70,000 Women Die Yearly From Unsafe Abortions

In 2003 19.7m abortions were unsafe and many women suffered harm as a direct result. Currently 70, 000 women die every year. Almost all unsafe abortions are in developing countries, in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, with many still practicing restrictive abortion laws. The Guttmacher Institute, a world renowned sexual and reproductive health research organisation, believes that family planning and proper contraceptive measures can help solve these unnecessary deaths, but with only 28% of married African women using contraception, a lot needs to be done in developing countries.

After Decades Africa’s Food Production Rises

A 3.5% increase in food production in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2008, marked the first positive rise in decades, according to a new report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The reasons for the rise were mostly driven by an increased use of technology, as well as a rise in food prices which had an effect encouraging national growth. But the report emphasises Africa must be helped to cushion itself from the effects of climate change which, in a continent heavily dependent on rain-fed agriculture, could destroy up to 50 per cent of yields in some countries.

French Vogue Crosses The Line

French Vougue has never shied away from controversy, with past shoots depicting ‘pregnant’ models smoking cigarettes. But the recent shoot by photographer Steven Klein for French Vogue has many outraged. The October edition features pictures of Dutch model Lara Stone, naturally pale-skinned and blond, with her face and body painted black. US blog Jezebel accused Vogue of being culturally insensitive, saying, “…Painting white people black for the entertainment of other white people is offensive in ways that stand entirely apart from cultural context."

French Dump Uranium In Russia

According to a documentary that was broadcast on the Arte Channel last night, 13% of the spent fuel from the utility giant's French nuclear reactors is shipped to Russia and left there indefinitely in metal containers. EDF, the world's biggest nuclear reactor operator who bought British Energy last year ( and who recently announced plans to build four more nuclear reactors in the UK), insists that the material stored near the Siberian town of Seversk is being kept securely for future use. Environmentalists say the material – the result of nuclear reprocessing – is proof that the industry's claims to be almost entirely "recyclable" are misleading and that the actual reuse rate is far lower than the 96% claimed by the industry because much of the uranium is so depleted at the end of the reprocessing that it is almost completely useless.

Shell, Nestle, and Motorola Are Not Cleaning Up Their Act

According to a Greenpeace investigation, Shell, Nestlé and Motorola are three major corporations among 18 that have not come clean about their dirty operations in China, putting air, waterways and soil at risk. This is in direct violation of Chinese state regulations that dictate that companies in China must tell the public within 30 days if they have been reported by environmental protection officers for failing to meet pollution standards. This type of regulation is vital for a country that faces some of the world's worst environmental problems. But it’s a struggle every step of the way, last month a study found that only four out of 113 local governments responded adequately to public requests for information.