MALUALKON, South Sudan (Reuters) - The world's newest nation relies on oil to finance 98 percent of its budget. So when the government decided to shut off crude production in January after a dispute with a neighbor, South Sudan's foreign donors and aid groups were shocked.

South Sudan is marking its first year of independence with development at a virtual standstill and conflict, hunger and displacement distracting its government and international donors from tackling vast needs stemming from decades of war.

Dakar — In conflict-hit West African countries, husbands often pose a greater threat to women's lives than an armed assailant, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) said in a recent report, but even in more stable countries, violence against women is hard to eradicate.