AGRICULTURE-CONGO: All Hands On Deck to Repair Rural Roads

Two kilometres from the village of Ngouha II, a party of villagers are busy repairing an old bridge made of logs, and filling in a massive pothole.

AFRICA: Climate Change Worsening Farming’s Trade-Related Woes

Numerous research institutes and international organisations agree that climate change will in the short and medium term worsen Africa's agriculture and food production capabilities, unless greenhouse gases emissions (GHE) are substantially reduced and adequate trade and investment policies put in place.

BRAZIL: Electric Car Revolution in the Making

The electric vehicle - pure or hybrid - will trigger an energy and industrial revolution worldwide in the coming decades, dealing a blow to liquid fuels. But plant-based ethanol will survive and grow, say Brazilian experts consulted for this report.

ENERGY: To Fly Around the World – Without Fuel

A solar-powered aircraft will take flight next month from Switzerland with hopes ultimately to circle the Earth in 2012, without fuel, and stopping every five days only to change pilots.

INDIA: Deeper Probe Sought on Chopper Crashes Killing Politicians

After an aviation accident claimed yet another of India’s top leaders recently, experts are calling for stricter controls on the use of helicopters and small aircraft by politicians in a hurry to reach their destinations.

EDUCATION-ZAMBIA: Bicycles Help Girls Go Further

Nine kilometres each way, rain or shine: That's how far Suzanne Chisulo has to travel to school each day.

LABOUR: Africans Shun the Ocean Wave

At this bustling port, where massive cranes above cargo ships load and unload goods in perpetual motion, a strange division of labour is apparent.

MOZAMBIQUE: Markets Too Far For Farmers’ Profit

August is peak tomato season in the Niassa province of northwest Mozambique, and farmers are bringing bucket-loads of tomatoes to sell to Nkwichi Lodge, one of the few buyers of local produce in the region.

ENVIRONMENT: New Maritime Rules Target Oil Spills in Antarctica

The ships that bring thousands of tourists to Antarctica to take in some of the most pristine landscapes in the world will have to adapt to new marine environmental standards, which could be stricter than those requested by the members of the Antarctic Treaty.

AGRICULTURE-INDIA: Ropeway a Boon to Hill Farmers

Agriculture and allied activities are the main source of livelihood of the people of the hilly state of Uttarakhand, located in the northwestern part of India and one of the country’s most enchanting regions. But difficult terrain and lack of road connectivity is a major problem for most farmers to transport their local produce to the market.

HEALTH-SOUTH AFRICA: Wheeling and Healing

Every weekday morning, a stylish procession leaves the offices of MaAfrika Tikkun NGO in Delft, Cape Town; bumps and jolts through the gravel entry gates; then hits the tar and scatters into every corner of the township...

TRANSPORT-BRAZIL: Recharge Your Batteries Here

Brazil has long been committed to developing alternatives to fossil fuels to power its vehicle fleet, to the extent that 90 percent of new cars sold in the country are flex-fuel, running on ethanol or gasoline in any proportion. Now the government is embarking on another technological field: electric vehicles.

Q&A: Russian Company Is Ready to Excavate African Potential

At a glance, trade between Russia and African states is still at low levels, which experts attribute to an inadequate flow of information and lack of interaction.

AFRICA: New North-South Corridor To Tackle Trade Bottle-Necks

Africa’s contribution to the global economy will continue to be low if there is no investment in infrastructure, delegates heard at the North-South Corridor Conference in Lusaka, where 1.2 billion dollars was raised.

HEALTH-SOUTH AFRICA: Returning Sick – HIV, Illness, Death and Migration

It's a Wednesday afternoon at the Joe Gqabi bus terminus in Philippi, Cape Town, and ticket touts scramble to recruit passengers wanting to travel to the rural Eastern Cape, a 1,000 kilometre, 16-hour haul away.

TRANSPORT-CUBA: Nearly There

Cuba's transport crisis finally appears to be coming to an end, after three years of substantial investments and reforms, although future economic growth could pose new challenges.

ZIMBABWE: The Railways — From Public Utility to Public Liability

Zimbabwe’s poorly funded public transport utilities - which over the years have all but stopped functioning - are making it difficult for small and informal traders to import essential goods from neighbouring countries.

CHILE: Controversial Fuel Taxes and Subsidies

In 2008, Chile’s state coffers took in just over one billion dollars from the specific tax on fuels. But at the same time, the government injected 700 million dollars into a fund that year to shore up fuel prices and made another 500 million available in case the price of oil continued to rise.

TRANSPORT-SOUTH SUDAN: Going Nowhere, Fast

Motorcycle Juba style: sit as far back on the seat of the bike as possible. Hold handlebars only loosely when riding but rev frequently whenever stationary.

TRANSPORT-ZIMBABWE: Your Money And Your Life

Despite the crater-sized potholes that fill Bulawayo roads, Desmond Hikwa is not slowed down as he speeds across this city of more than two million transporting commuters from sunrise to sunset.

DEVELOPMENT: New Africa Commission Report Reiterates Basic Goals

Africa's arduous path to development could be eased if governments took elementary measures to improve infrastructure, coordinate regional trade policies, capacitate customs personnel to speed up the regional exchange of goods and services and facilitate access of small and medium enterprises to financial resources.