Latest news with #activists
CBC
a day ago
- Politics
- CBC
Hong Kong police issue fresh wave of arrest warrants for 19 overseas activists
Police in Hong Kong have issued a fresh wave of arrest warrants for 19 activists overseas, including some here in B.C. Ottawa is condemning the move, calling it a threat to Canadian safety and sovereignty. CBC's Michelle Ghoussoub reports.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
PETER VAN ONSELEN: UN climate boss makes LUDICROUS claim about daily habit Aussies will be forced to give up because of warming - turning off the very people he needs to win over
When Simon Stiell, the UN's top climate official, warns Australians that unless we lift our game on emissions, fruit and veggies will become 'a once-a-year treat', you know he's jumped the shark. That kind of rhetoric may stir applause from activists who are already won over to the climate cause, but it risks turning off the very people who weigh up what practical action should look like. You don't have to be a climate change denier to fall into that category. Climate change is real, most people accept that. The science is sound, people know that too. The dangers posed by a warming planet are therefore not to be underestimated. But packaging the argument in short term apocalyptic headlines doesn't strengthen the cause, it weakens it. It sounds like activism, not expert analysis, and that distinction matters. When the debate becomes saturated with worst case scenarios and doom-laden predictions, most people dismiss those who deliver inflated rhetoric as lacking credibility. Stiell might believe he's spurring governments into action, but for mainstream voters, the ones who decide elections, this sort of messaging can feel more like an old fashioned guilt trip. It becomes counterproductive to the cause. Australia is preparing to update its 2035 emissions reduction target right when the Labor government has ambitions to co-host a global climate summit. And the UN's climate tsar seems to think fresh alarmism will spur Labor into more action. But that will not be the case if his sensationalising makes the government look like its plans are rooted in activism. Younger voters tend to be more inclined to listen to the alarmism, but the electorate is broader than one generation still finding their feet in life. The case for serious emissions reduction is strong, but it must be made with rigour. Suggesting fresh produce will become a luxury good - or that living standards are set to collapse without dramatic policy shifts in Australia - makes for a good headline but is poor public engagement. It risks framing climate policy as a punitive exercise rather than an economic and technological opportunity. It also ignores the reality that Australia is a very small emitter on the global stage even if our per capita emissions are too high. What we do, or don't do, matters little if the likes of China and India don't do much more than they currently are. There are plenty of nations in greater need of lectures than we are. Australians aren't oblivious to climate risks, but they are wary of poor policies, broken promises and emissions targets that are often costly and don't get met anyway. Voters want action that's credible, not utopian and dreamy. They also want costed plans, not alarmist lectures, especially in the context of rising energy prices and concerns about reliability. The Coalition is already highlighting the economic burden of the government's major emissions reduction policy - known as the safeguard mechanism - and other net zero policies. The public will want proper answers to a problem - not simplistic fear mongering. The credibility of climate action depends on public trust. That means being transparent about costs and benefits, about timelines, trade-offs and targets. It means avoiding exaggerated claims that can't be sustained if the short-term doesn't mirror the long-term projection. Just because opponents of climate action use fear and verbosity is no reason for advocates who claim to be on the side of science to dash their credibility by returning fire. If the government wants to be taken seriously at home and abroad, it should focus less on emotionally charged appeals and more on policy design that builds confidence. There's merit in the idea of setting ambitious targets with built-in flexibility, allowing for adjustments as new technology develops and economic conditions change. That's the kind of thinking that builds consensus and keeps momentum going. Those urging rapid decarbonisation, net zero within a decade, or 65 per cent emissions cuts by 2035 need to ground their calls in practical pathways. Without them, they risk pushing the conversation to the fringes. There's nothing wrong with urgency, but it should be channelled into persuading the undecided rather than trying to pressure them. If Stiell wants Australia to lead, avoid the junk threats. After all, science is already on his side.
ABC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Israeli court extends detention of flotilla activists including two Australians
An Israeli court has extended the detention of a group of activists, including two Australians, seized by the nation's military off the coast of Gaza. Human rights activists Robert Martin and Tan Safi were among 21 people on board the Handala when it was stopped by the Israeli navy while en route to Gaza on Sunday. Two of the crew were dual Israeli-US citizens who were interrogated and released. Five agreed to an expedited deportation and were deported. The other 14 people, including the two Australians, remain in Givon prison in Ramle, Israel. On Monday, Israel's Detention Review Tribunal ruled they should remain in custody until the deportation process was finalised. The group on the boat included activists, lawyers, two members of the European parliament and two journalists for the Qatar-based network Al Jazeera, which is banned in Israel. Lawyers for the group say Israel's seizure of the boat and detention of the crew is illegal, arguing the boat had been in international waters at the time it was stopped and the blockade on aid entering Gaza is illegal under international law. "Our main argument on behalf of the volunteers is that, first, the blockade on Gaza is illegal," lawyer Suhad Bishara, from the legal advocacy group Adala, told the ABC. "Israel has a duty under international humanitarian law, laws of the sea and the ICJ [International Court of Justice] decision from January 2024 to allow the flotilla to access Gaza's shores and to deliver the humanitarian assistance goods that they have on board. "We're talking specifically in this flotilla about formula for babies, toys for children, and very basic medication. "Under all of these legal frameworks, Israel has an obligation to allow the flotilla to access Gaza's shores. "Thus, we also argued on their behalf that the interception of the flotilla, of the ship, [on] international waters, and generally any interception, is illegal under international law and violates Israel's obligations in this regard. "This is, of course, in the background of the humanitarian crisis, the starvation, the genocidal war in Gaza." The lawyers said the group should be allowed to reboard their boat and sail to Gaza. "They're all in very good spirits, feeling well," Dr Bishara said. "They are all under hunger strike since the boat was intercepted so they obviously feel a little bit weak. But again, the good spirit is above everything else. "We've met them. They were very appreciative of all the support that they get from inside, from outside, and hopefully they will be back safely home very soon." Israel's government has maintained a full naval blockade of Gaza since militant group Hamas took over the strip, preventing any vessels from approaching Gaza or any Gazans from sailing out. Since Hamas's October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel, the Israeli military has also attacked Gazans fishing in the sea. This month it also effectively prohibited swimming and bathing by banning Palestinians from entering the water. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) declined to give any new response to the lawyers' arguments. On Sunday it said its naval blockade of Gaza was legal and the ship was intercepted legally. "The Israeli navy has stopped the vessel Navarn [the boat's registered name] from illegally entering the maritime zone of the coast of Gaza," the MFA said in a statement. "The vessel is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. All passengers are safe. Unauthorized attempts to breach the blockade are dangerous, unlawful, and undermine ongoing humanitarian efforts." The Israeli government and military deny accusations they are committing genocide and say they try to minimise civilian casualties. The Handala is the second activist boat from the group the "Freedom Flotilla Coalition" to be intercepted by the Israeli navy in recent months while attempting to reach Gaza. The occupants of the Madleen, which was carrying prominent Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, a French member of the European parliament and two journalists, were all deported from Israel in June. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said on Monday it was preparing to send dozens more boats to Gaza to "break the siege" and deliver aid.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Washington Post
He traveled to Italy to master this dying art. Now he's brought it back to Brooklyn.
Opinion | This is why the media should not replay viral videos of black men being killed June 10, 2020
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
‘Stock your cars full of food and drive through that border'
'Stock your cars full of food and drive through that border' Quotable In a televised interview, Irish singer and activist Bob Geldof urged Israelis who wanted to protest Israel's campaign on Gaza to drive there themselves and feed the starving. Video Duration 01 minutes 08 seconds 01:08 Video Duration 01 minutes 08 seconds 01:08 Video Duration 01 minutes 30 seconds 01:30 Video Duration 00 minutes 59 seconds 00:59 Video Duration 01 minutes 06 seconds 01:06 Video Duration 01 minutes 20 seconds 01:20 Video Duration 01 minutes 12 seconds 01:12
