A focused recap of international news stories by Newsendip: Climate change looks grim in Canada but green in Kenya, a global climate summary by the UN. Other stories cover global wine production and poverty in the Netherlands hitting rock bottom.
- UN warns about rapid pace of fossil fuel expansions
- Canada: Carbon tax pause enrages climate experts… and farmers
- In Kenya, a special holiday to plant trees
- In the Netherlands, the risk of poverty curtailed by energy allowances
- President Putin signed a decree aiming to exchange frozen Russian assets abroad
- Italian government seizes 779 million euros from Airbnb
- Worldwide wine production hits 60-year low
- Taliban’s total ban of opium spells far-reaching consequences
- Hungarian intelligence claims there is Taliban involvement in smuggling at the Hungary-Serbia border
- Haitian and Dominican nationals butt heads at contested border
UN warns about rapid pace of fossil fuel expansions
“Governments, in aggregate, still plan to produce more than double the amount of fossil fuels in 2030 than would be consistent with limiting warming to 1.5°C,” says the executive summary of the United Nation’s (UN) report. The UN encouraged that countries with “greater transition capacity” should be the ones setting more ambitious goals to switch to clean energy.
Canada: Carbon tax pause enrages climate experts… and farmers
Justin Trudeau backpedals. Last month, the Canadian Prime Minister announced a temporary three-year pause in the carbon tax on heating oil. In 2019, carbon pricing was one of the main measures taken by the Trudeau government to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030. But in recent weeks, Mr. Trudeau has changed course, leaving behind years of political messages to combat climate change. The decision has provoked widespread criticism.
In Kenya, a special holiday to plant trees
On November 13, all Kenyans will plant trees. This unusual project is part of a recent government announcement: A surprise public holiday to reforest the country. This decision is part of the government’s ambitious plan to plant 15 billion trees by 2032. But it comes a few months after Kenya lifted the ban on logging.
In the Netherlands, risk of poverty curtailed by energy allowances
Last year in the Netherlands, 637,000 people were living below the at-risk-of-poverty threshold (3.8%). This figure represents the lowest level of at-risk-of-poverty recorded since 1977, but is mostly caused by governmental aid such as a one-off “energy allowance” of 1,300 euros (1,400 dollars) for low-income earners.
President Putin signed a decree aiming to exchange frozen Russian assets abroad
Vladimir Putin signed a decree that offers a way for Russian investors to “exchange” their frozen assets abroad since Russian forces invaded Ukraine in late February 2022. In theory, Russian residents will be able to exchange their blocked assets abroad with those belonging to foreign investors and companies in Russia.
Italy seized 779 million euros from Airbnb
The order of seizure of 779 million euros (832 million dollars) from the offices of Airbnb came from the Prosecutor’s Office of Milan on November 7th. The online rental company managed to avoid paying an Italian short-term rent tax, targeted specifically at them, since 2017. Three former and current directors of Airbnb are under investigation for failing to pay this tax.
Worldwide wine production hits 60-year low
Due to poor weather conditions, grape harvests in major wine-producing countries like Spain, Italy and Greece have been disrupted, leading to the lowest global output of the fermented drink since 1961, although the United States increased its wine output and China’s is not known yet. Since wine consumption has reduced, what seems like a shortage may be a push towards market equilibrium with supply and demand meeting each other.
Taliban’s total ban of opium spells far-reaching consequences
A report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) shows that Afghanistan’s production of opium has nearly vanished. Afghanistan has been the largest exporter of opium for years, which could account for more than 10% of its gross domestic product. While using opium money to finance its fights to regain power, the Taliban then issued a national ban on poppy and all narcotics in April 2022. Acknowledging the “ultimately positive” outcome of the ban for illegal heroin and synthetic drug markets, the UNODC Executive Director nevertheless alerts that the sudden loss of a major source of income for Afghan farmers proves that “Afghanistan’s people need urgent humanitarian assistance to meet their most immediate needs.”
Hungarian intelligence claims there is Taliban involvement in smuggling at the Hungary-Serbia border
Hungary is a transit country for asylum seekers and both regular and irregular migration. A leaked Hungarian intelligence report this week showed that the Taliban’s intelligence service has taken direct control of Afghan smuggling groups operating in the Serbian territory next to the Hungarian border. Critics view the report as government propaganda that can be used to influence the political climate.
Haitian and Dominican nationals butt heads at contested border
A tense encounter on Tuesday occurred between Haiti and its neighbor, the Dominican Republic, on the recently closed border. A group of Haitian nationals crossed the closed border between the countries and blocked the path of a Dominican military vehicle. The Dominican government called this a “provocation” since they closed the border due to a disagreement regarding jurisdiction over a shared river. Haiti remains in a state of humanitarian crisis and is now cut off from Dominican resources.
