A delicious dish that’s more controversial in some months than others.Ray Kachatorian/Stone RF/Getty Images
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Light, tasty and simple to make, egg fried rice has long been a beloved dish in China and one of most recognizable icons of Chinese cuisine around the world.
But in recent years, the popular stir-fry has become a highly sensitive subject for China’s online nationalists, especially around the months of October and November.
Resurfaced maps showing the heavy Cold War bombardment of Laos have fed the controversial legacy of diplomatic giant Henry Kissinger following his death.
Kissinger, a former secretary of state and national security adviser who is credited with shaping decades of U.S. foreign policy, died at his Connecticut home aged 100 on Wednesday.
Kissinger “played central roles in the opening to China, negotiating the end of the Yom Kippur War in the Middle East, and helping to bring America’s role in the Vietnam War to a close,” the diplomat’s international geopolitical consulting firm said in a statement on his passing.
The influential diplomat won the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize along with Vietnamese diplomat Le Duc Tho “for jointly having negotiated a cease-fire in Vietnam in 1973.” The latter declined the prize.
But as tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers died in Vietnam, anger in the U.S. was also spurred on by the extensive bombing of neighboring countries Laos and Cambodia.
Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on September 22, 1992 in Washington. Newly resurfaced maps showing the heavy Cold War bombardment of Laos feed the controversial legacy of diplomatic giant Henry Kissinger following his death on Wednesday.ROBERT GIROUX/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
The U.S. was attempting to disrupt a logistics chain — known as the Ho Chi Minh trail — running from Laos into Vietnam, which was used by North Vietnamese forces.
Laos is the most bombed country in the world. Between 1964 and 1973, the U.S. dropped more than 270 million bombs on the country, which had a population of around 3 million at the time.
U.S. aircraft dropped a new wave of bombs on Laos every eight minutes for nearly 10 years on average.
A map of US bombing of Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. Each black dot represents a 1000 kg bomb.
Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, speaks with The Associated Press at the COP28 U.N. Climate Summit, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
BY JON GAMBRELLUpdated 7:34 AM GMT+7, December 1, 2023 AP
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The world wants more nuclear energy as a means to fight climate change and supply an ever-growing demand for electricity, part of a generational shift in thinking on atomic power, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said Thursday.
Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, made the comments in an interview with The Associated Press at the COP28 climate talks. He called the inclusion of nuclear power at the summit, where he said a major nuclear agreement was likely, showed just how far the formerly “taboo” subject had come decades after the disasters at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl.
Thailand’s new government is promising to “unlock” fisheries by reducing regulation and transparency around vessels’ activities.
A letter signed by 90 NGOs questions the National Fishing Association’s proposals for fisheries reform, including returning to day-rate salaries, permitting child labor and weakening punitive measures designed to deter illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing.
This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Mongabay.
The government of Thailand is about to reverse eight years of progress.
The latest episode of The President’s Inbox is live! Last week, Jim sat down with Peter Trubowitz, a professor of international relations and director of the Phelan U.S. Center at the London School of Economics. They discussed the rise of anti-globalization in the West and what it means for world order.The President’s Inbox
Peter Trubowitz, a professor of international relations and director of the Phelan U.S. Center at the London School of Economics and an associate fellow at Chatham House, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the reasons for the rise of anti-globalism in Western countries and its consequences for world order.
November 20, 2023 — 33:25 min
Here are three highlights from their conversation:
1.) The liberal international order—which took form in the early 1950s—is inherently linked to domestic politics. Peter noted that it “rested on assumptions and domestic institutional arrangements that helped ensure support for policies like free trade and institutionalized cooperation in the form of things like NATO or the IMF and the World Bank in Western democracies.” In short, domestic policies provided social and economic protections for workers, which in turn shored up political support for multilateralism.
Thủ tướng Đức Olaf Scholz thăm Nigeria và Ghana trong khi Tổng thống Đức Frank-Walter Steinmeier cũng tới Tanzania và Zambia tuần này. Những chuyến công du cấp tập cho thấy tầm quan trọng ngày càng tăng của châu Phi – một khu vực mà trước đây Berlin ít quan tâm.
Thủ tướng Đức Olaf Scholz đã đến Nigeria vào Chủ nhật (29/10). Đây là chuyến thăm đầu tiên của nhà lãnh đạo nước Đức tới Nigeria kể từ khi quốc gia Tây Phi này thành lập chính phủ mới dưới thời Tổng thống Bola Tinubu.
Thủ tướng Đức Olaf Scholz thăm Nigeria từ ngày 29 đến 31/10. Ảnh: DW
Chuyến thăm Saudi Arabia của Thủ tướng Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim hồi đầu năm đã thêm lần nữa phản ánh ý định chiến lược của quốc gia Đông Nam Á này là tận dụng nỗ lực hiện đại hóa đầy tham vọng của Riyadh và những tác động tích cực từ đó.
Kuala Lumpur và Riyadh có bối cảnh kinh tế và địa chính trị tương tự nhau, với những mối quan tâm giống nhau và nhu cầu định hướng lại các nguyên tắc cơ bản của nền kinh tế. Cả hai đều đang trong giai đoạn chuyển tiếp của quá trình chuyển đổi kinh tế, từ dựa trên dầu mỏ và nhiên liệu hóa thạch sang nền kinh tế ưu việt hơn và hướng tới tương lai. Điều này sẽ đòi hỏi các khoản đầu tư quan trọng vào số hóa và các động lực kinh tế mới.
Cái bắt tay của Petronas và Saudi Aramco là tiền đề quan trọng cho quan hệ chiến lược giữa hai nước.
Haiti: UN report says gang violence spreading, urges speedy deployment of multinational security mission
28 November 2023
People in Haiti are Living A Nightmare
GENEVA/PORT-AU-PRINCE (28 November 2023) – A new UN report out today details a further, shocking rise in gang violence in Haiti as criminal gangs forge alliances and expand to rural areas previously considered safe – killing, raping, kidnapping, and destroying property, among other abuses.
The report, released by the UN Human Rights Office and the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), calls for the urgent deployment of the Multinational Security Support mission authorized by the UN Security Council in October, in accordance with international human rights norms and standards. Increased efforts will need to be deployed to strengthen Haiti’s rule of law institutions, in particular the police, the judiciary, and the prison system, the report notes.
Interviews with former workers by ICIJ partner The Gecko Project reveal new links between First Resources, the billionaire family that owns it, and a trio of companies that have reportedly cleared more forest for palm oil than any other firm in Southeast Asia.
Deforested land in a New Borneo Agri company’s concession in East Kalimantan province, in September 2023.
In public statements, First Resources says it is committed to producing the palm oil that ends up in major Western brands’ cosmetics, foods and biofuel in a manner that doesn’t deplete natural resources and protects wildlife and the environment.
But an investigation by nonprofit newsroom The Gecko Project reveals how First Resources’ majority shareholders, the billionaire Fangiono family, have breached their company’s pledge of “sustainable” production by secretly controlling companies that environmental analysts found had cleared large areas of rainforest in Indonesia.
The investigation in collaboration with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists also spotlights a loophole in the Singapore Exchange’s reporting rules that allows listed companies to publish so-called sustainability reports, without requiring that an independent firm audits the company’s green claims.
The findings are part of Deforestation Inc., a cross-border investigation led by ICIJ that exposed how a lightly regulated sustainability industry overlooks forest destruction and human rights violations when granting environmental certifications. Deforestation Inc. showed how major companies increasingly use certifications based on flawed audits to advertise products and operations as compliant with environmental standards, labor laws and human rights, misinforming shareholders as well as customers.
In a press release, First Resources said that in 2022 it recorded “its best performance” financially since listing on the Singapore exchange with $1.2 billion in revenues. In the sustainability report it published on its website, the company assured investors and customers that its supply chain is “transparent” and that it “encourages” its suppliers to adhere to its environmental standards.
The examination of First Resources’ practices by The Gecko Project appears to contradict the company’s statements.
Over 120 civil society groups gathered at the Civil Society Conference held on the eve of the 30th OSCE Ministerial Council, 29 November 2023. (OSCE) Photo details
SKOPJE, 29 November 2023 — Putting a stop to the war against Ukraine and strengthening civil society across the OSCE were at the heart of recommendations put forward by civil society representatives from across the OSCE region. The recommendations were handed over at the annual OSCE Parallel Civil Society Conference held in Skopje today.
The Civil Society Conference brought together more than 120 civil society representatives from across the OSCE region to discuss common recommendations from civil society to the OSCE leadership. One of the major outcomes of this year’s conference was the Skopje Declaration. The Declaration emphasised the need to end the war against Ukraine, strengthen civil society and hold participating States accountable for their human dimension commitments.
The Declaration was presented to the OSCE’s leadership, as well as to the organization’s 57 participating States on the eve of the 30th OSCE Ministerial Council.
“I am convinced that there is a clear and positive correlation between a strong, diverse and vibrant civil society on the one hand, and on the other the strength of democratic institutions, the rule of law and tolerant and inclusive communities,” emphasized the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani.
The Conference was also attended by OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid, by Matteo Mecacci, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Kairat Abdrakhmanov, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) and Teresa Ribeiro, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM).
The Parallel Civil Society Conference is organized by the Civic Solidarity Platform. The Conference has taken place every year on the margins of the OSCE Ministerial Council since 2010, with the support of the OSCE Chairpersonship.
Firms including Bank of America have made no commitment to cut emissions in line with target system, analysis finds
Sandra Laville Environment correspondentWed 29 Nov 2023 06.00 GMT
Most companies sponsoring the UN climate talks in Dubai are not committed to cutting their greenhouse gas emissions in line with globally recognised net zero targets, it has been revealed.
Only one of the more than 20 sponsors of Cop28 has signed up to UN-backed net zero science-based targets, (SBTi), according to an analysis.
Most of the corporate sponsors, which include the oilfield services company Baker Hughes as well as Bank of America, have made no commitment to reduce emissions to net zero in any time period under the target system.
The global accountancy firm EY, formerly Ernst and Young, which has been hired as the independent verifier of the climate record of all the sponsors, has also not set targets with the net zero scheme.
The targets are recognised as one of the leading voluntary global validations of a company’s commitment to tackling global heating.
The targets are clearly defined science-based pathways for companies and financial institutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and they are reviewed and validated by the SBTi.
Six firms sponsoring the Dubai climate talks, which begin on 30 November, including EY, have made a commitment to set net zero targets, by registering with the scheme. This requires them to submit their plans for validation within 24 months.
The males may spend time above ground ‘simply to loaf or bask in the sun’
Ian Johnston Science Correspondent Tuesday 04 October 2016 14:46 BST
Male Arctic ground squirrels may loaf around in the sun, while the females rush around to get food
(Rex)
The males appear to spend hours loafing around in the sun, while the females rush about, gathering supplies and looking after the kids.
Try as you might, it’s hard not to draw comparisons between a new study about the lives of Arctic ground squirrels and human beings.
Researchers fitted tracking devices to the squirrels to monitor their activity and found that the females tended to be significantly more active than the males – although the squirrel with the highest average activity level was male.
But he appears to have been very much out of step with most of his male friends, who were about half as energetic.
Writing in the Royal Society Open Science journal, the US researchers said: “For much of our study, we found that both sexes spent similar amounts of time above ground, but females were consistently more active.
“It is not clear what [the males] are doing while above ground … it is possible that time above ground serves some sort of social function, such as the establishment and/or persistence of territories.
“The additional time spent above ground may be simply to loaf or bask in the sun. In small mammals, basking behaviour has been commonly reported as a means of passive rewarming from torpor.”
Ngày 17/8/2023, Thủ tướng Chính phủ ký, ban hành Quyết định số 22/2023/QĐ-TTg về tín dụng đối với người chấp hành xong án phạt tù. Đây là chính sách mới, rất nhân văn, nhân đạo nhằm giúp đỡ người chấp hành xong án phạt tù ổn định cuộc sống, hòa nhập với cộng đồng.
Để bạn đọc hiểu rõ hơn về chính sách này, Chuyên đề ANTG của Báo CAND đã phỏng vấn Đại tá Nguyễn Văn Long, Phó Cục trưởng Cục Cảnh sát quản lý tạm giữ, tạm giam và thi hành án hình sự tại cộng đồng.
Đó không phải là điều bây giờ mới hiện hữu. Kể từ năm 2016, khi cuộc trưng cầu dân ý đầu tiên về việc đưa nước Anh rời khỏi Liên minh châu Âu (EU) chính thức diễn ra cho tới lúc quá trình ấy hoàn tất ngày 31/1/2020, kết thúc 47 năm gắn bó, vẫn luôn có những luồng dư luận phản đối âm ỉ cháy. Và càng lúc, những cách thể hiện tâm trạng muốn “trở về mái nhà chung”, đảo ngược Brexit lại càng trở nên rõ rệt hơn, theo những biến động của thời cuộc.
Tái hợp – một nhu cầu có thật
“Tôi nghĩ mọi người, từ già đến trẻ, đều đã có thể thấy rằng Brexit là một thảm họa” – tờ The Independent dẫn lời Eric Stock, một thanh niên 23 tuổi sống tại khu Bắc London.
Stock trả lời phỏng vấn như vậy, khi tham gia buổi xuống đường ngày 2/9 mang tên Cuộc tuần hành tái hợp toàn quốc (National Rejoin March/NRM) – cuộc biểu tình thu hút tới khoảng 3.000 người tham gia, với cờ các nước thành viên EU trên tay và điểm đến là bục diễn thuyết ở quảng trường Quốc hội.
“Cuộc tuần hành tái hợp toàn quốc” xác định vận động tái hợp với EU sẽ là một nỗ lực kéo dài, đồng nghĩa với một vết cắt ngày càng sâu thêm trong lòng xã hội Anh.
View of an area affected by severe drought in the Rio Negro, Amazonas, Brazil, on Oct. 28. (Andre Coelho/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)
The Amazon — the lush, tropical basin that holds the world’s biggest river, rainforest and a fifth of its fresh water — is running dry.
The region is entering its fifth month of a drought that has been particularly punishing in the northern reaches of the rainforest, in the region around the city of Manaus. The Rio Negro, a northern Amazon tributary, fell to the lowest levels in its recorded history last month. Wildfires have advanced where waterways have retreated.
CVD 