Feed aggregator

Global deforestation surged in 2023 to 6.37 million hectares. Tropical regions are critically affected, accounting for 96 per cent of deforestation.

The post Deforestation law not enough to save tropical forests, EU must reflect on the impact appeared first on Euractiv.

The EU must foster life sciences collaboration and bold action, it's at a turning point where the problems of competitiveness have been diagnosed, and now those problems must be addressed.

The post Calls for less bureaucracy, more cooperation to promote EU pharmaceutical competitiveness appeared first on Euractiv.

The protective status of Europe's wolves is in danger following last week’s vote by the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention. Wildlife advocates argue the vote is a political decision, not based on scientific evidence.

The post Wolves face increased risk after Bern Convention protections removed appeared first on Euractiv.

Cotonou, Bénin — Et si l'avenir de l'e-commerce était décentralisé ? C'est le pari audacieux de Reseau.Online, une plateforme innovante lancée par SGTIC Sarl, entreprise basée au Bénin. Accessible via reseauonline.auredo.com, ce service redéfinit les règles du commerce en ligne en Afrique en offrant aux jeunes une alternative simple et rentable : devenir e-commerçant sans stock.
L'e-commerce décentralisé : une approche unique
Contrairement aux modèles traditionnels centralisés, où les plateformes gèrent directement la vente et la distribution des produits, Reseau.Online adopte un modèle décentralisé. Chaque utilisateur peut créer sa propre boutique en ligne, y personnaliser son design, ajouter son nom de domaine. Les utilisateurs choisissent les produits qu'ils souhaitent vendre parmis la base de données de produits mis à leur disposition par la plateforme Reseau.online elle même.

Une opportunité pour les entrepreneurs africains
Reseau.Online donne aux jeunes Africains les moyens de se lancer dans l'e-commerce sans les obstacles traditionnels comme le besoin de capital initial ou la gestion d'inventaire. Les vendeurs peuvent se concentrer sur ce qui compte vraiment : promouvoir leurs produits et générer des revenus.
En quelques clics, ils accèdent à une large gamme de produits numériques et physiques fournis par la plateforme. Ils choisissent ce qu'ils souhaitent vendre, ajustent les prix selon leur stratégie, et récoltent une part significative des bénéfices.

Un modèle pensé pour l'Afrique
L'Afrique, avec son faible taux de bancarisation et son infrastructure logistique parfois limitée, nécessite des solutions adaptées. Reseau.Online propose un système simple, flexible et accessible à tous. Les vendeurs n'ont besoin que d'un smartphone et d'une connexion internet pour démarrer.
Ce modèle décentralisé permet également aux produits des créateurs et fournisseurs de toucher un public beaucoup plus large grâce à un réseau croissant de vendeurs répartis sur tout le continent.
La révolution de l'e-commerce africain
Reseau.Online est plus qu'une plateforme : c'est un mouvement qui promeut l'autonomie économique. En décentralisant l'e-commerce, elle ouvre la porte à des milliers de jeunes Africains qui rêvent de devenir entrepreneurs.
Pour découvrir cette révolution et rejoindre le futur du commerce en ligne, rendez-vous sur reseauonline.auredo.com.

Reseau.Online : Une innovation africaine pour un e-commerce accessible, flexible et décentralisé.

Dans la soirée de ce mardi 10 décembre 2024 débutait la 6e journée de la phase de Ligue de la Ligue des Champions. En début de soirée, Liverpool a enchaîné avec un sixième succès en six rencontres sur la pelouse de Gérone (0-1). De son côté, Real Madrid a difficilement fait le boulot sur la pelouse de l'Atalanta.

En effet, le Real Madrid a réalisé un énorme coup en battant l'Atalanta (2-3), avec notamment un but de Mbappé. Le Français a par la suite laissé orphelins ses coéquipiers suite à une blessure. Le Bayern Munich a écrasé le Shakhtar (1-5) grâce à un doublé d'Olise. Le Bayer Leverkusen s'est adjugé le choc contre l'Inter (1-0) et Aston Villa a pris le dessus sur le RB Leipzig (2-3).

Cette soirée de C1 a été marquée par les 50es buts de Kylian Mbappé et de Mohamed Salah. L'ancien du PSG parvient ainsi à devenir le deuxième plus jeune joueur à atteindre ce cap en Ligue des Champions derrière Lionel Messi. De son côté, l'Égyptien entre dans le Top 10 des meilleurs buteurs de C1 avec sa réalisation ce soir contre Girona.

Voici tous les résultats de la soirée :

Dinamo Zagreb 0-0 Celtic

Gérone 0-1 Liverpool

Atalanta 2-3 Real Madrid

Leverkusen 1-0 Inter

BREST 1-0 PSV

Club Bruges 2-1 Sporting CP

RB Leipzig 2-3 Aston Villa

Red Bull Salzbourg 0-3 PARIS SG

Shakhtar 1-5 Bayern

J.S

New legal requirements for food will enter force in two years. Companies can get ahead of the curve now, verifying the origin and agricultural practices of their products, protecting workers and ensuring human rights.

The post Global food insecurity persists. Can certification help? appeared first on Euractiv.

Les Certificats d'Identification Personnelle (CIP) sans signature, délivrés par l'Agence Nationale d'Identification des Personnes (ANIP) aux mineurs, sont valables pour la constitution des dossiers d'examens.

Plus de rejet des Certificats d'Identification Personnelle (CIP) des apprenants mineurs ne comportant de signatures lors de la constitution des dossiers d'examens. « Les cartes d'identité biométriques et les Certificats d'Identification Personnelle (CIP), sans signature, délivrés aux mineurs par l'Agence Nationale d'Identification des Personnes (ANIP) sont valables pour constituer les dossiers d'examen », selon un communiqué du Ministère de l'Intérieur et de la Sécurité Publique en date du 10 décembre 2024.

Alassane Seidou rappelle aux responsables d'établissements scolaires et centres de formation que « ces pièces répondent aux exigences du Code de l'enfant en République du Bénin, et sont émises conformément à la loi n° 2017-08 du 19 juin 2017 portant l'identification des personnes physiques en République du Bénin ».

Les responsables d'établissements scolaires et centres de formation sont invités à se servir de l'application ANIP BJ, disponible sur Play Store pour s'assurer de l'authenticité des pièces.
M. M.

Face aux «économies brutales» et aux «incohérences entre la stratégie et les réalités du terrain», une assemblée du personnel a souhaité la tenue d’un vote de confiance.

Face à la recrudescence des fraudes signalées sur les plateformes de commerce en ligne, EMS, entreprise de courrier rapide, tire la sonnette d’alarme. Des individus […]

L’article Arnaques répétitives à la livraison : la société EMS alerte les adeptes de l’achat en ligne est apparu en premier sur .

Tiburce Adagbé, auteur de la bande dessinée historique Tata Adjatchè, a rencontré ce mardi 10 décembre 2024 le ministre de la Culture, Jean-Michel Abimbola. Cette audience s'est tenue en présence des principaux collaborateurs du ministre issus du domaine littéraire.

Lors d'une rencontre avec le ministre de la culture, l'auteur a eu l'opportunité de présenter son œuvre, qui retrace un pan important de l'histoire béninoise. Au-delà de la présentation de la bande dessinée Tata Adjatchè, les échanges ont porté sur les enjeux de la promotion du livre et de la littérature au Bénin.

Jean-Michel Abimbola a chaleureusement félicité Tiburce Adagbé pour cette réalisation, rappelant qu'il l'avait déjà accueilli quelques années plus tôt lors de la sortie de son essai politique Mémoire du chaudron. Le ministre a souligné l'engagement continu du gouvernement du président Patrice Talon en faveur de la création artistique et littéraire, ainsi que de la valorisation du patrimoine culturel à travers le livre.
M. M.

Les gagnants du lundi 9 décembre 2024 au Grand Tirage TCE de la Loterie Nationale du Bénin (LNB) sont connus.

C'est bien possible de gagner désormais en plus des gains de sa mise, une somme de 100.000f à 500.000f CFA chaque lundi ou de remporter de 2.000.000f à 20.000.000F CFA au Grand Tirage TCE et de profiter d'une semaine dans un hôtel de luxe + une randonnée touristique au Bénin.

– Jouer au loto 5/90 avec une MISE MINIMUM DE 500FCFA

– Conservez vos tickets et participez au tirage hebdomadaire

– Chaque lundi du mois de décembre , un tirage spécial sera organisé pour sélectionner 10 NUMÉRO GAGNANTS

NB :
– LE PREMIER NUMÉRO tiré de chaque lundi est le 1er Grand Gagnant et permettra à son détenteur de participer au grand tirage du TCE du 17 JANVIER 2025 avec une chance de remporter jusqu'à 20.000.000FCFA

– LES NEUF AUTRES NUMÉROS gagneront chacun des lots intermédiaires chaque lundi du mois de décembre entre 100.000 et 200.000FCFA.

Hirado.hu: 24 órára őrizetbe vette a román korrupcióellenes ügyészség (DNA) Soós Zoltán marosvásárhelyi polgármestert – erősítette meg a Székelyhon hírportálnak hétfőn este Kovács Mihály Levente, az erdélyi város RMDSZ-es alpolgármestere. (mti)

:

Tiburce ADAGBE, auteur de la Bande Dessinée historique Tata Adjatchè, était l'hôte du ministre de la culture Jean-Michel Abimbola dans la matinée de ce mardi 10 décembre 2024. Le ministre était accompagné de ses principaux collaborateurs du domaine littéraire. Pendant près d'une heure d'horloge, Tiburce ADAGBE a présenté son ouvrage à l'autorité en charge de la culture. Un tour d'horizon plus large a été fait sur les défis de la promotion du livre au Bénin. Le ministre Jean-Michel Abimbola a félicité l'auteur de la BD Tata Adjatchè qu'il avait déjà reçu il y a quelques années dans le cadre de la sortie de l'essai politique "Mémoire du chaudron". Il l'a félicité et a rappelé l'engagement du gouvernement du président Patrice Talon pour la promotion de la de création et celle du livre en particulier.

Emelkedett Szlovákiában a nyári és a trópusi napok száma, ezzel szemben a fagyos napok száma csökkent.

By Kumkum Chadha
NEW DELHI, India, Dec 10 2024 (IPS)

Even as India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri reached Bangladesh amid strain in ties over attacks on Hindu minorities, he carried with him a bag of complaints: it sure was not a good will mission. It was one where India has focused on its discomfort, rather anger, over the persecution of Hindus under the new regime in Bangladesh.

Kumkum Chadha

The last few weeks have witnessed an increasing number of incidents of violence against Hindus. In the Indian Parliament, India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar admitted that India has “taken serious note” of violence against Hindus and other minorities as well as attacks on temples and religious places, across Bangladesh.

The Indian Government has specifically mentioned the attack on a Puja mandap in Tantibazar, Dhaka and theft at the Jeshoreshwari Kali temple at Satkhira during Durga Puja 2024.

Tensions were further heightened after the arrest of a Hindu monk who had recently been expelled from the International Society of Krishna Consciousness, widely known as ISKCON or the Hare Krishnas. He was arrested on charges of sedition.

In turn, thousands of Hindu monks marched to the Bangladesh border in West Bengal; protestors attacked a Bangladeshi consulate in the Indian state of Tripura.

To link these incidents with recent political developments in Bangladesh would be a grave mistake. Behind this upsurge lies a bloody history and a seething anger against India.

The Hindu minority in Bangladesh has historically faced persecution, particularly from more extremist elements. That the common man on the streets of Bangladesh nurses a strong anti-India sentiment is a given. India has been seen as an “overbearing neighbour” particularly by the younger generation in Bangladesh who felt that the now ousted government under Sheikh Hasina was subservient to India: “an unequal relationship” to quote many.

Fast forward to the present and the situation is dismal, to say the least.

As a nation and a neighbour India has done little to assuage feelings or balm wounds. Therefore to say that it is the anti Hasina elements that are fuelling unrest and attacks would be missing the wood for the trees.

One must acknowledge and accept that India went overboard in its support for the government under Sheikh Hasina at the cost of ignoring all others. That is why when she was ousted and an interim government under Dr. Mohammed Yunus took power, India was not viewed as a reliable ally. If anything, the historical ties between the two countries have weakened as never before. Add to this the perceived marginalization of Muslims under a pro Hindu BJP government in India and the alienation is kind of complete.

On this count one cannot fault the current dispensation given that it has facts on its side.

History apart, recent developments too provide enough ammunition to the current regime and the people in Bangladesh to nurse an angst against India.

And on this, one has to begin from the beginning.

For starters, the asylum to Sheikh Hasina. It is no one’s case to even suggest that India should have turned away a former Prime Minister in distress, Sheikh Hasina or any other. Giving her refuge was, as some put it, “an honourable thing” for any neighbour to do. What is under the scanner is her extended stay.

For record, when Hasina landed in India after being driven out from a country she had ruled for 15 long years, it was said to be a temporary refuge. She had sought asylum in the United Kingdom which hit a road bloc due to a technicality.

As of now the “temporary stay” seems to have extended to a permanent one. When India’s Foreign Minister informed the Indian Parliament of her sudden arrival in Delhi in August, he did indicate that the initial request by Hasina was “for the moment only”. That the moment has extended into months with no signs of an immediate resolution is another matter.

The fact that India does not have any policy for refugees allows the government to be flexible in its response. Critics see it using this as a “convenient route” to let Hasina stay for as long as she wants. Fingers are being pointed at the Indian government not moving an inch to engage with stakeholders for Hasina’s extradition. At least visibly. This and for good reasons is enough to upset the Yunus regime in Bangladesh and write off India as “an adversarial neighbour”.

Worse still, Sheikh Hasina’s political statements against the current regime in Bangladesh from Indian soil strengthens the perception that India is adding fuel to fire.

In a virtual address ahead of Misri’s visit to Bangladesh, Hasina accused the Yunus regime of being “fascist” and one that has allowed a free run to terrorists.

In her 37 minute address Hasina made a specific reference to attacks on minorities. By doing this, she not only echoed the concerns of the Indian government but positioned herself as being one which is parroting concerns that India is attempting to tackle diplomatically and bi-laterally.

At this junction one is constrained to ask: Why is the Indian Government not restraining Sheikh Hasina? Why is it allowing her to muddy the political waters? Why is it letting the Indian soil be a convenient platform for political speak ? And why is it letting Hasina hit out at a regime that India has to mend a completely fractured relationship with?

These questions and the angst is not restricted to the corridors of power but will and has found its way to the streets. Therefore the targeting of Hindus may be rooted in religious discrimination but one cannot delink the common man’s anger at India’s “protecting Hasina at all costs” policy even at the cost of souring the bi-lateral relationship.

Therefore, India needs to recalibrate its approach and policy towards Bangladesh before its ties reach an all-time low leading to a confrontational situation.

Kumkum Chadha, an author and senior political journalist with Hindustan Times

IPS UN Bureau

 

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');  

With violence escalating across the country, the attack took place as people gathered for a weekly market.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile. Credit: United Nations

By Mandeep S.Tiwana
NEW YORK, Dec 10 2024 (IPS)

Today is International Human Rights Day, Normally, it should be an occasion to celebrate the work of those who strive to create peaceful, just, equal and sustainable societies. But conditions for human rights defenders and their organisations to operate freely are extremely challenging around the world.

Almost three quarters of the world’s people live in states that severely constrain civic freedoms. These are the latest findings from the CIVICUS Monitor, a cross-continental research collaboration between over twenty civil society organisations.

Despite enormous technological and cultural advancements claimed by humankind the overwhelming majority of the world’s population are being actively denied agency to shape the decisions that impact their lives. Major restrictions in law and practice on the fundamental civic freedoms of peaceful assembly, association and expression are putting journalists and civil society activists at serious risk of persecution when they expose high level corruption or critique the actions of powerful decision makers.

Civic space conditions in some 30 countries where over a quarter of the world’s population live are so poor that even the slightest hint of dissent against those who hold power can get one thrown into prison for a long time or even killed. Such countries include Afghanistan, China, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Sudan among others.

This year, Eswatini, Ethiopia and the Occupied Palestinian Territories of Gaza and the West Bank have been downgraded to the worst ‘closed’ rating on the CIVICUS Monitor due to an acceleration in repression there.

As a human rights defender it worries me that countries with proud histories of resisting colonial oppression and with hard won constitutional commitments to democratic principles such as India, Kenya, Mexico and the Philippines have ended up being placed in the second worst ‘repressed’ category on the CIVICUS Monitor.

As a development advocate who campaigned for the adoption of an ambitious set of universal Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, it concerns me that governments are deliberately limiting the ability of civil society organisations to work with them to create more equal and fairer societies.

Civic space restrictions negatively impact the quest for transparency, accountability and participation in public affairs. The Sustainable Development Goals include guarantees on access to information and fundamental freedoms as well as on responsive, inclusive and participatory decision making, which are essential for public spirited individuals and organisations to push for transformative changes in the political, social and economic spheres.

But CIVICUS Monitor researchers have recorded thousands of restrictions on the freedom of expression in 2024 including physical attacks on journalists and civil society activists merely for doing their work in the public interest.

Atefeh Rangriz, a defender of worker’s and women’s rights in Iran is currently languishing in prison on trumped up national security related charges. Guatemalan journalist Jose Ruben Zamora continues to be persecuted through the courts for exposing deep networks of patronage that exist among political and economic elites in that country.

Their cases are illustrative of the enormous challenge of thousands of journalists and civil society activists unjustly imprisoned around the world in countries as disparate as Belarus, Egypt, Israel and Vietnam.

The most recent CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist, released this September, draws attention to deterioration in civic space conditions in Argentina, Azerbaijan, Thailand and Zimbabwe, all of which are ruled by erratic authoritarian leaders. Because global civic space conditions are so challenging, including in several powerful states, the appetite of the international community to consistently call out flagrant violations of international law standards has been severely hamstrung in recent times.

It’s thus absurd that Azerbaijan, a petrostate with closed civic space, hosted the COP29 climate summit this year in an attempt to greenwash its reputation. The previous two COP summits were held in countries with equally appalling records: United Arab Emirates and Egypt. The election of Donald Trump, an avowed supporter of the fossil fuel industry, as the next president of the United States does not portend well for climate causes or for civic freedoms given his adulation for authoritarian leaders.

Climate justice, environmental and land rights activists are facing persecution in far too many countries for exercising their right to peaceful assembly. Earlier this year, five Just Stop Oil activists received sentences ranging from four to five years in prison in the United Kingdom for planning a non-violent protest action by blocking a motorway in 2022.

In Uganda, protestors were arrested merely for seeking to deliver a petition to the authorities outlining the adverse effects of an oil project including environmental degradation, land loss and violations of community rights. In September, Juan López, Honduran community leader and advocate for the rights of the Guapinol River, was assassinated despite calls for his protection.

Just as anti-apartheid protestors faced pushback in the 1980s, artists, students and academics have been targeted in several western democracies for advocating for the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people. It’s now forbidden to wear a keffiyeh within Canada’s Ontario state’s legislative assembly and there have been attempts to censor pro-Palestinian groups in Germany, the Netherlands and the USA. In Australia, four writers who had publicly opposed Israel’s war on Gaza had their workshops’ contracts terminated with the State Library of Victoria.

Nearly 10% of the total civic space violations documented globally in 2024 by CIVICUS Monitor researchers either took place in the Occupied Palestinian Territories or were perpetrated against those expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people. Despite this, throughout 2024 people continued to pour out onto the streets to express solidarity with beleaguered Palestinians. This in itself is extraordinary.

Even if global civic space conditions were mostly unwelcoming this year, civil society actions led to some remarkable victories for rights and justice. Greece became the first overwhelmingly Christian Orthodox country to legalise same-sex marriage while recognising the rights of same sex couples to adopt children. Thailand broke ground in Southeast Asia by passing a marriage equality bill in May 2024, making it the first country in the region to legalise same-sex marriage.

In the Czech Republic, civil society efforts led to a landmark reform in rape laws, now classifying any non-consensual sexual act as rape, removing the need for proof of force and strengthening protections for victims. In Kazakhstan, in response to a high-profile murder trial, lawmakers swiftly introduced new legislation that re-established criminal penalties for battery and enhanced protections for domestic violence survivors.

In Poland, a bill passed in February 2024 made emergency contraception accessible without a prescription, reversing a restrictive 2017 law and marking a significant win for womens’ rights over their bodies.

Moreover, people continued to exercise their protest rights across the globe this year. In Bangladesh, the longstanding oppressive government led by Sheikh Hasina was forced to step down following persistent public demonstrations against its regressive actions. In Venezuela, people outvoted the incumbent authoritarian government of Nicholas Maduro at the polls but his regime ended up rigging the election results. However, this doesn’t mean the struggle for democracy in Venezuela has been permanently suppressed.

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice,” said Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. As these examples show, despite pervasive repression, the impulse to overcome oppression remains alive. Gains made through sustained civil society resistance through 2024 offer us hope that no matter how powerful autocratic forces may be, there will always be an undercurrent of civil society ready to weather the storm and strive for a better world for all.

Mandeep S. Tiwana is the Interim Co-Secretary General. CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance.

IPS UN Bureau

 

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');  

From 3 to 7 December 2024, a delegation from the University of Tirana conducted a research visit to two prestigious universities in the United States of America with the aim of strengthening capacities and resources to manage the Master Programme in Criminology.

During the visit – organized by the OSCE Presence in Albania together with the University of Tirana and the Law Faculty – Rector Artan Hoxha, Dean Dorina Hoxha and lecturers of the Law Faculty met with senior staff and professors of the University of New Haven in Connecticut and John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. In addition, the Albanian delegation had a tour at the Henry C. Lee Forensic Institute in Connecticut, a tour at the Connecticut Capitol and a meeting with a Connecticut Supreme Court Justice.

The research visit served to share knowledge in criminology, strengthen academic partnerships, and explore collaborative initiatives, including joint research and faculty and student exchange programmes, and other possible academic partnerships. This trip marked the beginning of partnership between the University of New Haven, John Jay College and the University of Tirana. During the visit, a Letter of Intent was signed by the University of New Haven and the University of Tirana. In addition, a Statement of Shared Interest is expected to be signed between the John Jay College and University of Tirana.

A special focus of the research visit was gathering best practices for establishing and operating research centres within universities. These insights will support the Research Centre in Criminology at the Law Faculty, which will serve as a hub for fostering sustainable research, supporting the Master’s Programme, and contributing to data-driven policymaking.

“The research visit proved to be a valuable opportunity for the academic staff of the Faculty of Law to exchange knowledge in criminology, strengthen their partnerships and identify mutually beneficial collaboration opportunities. The agenda featured various discussions and tours, offering a platform to explore potential areas for long-term co-operation,” said OSCE project manager Alba Jorganxhi.

The visit was part of the OSCE Presence’s project “Establishing a Master’s Programme in Criminology” and was supported by the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

Launched in December 2020, the Master's Programme offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to enhance research capacities for professionals, academics, and policymakers in Albania, focusing on the root causes of crime and promoting restorative justice and victim-centred responses.

Over a quarter of the EU population live in regions below 75 per cent of the EU’s average development level. Eastern Europe is still driven by the catch-up effect and EU membership benefits.

The post Stronger cohesion funding, structural reform linkage could boost EU competitiveness, say new reports appeared first on Euractiv.

Le Tribunal fédéral annule la condamnation de l’ancien président de la Commune de Bagnes et du secrétaire.