is the media development division of UPI. The following stories are produced by journalists worldwide who are mentored through various UPI next projects. For more information visit
UPInext.com
by Aamir Saeed, written for UPI.com
Few non-Muslims are running in Pakistan's planned election, which critics say reinforces non-Muslims' status as a poor underclass there.
By Ali Waqar, written for UPI.com
by Adnan Rashid, written for UPI.com
Fifteen people were killed and more than 40 injured in the Sewak area of the northwest Orakzai tribal region.
By Ali Waqar, written for UPI.com
Indian spy Sarabjit Singh has died of wounds incurred during an attack in a Pakistan jail.
by Muhammad Arif Shafi, written for UPI.com
With 63% of Pakistan's population under 25 years of age, political parties are working to attract first time voters.
by Aamir Saeed, written for UPI.com
With landmark elections looming, two Pakistani agencies are responsible for keeping corrupt candidates out of the National Assembly and provincial assemblies.
By Yiqi Sun, written for UPI.com
BEIJING, March 20 -- A Chinese system that places promising athletes in prestigious universities while the less athletic compete in annual entrance examinations is spurring controversy and may be reformed in this year’s entrance examination.
By Randi Pei, written for UPI.com
BEIJING, March 27 -- More than 50 minority languages in China could disappear unless more efforts are made to preserve them.
By Wang Xing, written for UPI.com
BEIJING, March 27 -- An old registration system in China that has prevented many children of rural migrants from entering schools in Beijing may be changed.
By AAMIR SAEED, Written for UPI
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, March 26 (UPInext) -- With Pakistan facing landmark general elections May 11, cultural bars on women voting are so entrenched in conservative parts of the country that thousands of women are unlikely to vote, interviews show.
By Fleur Castlereagh, Written for UPI
SYDNEY, July 18 (UPI) -- Eloise Wellings may finally fulfill her dream of competing at an Olympics this year and a change in focus may be just what she needs to make it.
By QIAO CONGRUI, Written for UPI
Residents in Beijing spend more than a third of their earnings on foods.
By BeiBei Bao, Written for UPI
SHANGHAI, June 18 (UPI) -- China is seeking public opinions for its first law regulating the country's $36 billion e-commerce market, in a move to curb trade in counterfeit goods and further protect consumer rights.
By Brittany Stevens, Written for UPI
MANHATTAN, Kan., June 14 (UPI) -- Kansas naturists choose to live out their taboo lifestyle despite a cool reception from outsiders.
By Krithika Krishnamurthi, Written for UPI
BANGALORE, India, June 14 (UPI) -- Indian women outnumber men in sterilization stakes.
By Mike Huynh, Written for UPI
SYDNEY, June 11 (UPI) -- The rise of professional fashion bloggers and the emergence of specialized jobs fuelled by the convergence of fashion, social media and narcissism.
By Hussein Jiva, Written for UPI
NAIROBI, Kenya, June 6 (UPI) -- Nairobi residents fear a new era of violence in the wake of a bomb attack in the city's downtown business district.
By Simone Armer, Written for UPI
GRAHAMSTOWN, South Africa, June 5 (UPI) -- The South African government plans to introduce biometric security systems to combat massive welfare fraud that has, in the past year, cost taxpayers a quarter of all social security payouts.
By QIAO CONGRUI, Written for UPI
DUBLIN, Ireland, June 5 (UPI) -- What can you do with $300 for mobile communication? In Myanmar, that only buys a SIM card.
By Dayo Ibitoye, Written for UPI
KADUNA, Nigeria, May 14 (UPI) -- Nigerians are unhappy with the apparent unwillingness of the government to ratify a law that would restrict the sales and advertising of cigarettes.
By Ye Hou, Written for UPI
BEIJING, May 4 (UPI) -- A nationwide ban on smoking in restaurants, hospitals and other public places has university officials creating their own anti-smoking rules.
By Ratnendra K. Pandey, Written for UPI
NEW DELHI, May 4 (UPI) -- In India, the bidi industry operates largely below the radar of governmental tobacco regulators, adding to the health risk of smokers of the unfiltered tobacco sticks.
By Isabelle Anne Abraham, Written for UPI
GRAHAMSTOWN, South Africa, April 12 (UPI) -- Ongoing poaching of rhinos for their valuable horns have activists proposing a contentious solution: Legalizing the horn trade.
By Tina Kuehne, Written for UPI
ATHENS, Ohio, April 4 (UPI) -- Bad salaries, few career opportunities and a poor standing in society make teaching an unattractive profession in Brazil.
By Muhammed Abdulla, Written for UPI
SULAIMANI, Iraq, March 30 (UPI) -- Police say they still don't know why Bayar Sarwar shot and killed his American teacher before turning the gun on himself.
By Abdi Latif Dahir, Written for UPI
NAIROBI, Kenya, March 29 (UPI) -- Graffiti murals across the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, portrays government officials as 'vultures' and urges Kenyans to get rid of them through a ballot revolution
By Phil Barnes, Written for UPI
ATHENS, Ohio, March 21 (UPI) -- The increasing number of marriages between expatriates and South Koreans is setting the stage for a revolution that is confronting Korea's homogeneous culture.
By Abdi Latif Dahir, Written for UPI
NAIROBI, Kenya, March 19 (UPI) -- Kenyans on Twitter and Facebook railed against CNN for depicting an isolated grenade attack at a bus station in Nairobi as a flare-up of violence in the country
By Brendon Butler, Written for UPI
ATHENS, Ohio, March 15 (UPI) -- Thousands of artisan miners profit from gold deposits but the use of mercury in extracting the metal is poisoning the miners and their environment.
By Heather Farr, Written for UPI
ATHENS, Ohio, March 18 (UPI) -- An Australian chemical plant incites the biggest environmental protest in Malaysian history
By Taylor Pool, Written for UPI
ATHENS, Ohio, March 14 (UPI) -- On the tenth anniversary of the law legalizing euthanasia, a Belgian father is still speaking out against possible further additions to the law.
By Tina Kuehne, Written for UPI
Floods and mudslides have left visible marks on the city of Nova Friburgo. A year on, the population remains fearful whenever it starts to rain.
By Joseph Barbaree, Written for UPI
ATHENS, Ohio, Feb. 29 (UPI) -- Barefoot Angels, an organization that helps poor children in El Salvador, propelled Peter Rodriguez to the international stage.
By Abdi Latif Dahir, Written for UPI
NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb. 29 (UPI) -- Somalis react with a mix of optimism and doubt about what the future holds for their country, once the Transitional Federal Government's mandate ends in August.
By Abdi Latif Dahir, Written for UPI
NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Exiled from home, Somali journalists in Kenya struggle to find regular work, face language barriers and crowd into apartments with colleagues in dodgy neighborhoods.
By Mohammed Raja, Written for UPI
SULAYMANI, Iraq, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- After the burning of liquor stores and massage parlors in Kurdistan, the ruling secular parties are worried about the increasing challenge from Islamists.
By Andrew Ford, Written for UPI
GAINESVILLE, Fla., Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Behind-the-scenes at the Dove World Outreach Center.
By Heather Farr, Written for UPI
ATHENS, Ohio, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- Social media are changing the way politicians in Malaysia communicate, while giving citizens a voice in Malaysian politics.
By Zeina Shehayeb, Written for UPI
BEIRUT, Lebanon, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- The Sabra and Shatila refugee camps, the site of a massacre during Lebanon's civil war, has new life as a discount shopping center.
By Zahi Sahli, Written for UPI
BEIRUT, Lebanon, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- Songs with violent and controversial lyrics have become popular on Lebanese radio stations, raising concerns in this politically fragile nation.
By Elena Roda, Written for UPI
Many residents say they would join street protests in Syria. But unable to travel freely, they must show their support in other ways.
By Abdi Latif Dahir, Written for UPI
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- A war in Somalia, an upcoming election, soaring inflation rates, hikes in the prices of food and oil contribute to a climate of uncertainty in Kenya's economy.
By Abdi Latif Dahir, Written for UPI
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- Kenyan leaders say they will still run for presidential election in 2012, despite now-formal ICC charges of crimes against humanity.
By Abdi Latif Dahir, Written for UPI
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- The Twitter account of a Somali militant group has garnered a surprise following among social media users in Kenya.
By Abdi Latif Dahir, Written for UPI
NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Floods sweep Kenya after record-setting drought as Durban Climate Change Conference comes to an end
By Uzmi Athar, Written for UPI
BANGALORE, India, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Migrant laborers' children drop out of government schools after the closure of mobile schools under the Indian Right to Education Act.
By Dayo Ibitoye, Written for UPI
ZARIA, Nigeria, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- Remedial education in Nigeria has long been an alternative method of gaining college acceptance for students whose grades aren't as high as they need to be to immediately enter higher education. But skyrocketing costs for remedial programs have some students questioning whether schools are taking advantage of their desperation to earn a college diploma.
By Sana Amir, Written for UPI
The Aseem ASHA Foundation trains underprivileged children, especially girls, to produce digital stories, advertisements, graphics, animation and the designing of games.
By Ali Albahrani, Written for UPI
SYDNEY, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Being Aboriginal was a long journey of agony, but he never lost his smile as he dreamt of the day when he might become a role model.
By Hussein Jiva, Written for UPI
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Islamic-style banking has emerged as an alternative to conventional banking in Kenya, offering interest-free accounts and conservative investments.
By M Basit Shaikh, Written for UPI
NEW DELHI, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Stakeholders share their excitement about the promises and prospects that the recently unveiled Draft National Telecom Policy holds for India and the world.
By Pratik Kumar, Written for UPI
GREATER NOIDA, India, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Farmers in India say they've been cheated out of their land by the government, which sold to a developer that built a Formula One race track.
By Marko Phiri, Written for UPI
BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Poaching has taken a toll on the fish stock of the Zambezi River basin in southern Africa.
By Andrew Ford, Written for UPI
GAINESVILLE, Fla., Nov. 16 (UPI) -- One of Europe's hottest DJ's is a grandmother.
By Zainab Sayeed, Written for UPI
DELHI, India, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- Throngs of people in India converge to protest bribes and to support a new bill that would curb government corruption.
By Marko Phiri, Written for UPI
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- Urban farmers in Africa are increasingly being recognized as important contributors to the green sector.
By BeiBei Bao, Written for UPI
BEIJING, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- Three decades after China's fertility restrictions, the latest census found a shrinking labor population and a graying society.
By Ratnendra K. Pandey, Written for UPI
RAEBARELI, India, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- A paper mill built two boiler plants to produce eco-friendly electricity. Apart from saving money by producing electricity, the mill also sells carbon credits.
By Daniel Ominde, Written for UPI
KISUMU, Kenya, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- Environmental organizations are installing biogas digesters to poor families in Kenya. Environmental experts hope the digesters will slow the destruction of the east Africa's forests, which are being chopped down for firewood. Kenyan lawmakers say the digesters are one step toward reversing climate change.
By Pratik Kumar, Written for UPI
NEW DELHI, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Mistaken as Bangladeshis nationals, a woman and her son face detention by Delhi police. Several others fear illegal deportation ahead of Independence Day celebrations.
By Kelly St.Onge, Written for UPI
TITUSVILLE, Fla., July 8 (UPI) -- The space shuttle program comes to a close as it sends Atlantis on its last mission. This is the 33rd flight of Atlantis and 135th, and final, shuttle mission since mission STS-1 was launched on April 12, 1981.
By Abhirup Bhunia, Written for UPI
KOLKATA, India, July 6 (UPI) -- The newly elected chief minister of West Bengal hopes private investment will help lift the region out of a $42 billion debt.
By Edlyn Ruiz, Written for UPI
TAMPA, Fla., June 29 (UPI) -- For some international college students, trips to local bars are cut short when their international ID's, though valid, aren't accepted at the door.
By Alexia Shaffer, Written for UPI
GENEVA, Switzerland, June 27 (UPI) --
By Kayla Shane, Written for UPI
MORGANTOWN, W.Va., June 14 (UPI) -- West Virginia University now offers veteran-only classes designed to help military members who have served overseas earn their degrees.
University officials say they plan to offer veteran-only courses in history, theater and public speaking. There will be a special veteran-only section of University 101, an orientation class meant to help new students ease into college life. The courses chosen fulfill general requirements for most majors.
By Alexia Shaffer, Written for UPI
GENEVA, Switzerland, June 8 (UPI) -- Rwanda pledges 67 new commitments promoting human rights in a Universal Periodic Review by the United Nations.
By Lori McCue, Written for UPI
WASHINGTON, June 6 (UPI) -- Activist and one-time congressional candidate Adam Kokesh led about 40 people in a dance at the Jefferson Memorial Saturday, protesting a court ruling that prohibits dancing at the site.
By Natacha Khalife, Written for UPI
JBEIL, Lebanon, June 3 (UPI) -- With political turmoil throughout the Arab world, more and more children are coming to work in the Lebanese streets. However, the country does not have the means to welcome them, and their situations are dire.
By Xixi QUAN, Written for UPI
BEIJING, May 31 (UPI) -- Chinese Web users use all capital letters and strings of exclamation points to make sure they're heard. Experts say it's a backlash against censorship.
By Zamzam Abdi, Written for UPI
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 26 (UPI) -- Cheap mobile phones, paired with the long-simmering humanitarian crisis in Somalia, has led to an uptick in "phone marriages" among Somali communities in East Africa. More Somali men are now leaving Africa to work abroad, but a young women who remains at home is a financial liability. In most phone marriage cases, parents marry their daughters off to supplement their income as long as their daughters remain in their home.
By Jordan Frakes, Written for UPI
PHOENIX, May 9 (UPI) -- Where's George?, the interactive Web site that allows users to track their money, has grown in popularity and inspired research on human mobility.
By Suleiman Abdullahi, Written for UPI
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 2 (UPI) -- The death of Osama bin Laden causes various sentiments but nothing close to the wild celebrations seen in various parts of the United States.
By Pratik Kumar, Written for UPI
In India’s capital, the stretch of road between Jantar Mantar and Praliament Street is the land of unique uprisings, waged by lone protesters.
By Cory Emerson, Written for UPI
TAMPA, Fla., April 26 (UPI) -- Internships were once a way for students to earn a little money while gaining on-the-job experience. Then, many internships evolved into unpaid opportunities. Now, for some students, it's a paid-for experience.
By Julia Bodwell, Written for UPI
TAMPA, Fla., April 25 (UPI) -- With the increase in local and global pressures on coral reefs threatening their existence, those in the dive community take action.
By Lauren Granger, Written for UPI
GRAHAMSTOWN, South Africa, April 19 (UPI) -- A new power station to be built in Grahamstown, South Africa, will use invasive alien plant vegetation to generate sustainable electricity.
By Beth Elderkin, Written for UPI
SAN DIEGO, April 13 (UPI) -- Cross-border conflicts create division about possible redesign of Friendship Park, a section of Border Field state park that lies on the U.S./Mexico border.
By Khatija Nxedlana, Written for UPI
GRAHAMSTOWN, South Africa, April 12 (UPI) -- Girls in South Africa stay home from school during their menstrual cycles to avoid embarrassment when they can't afford sanitary towels.
By Dan Spadafora, Written for UPI
ALLENDALE, Mich., April 11 (UPI) -- Grand Valley State University head football coach presents not his job as he puts it but his profession and also demonstrates a life template for all to follow.
By Julia Bodwell, Written for UPI
TAMPA, Fla., April 6 (UPI) -- An inside look into the world of body suspension.
By Muthoki Mumo, Written for UPI
NAIROBI, Kenya, April 2 (UPI) -- Farmers in rural Kenya are swept along in a technological revolution that makes it easier for them to sell their products in far-flung markets.
By Amanda Sieradzki, Written for UPI
TAMPA, Fla., April 1 (UPI) -- Where do Gasparilla beads go to die? With Tampa Bay's Gasparilla activities dying down, it’s a mystery as to where these plastic treasures go after disappearing from the parade route.
By Chu Yang, Written for UPI
ATHENS, Ohio, March 29 (UPI) -- Buddhist monks in Japan are trying to attract young people by performing sutras in a hip-hop style.
By Erich Hiner, Written for UPI
ATHENS, Ohio, March 18 (UPI) -- New technological advances could help with the Israeli-Palestinian water crisis by spreading clean-water solutions to rural areas in Israel and the West Bank.
By Adam Liebendorfer, Written for UPI
ATHENS, Ohio, March 16 (UPI) -- Government leaders in Taiwan hope the Year of the Rabbit, thought to be an auspicious year for having children, will turn around a flagging birth rate.
By Sarah Tharp, Written for UPI
ATHENS, Ohio, March 10 (UPI) -- When the majority of men in a small El Salvador town were jailed in 2009 for gang activity, their wives and children were left to fend for themselves. Now, experts say the families suffer financially and emotionally.
By Ramzauva Chhakchhuak, Written for UPI
NEW DELHI, March 3 (UPI) -- In the hilly Indian state of Meghalaya, archery has evolved into a form of gambling that drives local economies, but could erode long-held traditions.
By Terry Trahan Jr., Written for UPI
HAMMOND, La., Feb. 24 (UPI) -- A former college basketball star returned to Louisiana to attend a ceremony during which her jersey was retired. Robin Roberts is now a well-known morning show anchor in New York City.
By Adam Liebendorfer, Written for UPI
ATHENS, Ohio, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- In an effort to curb discrimination, the Taiwanese Parliament is encouraging elementary and junior high school students to discuss LGBT topics.
By Suleiman Abdullahi, Written for UPI
The southern Sudanese government will face a long list of local and regional problems if it secedes from the north, but those concerns haven't dampened the spirits of millions of people who are voting to become part of Africa's newest country.
By Suleiman Abdullahi, Written for UPI
JUBA, Sudan, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Voters in southern Sudan camped outside polling stations and began lining up at the stroke of midnight to cast a ballot in favor of secession from the north.
By Suleiman Abdullahi, Written for UPI
JUBA, Sudan, Jan. 8 (UPI) --
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