A year after Lula came to power, his gamble has paid off: deforestation has been halved in the Amazon. But this success comes at the cost of sacrificing another ecosystem that's just as vital to Brazil: the Cerrado.

Some top Nigerian banks are eyeing the international and local capital markets to raise fresh capital in a bid to meet the recapitalisation exercise by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Egie Akpata, Chairman of Skymark Partners joins CNBC Africa to examine options available to banks.

As elections near, India's nationalist BJP is trying to wrestle votes away from the opposition in Indian-administrated Kashmir. But standard campaign tactics might not be enough to win over Muslim voters in the region.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a 10% rise in the dollar on the currency market would push down real gross domestic product (GDP) in emerging economies by 1.9% after one year, with adverse economic effects lasting more than two years

India's mammoth elections are now under way, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi widely expected to win a third term. Since coming to power in 2014, Modi has expanded subsidy programmes for the poor and women. These programmes include measures like equipping homes with butane gas by offering free cylinders or distributing free food rations. Some 60 percent of the population benefits from Modi’s food distribution scheme, which he has pledged to renew for another five years. Another success story is the nationwide rollout of digital payment services. Meanwhile, critics say the prime minister is eroding democracy by targeting opposition parties and controlling the media.

A world record of 969 million citizens are called to the polls for what some see as a referendum on one man. India is about to embark on the world's biggest election, staggered over seven weeks, with Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP expected to extend its solid lead in parliament. Modi has been pointing to a decade of unprecedented growth and power for a nation courted by the West and beyond.