For First Time Since 2009, U.S. Senate Talks Closing Guantanamo

Momentum appears to be building in the push to close down the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, where 166 inmates, 86 of whom have been cleared for release, remain held without charges.

Soldiers Trade in Illegal Ivory

At a popular tourist art market in Goma, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, paintings and art sculptures made from bronze, copper, malachite, stone or wood attract visitors. It seems like an ordinary tourist market. But only the regulars know that this is also a black market for ivory products.

Race Still Major Factor in U.S. Income Gap

President Barack Obama is vowing to spend his remaining time in office encouraging bipartisan efforts to strengthen the U.S. middle class by ensuring it is open to those from all backgrounds.

BOOKS: China’s March to “Wealth and Power”

The China pavilion is a red, inverted pyramid in Shanghai that was built for the city’s bustling 2010 World Expo. While the pavilion pays some homage to China’s ancient past, it mostly shows off China’s 21^st century ambitions, with as much swagger as the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

U.S. Courts Uphold Conflict Minerals Disclosure

A U.S. federal judge has upheld a key regulatory provision aimed at ensuring that the profits from products mined in central Africa are not used to benefit armed groups, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Thailand Brings Same-Sex Marriage Debate to Asia

A draft law being readied for parliament that seeks to offer lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) couples the same legal rights as heterosexual couples could make Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia to legalise gay marriage.

Industry in Argentina Going Strong, But More Is Needed

Industry in Argentina has seen a sustained rise in production, exports and employment since 2003. But in order for this trend to become a structural change, greater import substitution is needed, analysts say.

Where Sports Replace Terror

Pakistanis are no strangers to sports-related violence; in fact, many have come to expect scuffles and conflict, especially following a major cricket match. In the country’s northern Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), however, cricket has become a tool to promote peace.

Egypt Army Chief Calls for Nationwide Rallies

Egypt's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has called for nationwide rallies to give the military a mandate to confront what he termed violence and terrorism following the removal of President Mohamed Morsi.

Thou Shalt Not Eat Meat… On Mondays At Least

Nutritionists are promoting an 11th commandment in Mexico: “Thou shalt not eat meat… at least one day a week.”