PORT-LOUIS , Apr 16 2013 (IPS) - Mauritius may be one of the best-prepared countries in the world when it comes to cyclones, but recent heavy rains and flooding due to climate change have brought the country’s readiness for coping with increased rainfall into question.

Ecologist Keshwar Beeharry-Panray tells IPS that he expects the island to be affected by more floods, landslides and cyclones in the coming years because of climate change.

03/31/2013 12:07 GMT

PORT LOUIS, Mauritius, March 31, 2013 (AFP) - Ten people were killed in floods caused by sudden rains in Port Louis, the capital of the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, the police information centre said Sunday.

Police said six bodies were found in a pedestrian subway. One body was found near the port and two more in an underground carpark, while one victim reportedly died of a heart attack as the flood waters rose.

The Commonwealth is working with its members in Africa on improving accountability and adherence to International Humanitarian Law

Even in times of war and conflict, countries are governed by international laws to minimise the suffering of civilians and those no longer taking part in hostilities.

by Richard Lee

Leaders of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) took a momentous decision in Maputo over the weekend—to shut the doors of the SADC Tribunal, preventing the region’s citizens from seeking justice for human rights abuses.

The shocking decision, which was taken at the annual summit of SADC Heads of State and Government in Maputo, not only left the tribunal in limbo but also rendered it completely toothless by denying individual access to the court.

NAIROBI, 19 July 2012 (PLUSNEWS) - Many sub-Saharan African nations - traditionally the beneficiaries of international HIV funding - are gradually increasing their financial contributions to the fight against the virus, boosting the number of people on treatment to record highs according to a new UNAIDS report, Together We Will End AIDS [ http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/campaigns/togetherwewillendaids/ ], released on 18 July.

Director-General calls cooperatives and producer organizations a key partner in achieving food security and ending hunger, poverty in the world

FAO opened a new liaison office for cooperatives and producer organizations today in order to revitalize the Organization's collaboration with these organizations worldwide.

The opening comes a few days after the International Day of Cooperatives, celebrated on Saturday, July 7.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) joins the rest of the world in commemorating this year’s World Water Day with a call for more investments towards the development of water infrastructure in the region in order to improve assurance of water supply for domestic, industrial, energy and food security.

An Extra-Ordinary Meeting of Ministers of Higher Education and Training was held on the 5th of June 2012 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Honourable Ministers from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Swaziland, and Deputy Ministers from Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe attended the meeting. The Seychelles and Mauritius were represented by their Ambassadors to the Republic of South Africa, while Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, the United Republic of Tanzania were represented by Senior Officials.

Classes surchargées, enseignants insuffisamment formés ou trop peu nombreux, manuels scolaires en nombre insuffisant, toilettes inexistantes ou sans séparation entre filles et garçons : tel est le lot d’un grand nombre d’élèves du primaire dans l’Afrique subsaharienne. C’est le constat que dresse l’Institut de statistique de l’UNESCO (ISU) dans une étude sur les ressources scolaires et pédagogiques en Afrique subsaharienne*. Or tous ces facteurs nuisent à la réussite scolaire des élèves.