News headlines in November 2010, page 5

The 15-year extension of an oil-drilling contract in Guatemala's Laguna del Tigre National Park, one of Central America's most important wetlands, has triggered a legal fight against the government's decision, a battle waged by activists, academics and even government agencies.

The days after North Korea’s shelling of a South Korean island have seen anger rise from Seoul and its allies, but some analysts say this plays into Pyongyang’s agenda and call for a more sober approach to one of Asia’s most serious security flashpoints.

'This is getting bad. We hear that they're going to take away the ration books,' says an elderly man, his elbows resting on the countertop of a small shop in the Cuban capital. 'Well, for whatever it's worth,' replies a woman in a low voice as she makes her monthly ration purchases.

Despite successive awareness campaigns, many Malian women see no need to attend pre-natal check-ups. Health workers say this results in an elevated rate of maternal and infant mortality.

Posters cover almost every conceivable surface, even tombs in graveyards. Trucks mounted with loud speakers blare campaign jingles. Candidates' faces are everywhere. It's elections 'à la américaine', complete with polls and whistle-stops.

Cactus, bushes, flowers and countless other plants are taken out of Chile daily to be studied, improved, marketed and patented. Due to the lack of regulations, the country can only stand by and watch them go.

Least developed countries (LDCs) in Africa did not use the commodity export boom of the mid-2000s to diversify their economies from commodity dependence to manufacturing value-added products. Significantly, the agricultural sector has also not benefited, with the result that LDC reliance on imported food has become even worse.

In this fast-developing South-east Asian country where dizzying neon signboards and glass-clad skyscrapers have been overshadowed only by a colourful political battle, a group of young photographers are hoping their work behind the lens can bring human rights back into focus.

The face of the Senegalese capital has been transformed. The beggars who swarmed along its major arteries, especially in the centre of the city, its biggest markets and independence square are gone.

The Nosivolo River has the greatest concentration of freshwater fish species in Madagascar. Strengthening protection of the river's biodiversity has involved transforming the livelihoods of local people.