Corruption derailing climate fight, watchdog warns
Transparency International says corruption holds back global cooperation on climate change policy. Corruption threatens to “derail” global cooperation to tackle climate change, according to graft watchdog Transparency International (TI). The watchdog’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2024, published on Tuesday, reported that many nations crucial to climate diplomacy have seen their scores decline. Overall, the CPI found that global corruption remained “alarmingly high” last year. More than two-thirds of the 180 countries ranked had scores below 50 out of 100. The global average was unchanged from 2023 at 43. While 32 countries have made significant progress against corruption since 2012, 148 countries have stagnated or declined over the same period, TI noted, adding that the results underscore ‘the urgent need for concrete action against corruption”. ‘Devastating’ TI noted the “devastating” effect of global corruption on the fight against climate change. “Amidst record-breaking global heating and extreme weather events, corruption is exacerbating the climate crisis,” the report read. Advertisement The watchdog warned of the effects of corruption on climate-vulnerable countries and key international climate conferences. Countries, including hosts of high-profile events like United Nations climate summits, are seeing declining CPI scores, it said. Brazil, for example, the host of this year’s UN COP30 climate talks, received a score of 34, its lowest-ever rating. Wealthier countries which also lead climate talks like the United States, received a score of 65. The report also highlighted the growing risk to billions of dollars of life-saving climate finance, often in countries that need it the most. South Africa, Vietnam and Indonesia exemplify how corruption is derailing climate initiatives, it read. The countries most exposed to climate change were among those with the lowest scores, including South Sudan, Somalia and Venezuela. “Corrupt forces not only shape but often dictate policies and dismantle checks and balances,” Transparency International CEO Maira Martini said in a statement. “We must urgently root out corruption before it fully derails meaningful climate action.” Weather-related disasters have seen calls for more action on climate change, but Transparency International says corruption is a major obstacle [AFP] The report said the one solution to tackle corruption and make sure funds are used efficiently, would be to have better “metrics and frameworks for climate transparency and accountability”. The watchdog also said that enhancing anticorruption bodies would help deter environmental crimes and reduce impunity. Advertisement The international watchdog’s CPI ranks 180 countries according to levels of public-sector corruption and is calculated using independent data sources. A score of zero is considered “highly corrupt”; a score of 100 “very clean”. Adblock test (Why?)
‘Tug of war’: Chagos Islands deal tearing families apart in Mauritius
Slam poet Geraldine Baptiste pulls no punches when telling the story of her “Granpapa”, one of the 1,500-plus people ripped from a peaceful existence on the Chagos Islands by the British to make way for a United States military base, most shipped “kouma zanimo” (meaning “like animals” in her native Creole) to a hellish fate more than 1,000 miles (1,610km) across the Indian Ocean in Mauritius. Belting out her poems in the Port Louis suburbs, the 26-year-old relates her grandfather’s memories of fishing in the crystalline waters of Peros Banhos atoll and feasting by firelight on “seraz pwason” (fish curry) and “kalou” moonshine, contrasting happy times with the horrors of his violent expulsion in the early 1970s and the decades of impoverished exile that followed – many did not survive. “Pena okenn antidot; Pou geri sa blesir; Ki ankor pe soupire,” she says – there is no cure for those wounds, still weeping more than half a century on. That line hits especially hard right now, as Mauritius prepares to assume sovereignty over the 60-island Chagos archipelago after vanquishing the United Kingdom in a landmark decolonisation case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) six years ago. The nation is on a knife edge as it awaits the final nod from the US, which wants cast-iron guarantees on the security of one of its most valuable bases on the atoll of Diego Garcia. Advertisement Mauritius has been intent on reclaiming Chagos for decades, having been strong-armed by the UK into selling the jointly administered colonial territory for 3 million pounds in exchange for its independence in 1968. The ICJ victory is further sweetened by the promise of billions of pounds that the UK will reportedly pay in rent and back rent for Diego Garcia under a lease arrangement spanning 99 years. In a bid to heal past wounds, Mauritius will manage a trust fund for Chagossians, allowing them to resettle on two of the Chagos Islands – Salomon and Peros Banhos. But the islanders, some with roots on the territory stretching back to the 18th century, were locked out of the interstate talks. And, as Baptiste describes it, local families have been torn apart by rows over whether they should accept Mauritian sovereignty over their homeland. “It’s like being in a tug of war between two sides that are killing each other,” says Baptiste. “We’re already a tiny community. It makes me so sad.” Sidelined Karen Walter, deputy editor-in-chief of Mauritius’s L’Express newspaper, has followed the twists and turns of the bilateral negotiations in recent years, noting that the views of the estimated 10,000 Chagossians now scattered across the UK, Mauritius and the Seychelles “have not counted for much”. The sidelining of Chagossians was apparent during last year’s election, held 10 days after the UK and Mauritius announced they had reached a political agreement on the transfer. Former Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth hit the campaign trail running, trumpeting “billions of rupees” in annual rent for Diego Garcia and opportunities to build hotels on the archipelago – but many noted he made no mention of Chagossians. Advertisement Jugnauth has since been replaced by Navin Ramgoolam, who condemned his predecessor’s draft deal with the UK as a “sellout”. Last Tuesday, Ramgoolam told the Mauritian parliament that his new team had renegotiated an “inflation-proof” draft, featuring an undisclosed “front-loaded” payment. Crucially for Mauritius, the new terms appear to give it veto powers over future extensions of the 99-year lease arrangement for Diego Garcia. Ramgoolam said he was “confident” everything would be finalised “in the coming weeks”. Though with US President Donald Trump yet to weigh in, as hawkish right-wingers whip up a transatlantic panic about Mauritius opening the door to Chinese spies (even if “Little India”, as Mauritius is sometimes called because of its large Indian-origin population, is far closer to New Delhi than it has ever been to Beijing), the deal still hangs in the balance. Ramgoolam kick-started the legal drive for sovereignty after WikiLeaks published a US diplomatic cable in 2010, exposing a British scheme to establish a marine-protected zone in Chagos that was aimed at greenwashing the ban on Indigenous islanders – or “Man Fridays”, as they were called by one official – returning home. From then on, the two causes of Mauritian sovereignty over Chagos and the Chagossian struggle for justice were twinned. The country’s eventual victory at the ICJ may have been predicated on the UK’s botched decolonisation of Mauritius, but Chagossians provided the knockout emotional punch. Peros Banhos native Liseby Elyse testified over a videolink, telling the stunned court how she had been crammed onto the eviction ship while four months pregnant and had lost her baby on arrival in Mauritius, swinging international opinion in favour of Mauritius. Advertisement Mauritian lawyer Robin Mardemootoo, who has long represented the community, says Mauritius owes its victory at the ICJ to Chagossians. Having “surfed the waves” of the Chagossian struggle, Mauritius now has “a golden opportunity” to do things the right way and should insist they have a place at the table, he says. Apart from anything else, Chagossians are best placed to hold the UK and US feet to the fire, particularly when it comes to proper reparations for the wrongs committed by both countries and the costs of the planned resettlement programme, a mammoth project involving the construction of infrastructure, institutions and housing on islands untouched for half a century. Mauritius does not have the means, says Mardemootoo. “If Mauritius is not smart about this, it is going to inherit a bunch of islands with no means to rehabilitate them. And this is going to drag on and come back and haunt them,” he says. Time running out Olivier Bancoult, leader of the Chagos Refugees Group (CRG), solicited Mardemootoo’s help in his long battle to win a right of return in the English courts. He secured a landmark victory at the High Court in London in 2000, but the ruling was overturned with new legislation four years
Luka Doncic makes LA Lakers debut with win against Utah Jazz
Five-time All-NBA guard Luka Doncic begins Los Angeles Lakers career just over a week after his blockbuster trade from Dallas Mavericks. Luka Doncic produced 14 points, five rebounds and four assists in his Los Angeles Lakers debut and LeBron James added 24 points, seven rebounds and eight assists as the newly formed star duo led the way to a 132-113 victory over the visiting Utah Jazz. Austin Reaves logged 22 points and nine rebounds and Rui Hachimura added 21 points as the Lakers extended their winning streak to six games while coming out on top for the 10th time in the past 11 games. Jordan Goodwin scored 17 points in his second game with Los Angeles on Monday. Doncic, acquired from the Dallas Mavericks in a blockbuster deal on February 2, played for the first time since Christmas Day, having recovered from a left calf strain. The Slovenian guard was on the court for 24 minutes and shot 5 of 14 from the floor, including 1 of 7 from 3-point range. Lauri Markkanen and John Collins each scored 17 points and Jordan Clarkson added 16 as the Jazz saw their road losing streak reach nine games. Johnny Juzang scored 14 points as Utah lost its third consecutive game overall and fell for the 12th time in its last 14 contests. Advertisement Collins, who had 11 rebounds, joined Isaiah Collier, who amassed 13 points and 10 assists, each posted a double-double for Utah. Doncic had one turnover and one missed shot just over two minutes into the game before making his first basket in a Lakers uniform on a 3-pointer with 8:05 remaining in the opening quarter. The Lakers led 37-25 after one period and were well in control by half-time, going into the locker room up 72-47. Reaves had 15 points before the break, James added 13 and Doncic had 11. The Lakers shot 60 percent over the opening two quarters, while the Jazz were at 40 percent. Los Angeles opened the fourth quarter with a 100-75 lead and cruised to their third victory in three tries against Utah. The teams face each other for the final time this season on Wednesday in Salt Lake City. The Lakers’ only reason for concern came early in the fourth quarter when James went to the locker room briefly due to abdominal discomfort. He returned to the bench with just over eight minutes remaining but remained out for the rest of the game. Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, right, celebrates with teammate forward LeBron James during the first half of an NBA basketball game, February 10, 2025, in Los Angeles [Mark J Terrill/AP] Adblock test (Why?)
Hamas suspends release of Israeli captives over ceasefire violations
Hamas will delay the release of more Israeli captives planned for Saturday “until further notice”, due to Israeli violations of the ceasefire in Gaza, the Palestinian group has. Abu Obeida, the spokesperson of Hamas’s armed wing – the Qassam Brigades, said in a statement on Monday that the captives will “remain in place until the occupying entity complies with past obligations and compensates retroactively”. Israel and Hamas are in the middle of a six-week ceasefire during which Hamas is releasing dozens of the captives taken during its October 7, 2023, attack in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Abu Obeida said Israel had violated multiple parts of the truce brokered between the two sides. “Over the past three weeks, the resistance leadership monitored the enemy’s violations and their non-compliance with the terms of the agreement,” he said. “These violations include delaying the return of displaced persons to northern Gaza, targeting them with shelling and gunfire in various areas of the Gaza Strip, and failing to allow the entry of relief materials in all forms as agreed upon. Meanwhile, the resistance has fulfilled all its obligations.” Advertisement The Qassam Brigades spokesperson reaffirmed the group’s “commitment to the terms of the agreement as long as the occupation adheres to them”. Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz swiftly responded to the Hamas move, saying that the decision was in “complete violation of the ceasefire agreement”. “I have instructed [the military] to prepare at the highest level of alert for any possible scenario in Gaza,” Katz said. The two sides have carried out five swaps since the truce went into effect last month, freeing 21 Israelis and more than 730 Palestinians. The next exchange was scheduled for Saturday, releasing three Israeli captives in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Several Palestinian civilians have been shot and killed by Israeli forces as they returned to their homes. Meanwhile, the number of wounded Palestinian patients who were evacuated out of the Strip, as well as the humanitarian aid trucks that have entered Gaza, were fewer than what had been promised in the ceasefire agreement. The Qassam Brigades announcement also comes in light of the latest statements made by US President Donald Trump, who has raised concerns about the sustainability of the ceasefire deal. Trump has repeatedly called for ethnically cleansing Gaza, saying that the United States would take “ownership” of the territory. The first stage of the deal expires on March 1. The second phase, would would see the release of all captives and a permanent ceasefire, has not been finalised. The third part of the agreement is supposed an usher in a multiyear plan to reconstruct the territory. Advertisement Palestinian activist and politician Mustafa Barghouti said Israel has violated the agreement in three ways: Obstructing temporary housing and humanitarian aid, shooting at people in Gaza and backing Trump’s plan to ethnically cleanse Gaza. “More than that, now Netanyahu is threatening to go back to the war, and he’s declaring that he will never stop the war,” Barghouti told Al Jazeera. “So what do they want – to get back all Israeli prisoners and then continue the massacres in Gaza? This is exactly the message that Palestinians were getting.” Netanyahu reiterated last week that he is committed to fulfilling the aims of the war, including destroying Hamas’s military and governing capabilities. Before Abu Obeida’s statement on Monday, Senior Hamas official Basem Naim told Al Jazeera that Israel has not been fulfilling its obligations under the agreement. “In the last three weeks after signing the deal we have been in very serious talks and negotiations with the mediators — the Egyptians, the Qataris, and the United States — about the daily violations by the Israelis of the deal,” Naim said. He noted 25 Palestinians had been killed and dozens wounded by Israeli forces after the ceasefire went into effect. Adblock test (Why?)
Guatemala bus crash kills more than 50 people
[unable to retrieve full-text content] A bus in Guatemala City fell from a highway and plunging into a polluted ravine, killing more than 50 people.
Hamas accuses Netanyahu of ‘intentionally sabotaging’ ceasefire
NewsFeed Hamas official Basem Naim told Al Jazeera that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “intentionally sabotaging” the ceasefire deal, continuing to block aid, kill Palestinians, and delay negotiations on phase two. Published On 10 Feb 202510 Feb 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
‘Our lifeline’: Kashmiris fear losing orchards, land to mega Modi projects
Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir – Malik Haroon crouches on the ground covered with white frost on an early winter morning in Dafferpora village in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pulwama district. He traces his fingers on the bark of an almond tree – of which there are hundreds around – to check for signs of fungal disease. “It’s fine,” he says, beaming. With the scenic snow-clad Pir Panjal mountains in the backdrop, Haroon’s 1.25 acres (0.5 hectares) of orchard land, fed by the Rumshi Nallah River in southern Pulwama, are plush with groves that yield nearly 30 tonnes of apples, pears, plums and almonds every year. Labourers drink tea sitting on boxes of apples at a market in Jammu, Indian-administered Kashmir [File: Channi Anand/AP] However, the Indian government’s decision to construct an engineering college at the site in Pulwama – which includes almost all of Malik’s land – threatens to strip him and thousands of other cultivators in Kashmir of land, the source of economic livelihood for about 4 million people in the region. Advertisement “I earn $11,000 on average, annually, on account of their harvest,” Haroon, 27, tells Al Jazeera. The income has helped his family of four sidestep widespread economic instability and an unemployment crisis in Indian-administered Kashmir since 2019, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu majoritarian government scrapped Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which granted a special status to the Muslim-majority region. That status allowed the disputed region – also claimed by Pakistan – to make its own laws in all matters except finance, defence, foreign affairs and communications. The law protected the Indigenous rights of the region’s residents by barring outsiders from taking up government jobs or buying property there. Apart from stripping the region of its special status, the Modi government also carved it into two federally governed union territories – Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Since then, the government has announced dozens of infrastructure projects, claiming they will bring economic prosperity to the region and connect its people to the rest of India. But residents and critics fear the slew of projects are aimed at tightening New Delhi’s control over the region, changing its demography by settling in outsiders and boosting access to areas along India’s tense borders with its archrivals China and Pakistan. One of the projects that has triggered considerable anguish among residents in Pulwama is the establishment of a National Institute of Technology (NIT). The NITs are a government-run nationwide chain of engineering colleges, among the country’s most reputable tech schools. A whopping 600 acres (243 hectares) of land are being acquired for the college, according to a government notification issued on December 24, most of it prime agricultural and horticultural land and grazing grounds residents depend on for livelihoods. Advertisement “The proposed land transfer affects as many as 10 villages in Pulwama,” says Haroon.”This land is our lifeline.” He says that most people in these villages have no economic pursuits other than horticulture. “Some rear sheep for a living but even then, it is these grounds where the livestock come to graze,” he says. New railway lines It is not just a college the government has planned for the region. Since 2019, New Delhi has authorised a series of mega projects – roads, tunnels, railway lines and residential complexes – which critics say could destroy not just prime agricultural land and livelihoods, but also the Himalayan region’s fragile topography. Kashmiris accuse the government of sidelining them while making decisions about their lands – without consent or proper compensation. Ghulam Muhammad Tantray, 65, owns 1.25 acres (0.5 hectares) of orchard land at Dirhama, a small cluster of 150 homes amid a vast swath of green fields covered with thousands of apple trees in the Anantnag district. “The orchard fetches me about $13,000 every year,” Tantray says. But he fears losing his property after Indian railway officials arrived in Dirhama to conduct what they called a “survey” of lands in the area a year ago. “We had no idea what was coming until the Railway Ministry revealed that it had commissioned a final location survey to add five new railway tracks to the region. We panicked like anything. It’s like losing something very dear to you. We have groomed this land and these trees like our children,” Tantray tells Al Jazeera. The Vande Bharat Express train arrives at Srinagar railway station [File: Dar Yasin/AP] The valley area of Indian-administered Kashmir has long had just one railway line connecting the southern hill town of Banihal with the Baramulla district in the north. Advertisement But the government plans to add five more lines crisscrossing the valley, for which hundreds of acres of land will be acquired, thereby eliminating flourishing apple orchards and other plantations key to the region. The upgrade is part of the government’s ambitious project to link Kashmir with the rest of the country through an all-weather train track, making travel easy and affordable for millions of Indians who visit the region for tourism or religious pilgrimage. One of the five new railway lines will cross Dirhama, where a railway station will also be built. “At least 80 of 150 homes in Dirhama will lose their key sources of income after the completion of the railway project,” says Tantray. “As for me, of the 1.25 acres [0.5 hectares] that I own, 1 acre [0.4 hectares] will be used up for the new railway station. What will that leave me with?” Tantray says the villagers have held several protests, demanding the railway station be relocated and reasoning with government officials that they “never asked for it”. “The land is our family inheritance. It has ensured our livelihood for generations,” Tantray tells Al Jazeera. “In the face of a rising unemployment crisis, this land is the only option my three sons will have in case they are not able to get jobs.” Another resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, says: “Locals in Kashmir do not know how these projects will benefit them.” Al Jazeera reached out to
Sylvia Wynter: Beyond man
DigiDocs Sylvia Wynter was a radical philosopher from the Caribbean who explored modern history from the perspective of slavery, the Middle passage and plantation economics. In this animated documentary short, Wynter calls on us to rethink the very notion of what it is to be human. A film by Marcela Pizarro, Stefania Sottile and Pomona Pictures. Voices: scholar, Dr. Sophia Azeb and Greta Mendez, dancer. This film is part of a series, Race Historicised: Epistemologies of Colour, that delves into the archives of Black intellectual thought, to showcase the work of towering figures who have contributed to the anti-racist struggle, in both theory and action. Published On 10 Feb 202510 Feb 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
Protester with Palestinian flag interrupts Lamar’s Super Bowl show
Demonstrator detained after unfurling flag with the words ‘Gaza’ and ‘Sudan’ at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. A protester carrying a Palestinian flag has been detained after interrupting rapper Kendrick Lamar’s half-time show at the NFL Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, the United States. The man jumped onto a car that headline act Lamar had used during his performance at Caesars Superdome on Sunday. The New Orleans Police Department said in a statement quoted by the Associated Press that it was “working to determine applicable charges in this incident.” The game, which ended with a 42-20 win for the Philadelphia Eagles against the Kansas City Chiefs, continued as scheduled after the protester was escorted from the field immediately after the incident. The demonstrator, holding a Palestinian flag with the words “Gaza” and “Sudan” written across it, jumped from the car and ran in circles on the field after being spotted by security staff. The solitary protester holds a Palestinian flag with the words ‘Gaza’ and ‘Sudan’ as rapper Kendrick Lamar performs nearby [Chandan Khanna/AFP] The protester, believed to be a production cast member, was dressed in clothing similar to that of the numerous dancers and flag bearers who were part of Lamar’s much-anticipated performance. Advertisement Donald Trump was in attendance at the game, the first time a sitting US president attended the Super Bowl, and was flanked in the stand by his daughter Ivanka and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Trump left the stadium slightly before the end of the game but was in attendance for the half-time show. US President Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game [Mike Segar/Reuters] Actor Samuel L Jackson, famed for his roles in Pulp Fiction and Star Wars, was also on stage with Lamar and fellow recording artist SZA when the protest took place. The production continued without interruption and the television broadcast quickly cut away from the protester, who was only briefly glimpsed in the background. Spectators were able to record the moment, which was then shared widely on social media. Security escorts out a protester holding a Palestinian flag at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana [Chandan Khanna/AFP] Adblock test (Why?)
Libya finds two mass graves with bodies of nearly 50 migrants, refugees
Rights groups and UN agencies have documented systematic abuse against migrants, refugees in Libya including torture, rape and extortion. Libya authorities have uncovered nearly 50 bodies from two mass graves in the country’s southeastern desert, in the latest tragedy involving people seeking to reach Europe through the North African country. The security directorate said in a statement on Sunday that one mass grave found on Friday in a farm in the southeastern city of Kufra contained 19 bodies. The remains were taken for autopsy. Mohamed al-Fadeil, head of the security chamber in Kufra, said a second mass grave with at least 30 bodies was also found in the city after authorities raided a migrant detention centre. He added that according to survivor accounts, nearly 70 people were buried in that site and authorities were still searching the area. Al-Abreen, a charity that helps migrants and refugees in eastern and southern Libya, said that some of the people found in the mass graves had been shot and killed before they were buried. Mass graves containing the bodies of asylum seekers have previously been discovered in Libya, the main transit point for migrants from Africa and the Middle East trying to make it to Europe. Advertisement Last year, authorities unearthed the bodies of at least 65 migrants in the Shuayrif region, south of the capital Tripoli. Human traffickers have benefited from more than a decade of instability, smuggling migrants and refugees across the country’s borders with six nations, including Chad, Niger, Sudan, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia. Rights groups and United Nations agencies have for years documented systematic abuse of asylum seekers in Libya including forced labour, beatings, rapes and torture. The abuse often accompanies efforts to extort money from families before they are allowed to leave Libya on traffickers’ boats. Those who are intercepted and returned to Libya are held in government-run detention centres where they suffer from abuse, including torture, rape and extortion, according to rights groups and UN experts. The country plunged into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The oil-rich nation has been ruled for most of the past decade by rival governments in eastern and western Libya, each backed by an array of fighter groups and foreign governments. Adblock test (Why?)