Humanity is waging war on nature, says UN secretary general
Humanity is facing a new war, unprecedented in history, the secretary general of the UN has warned, which is in danger of destroying our future before we have fully understood the risk.
The stark message from António Guterres follows a year of global upheaval, with the coronavirus pandemic causing governments to shut down whole countries for months at a time, while wildfires, hurricanes and powerful storms have scarred the globe.
Guterres said: “Humanity is waging war on nature. This is suicidal. Nature always strikes back – and it is already doing so with growing force and fury. Biodiversity is collapsing. One million species are at risk of extinction. Ecosystems are disappearing before our eyes … Human activities are at the root of our descent toward chaos. But that means human action can help to solve it.”
Coronavirus: UK approves Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, to roll out next week
The UK will be the first country in the West to offer a COVID-19 vaccine to the public after a regulator approved the medicine in record time. The government has said the vaccine will be made available next week.
Britain on Wednesday said it had approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use and that it will be rolled out from next week.
"The Government has today accepted the recommendation from the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to approve Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for use," the government said.
Ethiopia grants UN access to deliver humanitarian aid to Tigray region
Ethiopia has granted the United Nations full access to deliver aid to the northern region of Tigray, following weeks of lobbying amid military operations there, according to an agreement seen Wednesday by AFP.
The agreement, signed by Ethiopia’s peace minister, allows for “unimpeded, sustained and secure access for humanitarian personnel and services to vulnerable populations in [government-] administered areas in Tigray and bordering areas of Amhara and Afar regions”.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, last year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, announced military operations against leaders of Tigray’s ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), on November 4, saying they were in response to TPLF-organised attacks on federal army camps.
Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong sentenced to 13 months in prison over 2019 protest
Updated 0953 GMT (1753 HKT) December 2, 2020
Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong has been sentenced to 13.5 months in prison after pleading guilty to inciting and organizing an unauthorized protest outside the city's police headquarters last year, during months of unrest over a proposed extradition bill with China.
China #MeToo: Court to hear landmark case of intern versus TV star
By Vincent Ni
BBC World Service
Six years after the alleged incident, a Chinese court on Wednesday is hearing a landmark case that analysts say could define the future of the country's #MeToo movement.
Zhou Xiaoxuan - also known online by her nickname Xianzi - has taken one of the country's most prominent TV hosts to court, accusing him of sexually harassing her in 2014.
He denies all wrongdoing and has in turn sued her and her supporter for damaging his reputation as well as mental wellbeing.
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