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.
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Ranomafana National Park.
LouieLea/Shutterstock
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.
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Sikh pilgrims at the shrine for Guru Nanak Dev in Kartarpur, Pakistan.
Rahat Dar/EPA
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.
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Environment
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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.
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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.
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Politics + Society
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Arie Ruhyanto, University of Birmingham
The government is focusing on economic development, but ignoring human rights abuses, local politics and indigenous peoples.
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Qingfeng Li, Johns Hopkins University
Ethiopia has a high number of injury-related deaths and disabilities among children.
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Health + Medicine
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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.
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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.
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