Qatar has done its best to fix migrant workers conditions
Qatar has been under fire for its record on workers rights not least since its 2022 World Cup bid came to fruition and a recent report from Amnesty International took note of the fatal impact of potentially lax health and safety has had in the construction of the stadium in the Gulf nation. At the…
Shanghai rules out full lockdown despite sharp rise in Covid cases
Shanghai has recorded a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases, but officials have ruled out a full lockdown over the damage it would do to the economy. Millions of Chinese in affected areas have been subjected to city-wide lockdowns by an Omicron-led outbreak that has sent daily case counts creeping ever-higher, though they remain insignificant compared…
How ‘ancient’ trees are critical for forest sustainability and adaptability
A new report maintains that ancient trees are critical for the sustainability and adaptability of our forests worldwide. The study, headed by Chuck Cannon, Ph.D., Director of the Morton Arboretum’s Center for Tree Sciences in Lisle, Illinois, in the US, concluded that these trees offer genetic diversity and evolutionary properties necessary for forest survival. Secrets…
UN watchdog says France violated children’s rights in Syrian camps
The United Nations Child Rights Committee determined on Thursday that France had violated the rights of French children by leaving them for years in Syrian camps designated for family members of suspected jihadists. Describing the conditions in the Syrian camps as “inhuman and life-threatening”, the Committee ruled that “France has the responsibility and power to protect…
Ralph & Russo put Dubai on the fashion map
Ralph & Russo is an international luxury fashion brand known for its designs that are described as both contemporary and timelessly elegant. The brand was created in London in 2010 by Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo. In 2014, it became the first British guest member in almost 100 years to be invited by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute…
Pope Francis says he is in line to take Covid-19 vaccine
Pope Francis has said the Vatican will begin Covid-19 vaccinations next week and that he is in line to receive the shot. The pontiff made the comments during an interview with Italy’s Canale 5 channel, set to air on Sunday night. “It is an ethical duty to take the vaccine, here in the Vatican we will…
China’s Mars probe Tianwen-1 expected to enter the red planet’s orbit next month
China’s space probe Tianwen-1 is expected to enter Mars’ orbit next month after traveling more than 400m km since its launch on July 23rd last year. The probe has flown in space for 163 days and is currently around 8.3m km from Mars, according to the China National Space Administration. The flight marks the start of…
Yemen war: Deadly attack at Aden airport as new government arrives
At least 22 people have been killed and more than 50 wounded in an attack at the airport in the southern Yemeni city of Aden, officials say. There was at least one explosion shortly after a plane carrying the war-torn country’s newly formed government arrived from neighbouring Saudi Arabia. Aid workers and officials were among…
While Brazilians wait for a vaccine, Bolsonaro plays politics
Many countries are getting a shot of hope this month as they vaccinate health workers against the coronavirus, but Brazil seems stuck in limbo, despite its own vaunted national vaccination program. In an early Christmas gift to some, Chile and Mexico began immunizations on Thursday after granting emergency approval for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. But in…
COVID-19 ‘dramatically worsened’ lives of migrants and refugees, says WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) has documented in an extensive new study how the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacts the lives of refugees and migrants across the world. The report found that many were not able to seek COVID-19 treatment, with 35% of respondents citing financial constraints as the reason and a further 22% fear of deportation. “More…