News headlines in 2013, page 12

JOHANNESBURG, Dic 06 (IPS) - Maureen Phiri, 18, has a soft voice and a strong message about HIV and young people in her country. "In Malawi, people are still in denial because of cultural beliefs. Traditional leaders and churches are denying the disease. Let us gather those leaders and hear from young people what is really happening."

GENEVA/STOCKHOLM, Dic 06 (IPS) - The terrible bloodshed in Syria has been going on for over two and a half years. It has caused one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent history, with more than half of Syria's pre-war population now needing humanitarian assistance for their survival.

WASHINGTON, Dic 06 (IPS) - A new poll following the election of President Hassan Rouhani says that a majority of Iranians oppose Iran's intervention in Syria and Iraq and believe that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons despite their government's claims to the contrary.

RÍO CEBALLOS, Argentina, Dic 06 (IPS) - This small town in the semi-arid central Argentine province of Córdoba now has a 24-hour hotline for people to report their neighbours for sprinkling their lawns or using water to clean off the sidewalks.

JOHANNESBURG/PORT ELIZABETH, Dic 06 (IPS) - As the world mourns the passing of South Africa's first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela, his close friend and political stalwart Tokoyo Sexwale says much needs to be done to honour his legacy.

UNITED NATIONS, Dic 06 (IPS) - The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously Thursday to authorise the deployment of thousands of French and African Union troops in the Central African Republic but stopped short of approving a full U.N. peacekeeping force in the country.

WASHINGTON, Dic 06 (IPS) - The U.S. Congress is being urged to pass "urgent" legislation that would make issues of violence against women and girls a key focus in all U.S. diplomatic efforts.

HAVANA, Dic 05 (IPS) - Nature reserves act as a safe deposit box for biodiversity and contribute to adaptation to climate change. But in a country like Cuba, plagued by a chronic economic crisis, efforts to increase the number of protected areas go largely unnoticed.

DOHA, Dic 05 (IPS) - Women's rights activists in Morocco have criticised the Islamist-led government for excluding them from drafting proposed legislation to combat violence against women and for seeking to dilute the bill through changes.

UNITED NATIONS, Dic 05 (IPS) - As the international community fleshes out a new set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be unveiled next year, civil society activists and U.N. officials agree their success will hinge on policies that address the nexus of poverty, hunger and environmental degradation.