Population Dynamics Central to Sustainable Development, Says U.N. Chief

Jotham Musinguzi, a doctor from Uganda and the International Islamic Centre for Population Studies and Research (IICPSR), a research centre based in Egypt, were the recipients of the 2013 United Nations Population Award.

Mozambicans Living in the Shadow of a Secret State

In downtown Maputo, the walls are covered with the local newspaper, Verdade, and a range of people, young and old, male and female, are reading it. Verdade, which means Truth in Portuguese, is a free weekly newspaper that is pasted on the walls of buildings in Mozambique’s capital.

Judicial failings fuelling plight of wrongly convicted

Miscarriages of justice and wrongful convictions were central themes to the “Moving away from the death penalty” discussion at the United Nations last week, where Damien Echols - one of the wrongly convicted “West Memphis Three” - joined the panel.

Govt Council Raises Hopes for Improved U.S.-Tribal Relations

Indigenous rights groups are applauding U.S. President Barack Obama’s creation of a new high-level council aimed at coordinating government actions relating to Native American communities, a move that advocates have been urging since early in the president’s first term.

Presidential Hopefuls in Chile Speak Out Against Wilderness Dam

Diversifying the energy mix and the spectre of energy shortages in Chile are central issues in the campaign for the primary elections this Sunday Jun. 30, when presidential candidates will be nominated for the Nov. 17 elections.

Locusts Plague Madagascar

With over 80 percent of its population struggling to eke out a living on less than a dollar a day, Madagascar is now one of the world’s poorest countries.

Illegal Drugs Threaten Security of Nations, Warns U.N. Chief

Ilegal drugs threaten stability and security of nations worldwide, said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during a panel discussion  Wednesday to commemorate the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

Flood Risks in Venezuela Increased by “New Rains” Linked to Climate Change

“The river is reclaiming its place, the water has risen up to here,” says Ana Polanco, crouching down to hold her hand high above her head in the little tin house she shares with her children in El Hueco, one of the communities on the east side of the Venezuelan capital besieged by the polluted and deceptively calm Guaire River.

Farming in the Mauritian Sea

“No fighting, please. Everybody will get their fish. Give us time to empty the crates and weigh today’s catch,” Patrick Guiliano Marie, leader of the St. Pierre Fish Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society, shouts at the crowd jostling impatiently at the fish landing station in Grand Gaube, a fishing village in northern Mauritius.

For Africa Trip, Obama Urged to Prioritise Development

Advocacy groups here are urging U.S. President Barack Obama to focus on more than just economic development during his upcoming trip to Africa. They are also hoping that the state visits will be able to turn the tide on years of U.S. engagement with Africa only through the lens of security and counter-terrorism.

Effective Smog Monitoring Urgently Needed in Mexican Cities

Mexican cities with populations of more than 500,000 face serious obstacles in monitoring air quality and reducing air pollution, but as of July local authorities will be required to do both, and to submit mandatory reports on their efforts to the federal government.

U.N. Security Council Votes to End Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict

British Foreign Secretary William Hague and United Nations Special Envoy Angelina Jolie successfully urged the U.N. Security Council to adopt a resolution on prevention of sexual violence in armed conflict.

Documenting Invasive Species on Colombia’s Plains

Along the unpaved road between the town of Orocué and the Wisirare private reserve in the eastern Colombian department of Casanare, biologist Juliana Cárdenas asks the driver to stop the bus so she can collect a specimen of West Indian foxtail, a kind of grass growing along the road.

Salvadoran Military List of Victims a Smoking Gun

The Salvadoran army kept a detailed list of names and photographs of leftists detained or sought during El Salvador’s 1980-1992 civil war. The report is the first official military document proving the armed forces’ direct involvement in forced disappearances and other abuses.

Dams Threaten Mekong Basin Food Supply

The future of food security in the Mekong region lies at a crossroads, as several development ventures, including the Xayaburi Hydropower Project, threaten to alter fish migration routes, disrupt the flow of sediments and nutrients downstream, and endanger millions whose livelihoods depend on the Mekong River basin’s resources.

Highest Number of Refugees in Two Decades

Yves Norodom, a 21-year-old refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo living in Brazil, is one of 45.2 million displaced people around the world – the largest number in 20 years.

U.S. and Rest of G8 Won’t Follow UK on Corporate Transparency

The United States is being singled out for criticism after the Group of Eight (G8) rich countries failed to adopt a plan pushed by British Prime Minister David Cameron to require the creation of public country-level registries with detailed information on corporate ownership and activity.

MALI: Children Feel The Weight of Violence in Mali

Watchlist, a network of international non-governmental organisations, released a new report Wednesday detailing violations against children by armed groups in Mali, where a conflict that erupted in January 2012 is taking a heavy toll on young people.

Examining the Depths of Ethiopia’s Corruption

Ethiopia may be one of the fastest-growing, non-oil producing economies in Africa in recent years, but corruption in this Horn of Africa nation is a deterrent to foreign investors looking for stable long-term partnerships in developing countries.

Fatwas Heighten Sectarian Tensions in Syria Conflict

Saudi Arabian religious scholars are leading an increasingly vocal chorus of Islamic preachers who are urging Muslims and Arabs to support Syrian rebels against what they say are atrocities at the hands of Iran-backed Shiite forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Award Spotlights Indian Women Helping Women

Jassiben, a self-employed potter from Nana Shahpur village in western India, loves summer despite the heat waves and frequent power cuts, because summer days always mean great business.