By Kizito Makoye PAJE, Zanzibar (IDN) – As the morning breeze sweeps Mwanamkasi Jumbe wade through knee-deep water, her gown flapping in the wind as she drags a pile of seaweed seedlings to her farm before it is too hot. Armed with a bundle of sticks, she hangs pieces of fresh seaweed haphazardly hooked on […]
Mozambique Imposing Hefty Fees on Local and Foreign Media
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – Press freedom in Mozambique just got a lot less free. Under a new government decree, local and foreign journalists must now pony up thousands of dollars for the right to report in this Southern African country. The little dribble of news about Mozambique in the […]
‘Right To Water’ Should Be A Major Human Right, Say Indonesian Women Activists
By Kalinga Seneviratne JAKARTA (IDN) – Indonesian women activists, fighting an uphill battle to reverse a 20-year old water privatization project signed by former authoritarian ruler Suharto with French and British companies with the support of a $92 million loan from the World Bank, argue that the United Nations and the international human rights community […]
Morocco Provides ‘Safe Spaces’ for Youth
By Julia Payne MARRAKECH (IDN) – As a society, we have hopes and dreams for the future; for our children, our countries, and the global community. These aspirations rest on the shoulders of the young generation. August 12, 2018 marked the 18th celebration of the UN’s annual International Youth Day. This awareness day was a […]
Africa’s Emerging Markets Vulnerable To Cyber Attacks
By Emmanuel Tita Sama* LAGOS (IDN) – As emerging markets race to join the digital revolution they are fast being hijacked by cybercriminals, who are preying on the fledgling IT environment with potential security weaknesses and using them to launch attacks on territories with more advanced defence strategies. The United Nations recently reported that, shockingly, […]
‘Skulduggery’ Foils Zimbabwe Inauguration Of Mnangagwa
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | HARARE (IDN) – The hastily organized inauguration of Emmerson Mnangagwa as president of Zimbabwe has hit a brick wall. Invitations to the heads of diplomatic mission, international organizations and consulates were pulled back after challenges to July 30 general election put a question mark around the […]
Security Council Calls for Better UN Agency Cooperation in Central Africa
By J Nastranis NEW YORK (IDN) – In view of “the volatile and fast‑evolving nature of the political, security and social situation” in Central Africa, the United Nations Secretary-General has asked the Security Council to extend by three years from September 1, 2018 to August 31, 2021 the mandate of the UN Regional Office for […]
UN Supports Comprehensive Reform Process in Lesotho
By Ntsoaki Nkoe MASERU (IDN) – Lesotho has launched a landmark project with the European Union willing to provide Euros 12.5 million (approx. USD14.4 million) and the United Nations USD 2 million. Known as the Lesotho National Dialogue and Stabilization Project (LNDSP), the initiative aims to stimulate a comprehensive national reforms process the southern African […]
Thirteen-Year-Old Defies Family, Escapes Forced Marriage
By Billy Ntaote This report is part of a series on Human Trafficking by MNN Centre for Investigative Journalism in Lesotho. MASERU (IDN) – For people living in the rural parts of the country, early child marriage doesn’t exist – but when a teenager is impregnated, families rush to organise a traditional wedding ceremony and […]
Trump’s Conservative Nominee For Post In Kenya Gets Grilling
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – Democrats are challenging President Trump’s nominee from the Midwestern state of Illinois for the post of U.S. ambassador to Kenya. State Sen. Kyle McCarter’s conservative views run the gamut from opposition to gay rights, restrictions on immigration and locking up former Senator Hillary Clinton. A […]