The Australian Greens will introduce a Bill into parliament next month in a bid to prevent nearly one billion dollars of public money going to the Indian multinational conglomerate Adani for construction […]
Australian Greens to present ‘Stop Adani’ Bill in parliament
Two Sumatran elephants found dead – one on oil palm plantation and one on farmland
On two consecutive days this week, two Sumatran elephants were found dead – one on an oil palm plantation in North Sumatra and one on farmland in the Gayo Lues Regency in Aceh. The […]
2020 Olympics: environmentalists call for probe into tropical wood procurement
A group of seven non-governmental organisations has called for an independent investigation to establish the origins of the tropical plywood being used in the construction of the new national Olympic stadium in […]
Global call for unity on World Parkinson’s Day
Today is World Parkinson’s Day, which this year marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of James Parkinson’s “Essay on the Shaking Palsy”, which was the first official recognition of Parkinson’s as […]
Human rights in Malaysia: annual report pinpoints deaths in custody, and violations of indigenous rights
The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) released its 2016 annual report today (Tuesday) and pinpointed the continued violation of indigenous people’s human rights. It also called for an urgent review of […]
Canada is a ‘safe haven’ for Malaysian money launderers, says Bruno Manser Fund
The Swiss-based Bruno Manser Fund (BMF)¹ today (Wednesday) released a report in which it states that relatives of the former chief minister and current governor of the Malaysian state of Sarawak, Abdul […]
NGOs urge UNESCO to intervene to save rainforest heritage site
A consortium of NGOs is calling on UNESCO to intervene urgently to protect the rainforest World Heritage Site in northern Sumatra in Indonesia. The Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (TRHS) site has […]
The cooling power of trees ‘may be more important than their carbon storage’
In a new research paper, scientists say that the cooling effects of trees may be more environmentally important than their capacity for storing carbon. Trees, the researchers say, directly affect our climate […]
Chimpanzees’ lawyers await ruling in habeas corpus appeal
Lawyers for captive chimpanzees Tommy and Kiko have presented their arguments in a habeas corpus appeal in New York and are now awaiting a ruling, which is expected in five to eight […]
New York judges to rule on habeas corpus for chimpanzees Tommy and Kiko
Lawyer Steven Wise will be heading into a New York courtroom again today (Thursday) to argue that chimpanzees should be recognised as legal persons. Wise is the president of the Nonhuman Rights […]
MH370 three years on: Malaysia issues new interim statement
The Malaysian government has released a new interim statement on the third anniversary of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. The Boeing 777 vanished on March 8, 2014, with 239 people […]
Remembering MH370: next of kin call for ‘alternative’ funding for a new search
Next of kin of the passengers and crew who were on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 when it disappeared nearly three years ago held a remembrance day event in Kuala Lumpur yesterday […]
Anniversary of Cáceres’ assassination is marked by global tributes and calls for justice
On the night of March 2 one year ago armed men burst into the home of the indigenous environmental activist Berta Cáceres Flores in La Esperanza, Honduras, and gunned her down. On […]
Aboriginal land owners say government is pandering to Indian mining conglomerate
Members of a traditional owners council in Australia have accused the national government of pandering to the interests of the Indian mining conglomerate Adani, and the mining industry in general, in its […]
Honduras: ‘the deadliest country in the world for environmental activists’
The non-governmental organisation Global Witness has just released a scathing report about the murder of environmental activists in Honduras. The NGO names the president of Honduras’ ruling party, Gladis Aurora López, as […]
Mesmerising poets, harrowing stories, and heated debate – Jaipur festival sends sparks flying
This year’s Jaipur Literature Festival set the Diggi Palace ablaze with a multitude of debates and readings, along with performances from musicians and poets from across the world. The five-day event, which […]
Kolkata’s literary festival: conversing to make the world more inclusive
The eighth edition of the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival (AKLF) will cast the spotlight on the need for inclusion in a traumatised world. The festival’s co-director, Maina Bhagat, said: “The year that […]
Diversity and free speech: Jaipur festival serves up a literary feast
The largest free literary festival in the world, held in the Indian city of Jaipur in Rajasthan, will this year be attended by more than 250 speakers ranging from writers, academics, journalists, […]
Environmentalists sound alarm over proposed rezoning of Leuser wildlife corridor
Environmental groups in Indonesia have called on the country’s forestry and environment ministry to reject plans to construct a geothermal plant in one of the world’s most precious areas of rainforest. A […]
Malaysia’s Federal Court rules against Dayaks on Native Customary Rights
In a pivotal judgement, Malaysia’s Federal Court has ruled that the Native Customary Rights (NCR) of the indigenous Dayak people apply only to a limited area of farmland and not to the […]
