Editor's note

Madagascar is known for its rare and incredible wildlife, from critically endangered lemurs to majestic baobab trees. But even as tourists flock to the east African island, the security situation in some areas has reached crisis point. Julia Jones reports on how bandits, illegal gold miners, and cattle thieves are threatening local people and conservation efforts in one of the planet’s most important places for biodiversity.

In late November, the foundation stone was laid for a new visa-free corridor between two Sikh gurdwaras on either side of the India-Pakistan border. Pippa Virdee explains how this presents opportunities for the Sikh community and for India-Pakistan relations.

Jack Marley

Assistant Section Editor

Top Stories

Ranomafana National Park. LouieLea/Shutterstock

Madagascar: fear and violence making rainforest conservation more challenging than ever

Julia P G Jones, Bangor University

A recent spate of attacks have left local people scared for their safety in rural Madagascar, threatening vital conservation work in the nearby rainforest.

Sikh pilgrims at the shrine for Guru Nanak Dev in Kartarpur, Pakistan. Rahat Dar/EPA

Sikh shrines in India and Pakistan – why construction of visa-free Kartarpur corridor is so historic

Pippa Virdee, De Montfort University

In late November, the foundation stone was laid for a new visa-free corridor between two Sikh gurdwaras on either side of the India-Pakistan border.

Environment

Design for flooding: how cities can make room for water

Elisa Palazzo, UNSW

Australia's coastal settlements are highly exposed to the impacts of climate change. Climate-resilient urban landscapes that can cope with large amounts of water need to become the new normal.

Carbon emissions will reach 37 billion tonnes in 2018, a record high

Pep Canadell, CSIRO; Corinne Le Quéré, University of East Anglia; Glen Peters, Center for International Climate and Environment Research - Oslo; Robbie Andrew, Center for International Climate and Environment Research - Oslo; Rob Jackson, Stanford University

For the second year in a row global greenhouse emissions from fossil fuels have risen, putting 2018 on course to set a new record, according to an annual audit from the Global Carbon Project.

Politics + Society

Papua: how Indonesian president Jokowi is trying – and failing – to win hearts and minds

Arie Ruhyanto, University of Birmingham

The government is focusing on economic development, but ignoring human rights abuses, local politics and indigenous peoples.

What puts children in Ethiopia more at risk of being injured

Qingfeng Li, Johns Hopkins University

Ethiopia has a high number of injury-related deaths and disabilities among children.

Health + Medicine

South Africa’s children aren’t getting the mental health care they need

Renata Schoeman, Stellenbosch University

School children with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have limited access to care in South Africa's education and health sectors.

To beat cholera, what is most needed is a reliable drinking water supply

Florent Bédécarrats, AFD (Agence française de développement)

In the fight against cholera, new research in the DRC suggests that the rehabilitation of water networks would be more sustainable than other interventions whose effectiveness is debatable.