What to expect from the world’s sixth mass extinction
11/1/2022: The Anthropocene mass extinction is the only one caused by humans, as climate change, habitat destruction, pollution and industrial agriculture all play a hand. A painful reminder of the potential consequences of biodiversity loss for us and the environment.
Source: DW
UN refugee agency urges EU to preserve right of asylum
10/1/2022: Amid record global displacement the UN Refugee Agency has urged European countries to protect people fleeing war, conflict and persecution. 2021 saw the continuation of violent pushbacks of asylum seekers at EU borders despite commitment to refugee principles.
Source: UN News
Rainforests in 2022: A look at the year ahead
4/1/2022: Mongabay founder Rhett Butler anticipates major storylines for tropical forests in the coming year. These range from the post-COVID recovery to worrying trends in Brazil and Indonesia.
Source: Mongabay
Moscow court orders closure of Memorial Human Rights Center
29/12/2021: A Russian court has ordered the liquidation of the Memorial Human Rights Center, a group focused on helping political prisoners. The ruling has sparked an international outcry.
Source: DW
East Africa struggles to avoid vaccine expiry
28/12/2021: More than 40 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines in East Africa's government stores are nearing expiry, as apathy and logistical challenges slow down their administration. Given the short lifespan of many of the donations from the West, governments are finding it difficult to dispense them within required timelines.
Source: The East African
UK set to renege on 1951 Refugee Convention
17/12/2021: The UK Borders Bill works to dismantle the international refugee protection regime and renege on the fundamental principles underpinning the 1951 Refugee Convention. The Bill empowers the UK Government to send asylum seekers to a "safe" third country for offshore asylum processing and to push back boats at sea.
Source: Human Rights Watch
World Inequality Report 2022
15/12/2021: The latest World Inequality Report reveals that the richest 10% of the global population currently takes 52% of global income, whereas the poorest half of the population earns 8% of it. Addressing the challenges of the 21st century is not feasible without significant redistribution of income and wealth inequalities.
Source: FP2P
IMF and indebted Zambia move towards rescue package
7/12/2021: Zambia was the first African country to default in the COVID-19 era. Its new government is close to a deal with the IMF that would restore Zambia's international funding opportunities.
Source: Devex
Unbridled loss of freedoms as Aung San Suu Kyi sentenced
6/12/2021: Amnesty International has condemned the sentencing of Aung San Suu Kyi to four years in prison as the latest example of the military's determination to eliminate all opposition and suffocate freedoms in Myanmar. It is clear that intervention by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has failed to yield truly meaningful results.
Source: Amnesty International
Soil salinization threat to global food security
3/12/2021: A UN report estimates that more than 10% of the world's cropland is salt-affected, posing a major risk to global food security. The worst affected regions are in Central Asia, the Middle East, South America, North Africa and the Pacific.
Source: UN Food and Agriculture Organization