Day: December 20, 2023

Poland’s new pro-EU government dismisses state media chiefs

Energy News Beat The management of Polish public television, radio and state news agency PAP have been dismissed and one public news channel that critics say was politicised under the previous government has gone off air. The culture ministry under Poland’s new pro-European Union government announced the dismissals of the chairmen and boards in a […]

Analysis: Election ‘win’ for Serbia’s Vucic might yet backfire

Energy News Beat For 48 hours from Sunday night, the victory of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic was total, overwhelming, sweeping, crushing. His ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) had on its own secured a majority in the National Assembly with twice as many votes and seats as their closest opponent. It also swept the regional and municipal […]

Justin Trudeau’s belated and shameful volte face on Gaza

Energy News Beat Some of Israel’s most prominent enablers now claim to abhor the scope of Israel’s wanton killing of Palestinians with a barrage of bullets, bombs, and rampaging bulldozers. Earlier this week, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak joined France and Germany in calling for a “sustainable ceasefire” to stop the killing. Like his European […]

Excluding Hamas from the ‘day after’ in Gaza would be a mistake

Energy News Beat In the field of the social sciences, it is very common to say “history repeats itself”. However, there is nothing inevitable about how political events pan out and the choices that political actors make. In this sense, and in the current context of Israel’s war on Gaza, it is important to consider […]

‘Everything is dead’: How record drought is wreaking havoc on the Amazon

Energy News Beat Curralinho, Brazil – For communities on the Brazilian island of Marajó, the ebb and flow of the Canaticu River marks the turn of the seasons. During the rainy months, the river is several metres deep, lapping below the wooden houses that rise from its shores on stilts. Residents rely on its water […]

Secrets of the Clergy

Energy News Beat Over the past 20 years, religious organisations from the Catholic Church to Jehovah’s Witnesses have had a reckoning with cases of child sexual abuse. Many states have tried to tackle the abuse by making clergy mandatory reporters of abuse to officials, just like doctors, therapists and teachers are. However, more than 30 […]

Ireland to launch legal action against UK over Troubles amnesty law

Energy News Beat News|Conflict Ireland says it will mount a legal challenge against the United Kingdom over a new law that gives some immunity from prosecution for offences committed during three decades of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland. Irish Deputy Prime Minister Micheal Martin said on Wednesday that “after much thought and careful consideration”, his […]

Roman Abramovich loses legal attempt to overturn EU sanctions

Energy News Beat Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has lost a legal challenge aimed at overturning European Union sanctions imposed on him in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Abramovich had filed a lawsuit at the EU’s general court against the European Union Council, which imposed punitive sanctions on the 57-year-old in 2022 as part of measures […]

US charges alleged Hezbollah member over 1994 Buenos Aires bombing

Energy News Beat News|Hezbollah The United States has charged an alleged Hezbollah member, Samuel Salman El Reda, with giving material support to a “terrorist group”, accusing him of providing assistance for a 1994 bombing in Argentina. Federal prosecutors announced charges against the 58-year-old on Wednesday, linking El Reda to the truck bombing of the AMIA […]

Venezeula, US reach prisoner swap deal

Energy News Beat News|Nicolas Maduro The United States has reached a deal to secure the release of 10 citizens from Venezuela, including six people who it said had been wrongfully detained, according to the White House. As part of the agreement, US President Joe Biden agreed to grant clemency to Alex Saab, a Colombian businessman […]