Record high temperatures grip much of the globe, more hot weather to come – Heatwaves have arrived unusually early in 2017

20 June 2017 (United Nations) – Extremely high May and June temperatures have broken records in parts of Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the United States, the United Nations weather agency reported today, warning of more heatwaves to come.The heatwaves have arrived unusually early, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said, noting at the […]

Violence and persecution uprooted record 65.6 million people in 2016, UN agency reports – “By any measure this is an unacceptable number”

19 June 2017 (United Nations) – Nearly 66 million people were forcibly displaced from their homes last year, the United Nation refugee agency today reported, stressing the “very high” pace at which conflict and persecution is forcing people to flee their homes. The figure equates to “one person displaced every three seconds – less than […]

Experts identify 12 major epicenters of climate risks to international security

Oxford, UK, 9 June 2017 (The Center for Climate and Security) – Security experts have identified 12 key climatic risks to international security that may shape the geostrategic landscape of the 21st century. These 12 risks are explored in a multi-author volume by the Center for Climate and Security and partners titled Epicenters of Climate […]

A climate chain reaction: Major Greenland melting could devastate crops in Africa

By Chelsea Harvey 6 June 2017 (The Washington Post) – As melting Greenland glaciers continue to pour ice into the Arctic Ocean, we have more than the rising seas to worry about, scientists say. A new study suggests that if it gets large enough, the influx of freshwater from the melting ice sheet could disrupt […]

Another deadly consequence of climate change: The spread of dangerous diseases

By Brian Deese and Ronald A. Klain 30 May 2017 (The Washington Post) – With President Trump’s decision on U.S. participation in the Paris climate accords expected in the next few days, there has been widespread discussion of the many consequences that climate change will have for us and our children, including extreme weather events, […]

Thousands of migrants rescued on Mediterranean in a single day – UN agency

19 May 2017 (United Nations) – Nearly 3,000 migrants were rescued trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea, according to the United Nations migration agency, which also reported that more than a dozen rescue operations were under way in the area yesterday. Citing the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Rome, IOM spokesperson Joel Millman […]

Media freedom declines globally, especially in leading democratic countries – “The rate at which democracies are approaching the tipping point is alarming”

4 May 2017 (RSF) – The 2017 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reflects a world in which attacks on the media have become commonplace and strongmen are on the rise. We have reached the age of post-truth, propaganda, and suppression of freedoms – especially in democracies. Читать по-русски / Read […]

Record-breaking weather in 2016 pushes world into “truly uncharted territory” – World Meteorological Organization

21 March 2017 (United Nations) – Global temperatures set yet another record last year and the world witnessed exceptionally low sea ice, and unabated sea level rise and ocean heat, the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said today, warning that the extreme weather and climate conditions have continued into 2017. According to the agency’s […]

Italian forces ignored a sinking ship full of Syrian refugees and let more than 250 drown, says leaked audio

By Anna Momigliano 9 May 2017 MILAN (The Washington Post) – Almost four years ago, 268 Syrian refugees — including 60 children — lost their lives in a shipwreck about 60 miles south of Lampedusa, a small Italian island that sits between Sicily and Tunisia. It was considered one of the worst tragedies of the […]

Worsening food insecurity forcing more people to migrate, finds new UN report

5 May 2017 (UN) – Highlighting the complex link between food insecurity and migration – where increase in one forces the other to rise and then spirals back to push the former even higher – the United Nations food relief agency has urged greater investments in food security and livelihoods at places of origin to […]

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