Ukraine Conflict: Cease-Fire Announced by World Leaders in Minsk

NBC News reports on developments regarding efforts to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine:

The leaders of France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia have gathered in Minsk to formulate an agreement for an end to fighting in eastern Ukraine. Image credit: 718 on freeimages.com

The leaders of France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia have gathered in Minsk to formulate an agreement for an end to fighting in eastern Ukraine.
Image credit: 718 on freeimages.com

World leaders announced on Thursday a cease-fire to the violence in eastern Ukraine that has claimed more than 5,000 lives and forced hundreds of thousands more to flee their homes.

The truce, set to kick in midnight on Saturday, came after marathon talks between the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany in the Belarusian capital Minsk.

(Break)

The deal, details of which were posted on the Kremlin website, included a full pardon for rebel fighters, an all-for-all prisoner swap, and the removal of “all foreign forces…and mercenaries from Ukraine.”

Local elections would be held in rebel-held areas and these regions would be given more autonomous control from the capital Kiev. The eastern areas would have no say in Ukrainian foreign policy, the document said, and Ukrainian forces would be in control of the now-porous Russian border.

To read more about the changing world and what you can do to prepare, visit: www.greatwavesofchange.org

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Malawi floods devastation far worse than first thought

The Guardian reports that the damage from floods in Malawi is reported to be much greater than originally thought:

Nearly a quarter of a million people, more than originally thought, have been affected by the devastating floods that ripped through Malawi a month ago, and with rains still falling, many of the 230,000 who were forced to flee their homes have been unable to return and rebuild their lives, the UN said.

The UN children’s agency, Unicef, said new figures from the UN and the government of Malawi showed the number of people displaced stood at 230,000, compared with an original estimate of 174,000. About 64,000 hectares (158,147 acres) of land were damaged, it added.

To read more about the changing world and what you can do to prepare, visit: www.greatwavesofchange.org

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‘Sitting on the cliff of a species extinction’

This interview by Deutsche Welle with marine biologist Douglas McCauley illustrates the uncertain future of many marine animals in the face of increasing industrialisation of the oceans:

Many species of marine animal, such as sharks, are facing possible extinction as a result of increasing industrialisation of the oceans.  Image credit: Dms1259 on freeimages.com

Many species of marine animal, such as sharks, are facing possible extinction as a result of increasing industrialisation of the oceans.
Image credit: Dms1259 on freeimages.com

McCauley: The findings basically are a bit of good news and a bit of bad news. The good news is that we haven’t kick-started a major extinction event in the oceans yet. And the bad news is that it seems we’re changing the way we use the oceans. We’re sitting on an extinction cliff now for marine wildlife species. We’re seeing mass reductions in the number of a lot of animals – 80 percent declines in some shark and tuna species. Iconic marine animals like bluefin tuna are hovering, particularly in the Atlantic, on the brink of extinction.

(Break)

And our review of the way that we are using the oceans suggests that we may be sitting at the beginnings of a marine industrial revolution. It looks like a lot of different marine industries – from marine farming to mining to shipping to building power plants in the ocean – all of this is beginning to increase at very rapid rates, reminiscent of the early stages of the terrestrial Industrial Revolution. So if what happens to wildlife on land during the Industrial Revolution is any guide for us, we could be looking at a somewhat frightening future for marine wildlife in terms of extinction in the next 50 to 100 years.

To read more about the changing world and what you can do to prepare, visit: www.newmessage.org

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Floods Force Evacuations in Greece, Albania and Macedonia

Weather.com reports on the heavy rain and flooding hitting parts of Southern Europe:

Parts of Southern Europe, such as Albania, have recently been hit by flash floods, forcing many people to flee their homes.  Image credit: bessarro on freeimages.com

Parts of Southern Europe, such as Albania, have recently been hit by flash floods, forcing many people to flee their homes.
Image credit: bessarro on freeimages.com

Prolonged, persistent rainfall has led to big problems for southern Europe, where flooding has forced people from their homes and caused several creeks to overflow.

The flash floods hit parts of northwestern Greece and southern Albania hardest, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate, according to The Associated Press. Rivers raged in the area, and near the town of Arta, the famous stone Plaka Bridge built in the 18th century, collapsed into the river below it, the report added.

To read more about the changing world and what you can do to prepare, visit: www.greatwavesofchange.org

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Fears South Sudan conflict could spark regional war

The Sudan Tribune reports on the difficult situation regarding ongoing conflict in South Sudan and also what measures could be taken to resolve it (see full article):

The International Crisis Group (ICG) has warned that different dimensions and interests that characterise the ongoing war in South Sudan may lead to a merged regional war in the young country.

In a report released on 29 January, it pointed to the ongoing different interests pursued by East African regional leaders, most conspicuously both Uganda and Sudan, through the conflict.

(Break)

“The regional organisations that seek to mediate have been unsuccessful, in part because members have competing interests, while outside powers do not invest sufficiently in conflict resolution,” ICG said.

“Uganda sent troops to strengthen president Kiir’s forces, but in the process angered Sudan, its regional rival. Some observers anticipated the rebels in both countries would cooperate against the two governments, given their similar grievances. Instead, those fighting against Khartoum joined with Kiir’s forces against Machar’s in order to preserve their sanctuaries in South Sudan and their claim on continued material assistance,” the group underlined.

“Within days of the outbreak of fighting in South Sudan, the wars began to merge geographically in its Unity state. As rebels from Sudan joined the fight on Juba’s side, it rapidly became a main theatre, characterised by protracted conflict over major towns and oil installations, mass atrocities and the confluence of multiple armed groups operating with their own agendas,” it said.

To read more about the changing world and what you can do to prepare, visit: www.greatwavesofchange.org

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Obama facing rising pressure to send lethal aid to Ukraine

Fox News reports that president Obama is facing pressure to supply arms to the Ukranian government:

President Obama is facing rising pressure from former officials, security analysts and top lawmakers to provide Ukraine lethal military aid to help battle Moscow-backed rebels gaining ground in the country’s east — raising the prospect of a proxy war with Russia should the U.S. take that step.

Though the State Department insisted Monday that “no decisions have been made,” the president reportedly is considering the calls to send American weapons to the embattled government. Doing so would mark a significant policy shift, and officials took a cautious tone Monday when peppered with questions about the administration’s thinking.

To read more about the changing world and what you can do to prepare, visit: www.greatwavesofchange.org

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Don’t rule out a full-scale conflict in this tug of war

Hussein Ibish, a writer at The National, comments on the recent outbreak of violence between Israel and Hizbollah and the potential for this to develop into a larger conflict:

A recent airstrike by Israel against a Hizbollah convoy resulted in the death of an Iranian general. This has drawn rebuke from Iranian officials and could well lead to greater conflict in the near future.  Image credit: boooyaka on freeimages.com

A recent airstrike by Israel against a Hizbollah convoy resulted in the death of an Iranian general. This has drawn rebuke from Iranian officials and could well lead to greater conflict in the near future.
Image credit: boooyaka on freeimages.com

The latest flare-up of violence between Israel and Hizbollah along both the Lebanese and the Syrian borders with Israel should, in theory, be over for now. Neither Israel nor Hizbollah are showing an interest in further escalation. But a third main player – Iran – may not be satisfied with that.

Tehran has taken Israel’s attack of January 18 very seriously. The air raid in the Quneitra area of the Golan Heights targeted a Hizbollah convoy but among the dead was a senior Iranian general, Mohammad Allahdadi. Ten days after the Quneitra attack, Hizbollah struck Israeli troops on the border with Lebanon, killing two and injuring six.

There are indications that Tehran may be preparing to push Hizbollah to exact more of a price from Israel, or even that Iran might take retaliatory action on its own. And Iran may not be prepared to let Israel have the last word by ruling out Hizbollah deployments in the Golan Heights either.

To read more about the changing world and what you can do to prepare, visit: www.greatwavesofchange.org

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Skyrocketing food prices in northern Canada prompt call for action

Globalnews.ca reports on how high food prices are affecting residents of northern Canada and how their southern neighbours have been moved to help:

People in southern parts of Canada have been sending food packages as aid to their northern neighbours as high food prices in the north begin to bite. Image credit: prawny on freeimageslive.co.uk

People in southern parts of Canada have been sending food packages as aid to their northern neighbours as high food prices in the north begin to bite.
Image credit: prawny on freeimageslive.co.uk

The cost of living and raising a family can be daunting for many people; food, clothes, basic necessities … they all add up.

If you live in Canada’s remote North it can be overwhelming.

A social media initiative initially spearheaded by Jennifer Gwilliam on Vancouver Island has sparked Facebook groups across the country, all in the hopes of combating skyrocketing food prices.

It’s a call to action being answered a thousand times over as Canadians ship care packages to sponsor families in remote communities.

“We have 28 people now we’ll be feeding on a regular basis,” said Tereina Neubauer.

(Break)

Those living in Canada’s North have been posting pictures of food prices in their communities.

One showed a frozen turkey with a $200 price tag.

While another posted a bag of flour found in Repulse Bay, Nunavut, for $44 and a jug of orange juice that would set you back more than $26.

To read more about the changing world and what you can do to prepare, visit: www.greatwavesofchange.org

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New England slammed as powerful storm churns north

CNN reports on a winter storm hitting the northeastern United States as it makes its way north:

A winter storm has hit New England, causing coastal flooding and high winds and covering many areas in deep snow.  Image credit: photoeverywhere on freeimageslive.co.uk. Photo not of location.

A winter storm has hit New England, causing coastal flooding and high winds and covering many areas in deep snow.
Image credit: photoeverywhere on freeimageslive.co.uk. Photo not of location.

New England faced an old enemy Tuesday: Mother Nature.

She brought a blizzard with her, one that is hardly unprecedented for this often weather-weary region. While the storm didn’t pummel places like New York and New Jersey as much as feared, others remained very much in the thick of it Tuesday morning.

Residents of Barnstable on Cape Cod, for instance, had drifts of up to 3 feet and whiteout conditions, said police Sgt. Mark Cabral. At 11:10 a.m. Tuesday, the National Weather Service reported that Framingham, Massachusetts, had 30 inches of snow, with more than 18 inches having fallen about 20 miles east in Boston.

It’s not just Massachusetts, with nearly 16 inches reported in Portland, Maine; over 21 inches in Hudson, New Hampshire; and 28.5 inches in Orient on New York’s Long Island.

To read more about the changing world and what you can do to prepare, visit: www.greatwavesofchange.org

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Europe Facing Crisis of Democracy: Polls in Many States To Trigger Instability

The International Business Times reports on the rising popularity of extreme and non-mainstream political parties in Europe and the effect that this could have on governments there:

Europe will face many political earthquakes in 2015, according to a research conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit for BBC’s Democracy Day.

The study said Europe is facing a “crisis of democracy.” The premise of such a gloomy forecast is the rising strength of right-wing populist parties, which are leveraging the popular discontent over issues such as dominance of Brussels in decision-making, rising unemployment, migration and other economic woes.

The EIU research says some of them may win the elections and many mainstream parties will be on the run and finally enter into previously unthinkable alliances. According to the study, Europe’s “crisis of democracy” is fundamentally a gap between the elites and voters. It noted a gaping hole at the heart of European politics is in the making, where big ideas used to thrive, reported BBC.

To read more about the changing world and what you can do to prepare, visit: www.greatwavesofchange.org

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