Venezuela’s opposition has called a 48-hour strike to stop the Maduro government from rewriting the nation’s constitution. But grassroots democracy may not be able to save the Bolivarian Republic.
Facing hunger, scarcity, sickness, protest and no clear path toward salvation, Venezuela is on the brink of something, but just what is not clear.
ビッグアップジャパン/flickr
Stephan Schmidt, The Conversation y Catesby Holmes, The Conversation
The best news and analysis of Venezuela’s dangerous descent into crisis, written by local economists and political scientists who are living it every day.
J Cole at Etihad Stadium in 2014. Cole (aka ‘Therapist’) runs non-profit organisation Dreamville Foundation, and houses single mothers rent-free in his childhood home.
Photo supplied by Michelle Grace Hunder
Nigeria must reduce its population growth to increase the quality of life for people in the country. A better knowledge of contraceptives can help achieve this.
Citizens and digital-rights advocates are pushing back against growing cyber repression in Thailand, where sharing the wrong Facebook post can land you in jail.
If frogs can glow in the dark and cockroaches can change history, why couldn’t dog-birds exist?
Chris Goldberg / flickr
Is birdsong simply a hard-wired, functional, primitive sound – or could we call it ‘music’? Australia’s pied butcherbirds show there are surprising overlaps between birds’ and humans’ musical abilities.
To conserve Earth’s remarkable species, such as the violet sabrewing, we must also defend the importance of science.
Jeremy Kerr
After South Africa’s first democratic election in 1994, the previously oppressed and dispossessed black majority hoped for constitutional restitution of their land. This has largely failed.
Chilean peacekeepers prepare to depart Haiti, where hurricanes and unstable governance have become major threats to the peace and safety of the populace.
United Nations Photo / flickr
From Syria’s civil war to women being traded as slaves on WhatsApp, this Global series brings together the past year’s most-read conflict reporting, written by the world’s top experts.
Extreme weather and conflict have a particularly accute impact on female farmers in the Philippines.
PWRDF
The European goldfinch, with its wonderful coloration and melodic singing, is a favoured pet for people living in the western Maghreb. But continued poaching is putting the species in danger.
Tax sheltering is not just the domain of exotic Caribbean isles. Major world powers, including the United Kingdom, play a critical and previously undisclosed role in global tax avoidance.
CORPNET
The Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Ireland are among the rich countries that funnel major corporate money into secret offshore tax shelters, according to a new study.
Freedom and tolerance are Norwegian values that don’t apply equally to all.
André Kongevold / flickr
Zambia has gone from a country where people engaged freely in open political debate to one where most people now look over their shoulders to see who’s listening.
The cheetah population almost halved since 1975 with only an estimated 7,100 left in the wild today.
Shutterstock
Captivity isn’t kind to cheetahs where most develop diseases that are unusual in big cats. It’s never been clear why this is the case, but understanding their metabolism might provide the answer.
The remains of one of six partially eroded islands in the nation of Solomon Islands.
Simon Albert/Reuters
Due to rising sea levels, low-lying island nations are in immediate danger. If drastic measures are taken, this disastrous trend can be transformed into an opportunity for sustainable development.
In India, a light complexion is associated with power, status and beauty, fueling an innovative and growing market of skin-bleaching products.
Adam Jones/Flickr
Professor in Practice on Environmental Innovation, School of Social and Environmental Sustainability, University of Glasgow, UK, National University of Singapore