News headlines in 2009, page 28

The United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which turns 30 on Dec. 18, has brought greater global awareness of women’s rights and been instrumental in the huge strides made towards ending discrimination and inequality in the world.

As debate ratchets up ahead of working out a climate change deal, a Dutch study says emissions from deforestation and land degradation are far lower than has been assumed. Will this have an impact on a deal to protect forests in Africa?


For close to three decades, Jeremiah Mkhonta has earned a living by selling firewood by the roadside. It's not exactly lucrative: the father of 15 often goes for a fortnight without even selling a single four dollar bundle of firewood.

With or without a binding deal at the climate talks in Copenhagen this month, it seems the world may have to cut its oil consumption, as emerging geological and economic trends limit the availability and affordability of petroleum.

The country’s president has failed to meet his electoral commitment of running a transparent and accountable government, free of tribalism and regionalism, opposition parties say.

Despite ongoing concern about the country’s human-rights situation, the United States should seek a more positive relationship with strife-torn Sri Lanka, primarily for geo-political reasons, according to a new report released here Monday by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Vested interests in fossil fuels have blocked major steps against global warming so far, according to José Goldemberg, who has played a leading role at key times in the climate crisis facing humanity.

Under a shady trellis of rice sacks in the province of Kampot in southern Cambodia, 42-year-old Nuon Yan tends his crop of pepper vines.

As the climate change summit in the Danish capital moves into a second day, environmental groups warn that by pushing carbon offsetting and trade, governments of developed countries are bypassing their responsibility to significantly reduce domestic emissions and provide aid to developing countries.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Palestinian counterpart Salam Fayyad have both been scrambling earnestly to win the backing of European leaders in advance of what could be a major EU policy shift that aims at creating new impetus for Palestinian-Israeli peace prospects.