Environmentalists hailed a "victory for bees" on Monday after the European Union voted for a ban on several nerve-agent pesticides blamed for the dramatic decline in global bee populations. Fifteen of the 27 member states, including France, voted for a two-year restriction on the neonicotinoids, despite strong opposition from chemical companies.
INTERNATIONAL PAPERS, Tues. 30/04/13: US papers react to Jason Collins’ coming out on the front page of Sports Illustrated. He’s the first openly gay male athlete who is still active in a major American sports team. Also, Dutch papers react to Queen Beatrix’s abdication and it's a victorious day for bee activists in the European Union.
The European Commission on Monday said it would impose a two-year ban on three pesticides believed to harm honeybees and to have caused their sharp decline in recent years. The ban will come into effect on December 1.
US President Barack Obama currently faces the biggest test of his green credentials. The administration is hesitating over whether to give the green light to the construction of the huge Keystone XL pipeline. If built, the pipeline would transfer 800,000 barrels of tar sands oil per day from Canada to Texas and the Gulf of Mexico. Will Obama side with the green lobby or with those demanding jobs and increased energy independence?
Just like elsewhere in Africa, power cuts are part of daily life in Nigeria. While big electrification projects are on the cards, a group of Nigerian school girls have come up with a bright ecological idea: using urine to generate electricity.
Connie Hedegaard, who serves as European Commissioner for Climate Action, discusses the impact of the ongoing economic crisis on Europe's climate change policies and unveils the EU's green strategy for 2030.
Not so long ago, Rwanda suffered from an all-too-familiar problem in Africa: billions of plastic bags choking waterways and destroying entire ecosystems. To fight this scourge of the environment, the government launched a radical policy to ban all non-biodegradable plastic from the country.
Earlier this week Paris brought in four little black sheep to work as eco-friendly lawn mowers as part of a sustainable pilot project. If deemed successful it could expand to the rest of Paris.
Algeria moves to tackle child abductions following outrage over the kidnap, abuse and killing of two young boys. Next, Libya continues to track members from the elite ranks of the old regime who may be hiding out in Egypt, and a former top Gaddafi aide is arrested in Cairo. Finally, we head to Morocco where more and more women are taking an interest in self-defence and signing up for Taekwondo classes.
As the Arctic ice melts, the battle for natural resources is heating up. Up to a quarter of the world’s oil and gas deposits are thought to lie beneath the chilly seas, and big global players such as China are trying to get in on the act. In our debate, the Norwegian ambassador to Belgium defends the drilling interests of a traditional Arctic power, while a Swedish Green MEP questions Oslo’s stance on the environment.
