Since September, 10% of the local river dolphin population in Lake Tefé, in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, has died. It’s likely tied to record-setting drought in the region, brought on by climate change and El Niño.
Disease could kill more in Gaza than bombs, WHO says amid Israeli siege
Shattered healthcare and sanitation systems must be restored in Gaza, says World Health Organization.
Published On 28 Nov 202328 Nov 2023
More people could die from disease than from bombings in the Gaza Strip if the health and sanitation systems are not repaired, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.
Critical infrastructure in the besieged territory has been crippled by fuel and supply shortages and targeted attacks on hospitals and United Nations facilities since Israel launched strikes on Gaza on October 7.
“Eventually we will see more people dying from disease than from bombardment if we are not able to put back together this health system,” said Margaret Harris, a spokesperson for the WHO, speaking at a briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.
She described the collapse of al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza as a “tragedy” and voiced concern about the detention of some of its medical staff by Israeli forces who took over the complex earlier this month.
She also repeated concerns about a rise in outbreaks of infectious diseases in Gaza, particularly diarrhoeal diseases.
Citing a United Nations report on the living conditions of displaced residents in northern Gaza, she said: “[There are] no medicines, no vaccination activities, no access to safe water and hygiene and no food.”
‘Risk of major outbreaks’
All key sanitation services have ceased operating in Gaza, which raises the prospect of an enormous surge of gastrointestinal and infectious diseases among the local populations – including cholera.
For Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, half of whom are children, finding drinkable water has become close to impossible.
The WHO has recorded more than 44,000 cases of diarrhoea and 70,000 acute respiratory infections, but real numbers may be significantly higher.
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The UN health agency said it was extremely concerned that rains and floods during the approaching winter season will make an already dire situation even worse.
James Elder, a spokesperson from the UN children’s agency in Gaza, told reporters by video link that hospitals were full of children with war wounds and gastroenteritis from drinking dirty water. “They don’t have access to safe water and it’s crippling them,” he said.
If nothing changes, “there will be more and more people falling sick and the risk of major outbreaks will increase dramatically”, Richard Brennan, the regional emergency director for the Eastern Mediterranean region at WHO, told Al Jazeera earlier this month.
Truce is not enough
Despite the temporary truce agreement between Israel and Hamas, which was extended by two days just as it was set to expire on Tuesday morning, the Hamas-run Ministry of Health said no fuel had arrived for generators at hospitals in the territory’s north.
UN official Tor Wennesland warned the humanitarian situation “remains catastrophic”.
It “requires the urgent entry of additional aid and supplies in a smooth, predictable, and continuous manner to alleviate the unbearable suffering of Palestinians in Gaza,” the UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process said.
Gaza City Mayor Yahya al-Siraj said that without fuel, the territory could not pump clean water or clear waste accumulating in the streets, warning of a potential public health “catastrophe”.
Clean-up was under way at al-Shifa, which is Gaza’s largest hospital. “We hope it can soon resume its activities,” said Gaza health ministry spokesman Mahmud Hammad.
Israeli bombardment has killed more than 14,800 Palestinians, including 6,150 children and more than 4,000 women, according to health authorities in the enclave.
https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.605.0_en.html#goog_90616847Play Video
Video Duration 00 minutes 55 seconds00:55Dire conditions at al-Shifa Hospital revealed during Gaza pause
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
New documentary ‘Wasted’ explores Asia’s mounting waste crisis — and how to tackle it
Launched as policymakers lock horns with petrochemicals lobbyists over a treaty to end plastic pollution, the documentary produced by Eco-Business asks why opportunities to solve humanity’s waste crisis are being wasted. It will premiere in Singapore and screen on the sidelines of the upcoming COP28 climate summit.
By Robin Hicks
1 minute readNov. 27, 2023
More than a week after a third round of negotiations for a global treaty to stop plastic pollution came to a disappointing close, a new documentary launches that explores the truth behind the waste industry.
Negotiations for a binding global plastic agreement were stalled by lobbying from petrochemical and plastics industry-leaning governments, who are pushing for the treaty to focus solely on waste management rather than plastic production. The new film, titled “Wasted”, explores the role of “polluter pays” laws that hold corporations to account for the 280 million tonnes of short-lived plastic products that enter the environment every year.
“Why is waste ignored when it is staring us in the face? Maybe it is because the true impact is being hidden from us,” said Jessica Cheam, founder and managing director of Eco-Business, who co-produced the documentary with filmmaker Fraser Morton.
The film investigates the waste landscape in four key Asian countries for waste – Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam and India – and explores the solutions needed to stem the flow of trash into the environment. “Solutions to tackle this blight exist in plain sight, so why are we wasting opportunities to make change?” said Cheam.
The film will premiere on 2 December at The Projector theatre in Singapore.
On 7 December, Eco-Business will also be hosting the documentary’s premiere on the sidelines of the COP28 climate meeting in Dubai, in partnership with CC Forum. The event will be held at Grand Hyatt Dubai.
The UN Secretary-General: Message on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
29 November 2023
This International Day of Solidarity comes during one of the darkest chapters in the history of the Palestinian people. I am horrified by the death and destruction that have engulfed the region, which is overwhelmed with pain, anguish and heartache.
Palestinians in Gaza are suffering a humanitarian catastrophe. Almost 1.7 million people have been forced from their homes – but nowhere is safe. Meanwhile, the situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, risks boiling over.
I express my sincere condolences to the thousands of families who are mourning loved ones. This includes members of our own United Nations family killed in Gaza, representing the largest loss of personnel in the history of our organization.
I have been clear in my condemnation of the terror attacks by Hamas on 7 October. But I have also been clear that they cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
Across the region, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency is an indispensable lifeline, delivering vital support to millions of Palestinian refugees. It is more important than ever that the international community stands with UNRWA as a source of support for the Palestinian people.
Above all, this is a day for reaffirming international solidarity with the Palestinian people and their right to live in peace and dignity.
That must start with a long-term humanitarian ceasefire, unrestricted access for lifesaving aid, the release of all hostages, the protection of civilians and an end to violations of international humanitarian law. We must be united in demanding an end to the occupation and the blockade of Gaza.
It is long past time to move in a determined, irreversible way towards a two-State solution, on the basis of United Nations resolutions and international law, with Israel and Palestine living side-by-side in peace and security with Jerusalem as the capital of both States.
The United Nations will not waver in its commitment to the Palestinian people. Today and every day, let us stand in solidarity with the aspirations of the Palestinian people to achieve their inalienable rights and build a future of peace, justice, security and dignity for all.
END
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Vụ bê bối PricewaterhouseCoopers ở Australia: Bài học không thể bỏ qua
CAND – Thứ Tư, 06/09/2023, 11:00
Từ đầu tháng 5/2023, dư luận Australia đặc biệt quan tâm tới vụ bê bối của tập đoàn kiểm toán và tư vấn hàng đầu thế giới PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), sau khi tập đoàn này bị phát hiện hành vi lạm dụng thông tin mật về chính sách thuế của Australia để giúp các đối tác của mình trục lợi, trốn thuế thương mại.
Và nó đã trở thành một bài học rất đáng chú ý, trên phương diện quản lý nhà nước, đối với mọi chính phủ, mọi quốc gia.
Tiếp tục đọc “Vụ bê bối PricewaterhouseCoopers ở Australia: Bài học không thể bỏ qua”Why Vietnam faces an uphill battle in its war against plastic waste
- Vietnam’s Communist Party has made dealing with plastic waste a ‘prioritised mission’, but its green policies could yet prove unenforceable
- There’s a pressing need for more incentives, not just punishments – and enhanced cooperation within Asean on the issue
Published: 10:00am, 26 Nov, 2023 scmp
Vietnam is grappling with a critical plastic waste crisis. Each year, the country generates 1.8 million tonnes of plastic waste, about one-third of which ends up in the ocean. This constitutes 6 per cent of global marine plastic pollution and makes it the world’s fourth-largest emitter.
Not only does this exacerbate Vietnam’s environmental challenges, but it also casts a shadow over its international reputation as the nation has pledged robust commitments to sustainable dvelopment and the green transition.
Tiếp tục đọc “Why Vietnam faces an uphill battle in its war against plastic waste”New Google geothermal electricity project could be a milestone for clean energy
1 of 12 |
A drill rig stands at a Fervo Energy geothermal site under construction near Milford, Utah, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. In Nevada, Fervo’s first operational pilot project has begun pumping carbon-free electricity onto the state’s grid to power Google data centers, Google announced Tuesday, Nov. 28. Fervo is using the Nevada pilot to launch larger projects like this one in Utah. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)
BY JENNIFER MCDERMOTTUpdated 1:20 AM GMT+7, November 29, 2023Share
An advanced geothermal project has begun pumping carbon-free electricity onto the Nevada grid to power Google data centers there, Google announced Tuesday.
Getting electrons onto the grid for the first time is a milestone many new energy companies never reach, said Tim Latimer, CEO and co-founder of Google’s geothermal partner in the project, Houston-based Fervo Energy.
“I think it will be big and it will continue to vault geothermal into a lot more prominence than it has been,” Latimer said in an interview.
Tiếp tục đọc “New Google geothermal electricity project could be a milestone for clean energy”Sự sụp đổ của những di sản thực dân
CAND – Thứ Tư, 25/10/2023, 08:15
Châu Phi vốn luôn là một trong những khu vực ảnh hưởng truyền thống của Pháp trong nhiều thập kỷ qua, đặc biệt là tại khu vực Tây Phi và vùng Sahel. Sách Trắng về quốc phòng của Pháp vài năm qua luôn coi châu Phi là khu vực có tầm quan trọng chiến lược lớn thứ hai với nước Pháp, chỉ sau châu Âu. Do đó, việc duy trì quan hệ và ảnh hưởng của Pháp với các quốc gia châu Phi luôn là một trong những ưu tiên hàng đầu trong chính sách đối ngoại của chính quyền Tổng thống Macron.
Tổng thống Pháp giới thiệu về chính sách mới với châu Phi.
Tuy nhiên, trong vài năm trở lại đây, quan hệ giữa Pháp với nhiều quốc gia châu Phi vốn là thuộc địa cũ không những không được cải thiện mà còn xấu đi.
Tiếp tục đọc “Sự sụp đổ của những di sản thực dân”Dự án kênh đào Phù Nam Techo: Đường ra biển của Campuchia
NGUYỄN THÀNH TRUNG – 26/11/2023 12:03 GMT+7
TTCT – Tham vọng tiến ra biển của Campuchia đã có người giúp, đó là Trung Quốc, với một dự án cực kỳ tham vọng.
Hôm 17-10, tại thủ đô Phnom Penh của Campuchia, Ủy ban liên bộ Campuchia do Phó thủ tướng Sun Chanthol đứng đầu đã ký kết thỏa thuận với đại diện Tổng công ty Cầu đường Trung Quốc (CRBC) về dự thảo khung xây dựng kênh đào nối ra biển Phù Nam Techo.
Thỏa thuận này sẽ cho phép CRBC tiến hành nghiên cứu chuyên sâu về tất cả các khía cạnh của dự án trong vòng 8 tháng. Dự án kênh đào Phù Nam Techo ước tính sẽ tiêu tốn khoảng 1,7 tỉ USD và mất 4 năm để hoàn thành.
Đây là dự án cơ sở hạ tầng lớn đầu tiên của Campuchia kết nối sông Mekong với đường biển, nhằm mở rộng tiềm năng vận tải biển của đất nước chùa tháp.
Cao tốc Phnom Penh – Sihanouvkville. Ảnh: Twitter
Trước đây, dự án này mang tên Hệ thống giao thông và hậu cần sông Bassac (BRNLS). Tại phiên họp toàn thể lần thứ 6 của Quốc hội Campuchia ngày 19-5-2023, dự án được đặt tên lại là “Kênh đào Phù Nam Techo”.
Đây cũng là tên chính thức của kênh đào đến nay. Ngày 7-6, thủ tướng sắp mãn nhiệm Hun Sen thành lập ủy ban liên bộ nghiên cứu và thực hiện dự án gồm 37 thành viên để xem xét và tư vấn về thủ tục, khung pháp lý và đánh giá hiệu quả kinh tế nhằm thúc đẩy sự phát triển của ngành vận tải đường thủy và đường biển của Campuchia.
Tiếp tục đọc “Dự án kênh đào Phù Nam Techo: Đường ra biển của Campuchia”Prehistoric women were probably better at hunting than men, scientists suggest
Their metabolism meant they had superior endurance while evidence from bones showed that females suffered hunting-related wounds
ByJoe Pinkstone, SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT27 November 2023 • 7:38pm
When it comes to hunting down a sabre-tooth tiger or slaying a woolly mammoth, the fairer sex has the upper hand, according to two new studies.
It has long been claimed that in prehistoric times men were hunters while women were gatherers.
Males stalked and killed animals and women picked berries while tending to children.
Tiếp tục đọc “Prehistoric women were probably better at hunting than men, scientists suggest”A moment of truth for the oil and gas industry
Climate change and clean energy confront oil and gas producers with profound choices
Full report here
Oil and gas producers face pivotal choices about their role in the global energy system amid a worsening climate crisis fuelled in large part by their core products, according to our major new special report.
The Oil and Gas Industry in Net Zero Transitions finds that the oil and gas sector – which provides more than half of global energy supply and employs nearly 12 million workers worldwide – has been a marginal force at best in transitioning to an energy system with net zero emissions, accounting for just 1% of clean energy investment globally.
The report shows how the industry can take a more responsible approach and contribute positively to the new energy economy, highlighting that the UN’s COP28 climate summit in Dubai is “a moment of truth” for the oil and gas sector.To start, all oil and gas companies should commit to tackling emissions from their own operations, according to the report. These emissions need to decline by 60% by 2030 to align with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C. Companies also need to dramatically change how they allocate their financial resources. In 2022, clean energy investments accounted for a mere 2.5% of the industry’s total capital spending. The report finds that producers looking to align with the aims of the Paris Agreement would need to put 50% of capital expenditures towards clean energy projects by 2030.What’s more, companies must abandon the notion that they can continue with business as usual simply by ramping up the deployment of carbon capture technologies.
The report finds that if oil and gas consumption were to evolve as projected under today’s policy settings, limiting warming to 1.5 °C would require an entirely inconceivable 32 billion tonnes of carbon capture by 2050, with annual investment rising from $4 billion last year to $3.5 trillion.Opportunities lie ahead despite these challenges, however. Nearly a third of the energy consumed in 2050 in a decarbonised energy system comes from technologies that could benefit from the oil and gas industry’s skills and resources, including hydrogen, offshore wind and liquid biofuels.
Rice Markets Are In Crisis Mode
Global supplies of rice are facing its most significant shortage in two decades, exacerbating food insecurity fears. Rice is a staple food for over half the world’s population. India’s export bans sent shockwaves through markets as some argue the country is using food as a political pawn. America’s $34 billion rice industry must compete against the same market uncertainty while managing droughts, floods and changing temperatures. Watch this video to learn more about how global rice markets influence food security, geopolitics and the livelihoods of millions of farmers.
Israel-Palestine conflict: A brief history in maps and charts
As Gaza reels from Israel’s devastating bombardments, here’s a brief history of the conflict using maps and charts.
By Mohammed Haddad and Alia Chughtai
Published On 27 Nov 202327 Nov 2023 Al Jareeza
Israel’s deadly bombardment of Gaza has killed nearly 15,000 people, including 10,000 women and children, in over 50 days, making it the deadliest war for the besieged Palestinian enclave till date.
Israel has rebuffed calls for a ceasefire as a four-day humanitarian truce comes to an end on November 28. It is unclear whether the truce will be extended.
KEEP READINGlist of 4 itemslist 1 of 4
The beginning of the end? The hypothetical future of Palestinian politicslist 2 of 4
Gaza truce appears set to extend as Israel receives new list of captiveslist 3 of 4
Two more days of respite for Gaza residents as Israel, Hamas extend trucelist 4 of 4
US rights advocates launch hunger strike for Israel-Hamas ceasefireend of list
Tiếp tục đọc “Israel-Palestine conflict: A brief history in maps and charts”Joint Statement on elevation of Viet Nam-Japan relations to comprehensive strategic partnership
VGP – Below is the Joint Statement on the elevation of their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world on the occasion of official visit to Japan by President Vo Van Thuong and his spouse.
NOVEMBER 27, 2023 9:57 PM GMT+7
At the invitation of Japan, H.E. Mr. Vo Van Thuong, President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, and Madam Phan Thi Thanh Tam made an official visit to Japan from 27 to 30 November 2023. During the visit, Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress meet with and host a court luncheon in honor of President Vo Van Thuong and Madam. H.E. Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, and President Vo Van Thuong attended the ceremony by Guard of Honor, held the summit meeting, attended the joint press conference, and witnessed the signing ceremony of cooperation documents. President Vo Van Thuong also delivered his policy speech at the National Diet of Japan and visited Fukuoka Prefecture.
The visit by President Vo Van Thuong and Madam took place as numerous activities celebrating the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations (established on 21 September 1973) were being coordinated between Japan and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. Building on the outstanding achievements of the bilateral ties across all areas over the past 50 years, given the great potential for cooperation, with the firm belief in the bright future of the bilateral relations, and with the aim of meeting the demand of the peoples of the two countries, President Vo Van Thuong and Prime Minister Kishida confirmed to adopt the Joint Statement on the Elevation of the Japan-Viet Nam relations to a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World” at the summit meeting on 27 November 2023, thereby affirming both countries’ endeavors to bring the current cooperation between the two countries in all areas to new heights and to further expand it to new fronts.
Tiếp tục đọc “Joint Statement on elevation of Viet Nam-Japan relations to comprehensive strategic partnership”The Masterminds
Washington wants to get tough on China, and the leaders of the House China Committee are in the driver’s seat.
NOVEMBER 27, 2023, 6:00 AM FP
By Robbie Gramer, a diplomacy and national security reporter at Foreign Policy.
My FP: Follow topics and authors to get straight to what you like. Exclusively for FP subscribers. Subscribe Now | Log In
On an overcast day in late October, I headed up to Capitol Hill to report on what might be the last pocket of functioning governance in Congress: the House of Representatives’ China Committee.
Reps. Mike Gallagher, a Republican, and Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat, are the chair and ranking member of what is basically the hottest ticket in Washington. The Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, which is its full name, was the brainchild of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and is focused exclusively on how to map out a new era of U.S. competition with China. It’s a task almost everyone in Washington is on board with, which has made at least some U.S. allies and partners around the world very uneasy, fearful of being dragged into a Cold War 2.0.
Some American experts and officials bristle at the new Cold War moniker; others begrudgingly accept it. But whatever you call it, the new era of U.S. competition with China represents the most significant strategic shift in American foreign policy in decades. Congress wants to carve out its role in the action, and on that front Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi are in the driver’s seat.
I met the two lawmakers in the Krishnamoorthi’s office in the Rayburn House Office Building. Krishnamoorthi’s office is adorned with paraphernalia, including flags and local snacks from his home district in the Chicago suburbs, the Illinois 8th. Gallagher is a fellow Midwesterner and represents Wisconsin’s 8th district.
Tiếp tục đọc “The Masterminds”
CVD 