The fossil fuel industry receives US$5.3 trillion a year in government subsidies, despite its disastrous toll on the environment, human health, and other global inequality issues, a new report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has found.
That means that governments worldwide are spending $10 million every minute to fund energy companies 鈥 more than the estimated public health spending for the entire globe.
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Traces of chemicals commonly used for fracking were found in鈥 鈥瑃he鈥 鈥琩rinking鈥 鈥瑆ater鈥 鈥瑂upply of three homes in Bradford County in the US state of Pennsylvania,鈥 鈥琣 study revealed on May鈥 鈥18.鈥
The investigation,鈥 鈥瑆hich appeared in scientific鈥 鈥琷ournal鈥 鈥鈥琍roceedings of the National Academy of Sciences鈥<鈥/i鈥>鈥,鈥 鈥琾roved the long-held worry of damaging underground drinking water sources from the method of extracting gases known as hydraulic fracturing.鈥 鈥琓he report explicitly links the practice with the affected water systems.鈥
More than鈥 鈥200鈥 鈥琫nvironmental activists鈥 鈥琤locked a terminal in Seattle鈥欌瑂 port to protest against Royal Dutch Shell鈥欌瑂 imminent plans to begin drilling for oil in the Arctic.鈥
A huge vessel,鈥 鈥琻amed Polar Pioneer,鈥 鈥琲s temporarily stationed at the port before heading out to the Arctic to explore for oil.鈥 鈥琁f successful,鈥 鈥琲t will be the first time the multinational has exploited oil in the Arctic.鈥
Popular left-wing activist activist Ada Colau has won Barcelona's May 24 mayoral elections. Running on the ticket of Barcelona Together, which united several left groups and grassroots activists, Colau came first with 25% of the vote.
Burundi's embattled President Pierre Nkurunziza agreed on May 20 to postpone parliamentary elections, but refused to change the date of the presidential vote.
Parliamentary and local elections were moved back from May 26 to June 6. However, the contentious presidential vote remains scheduled for June 26.
Condolences and tributes to legendary revolutionary and champion of women鈥檚 rights Nora Castaneda have been pouring in from across Venezuela after news of the activist鈥檚 death on May 16.
An economist, university lecturer and much-loved revolutionary, Castaneda is renowned for having founded and presided over Venezuela鈥檚 internationally celebrated Women鈥檚 Development Bank, 鈥淏anmujer鈥 since 2001. She was also one of the chief protagonists of Venezuela's working-class women鈥檚 movement that emerged in the 1980s.
A new popular uprising has started in Peru at the port of Callao,鈥 鈥琧rucial for international trade and the handling of the majority of the country鈥欌瑂 seaborne cargo.鈥
After鈥 鈥10鈥 鈥琺onths of unresolved negotiations with transnational company,鈥 鈥珹PM Terminals Peruvian longshore workers from the port of Callao,鈥 鈥瑆est of Lima,鈥 鈥琩ecided to take to the streets and march.鈥
This latest demonstration follows an earlier strike against the company on May鈥 鈥13,鈥 鈥瑆ith workers demanding鈥 鈥琾ay鈥 鈥瑀ises in鈥 鈥瑀elation to the company's profits,鈥 鈥琭ull healthcare coverage,鈥 鈥琣nd training.鈥
On May 18, Baba Jan was declared the official candidate of the Awami Workers Party (AWP) by the returning officer of Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly constituency Hunza 6. Baba Jan is in jail serving a life sentence.
This is the first time in the history of the Hunza Valley that a political activist will contest general elections from jail.
Gilgit-Baltistan is a Himalayan territory administered by Pakistan.
Palestinian Authority鈥 (鈥琍A鈥) 鈥琭oreign minister Riyad al-Maliki has described Venezuela as鈥 鈥淧alestine's most important ally鈥濃,鈥 鈥 on May鈥 鈥19.鈥 鈥珹l-Maliki made the comments while in Caracas for bilateral talks with鈥 鈥琕enezuela's socialist government.
The new British Conservative government has launched an ultra-conservative political agenda that could unravel the peace process in six counties in Ireland's north still claimed by Britain.
Tory plans include scrapping the 1998 Human Rights Act, which underpins a key aspect of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. The GFA peace deal included a measure that Britain integrate the European Convention of Human Rights into law in the six counties, a process included in the Human Rights Act.
鈥淎lmost a third (33%) of the UK population - 19.3 million people - fell below the official poverty line at some point between 2010 and 2013, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics,鈥 the Press Association reported on May 20.
The article said 鈥淭he ONS records someone as being in poverty if they live in a household with disposable income below 60% of the national average, before housing costs. Persistent poverty is defined as being in poverty in the current year and at least two of the three preceding years.
Britain's May 7 general elections, in which the Conservative Party won an outright majority, produced a couple of silver linings on a very large black cloud.
One was the success of the Green Party of England and Wales. While the party did not sweep into Westminster, it made progress politically and in terms of votes.
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