Heartland

Amnesty International says a deadly attack in Haiti's Artibonite region highlights the gap between international pledges of support and real protection for civilians on the ground. The organisation is calling on the Haitian authorities and their international partners to translate commitments into concrete measures against the armed groups driving violence in the country's agricultural heartland.

Wildfires driven by the El Niño climate phenomenon are sweeping through orangutan habitats in Indonesia, causing what conservationists describe as a huge toll on the endangered apes. Rebecca Ratcliffe reports that the fires have hit the animals' heartlands hard, and the long-term effects on orangutan populations remain unknown as rescue and recovery efforts continue.