Mali: Not a fragile state yet

Drissa Keita, 42, fled south to Bamako, the capital of Mali, with 18 family members when Islamist extremists overran Gao in the northeast in early April. Once a civil servant, he now lives eight to a room in his brother’s house, without electricity. “Conditions are very difficult… I want to return – all of my children were born in Gao – but we can’t go back [while it is] under the current regime.”

After 14 years, Philippines moves forward with bill to improve contraceptive access

MANILA — Despite opposition from the powerful Roman Catholic Church, a bill that would mandate sex education in schools and subsidize contraceptives moved ahead on Monday after being stalled in the Philippine Congress for 14 years.

Saying Mali ‘Is our country,’ militias train to oust Islamists

MOPTI, Mali — Hundreds of young men are stuffed into makeshift training camps near this provincial capital, arising at 4 a.m. for physical exercises and simulated hand-to-hand combat in preparation for the day when they can free their north Mali homeland from the radical Islamists whose harsh rule has driven tens of thousands of frightened, desperate civilians to flee the country.