http://www.irinnews.org/irin-fp.aspxUpdated everydayen-gbWed, 16 May 2012 19:00:33 GMTWed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>LONDON 16 May 2012 (IRIN) - The past decade has seen great advances in child survival, but while toddlers and small children are benefiting, the death rate for new-born babies remains stubbornly high. Now a new report suggests that paying more attention to their mothers’ health, and focusing on certain damaging but treatable diseases, could be one key to tackling neonatal mortality.Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95458LONDON 16 May 2012 (IRIN) - The past decade has seen great advances in child survival, but while toddlers and small children are benefiting, the death rate for new-born babies remains stubbornly high. Now a new report suggests that paying more attention to their mothers’ health, and focusing on certain damaging but treatable diseases, could be one key to tackling neonatal mortality.]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>KABUL 16 May 2012 (IRIN) - Bonded labour in Afghanistan’s brick kilns is one of the most common forms of hazardous labour in the country. More than half of the brick kiln workers surveyed in a recent report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) were children, with most under 14. Few are getting any education to allow them to develop skills needed to break out of work in the kilns.Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95463KABUL 16 May 2012 (IRIN) - Bonded labour in Afghanistan’s brick kilns is one of the most common forms of hazardous labour in the country. More than half of the brick kiln workers surveyed in a recent report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) were children, with most under 14. Few are getting any education to allow them to develop skills needed to break out of work in the kilns.]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>ABIDJAN 16 May 2012 (IRIN) - South of the Sahel, where drought, high food prices and other factors have pushed some 16 million into hunger, 320,000 people in Côte d'Ivoire are also grappling with food insecurity. A combination of forces is causing region-wide high prices for rice, but the government’s efforts to make the staple food cheaper lack teeth and are proving difficult to impose.Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95466ABIDJAN 16 May 2012 (IRIN) - South of the Sahel, where drought, high food prices and other factors have pushed some 16 million into hunger, 320,000 people in Côte d'Ivoire are also grappling with food insecurity. A combination of forces is causing region-wide high prices for rice, but the government’s efforts to make the staple food cheaper lack teeth and are proving difficult to impose.]]>Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>ABUJA 15 May 2012 (IRIN) - Aid organizations and rights groups are putting more pressure on the Nigerian government to release a promised US$5.4 million in aid for lead-poisoned children, but government officials keep ducking the issue.Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95451ABUJA 15 May 2012 (IRIN) - Aid organizations and rights groups are putting more pressure on the Nigerian government to release a promised US$5.4 million in aid for lead-poisoned children, but government officials keep ducking the issue.]]>Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>MT ELGON 15 May 2012 (IRIN) - At least 1.3 million farmers in Kenya - more than double the figure for 2010 - do not have any maize seeds to plant this season, despite favourable weather conditions, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95452MT ELGON 15 May 2012 (IRIN) - At least 1.3 million farmers in Kenya - more than double the figure for 2010 - do not have any maize seeds to plant this season, despite favourable weather conditions, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.]]>Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 15 May 2012 (IRIN) - The UN Development Programme (UNDP) launched its first Africa Human Development Report today, stressing food security as a means to a better quality of life for all.Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95459JOHANNESBURG 15 May 2012 (IRIN) - The UN Development Programme (UNDP) launched its first Africa Human Development Report today, stressing food security as a means to a better quality of life for all.]]>Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>RAMALLAH/TEL AVIV 14 May 2012 (IRIN) - Israeli settlers east of the separation barrier in the central West Bank occupy the land most critical for any future final status agreement under a two-state solution. But instead of limiting settlement expansion, critics say the Israeli authorities are setting a dangerous precedent by legalizing new outposts and undermining the law.Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95445RAMALLAH/TEL AVIV 14 May 2012 (IRIN) - Israeli settlers east of the separation barrier in the central West Bank occupy the land most critical for any future final status agreement under a two-state solution. But instead of limiting settlement expansion, critics say the Israeli authorities are setting a dangerous precedent by legalizing new outposts and undermining the law.]]>Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 10 May 2012 (IRIN) - The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has announced that it will have US$1.6 billion more to invest in life-saving programmes between 2012 and 2014.Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95434JOHANNESBURG 10 May 2012 (IRIN) - The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has announced that it will have US$1.6 billion more to invest in life-saving programmes between 2012 and 2014.]]>Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>NSANJE 10 May 2012 (IRIN) - Visitors arriving in Nsanje, the sleepy capital of Malawi’s southernmost district, are greeted by a large yellowing billboard announcing: “The dream becomes reality. Nsanje Port opens October 2010.” But those who go to the port will find little more than a concrete quay with a couple of dozen mooring posts, and a few fishermen manoeuvring crude dug-out canoes through the murky brown waters of the Shire River.Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95438NSANJE 10 May 2012 (IRIN) - Visitors arriving in Nsanje, the sleepy capital of Malawi’s southernmost district, are greeted by a large yellowing billboard announcing: “The dream becomes reality. Nsanje Port opens October 2010.” But those who go to the port will find little more than a concrete quay with a couple of dozen mooring posts, and a few fishermen manoeuvring crude dug-out canoes through the murky brown waters of the Shire River.]]>Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 09 May 2012 (IRIN) - Africa’s crises are both honing and stalling the formation of the African Standby Force (ASF) of the African Union (AU) - a quick reaction force that could eventually number about 30,000 troops to be deployed in a range of scenarios, from peacekeeping to direct military intervention.Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95426JOHANNESBURG 09 May 2012 (IRIN) - Africa’s crises are both honing and stalling the formation of the African Standby Force (ASF) of the African Union (AU) - a quick reaction force that could eventually number about 30,000 troops to be deployed in a range of scenarios, from peacekeeping to direct military intervention.]]>Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>LONDON 09 May 2012 (IRIN) - Twelve years gone, and three years still to go: as the Millennium Development Goals’ (MDG) target date of 2015 gets closer, the debate is intensifying about what went right and what went wrong, and – perhaps more importantly – what kind of goals should be set for the future.Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95430LONDON 09 May 2012 (IRIN) - Twelve years gone, and three years still to go: as the Millennium Development Goals’ (MDG) target date of 2015 gets closer, the debate is intensifying about what went right and what went wrong, and – perhaps more importantly – what kind of goals should be set for the future.]]>Wed, 02 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>GAZA CITY 02 May 2012 (IRIN) - From factories to the fishing industry, the Gaza Strip economy is being affected by more than two months of fuel shortages and power outages, taking a toll on the livelihoods of its 1.6 million inhabitants.Wed, 02 May 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95395GAZA CITY 02 May 2012 (IRIN) - From factories to the fishing industry, the Gaza Strip economy is being affected by more than two months of fuel shortages and power outages, taking a toll on the livelihoods of its 1.6 million inhabitants.]]>Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>TRIPOLI 01 May 2012 (IRIN) - Six months after an uprising brought down Muammar Gaddafi's government, thousands of displaced Libyans are still living in abandoned construction sites, empty student dormitories or with host families, too afraid to return to their homes.Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95389TRIPOLI 01 May 2012 (IRIN) - Six months after an uprising brought down Muammar Gaddafi's government, thousands of displaced Libyans are still living in abandoned construction sites, empty student dormitories or with host families, too afraid to return to their homes.]]>Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>CHIANG MAI 27 April 2012 (IRIN) - Ethnic minority groups in Myanmar are calling on the international community to set stronger benchmarks or steps in the incremental removal of international sanctions, following this week's announcement by the European Union (EU) to suspend sanctions for a year, retaining only the embargo on arms sales.Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95370CHIANG MAI 27 April 2012 (IRIN) - Ethnic minority groups in Myanmar are calling on the international community to set stronger benchmarks or steps in the incremental removal of international sanctions, following this week's announcement by the European Union (EU) to suspend sanctions for a year, retaining only the embargo on arms sales.]]>Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>DUÉKOUÉ 26 April 2012 (IRIN) - President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire promised paved roads, an end to power cuts and water shortages, better mobile phone coverage, and a new university in the country’s west as part of an “emergency plan” to develop a region that has been steeped in violence and insecurity for a decade. But for some displaced Ivoirians still unable to return to their homes, the promises ring hollow.Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95366DUÉKOUÉ 26 April 2012 (IRIN) - President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire promised paved roads, an end to power cuts and water shortages, better mobile phone coverage, and a new university in the country’s west as part of an “emergency plan” to develop a region that has been steeped in violence and insecurity for a decade. But for some displaced Ivoirians still unable to return to their homes, the promises ring hollow.]]>Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>MUREWA 25 April 2012 (IRIN) - Thousands of poor Zimbabweans have turned to illegal panning for precious minerals, but environmental and water experts say their activities are contributing to the drying up of rivers which many communities rely on for their livelihoods.Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95354MUREWA 25 April 2012 (IRIN) - Thousands of poor Zimbabweans have turned to illegal panning for precious minerals, but environmental and water experts say their activities are contributing to the drying up of rivers which many communities rely on for their livelihoods.]]>Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 25 April 2012 (IRIN) - The governance of natural resources like land, the oceans, rivers and the atmosphere, can affect the impact of some of the world’s biggest crises caused by natural events like droughts and floods. How best to manage those resources has been at the heart of the work by Nobel Prize winner (economics) Elinor Ostrom.Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95355JOHANNESBURG 25 April 2012 (IRIN) - The governance of natural resources like land, the oceans, rivers and the atmosphere, can affect the impact of some of the world’s biggest crises caused by natural events like droughts and floods. How best to manage those resources has been at the heart of the work by Nobel Prize winner (economics) Elinor Ostrom.]]>Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>LONDON 24 April 2012 (IRIN) - Vaccines against measles have been around for decades and are highly effective, yet the campaign against the disease in recent years has had a bumpy ride. Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95349LONDON 24 April 2012 (IRIN) - Vaccines against measles have been around for decades and are highly effective, yet the campaign against the disease in recent years has had a bumpy ride. ]]>Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>DUBAI 23 April 2012 (IRIN) - The UN has presented a multi-million dollar plan to respond to humanitarian needs in Syria, but still lacks government approval to implement it.Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95332DUBAI 23 April 2012 (IRIN) - The UN has presented a multi-million dollar plan to respond to humanitarian needs in Syria, but still lacks government approval to implement it.]]>Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>DAKAR-BISSAU 23 April 2012 (IRIN) - Development, democracy and stability gains in Guinea-Bissau have suffered a major setback following the military takeover in Guinea-Bissau on 12 April.Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95340DAKAR-BISSAU 23 April 2012 (IRIN) - Development, democracy and stability gains in Guinea-Bissau have suffered a major setback following the military takeover in Guinea-Bissau on 12 April.]]>Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>BISSAU 23 April 2012 (IRIN) - Rather than shoring up democratic institutions, Guinea-Bissau’s presidential elections in March widened divisions between civilian and military leaders, culminating in a 12 April coup. It was the fifth successful putsch the country has experienced since independence in 1974.Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95341BISSAU 23 April 2012 (IRIN) - Rather than shoring up democratic institutions, Guinea-Bissau’s presidential elections in March widened divisions between civilian and military leaders, culminating in a 12 April coup. It was the fifth successful putsch the country has experienced since independence in 1974.]]>Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>SANA'A 20 April 2012 (IRIN) - Authorities in Yemen are yet to resolve the “marginalization” of the minority Akhdam people, weeks after thousands protested in the capital Sana’a over low pay and lack of work contracts, say community members.Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95324SANA'A 20 April 2012 (IRIN) - Authorities in Yemen are yet to resolve the “marginalization” of the minority Akhdam people, weeks after thousands protested in the capital Sana’a over low pay and lack of work contracts, say community members.]]>Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>RAMALLAH 19 April 2012 (IRIN) - The demand for microloans has risen steeply in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in recent years, according to data from the Palestinian Network for Small and Microfinance (Sharakeh), which represents 11 microfinance non-profit institutions whose total loan portfolio was US$75 million by the end of 2011.Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95317RAMALLAH 19 April 2012 (IRIN) - The demand for microloans has risen steeply in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in recent years, according to data from the Palestinian Network for Small and Microfinance (Sharakeh), which represents 11 microfinance non-profit institutions whose total loan portfolio was US$75 million by the end of 2011.]]>Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>TILLABERI/NIAMEY 18 April 2012 (IRIN) - Small farmers in Oullam District in Niger’s western region of Tillaberi, faced with their third drought in seven years, are being forced to consider bundling up their few possessions and leaving for good the villages they have lived in all their lives.Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95316TILLABERI/NIAMEY 18 April 2012 (IRIN) - Small farmers in Oullam District in Niger’s western region of Tillaberi, faced with their third drought in seven years, are being forced to consider bundling up their few possessions and leaving for good the villages they have lived in all their lives.]]>Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>VIENTIANE 16 April 2012 (IRIN) - With pressure on natural resources increasing in Laos, the first community land titles granted to five villages in Vientiane Province could provide a national model for environmental protection while safeguarding the livelihoods of villagers.Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=95295VIENTIANE 16 April 2012 (IRIN) - With pressure on natural resources increasing in Laos, the first community land titles granted to five villages in Vientiane Province could provide a national model for environmental protection while safeguarding the livelihoods of villagers.]]>