UNHCR urges Europe to change course on refugee crisis – Syria conflict will displace another million people, says UN official

16 September 2015 (UNHCR) – UNHCR reiterates its deep conviction that only a united European emergency response can address the present refugee and migration crisis. Individual measures by individual countries will not solve the problem but will make an already chaotic situation worse, further the suffering of people and increase tension amongst states at a […]

UNHCR chief issues key guidelines for dealing with Europe’s refugee crisis – ‘Europe is facing a moment of truth’

GENEVA, 4 September 2015 (UNHCR) – The head of the UN refugee agency António Guterres, emphasizing the European Union faced a “defining moment”, has laid out a set of key guidelines which he says should underpin all efforts to resolve the current refugee and migration crisis facing Europe. Guterres said the biggest influx of refugees […]

Image of the Day: Satellite view of agricultural fires in southwestern Africa, 27 August 2015

By Lynn Jenner21 May 2015 (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) – The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite collected this natural-color image which detected dozens of fires burning in southwestern Africa on May 21, 2015. The location, widespread nature, and number of fires suggest that these fires were deliberately set to manage land. […]

One American’s attempt to staunch the biggest refugee flow since World War II

By Oliver Lazarus11 August 2015 (PRI) – The number of worldwide refugees last year totaled over 50 million — the highest since World War II. They’ve come from most corners of the world — but nowhere, perhaps, has more attention than the Mediterranean Sea, where approximately 200,000 people have attempted the journey to Europe from […]

Zimbabwe has lifted its ban on trophy hunting, just a week after it was introduced

By Sibusiso Tshabalala10 August 2015 (Quartz) – Zimbabwe’s temporary ban on trophy hunting lasted for just over a week. South Africa’s News24 reported yesterday that the ban, introduced after last month’s scandal over the killing of Cecil the lion, has been lifted. According to the report, a statement from the Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides […]

Swiss customs seize 578 pounds of ivory in suitcases dispatched from Tanzania to Beijing – Pieces came from 40 to 50 elephants – 21 fangs and 35 claws from poached lions also found

BERLIN, 4 August 2015 (AP) – Customs officials at Zurich airport have seized 262 kilograms (578 pounds) of ivory that three Chinese men had dispatched from Tanzania, contraband that may have come from up to 50 elephants, Swiss authorities said Tuesday. The ivory was found during a security check on July 6 and packed in […]

Cecil the lion lights up New York’s Empire State building

2 August 2015 (AFP) – A giant photo of the beloved Zimbabwean lion killed by an American trophy hunter was among images projected Saturday onto the Empire State Building in New York in a dazzling display. The “Projecting Change on the Empire State Building” initiative was designed to raise awareness about the plight of endangered […]

Confirmed: Jericho the lion is alive

By Michael Martinez and Deborah Bloom2 August 2015 (CNN) – Jericho the lion is alive and roaming his park habitat in Zimbabwe, the Oxford University researcher tracking the lion confirmed on Sunday. Brent Stapelkamp dismissed reports that the lion had been killed, saying a GPS device on Jericho didn’t suggest anything out of the ordinary. […]

UPDATE: Jericho appears to be alive and well – was: Cecil the lion’s brother, Jericho, shot and killed, says Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force

UPDATE: Brother of Zimbabwe’s lion Cecil appears alive and well: researcher By Emily Shapiro1 August 2015 (ABC News) – Cecil the Lion‘s brother, Jericho, was shot and killed today, the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force said, in the wake of Zimbabwe calling for the extradition of the American dentist who admitted killing Cecil in early July. […]

Graph of the Day: Change in length and frequency of fire seasons, 1979-2013

By Adam Voiland28 July 2015 (NASA) – A new analysis of 35 years of meteorological data confirms fire seasons have become longer. Fire season, which varies in timing and duration based on location, is defined as the time of year when wildfires are most likely to ignite, spread, and affect resources. In the map above, […]

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