175 countries agree to legally end plastic pollution crisis in the world by disrupting entire supply chain
One hundred and seventy-five countries have agreed to a legally binding global treaty to end the plastic pollution crisis by tackling the material’s entire supply chain. Inger Anderson, executive director of the UN Environment Programme, says it is the “biggest multilateral environmental deal” since the 2015 Paris climate agreement. At...
UN General Assembly deals Putin heavy diplomatic setback; 12 Russia-funded African nations abstain
Russia has suffered a major diplomatic defeat at the United Nations, losing a vote at the General Assembly by an overwhelming margin of 141 to 5 after an emergency debate mobilized a surge of support for a resolution condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Diplomats jumped to their feet and...
New UN report lays bare impact of climate change and says ‘real action…requires resilient urban development and justice’
Although Africa has contributed relatively little to the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions, the continent has suffered some of the world’s heaviest impacts of climate change, from famine to flooding. Yet from its coral reefs to its highest peaks, the reverberations of human-caused global warming will only get worse, according to...
$120 million fraud, irregular spending hit South African military again as probe turns searchlight on defence excesses
There is now irrefutable proof that South African military is not immune to fraud and corruption, according to an investigations report presented to two parliamentary oversight committees by SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Provost Marshal General, Rear Admiral Mokgadi Maphoto. Maphoto disclosed on Wednesday at a meeting of one of...
Recent telephone intercepts show US ‘elected’ anti-Putin regime in Kiev, now Russian tanks are having difficult time in Ukraine
Russia has over centuries gone to war with its neighbours. The latest adventure follows a history that goes back more than 10 centuries ago with varying outcomes. The currents Ukraine Crisis is rooted in the long running ideological rifts between capitalist and communist ideologies. Looking back, although only the Swedish...
Alternative view: Unlike the US, Russia has for centuries been in the eye of storms, hence its jingoism
Events in Ukraine are moving faster and faster. Dangers of economic paralysis in Ukraine and of wider war with Russia are very real. This essay will argue that we all need to notice our historical biases in perceiving and misperceiving events. My own bias is anti-war. Now is not the...
Geopolitics: Ukraine crisis is stern warning to US from Russia and China on shifting technology, military power balance
Even with annual defence budgets that soared over $700 billion, coping with an urgent Russian-generated crisis while preparing for a Chinese threat whose peak is still years away presents an enormous challenge for the Pentagon. “The United States is particularly at risk of being overwhelmed should its military be forced...
Will the 15 new members of Peace and Security Council overcome endemic bureaucracy at African Union?
Fifteen countries were elected to the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) at the continental body’s recent summit in Addis Ababa. The PSC faces some tough years ahead, considering the four main obstacles limiting its effectiveness. First, the council continues to be largely reactive rather than proactive. Second,...
US secretary of state Blinken slaps travel ban on Somali officials accused of ‘undermining the democratic process’
The United States barred on Friday travel by Somali officials and other individuals to the United States, accusing them of “undermining the democratic process” in Somalia. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States imposed the visa ban after Somalia pushed back to March 15 parliamentary elections due to...
Russian forces reach nuclear reactor in Chernobyl, but scientists give assurance of safety from radioactive leaks
Russian forces have gained control of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in Ukraine, and reports of firefights at the site have led to concerns about the release of radioactive material from the plant, which experienced a catastrophic meltdown in 1986. But physicists say the risk of radioactive emissions as a result...
