Lucija StojevicJuly 23, 2012 06:42

Designers of the Solar Impulse say sun-powered passenger planes are still a ways off, but the technology they're honing could bring dramatic energy savings on the ground.

Accelerate: Solar Flare

Lucija StojevicJuly 17, 2012 07:45

Designers of the Solar Impulse say sun-powered passenger planes are still a ways off, but the technology their honing could bring dramatic energy savings on the ground.

Alison LakeJune 29, 2012 06:17

Western Sahara in geopolitical stalemate

A generations-old territorial question between Morocco and Algeria poses new risks.

Morocco algeria western sahara stalemate

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A Sahrawi woman walks in the desert near the Western Sahara refugees camp in Tindouf. Morocco’s de facto governance of Western Sahara since gaining full control in 1979 remains a point of bitter contention for the Polisario and Algeria. (Dominique Faget/AFP/Getty Images)

RABAT and WASHINGTON — Relative to large pockets of human suffering in sub-Saharan Africa in the form of widespread famine or civil wars, the fate of Western Sahara, a disputed desert territory and its 120,000 people, is easily overlooked. Yet this particular conflict undermines regional security in North Africa and perpetuates a troublesome humanitarian situation. Amid a changing climate colored by the Arab Spring and the ascent of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Western Sahara is an unfortunate liability.

Lesbians in Morocco: Should we stay or should we go?

Marie von HafftenJune 22, 2012 16:34

RABAT, Morocco – In Morocco, often considered one of the most liberal Muslim countries, affection between women is common. Girls loop arms, stroll hand-in-hand and sit cuddled together. But when this affection becomes romantic and women want to live openly as lesbians, Morocco’s acceptance abruptly stops.

Solar Impulse aircraft Moroccan-bound in first transcontinental flight

Kristin DeasyJune 4, 2012 23:45

Daring ex-balloonist pilot takes solar-powered plane on the second leg of a historic journey.

African aquifer called 'huge' in groundbreaking water study

Tim FitzsimonsApril 20, 2012 09:14

Africa's rivers and lakes are prone to shortages and not suitable for drinking. But a groundbreaking study has shown that the subterranean water resources could number over a million cubic kilometers.

Alex PearlmanMarch 22, 2012 14:39

Protests to change rape law roil Morocco

Article 475 of the Moroccan constitution makes rape legal if rapists marry their underage victims. A social media flurry and protests to abolish the legal loophole are too late to save a teenager who killed herself, but could ultimately help save other young women.

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Women protest outside parlament against the suicide of Amina al-Filali, 16 who was forced to marry the man who raped her. They called for changes to a penal code that allows a rapist to stay out of jail if he marries his victim with the consent of her parents. (-/AFP/Getty Images)

Amina Al Filali was raped and then court-ordered to marry the man responsible for the crime. Five months later, she committed suicide by ingesting rat poison to avoid a life with her rapist who also repeatedly beat her. The 16-year-old's death has inspired a petition that has reached nearly 500,000 signatures to change Morocco's constitution and protests have erupted in the capital in support.

A solar-powered plane makes its first intercontinental voyage (VIDEO)

Accelerate: Solar Flare

Western Sahara in geopolitical stalemate

Lesbians in Morocco: Should we stay or should we go?

Solar Impulse aircraft Moroccan-bound in first transcontinental flight

African aquifer called 'huge' in groundbreaking water study

Protests to change rape law roil Morocco

Mauritania: France, Libya and the ICC battle for custody following arrest of al-Senussi

Morocco to amend law on rape-marriages after victim (16) commits suicide

Al Qaeda leader in north Africa sentenced to death in absentia