When an Egyptian court fined former president Hosni Mubarak and two aides a total of 90 million dollars for cutting mobile and Internet services during protests that led to his ouster, it indicated the value placed on communication services in this Arab country.

So-called water schools, which educate communities on the resource and its links with the environment, gender and climate change, are helping to raise awareness on proper water management in Mexico, at a time of severe drought.

The countries of Latin America will raise their voices at the Sixth Summit of the Americas to condemn the 'failed' war on drugs and propose alternatives, such as the controversial depenalisation, in order to curb drug-related violence, especially in Mexico and Central America.

The Summit of the Americas, normally a subdued tri-annual gathering of regional leaders, could be more interesting than usual this year, as right-wing governments are set to clash with their U.S. allies over the war on drugs.

As Western forces step up their military presence in Somalia, locals and experts are worried that the country — struggling under multiple crises from piracy, to drought — is doomed to churn in a cycle of violence that fails to acknowledge root causes of the problems.

About 35 million hectares of land in 66 countries are subject to land grabs. This data published by NGO Grain of Spain refers to land grabs for food crops, but does not include most crops which are used for the production of biofuels such as jatropha.

The Support Fund for the Integration of Immigrants in Spain has been drained of resources, and as a result there is no funding for social insertion, employment and education programmes for the immigrant community.

At Fallujah hospital they cannot offer any statistics on children born with birth defects — there are just too many. Parents don’t want to talk. 'Families bury their newborn babies after they die without telling anyone,' says hospital spokesman Nadim al-Hadidi. 'It’s all too shameful for them.'

A few kilometres separate the two Lebanese villages of Ersal and Qaa from the Syrian border, both of which have been unwillingly drawn into the violence of the Syrian uprising. Unrest has been brewing in the region for weeks and recently it was on the receiving end of intermittent gunfire from the Syrian army. The situation remains tense despite the fragile new ceasefire.

As Malawians celebrate Joyce Banda’s appointment as president on sites, like Facebook and Twitter, the increased use of social media in Malawi comes full circle as her new government takes office.