Plastic pollution in our oceans is a widespread and growing environmental challenge. Recently, the WWF released a report which warned that the Mediterranean could become a ‘sea of plastic.’ The WWF found that the “concentration of micro-plastics is nearly four times higher in the Mediterranean compared with open seas elsewhere
Recently, students speaking out against gun laws in the USA have been accused of being ‘crisis actors’. Just one of the conspiracy theories that have surfaced recently, this theory claims that these students are following pre-written parts for the camera. Syrian teenager, Muhammad Najem, was attacked online and by mainstream
Donald Trump’s Administration has launched an attack on existing climate policies. In his first year of presidency, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the historic Paris Agreement, began construction on the Keystone XL pipeline, has taken steps to repeal a plan to curb greenhouse emissions in power plants, as documented in
President Donald Trump’s proposed travel ban has become a dominant force of discussion. The initial travel ban was temporarily halted by a federal judge but the Trump Administration is working on a new version which would impose similar restrictions on Muslim-majority countries and retain the 50,000 refugee cap, a reduction
For the past several decades, the Philippines have experienced an ongoing insurgency. The communist insurgency in the Philippines is one of the longest running insurgencies in the Asia-Pacific Region. This conflict has claimed more than 30,000 lives since its beginning. The communist party started its armed struggle in the late
According to a report published on Tuesday, women living in refugee camps in Greece fear violence and rape. The study, published by the Refugee Rights Data Project (RRDP), found that women were exposed to dangers, such as gender-based violence, abuse by authorities, and sexual harassment. Researchers from the RRDP spoke
The Papua New Guinea (PNG) government has deployed military troops and police in the Hela province after a recent spike in tribal violence. In recent months, there has been an increase in tribal violence, which has seen an increase in high powered guns and has left dozens dead. This security
On Friday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, announced that some Syrian and Iraqi refugees will be given Turkish citizenship. In a speech, which was broadcast on television, Erdogan said that security checks would be carried out to determine which refugees are eligible for citizenship. He emphasized the qualifications
On Wednesday, the Colombian Congress approved a law offering amnesty to those accused of minor crimes committed during the decades-long civil conflict. This law will grant amnesty for some junior members of the FARC and some army soldiers who have been accused of minor crimes, and it was overwhelmingly approved
This year has seen domestic movements receive significant international attention. Movements, like Black Lives Matter, have dominated news feeds on social media, which has allowed these movements to gain more support and publicity, both domestically and internationally. Social movements are actions taken by civil society in order to address a
A recent survey, conducted by Save the Children, has found that Afghan refugees, who are returning from Pakistan, are vulnerable to forced labour and early marriage. On Wednesday, Save the Children revealed a crisis in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province. The polling taken in this area found that children of
Earlier this week the Arab Human Development Report was released. This report, entitled Youth and the Prospects of Human Development in a Changing Reality, was launched by the United Nations Development Programme and focuses on youth and their opportunities in the Arab region. This report found that the Arab region
Two weeks ago the United States of America House of Representatives passed the Women, Peace and Security Act. This act is a historic step towards incorporating women into strategies for both preventing and resolving conflicts, and pledges that the US will act as a global leader for increasing women’s
Offshore processing in Australia is a highly controversial issue, both domestically and internationally. Australia has offshore processing centres on Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island, Nauru and Christmas Island. It restarted its offshore processing policy in 2001 after Australia refused the entry of a Norwegian freighter, which had rescued 433
The 2016 Marrakech Climate Summit (COP22) has concluded with a multitude of resolutions, commitments and actions. Taking place a year after the Paris Agreement was signed, this summit revolved around helping states implement their climate plans, building bilateral partnerships and creating a practical way to manage the Paris agreement.
On Thursday, the 10th of November, Australia became the latest country to ratify the global Paris climate agreement. Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull announced that the parliamentary committee on treaties had agreed to ratify this agreement stating that “almost a year from the Paris conference, it is clear the
This week, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has fired the commander of the South Sudanese peacekeeping force. A report found that peacekeepers had failed to protect civilians in July after a break out of fighting in the country and that this failure resulted in the deaths of over a dozen
Earlier this week, authorities started demolishing the Calais Refugee Camp. This process involved the evacuation of more than 5,800 people, which included children. The camp is now almost completely deserted with only a few remaining behind. Authorities have said that they will completely clear the site by Monday. These
Burundi has made moves towards withdrawing from the International Criminal Court (ICC). The lower house of parliament has overwhelmingly voted in support of this withdrawal with only two legislators against it. This move to withdraw from the ICC came after the United Nations launched an investigation into Burundi’s alleged systematic
Turkey’s government has extended the state of emergency that has been in place since the failed coup in July. The government hopes that this three-month extension will enable them in helping fight terrorism. However, opposition politicians are accusing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of using this three-month extension to continue its
