Zimbabwe continues to battle controversy over diamond mining
Abuses at Zimbabwe’s Marange diamond field continue despite agreements with internal monitors to end military control of the area, rights monitor Global Witness says. Zimbabwean authorities were forced to make a last-minute cancellation of a planned auction of 300,000 carats of rough diamonds after failing to obtain a conflict-free certification for the stones.
Separation of sexes changing in Saudi Arabia?
Top Saudi Arabian religious officials have begun to endorse a clear distinction between the innocent meddling of the sexes and sinful behavior in recent weeks. For decades, Saudi religious authorities have rigidly enforced separation of the sexes in public.
Can GPS mapping improve slum life?
Humanitarian organization OpenStreetMap has trained a team of young Kenyans to use global positioning system devices to map the Nairobi slum Kibera in the hopes of improving access to services for the area’s more than 500,000 residents. The data will be uploaded to the Internet as a free map to help residents and aid agencies better understand existing service availability and gaps.
Nepal frees hundreds of former child soldiers
Hundreds of former child soldiers bid their comrades farewell today at a camp in southern Nepal where they have lived since communist rebels joined a peace process. They are the first of nearly 3,000 former child soldiers to be freed from seven camps where they have been confined since a peace agreement in 2006.
Taiwan couple builds a “papercrete” future
A couple in Taiwan has opened a small school built from “papercrete” — a mixture of paper, water and cement — using recycled newspapers collected by would-be students. The couple plans to open a paper-based pizza restaurant.
WHO: Premature birth rates rising across the world
About 10% of the world’s 130 million annual births are premature, the World Health Organization says. The vast majority of premature births occur in developing countries, where limited availability of medical care decreases the chances of survival, but preterm birth rates are growing in rich countries as well.
Pakistan finds suicide bomber school
Pakistani military officials say they have discovered a compound used by the Taliban to brainwash young men into becoming willing suicide bombers. Parents from impoverished regions reportedly sent their children to the compound in response to promises of education and free food.
