Illegal gold mining in Peru’s Madre de Dios province has damaged the environment and had a negative impact on indigenous communities

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A report by the NGO Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) has accused Swiss gold refiner Metalor of procuring gold from controversial suppliers in Peru. Metalor denies the charge.
The reportexternal link, released on Thursday to time with the opening of the Baselworld Watch and Jewellery Fair, says that in all likelihood, Metalor continues to procure illegally mined and sold Peruvian gold, which is linked to tax evasion and environmental destruction.
The refiner’s main supplier, the Peruvian export company Minerales del Sur (Minersur), delivered more

Rajasthan has one of the highest maternal and newborn mortality rates in India

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The Zurich-based UBS Optimus Foundation has announced the launch of the first Development Impact Bond (DIB) in the field of healthcare. If successful, it could save over 10,000 lives in India.
The foundation, which is the philanthropic arm of the Swiss bank UBS, will invest a total of $3.5 million (CHF3.45 million) to help reduce mother and infant mortality rates in the state of Rajasthan in northwestern India.
Rajasthan has one of the highest maternal and newborn mortality rates in the country – 244 maternal deaths per 100,000 births and 47 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.
The investment will be used