We must listen to witnesses on the ground who are seeing abuse, duplicity, and the dereliction of duty firsthand. Our lives depend on their voices being heard. The op-ed by Sean Thomas, International Director of Investigations at Animal Equality.
Francis and Fidel. A historic meeting to talk about the environment
The meeting between two leaders doesn’t always make the headlines. But it is the case of the historic meeting between Pope Francis and Fidel Castro at Havana. The pictures of the meeting.
Pope Francis and Fidel Castro together, to talk about climate and environment. An historic meeting, almost surreal, emerged from the first official visit of the Argentinean Pope in the Caribbean and communist country, from 19 to 22 September. An exchange of opinions (and presents) that lasted 30 minutes, at the residence of Castro in the capital Havana, in the only presence of his revolutionary son, Alex, who took the picture of the handshake that already became viral.
The environmental issue bonds the two leaders, and it is the key point of Francis’ papacy, in view of the climate change conference, to be held in Paris in December. It’s not difficult to imagine that among the gifts there’s a copy of the Laudato Si’ Encyclical. Pope Francis also congratulated on the re-establishment of diplomatic relations with the United States – where he will next go before being back to the Vatican – defining it “an example of reconciliation for the entire world”.
The Pope’s arrival was earlier welcomed by the President of Cuba and brother of Fidel, Raúl Castro. The visit followed with the celebration of a touching Mass in Revolution Plaza, Havana.
Ahead of Pope Francis’ visit, Cuba’s council of state decided to release 3,522 prisoners, a mix of women, inmates younger than 20 with no prior offenses, those older than 60, prisoners with illnesses, some foreigners whose countries have agreed to repatriate them and others whose terms are coming to an end.
Francis is the third Pope to visit Cuba, after his predecessors Benedict XVI and John Paul II.
Costa Rica celebrated its first same-sex marriage when two women, Alexandra Quiros and Dunia Araya, celebrated their wedding: an “extraordinary moment”.
Will Tokyo 2020 be the revival Games? Much uncertainty remains but preparations haven’t stopped as Japan remains committed to hosting the Olympics.
Homecast is a podcast series recorded in quarantine in which creatives from around the world share their lived experiences of these unique circumstances. Creator Giacomo De Poli tells us why this collective diary was needed now more than ever.
As London and the rest of the UK are in lockdown opportunities for long-lasting change have emerged out of of the crisis: solutions relating to the environment, work and healthcare that can be applied elsewhere too.
On top of a 2.4 million dollar compensation, the indigenous Ashaninka people will receive an official apology from the companies who deforested their lands in the 1980s.
From Italy to the United States, workers in the logistics and delivery sectors are protesting to demand better sanitary conditions to protect themselves from Covid-19.
Covid-19 could have dramatic consequences in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Abandoned by the government, the indigenous Waorani people are organising to combat the pandemic on their own.
South Korea has flattened the curve of an initially explosive coronavirus outbreak, even holding nationwide elections. The government’s response, rewarded by voters, hasn’t however been immune to criticism, including privacy concerns.