OP-ED: Narcotics Watchdog Turns Blind Eye to Rights Abuses

In a world where drug offences are punishable with the death penalty, torture or arbitrary detention, we must ask how far States can go to enforce the global prohibition on drugs.

OP-ED: Tunisia’s Youth and Their Fight for Freedom of Expression

In Tunisia, a new debate is taking shape. Long suppressed by the authoritarian regime of former President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia's free expression movement for many years existed on the fringe, comprised of bloggers, software developers, media aficionados and expats whose frustration at Tunisia's Internet censorship and surveillance regime – in place for over a decade – fomented their activism.

Urgent Need for “New Deal” in Equality and Sustainability

The pressing need for a global "new deal" to foster sustainable development and reduce inequalities was the conclusion of the 2012 Global Human Development Forum, a new initiative by the United Nations, held in Istanbul from Mar. 22-23.

OP-ED: The Key Is Youth Participation

When the secretary-general of the United Nations recently said that failing to invest in the one billion young people of the world "is a false economy", he certainly had more in mind than just a useful business idea.

Freeing Childhood From Prisons

Hamza has memories no 17-year-old should. "I was desperate. I didn't talk to anyone. I didn't want to go outside the house. I was very nervous. I'd be irritated with the simplest matters."

Ecobreves – MEXICO: NGOs Denounce Delay in Clean Fuel Production

Environmental organizations have denounced that the Mexican government intends to postpone the production of ultra-low-sulfur diesel until 2015.

Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Raw Materials from the Northeast for Smart Packaging

The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) has opened a laboratory in the northeast Brazilian city of Fortaleza for the development of biodegradable and edible packaging.

Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Promoting the Use of Biogas

The government of Honduras is studying ways to promote the generation of biogas from organic waste, to reduce the country’s dependence on imported oil.

More Ecology, Less Economy for Rio+20

Indigenous people’s rights and gender equity should be addressed in discussions around sustainable development at Rio+20, say activists.

Debate Rages over U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan

An influential Pakistani journalist appealed this week for Washington to stick to its 2014 timetable for withdrawing its combat forces, instead of accelerating its pullout, as a growing number of voices here are urging.

Turkey’s Fears: What Threats Could Syrian Crisis Unleash?

Enough calls to reason. It is time for collective action. That was the message Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu sent Thursday to his European Union (EU) colleagues, whom he will be meeting later this week in Brussels.

Protests in Southern Chile Spread to Other Remote Regions

Protests in the southern Chilean city of Puerto Aysén over the region’s isolation and high local prices of fuel and food have spread to other isolated regions of the country.

Mali Junta Courts Civil Society

A majority of political representatives have so far maintained their distance from the leaders of a coup that toppled the government earlier this week, but several religious and political personalities have already shown a willingness to work with the new regime.

Weather patterns have SADC farmers scratching their heads

Different countries in the SADC region have been hit with strange weather patterns this season and, while some are struggling to keep afloat, others are getting less rainfall than in previous years. Zuki Zimela reports on the phenomenon from Johannesburg.

South Africa is in the late testing stages for a vaccine that can prevent TB in children.

South Africa is in the late testing stages for a vaccine that can prevent TB in children. The vaccine is to be used with current vaccines given to babies when they are immunised.

Mauritian farmers get grants for rainwater.

 The Mauritian Government is offering a grants to farmers and breeders willing to set up structures to collect rainwater in their fields. IPS reporter Nasseem Ackbarally says this is due to water shortages attributable to climate change.

Drought puts Mauritius farmers under pressure

Watercress farmers in Mauritius are finding it difficult to keep their activity going after sixty years because of a lack of water. Nasseem Ackbarally reports that 30 families working on one of the biggest watercress farm in the island can no longer cultivate watercress because there is no water in their pond.

Emerald Energy Exploits Colombian Andes

A thick fog flows over the eastern range of the Colombian Andes. Here and there, the constant wind lifts the clouds to reveal lagoons, cloud forests, and páramo, an Andean alpine ecosystem known as a "mountaintop sponge" for its massive water-holding capacity.

PODCAST: Red Tape Mutes Community Radio in India

The advent of mobile phones has given a fillip to CR because even the cheapest handsets come embedded with FM capability. But K.S. Hariskrishnan reports that red tape is still hampering the establishment of new community radio stations.

Anti-Discrimination Bill Fast-Tracked After Brutal Gay Bashing

"We shouldn't have to live in fear. We're citizens and voters of Chile, we have jobs, and yet we live in daily fear of being attacked," said 33-year-old Carla Oviedo, a victim of discrimination on the grounds of her sexual orientation.

Karzai’s Team Clashes over Relations With U.S.

The increasing influence of a conservative circle within President Hamid Karzai's palace has impeded progress in signing a crucial strategic agreement with the U.S. to chart the relationship beyond 2014, officials and analysts have said.