Author: Injusticeto Team
On the 12-year anniversary of the unresolved enforced disappearance of Lao civil society leader Sombath Somphone, we, the undersigned civil society organizations and individuals worldwide, urge United Nations (UN) member states to express their concern over this continuing crime and to call for the prompt resolution of Sombath’s case at the upcoming review of the human rights record of Laos.As UN member states prepare for the fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Laos, scheduled for April/May 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland, we call on them to reinforce civil society’s long-standing calls for truth and accountability regarding Sombath’s enforced disappearance.During the second…
RANST, Belgium (AP) — Belgium’s once pastoral pastime of pigeon racing has come to this: Drones swoop over lofts where valuable pigeons are housed to look for security weaknesses, laser sensors set off alarms at night and cameras linked live to mobile apps keep potential thieves at bay — 24/7.That’s what happens when the fast-flying fowl — which in a bygone era were, at best, the toast of local bars — have turned into valuable commodities. The most expensive bird to come out of the top pigeon racing nation in the world fetched 1.6 million euros ($1.65 million) a few…
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday blamed years of deforestation for a deadly mudslide that buried a mountainside community amid last week’s torrential rains set off by a storm that has left more than 130 people dead across the country.During an aerial inspection of the widespread damage wrought by Tropical Storm Nalgae in southern Maguindanao province, the president said he pointed out to the provincial governor how the mudslides cascaded on denuded slopes of Mount Minandar.“I noticed that in all places where the landslides came down, the mountains were bald. That’s the problem,” Marcos Jr.…
Rapid Support Forces fighters and allied militias have raped scores of women and girls, including in the context of sexual slavery, in Sudan’s South Kordofan state since September 2023.Conflict-related sexual violence is a serious violation of international humanitarian law, or the laws of war, and a war crime. Sexual violence may constitute crimes against humanity when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack on a civilian population.United Nations and African Union member states should urgently act to assist survivors, protect other women and girls, and ensure justice for these heinous crimes.(Nairobi, December 16, 2024) – Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters…
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — More introductions than normal were needed Tuesday as the South Carolina General Assembly started its latest two-year session.Nearly one in five lawmakers in the legislature are new to their jobs. In the Senate, 13 of the 46 members were elected in November to the chamber where people usually serve longer and it can normally take decades to obtain power.The new legislators could change the character of a General Assembly well-known for prioritizing economic growth and its slow response to change on other issues. In 2000, lawmakers didn’t vote to remove the Confederate flag from the Statehouse…
The most extensive global assessment of freshwater animals to date has revealed that a quarter of all freshwater animal species on the IUCN Red List are threatened with extinction. The largest number of these threatened species are found in East Africa’s Lake Victoria, South America’s Lake Titicaca, Sri Lanka’s Wet Zone, and India’s Western Ghats mountain range, the new study found. Researchers evaluated 23,496 species of freshwater fish, dragonfly, damselfly, crab, crayfish and shrimp, and found that 24%, are threatened with extinction. This means one in four freshwater specie are categorized as either extinct in the wild, critically…
The Brazilian government failed to follow through on its commitment to enact a National Pesticide Reduction Program on International Pesticide Free Day today. Brazil is among the top consumers of pesticides in the world, many of which are highly hazardous.Though the original plan was drafted in 2014, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária, MAPA) has repeatedly blocked it from moving forward. The failure of the ministries involved to reach an agreement today is a striking blow to the Brazilian scientists, activists, and family farmers who have advocated for the plan for over a decade.Any current revisions to the plan have…
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Firefighters in Southern California readied for another round of critical fire weather after calmer than expected winds Tuesday gave them a much-needed reprieve in which they were able to make progress battling the Los Angeles area’s largest blaze and quickly snuff out several smaller new fires.With winds not reaching dangerous levels Tuesday evening, the National Weather Service pushed back its dire warning of critical fire weather until 3 a.m. Wednesday. The so-called red flag warnings were to remain in effect from Central California to the Mexican border until late afternoon Wednesday as firefighters battled two massive…
The end of the year is often a time for reflection. As we consider 2024, and look toward the year ahead, the NPQ team presents a collection of articles that impacted us this year. These articles further the conversations that offer positive solutions for the global climate crisis and center voices on the ground: from the young leaders bringing energy and momentum to the climate movement to new environmental policies, from community resilience to the changing climate’s influence on insurance, education, environmental conservation, philanthropy, and more. Please consider joining NPQ in amplifying the voices, solutions, and stories of climate justice,…
One of motorcade for impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol leaves for the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials from the gate of the presidential residence in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. Lee Jin-man/AP hide caption toggle caption Lee Jin-man/AP SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean law enforcement officials on Wednesday detained impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his brief imposition of martial law last month. In a video message recorded before he was escorted to the headquarters of an anti-corruption agency, Yoon lamented that the “rule of law has completely collapsed in this country” but…