United Nations, blue helmets accused of sex abuse in Africa
The UN denounced 44 cases of sexual abuse by the blue helmets so far this year. Only few of them have been punished.
A Google Earth for monitoring climate change. Free and accessible to all
The connection between digital technology and satellite imagery is revolutionising the way natural resources can be used, including monitoring deforestation and desertification. As countries strive to reduce their carbon footprint by limiting deforestation, it is important they have the right tools. These must be transparent, consistent over time and suitable. To help these countries, the Food
More than 100 civilians reportedly burnt to death in Cizre, Turkey
More than 100 civilians have reportedly been burnt to death in the city of Cizre in southeastern Turkey at the hands of the country’s armed forces. The chief of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Zeid Raad al-Hussein, has called for an independent investigation. The UN describes the actions as “extremely alarming” Zeid said
Why Eurovision has banned the Palestinian flag. Like it has done with ISIS
The Palestinian national flag has been banned from the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest. In the list of banned flags, there’s also the terrorist organisation ISIS. 46 European countries will take part in the 2016 edition, which final will be held on the 14th of May in Stockholm, Sweden. So, during the event, the flag of the Middle East
Mercury poisoning of indigenous people plagues the Amazon. Illegal mining is the cause
Survival International, a global movement for tribal peoples’ rights, has denounced mercury poisoning in Latin America in a letter to the UN Special Rapporteur for Health. The organisation highlights Venezuela, Peru and Brazil as countries that don’t comply with procedures to monitor the effects of mining on the environment. Mercury contamination, which commonly follows illegal
Paris Agreement signing ceremony, Leonardo DiCaprio gives yet another heart-felt speech on climate change
For those who already know him, DiCaprio has most probably prepared the speech he delivered on 22 April at United Nations headquarters in New York before the 175 delegates who signed the Paris Agreement reached in December more attentively than his Oscar acceptance speech. DiCaprio addressed the world leaders: “You are the last, best hope of Earth.
23 April is World Book and Copyright Day
In a time characterised by cultural flattening and philosophical and creative aridity, books are the best way to comprehend reality. Literature has a huge power: conventional symbols give life to surprising results, able to generate powerful revolutions similar to those in science. As Franz Kafka once said, “A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us”.
Malawi faces severe drought and declares a state of national disaster
Malawi’s President Peter Mutharika has declared a state of national disaster on 13 April. The country has been hit by a dreadful drought, which has been affecting Southern Africa for over a year. “According to our estimates, 2016 total maize production will drop by 12% compared to the previous year,” said the head of state. This
Arsenic contaminated water in Bangladesh causes thousands of deaths every year
It is “the largest mass poisoning of a population in history,” the World Health Organisation had said back in 2010. Now, a Human Rights Watch survey has found that arsenic contaminated water in Bangladesh is still drunk by 20 million people, exposing them to one of the most toxic chemical elements known to humankind. Those
Global wild tiger populations are on the rise for the first time in 100 years
About a century ago, over 100,000 tigers quietly and gracefully roamed the world’s forests and jungles. However, the populations of this feline dropped by 95 per cent in just a few years due to relentless poaching and habitat loss. Today, after a century of constant decline, tiger numbers are on the rise. The