Latest news with #Rives
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Experts warn global crisis is deepening as soaring food costs push millions to the brink: 'We are at a breaking point'
Global food prices continue to rise. Experts warn that vulnerable and poor communities may feel the hardest impacts. A new report by the international non-profit organization World Vision describes how hunger is a wide-reaching pandemic, especially for poorer countries. According to the report, "The highest food prices were found in Burundi, Central African Republic, Sudan, and Niger — countries facing conflict, extreme climate events, and economic turmoil." Food prices are rising around the world. According to the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization's Food Price Index, which tracks a predetermined group of food products, was up 8.2% from February 2024 to February 2025. Amanda Rives, senior director, disaster management at World Vision International, told reliefweb that "we are at a breaking point" and more interventions and long-term solutions will be needed to prevent communities around the world from existing in states of famine. As food becomes more expensive, individuals and families may struggle to put food on the table. According to the United Nations, about 9.2% of the earth's population was in a state of chronic hunger in 2022. When a person is hungry, they can have trouble focusing and can have physical symptoms like dizziness or weakness. Hunger affects both mental and physical health. Rising food prices are the result of a blend of socio-political and environmental factors. Focusing on the environmental factors, the overheating of our planet is a major contributor. This means that rising food prices are a symptom of a larger problem. Extreme weather patterns empowered by our warming climate have led to food system disruptions. Agriculture depends on the climate, and shifting growing seasons can have disastrous impact on crop yields. What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home? Not enough time Not enough space It seems too hard I have a garden already Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. These climate changes disrupt all stages of the food system, for humans and other animals on the planet. Organizations like the World Food Programme are doing important work to bring food to those who need it, offer training in sustainable agricultural processes, and cultivate knowledge in communities to help them adapt to the food-based challenges they face. We can each do our own part, however small, to help food supplies. For one, we can make sure our yards are pollinator-friendly to nurture healthy ecosystems. We can also make eco-conscious decisions. When shopping for groceries, a little bit of planning can go a long way. And when our food is in the home, we can do our best to cut down on food waste. As Rives said, "For millions of families, food is not just expensive, it is out of reach. No child should go to bed hungry in a world that produces more than enough food for everyone." Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Yahoo
Hunter faces controversial charges years after being attacked by bear: 'He saved his own skin'
While the brown bear is a species of least concern according to the IUCN Red List, the animal is protected in the Pyrenees. The classification has led to charges against an 81-year-old French hunter who allegedly killed a brown bear in 2021, according to The Guardian. André Rives was boar-hunting in the Pyrenees when he stumbled across a pair of bear cubs coming out of the woods. Before long, the cubs' mother emerged from the woods as well. The adult brown bear then charged at the hunter, ultimately dragging Rives several feet. This is when authorities say Rives shot and killed the bear. "She grabbed my left thigh; I panicked and fired a shot," Rives said, according to the outlet. "She backed away growling. She went around me and bit my right calf. I fell; she was eating my leg. I reloaded my rifle and fired." With multiple leg injuries in the aftermath, Rives was tended to by another hunter before being rescued by a helicopter. Nearly four years after the ordeal, Rives is on trial for the death of the bear. "This is not an anti-bear or pro-bear trial," judge Sun Yung Lazare said. According to Lazare, Rives is on trial for "destroying a protected species." Though the brown bear population remains strong throughout the world, the animals' presence in the Pyrenees had dwindled over the previous century. However, according to another report by The Guardian, there are now around 70 brown bears living in the Pyrenees. This demonstrates the effectiveness of conservation measures. Not only do they help promote increased biodiversity in fragile ecosystems, but they also encourage a healthy food chain for humans as well. As noted by an investigation, the bear was shot and killed just 1,300 feet outside of an authorized hunting area. Rives was part of a hunting party that included 15 others, who have all been charged with various offenses for hunting in the Mont Valier Nature Reserve. Despite the fact that Rives and the hunting party ventured outside of the hunting zone, Jean-Luc Fernandez, president of a local hunting federation, questioned the charge against Rives. "He fired," Fernandez said. "He should have let her do it? No, he saved his own skin." Should the government be paying people to hunt invasive species? Definitely Depends on the animal No way Just let people do it for free Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Yahoo
Hunter accused of killing endangered mother bear claims self-defense
An 81-year-old French hunter went on trial on Tuesday, accused of killing an endangered female bear that had attacked him in the Pyrenees. The brown bear is a protected species in the mountain range, which separates France and Spain. Andre Rives was boar-hunting when a female bear nicknamed Caramelles attacked him. On November 20, 2021, two bear cubs emerged from the woods in front of Rives. Then their mother appeared, charging at him and dragging him for several yards. He shot and killed the animal. Rives sustained leg injuries and was in a state of shock. A fellow hunter managed to stem the bleeding before he was evacuated by helicopter. According to the investigation, the bear was killed 1,300 feet outside an authorized hunting area. The case caused an uproar in the department of Ariege, where hunters have held demonstrations in support of Rives. "This is not an anti-bear or pro-bear trial," presiding judge Sun Yung Lazare said. Rives is on trial for "destroying a protected species," she said. When the cubs emerged, "I looked at them with admiration," Rives said in court. "I made myself very small. Then the mother saw me. Our eyes met, she charged." He said he had no choice but to shoot. "She grabbed my left thigh, I panicked and fired a shot. She backed away growling, she went around me and bit my right calf, I fell, she was eating my leg," he added. "I reloaded my rifle and fired." "Bears are threatened with extinction" Fifteen other hunters who also took part in the hunt were being prosecuted for various offences, including hunting in the Mont Valier nature reserve, one of the oldest reserves in the Pyrenees. Around 20 associations had filed a lawsuit. Jean-Luc Fernandez, president of a local hunting federation, said Rives killed the bear in self-defense. "He fired," he said. "He should have let her do it? No, he saved his own skin." The hunters also argued that the boundaries of the reserve were poorly marked. "You never really know where you are," one of them said. Photos shown at the hearing showed barely visible signage -- red Rs for reserve painted on trees against a white background. "Your obligation as a hunter is to know where you are hunting," retorted prosecutor Olivier Mouysset. Activists contest the notion of self-defense. "To what extent can one argue necessity, when one has committed a series of offences that led to the death of the bear Caramelles?" asked Alain Reynes of the bear-preservation association Pays de l'ours. According to that group, in 2023, there were 83 bears detected in the Pyrenees and 11 females gave birth. Animal rights activists view bears as integral to maintaining a fragile mountain ecosystem that is under threat from human activity and climate change. Bears had nearly disappeared from the mountain range before France began a reintroduction program in the 1990s, importing them from Slovenia. But the presence of bears has led to increasing tensions with farmers because of the threat they pose to their livestock. Julie Rover, a lawyer representing some of the associations, said the animal rights' activists wanted to send a message. "They are not opposed to hunting, but for it not to harm the environment, its rules must be respected," Rover said. "Bears are threatened with extinction -- the disappearance of a breeding female is serious." A similar controversy surrounding brown bears also exists in neighboring Italy. Last year, an alpine Italian province confirmed the killing of a female bear believed responsible for an attack on a French hiker -- despite protests by animal rights activists It marked the ninth incidence of aggression against humans since brown bears were reintroduced to the province in 1999 as part of an European Union project, and the first since a hiker was killed last summer. In September 2023, a man shot and killed an endangered brown bear near an Italian national park, leaving her two young cubs motherless and sparking outrage in the country. The park posted a graphic image of the bear lying dead on the ground. Earlier in 2023, an administrative court's ruling spared the life of a brown bear that fatally attacked a runner on a mountain trail in Italy's Alpine region. Sneak peek: The Puzzling Death of Susann Sills Inside Trump's call with Vladimir Putin 100 years since deadliest tornado in U.S. history
CBS News
19-03-2025
- CBS News
Hunter accused of killing endangered mother bear claims self-defense at trial in France
An 81-year-old French hunter went on trial on Tuesday, accused of killing an endangered female bear that had attacked him in the Pyrenees. The brown bear is a protected species in the mountain range, which separates France and Spain. Andre Rives was boar-hunting when a female bear nicknamed Caramelles attacked him. On November 20, 2021, two bear cubs emerged from the woods in front of Rives. Then their mother appeared, charging at him and dragging him for several yards. He shot and killed the animal. Rives sustained leg injuries and was in a state of shock. A fellow hunter managed to stem the bleeding before he was evacuated by helicopter. According to the investigation, the bear was killed 1,300 feet outside an authorized hunting area. The case caused an uproar in the department of Ariege, where hunters have held demonstrations in support of Rives. "This is not an anti-bear or pro-bear trial," presiding judge Sun Yung Lazare said. Rives is on trial for "destroying a protected species," she said. When the cubs emerged, "I looked at them with admiration," Rives said in court. "I made myself very small. Then the mother saw me. Our eyes met, she charged." He said he had no choice but to shoot. "She grabbed my left thigh, I panicked and fired a shot. She backed away growling, she went around me and bit my right calf, I fell, she was eating my leg," he added. "I reloaded my rifle and fired." Fifteen other hunters who also took part in the hunt were being prosecuted for various offences, including hunting in the Mont Valier nature reserve, one of the oldest reserves in the Pyrenees. Around 20 associations had filed a lawsuit. Jean-Luc Fernandez, president of a local hunting federation, said Rives killed the bear in self-defense. "He fired," he said. "He should have let her do it? No, he saved his own skin." The hunters also argued that the boundaries of the reserve were poorly marked. "You never really know where you are," one of them said. Photos shown at the hearing showed barely visible signage -- red Rs for reserve painted on trees against a white background. "Your obligation as a hunter is to know where you are hunting," retorted prosecutor Olivier Mouysset. Activists contest the notion of self-defense. "To what extent can one argue necessity, when one has committed a series of offences that led to the death of the bear Caramelles?" asked Alain Reynes of the bear-preservation association Pays de l'ours. According to that group , in 2023, there were 83 bears detected in the Pyrenees and 11 females gave birth. Animal rights activists view bears as integral to maintaining a fragile mountain ecosystem that is under threat from human activity and climate change. Bears had nearly disappeared from the mountain range before France began a reintroduction program in the 1990s, importing them from Slovenia. But the presence of bears has led to increasing tensions with farmers because of the threat they pose to their livestock. Julie Rover, a lawyer representing some of the associations, said the animal rights' activists wanted to send a message. "They are not opposed to hunting, but for it not to harm the environment, its rules must be respected," Rover said. "Bears are threatened with extinction -- the disappearance of a breeding female is serious." A similar controversy surrounding brown bears also exists in neighboring Italy. Last year, an alpine Italian province confirmed the killing of a female bear believed responsible for an attack on a French hiker -- despite protests by animal rights activists It marked the ninth incidence of aggression against humans since brown bears were reintroduced to the province in 1999 as part of an European Union project, and the first since a hiker was killed last summer. In September 2023, a man shot and killed an endangered brown bear near an Italian national park, leaving her two young cubs motherless and sparking outrage in the country. The park posted a graphic image of the bear lying dead on the ground. Earlier in 2023, an administrative court's ruling spared the life of a brown bear that fatally attacked a runner on a mountain trail in Italy's Alpine region.
South China Morning Post
18-03-2025
- South China Morning Post
French hunter, 81, on trial for killing mother bear ‘in self-defence'
An 81-year-old French hunter went on trial on Tuesday, accused of killing an endangered female bear that had attacked him in the Pyrenees. Advertisement The brown bear is a protected species in the mountain range, which separates France and Spain. Andre Rives was boar-hunting when a female bear nicknamed Caramelles attacked him. On November 20, 2021, two bear cubs emerged from the woods in front of Rives. Then their mother appeared, charging at him and dragging him for several metres. He shot and killed the animal. Rives sustained leg injuries and was in a state of shock. A fellow hunter managed to stem the bleeding before he was evacuated by helicopter. Advertisement According to the investigation, the bear was killed 400 metres (1,300ft) outside an authorised hunting area.
