United Nations : A salty dilemma (PRIV)
(IPS, New York)
As the threat of water scar city increasingly grows, many have turned to the Earth's plentiful oceans for a solution. However, this has created a new risk threatening public and environmental health - brine.

United Nations : Recorded increase in human trafficking (PRIV)
(IPS, New York)
Human trafficking is on the rise and it is more "horrific" than ever, a United Nations agency found.

Asia : Sprouting mangroves restore hopes in coastal Myanmar (PRIV)
(IPS, Shwe Thaung Yan)
Htay Aung is having a moment. The 63-year-old retired professor of Marine Science sits at the foo t of a Buddha statue atop a hill on Shwe Thaung Yan sub-township, in Myanmar's Ayyerwady region, almost in meditation.

Mexico : Forests, both victim of and solution to climate change (PRIV)
(IPS, Mexico City)
"I dream of a healthy, sustainable, well-managed forest," says Rogelio Ruiz, a silviculturist from southern Mex ico, who insists that "we have to clean it up, take advantage of the wood, and r eforest."

Development : Changing the gender bias in agriculture (PRIV)
(IPS, Wageningen)
Women entrepreneurs are playing an important role in transforming global food security for econ omic growth, but they have to work twice as hard as men to succeed in agribusine ss.

Opinion : Honduran crisis produces new caravan (PRIV)
(IPS, Oslo)
A new caravan heading towards Mexico and the United States was reportedly set to leave San Pedro Sula in Honduras on 15 January.