Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

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True climate justice demands a reckoning with colonialism

Source: Amnesty International –

By Nciko wa Nciko and Samrawit Getaneh

The African Union declared 2025 to be the “Year of Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations”. The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights has an opportunity to make that more than just a slogan, as it considers the current request for an advisory opinion before it, on states’ human rights obligations in the context of climate change. It has an opportunity to issue a landmark opinion affirming the link between colonialism and the harms of climate change to people(s) across the continent. Such an opinion would mark a major step forward from the International Court of Justice and in Africa’s fight for reparative justice.

On July 30, 2025, Amnesty International published a report recounting how, during the French colonial era in Madagascar, authorities deliberately unleashed harmful, genetically manipulated cochineal parasites across some 40,000 hectares (98,850 acres) of a drought-resilient vegetation in the Androy region in Madagascar’s deep South.

Between 1924 and 1929, the parasites destroyed roughly 100km (62 miles) of vegetation cover each year.

Madagascar’s droughts are being intensified by human-induced climate change, driven largely by high-income historically high emitting countries, such as France – the very colonial power that left the Antandroy people vulnerable.

Nciko wa Nciko and Samrawit Getaneh

This was not a minor ecological loss. The vegetation had sustained the Antandroy people for generations, providing food and helping to preserve groundwater through chronic droughts. Its destruction erased a vital natural defence system against those droughts. More than a century later, the destruction has left the Antandroy people exposed to recurring mass hunger, displacement, and death whenever drought strikes.

Furthermore, Madagascar’s droughts are being intensified by human-induced climate change, driven largely by high-income historically high emitting countries, such as France – the very colonial power that left the Antandroy people vulnerable.

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Global: FIFA needs to act on human rights

Source: Amnesty International –

As FIFA Awards “Peace Prize,” Coalition Calls for Concrete Protections for Workers, Athletes, Fans, Journalists, and Children

FIFA, the international soccer governing body, needs to match its lofty rhetoric on rights with concrete action, a coalition of human rights organizations, trade unions, and fans groups said today. FIFA is holding its World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, on December 5, 2025, and awarding its first “FIFA Peace Prize.”

The Sport & Rights Alliance, Dignity 2026, ACLU, AFL-CIO, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Independent Supporters Council, NAACP, Athlete Ally, and Reporters Without Borders have come together to press FIFA to deliver a World Cup that respects the rights of fans, players, workers, journalists, and local communities.

The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, represents an opportunity to implement a new model for FIFA events—one that supports strong workers’ protections, safeguards children’s rights, upholds media freedom, and ensures that working people and communities benefit from hosting this mega-sporting event, the groups said.

“Workers, athletes, fans, and communities make the World Cup possible,” said Andrea Florence, executive director of the Sport & Rights Alliance. “The 2026 World Cup is the first to begin with human rights criteria embedded in the bidding process. But the deteriorating human rights situation in the United States has put those commitments at risk.”

With 200 days until kick-off, the escalating attacks on immigrants in the United States, FIFA’s cancellation of anti-discrimination messaging, and threats to press freedom and the rights of peaceful protesters signal a tournament heading in the wrong direction, the human rights and labor groups said.

There has been no transparency around FIFA’s peace prize process. Human Rights Watch has written to FIFA to request a list of the nominees, the judges, the criteria, and the process for the peace prize. Human Rights Watch received no response.

“FIFA’s so-called peace prize is being awarded against a backdrop of violent detentions of immigrants, national guard deployments in US cities, and the obsequious cancellation of FIFA’s own anti-racism and anti-discrimination campaigns,” said Minky Worden, who oversees sport for Human Rights Watch. “There is still time to honor FIFA’s promises for a World Cup not tainted by human rights abuses, but the clock is ticking.”

The following are areas of concern spotlighted by experts from the civil society groups:

Workers’ Rights

“The men’s 2026 FIFA World Cup is an opportunity to implement a new model for FIFA events that supports strong worker rights protections and ensures that working people and communities benefit from hosting this kind of mega-sporting events,” said Cathy Feingold, International Director at the AFL-CIO, and ITUC Deputy President. “Workers make the World Cup possible from working in the stadiums, preparing the infrastructure to playing in the matches to providing the entertainment. Given the work they do, FIFA must uphold its commitments that the games will be played with the effective implementation of worker and human rights.”

Media Freedom

“Every four years, billions of people turn their attention to the World Cup and its host countries,” said Clayton Weimers, executive director, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) USA. “They rely on journalists to deliver reliable information with appropriate context to tell the story of this tournament both on and off the field. Unfortunately, journalists in the US are seeing their access restricted, their visas threatened, and their safety put into question. FIFA and the host governments must guarantee the freedom and safety of journalists before, during, and after the 2026 World Cup.”

Immigration and Law Enforcement

“Attending a soccer match should never result in arbitrary detention or deportation,” said Daniel Noroña, Americas Advocacy Director, Amnesty International USA. “The threat of excessive policing, including immigration enforcement, at World Cup venues are deeply troubling, and FIFA cannot be silent. FIFA must obtain binding guarantees from U.S. authorities that the tournament will be a safe space for all, regardless of political stance, opinion or immigration status.”

Attending a soccer match should never result in arbitrary detention or deportation.

Daniel Noroña, Americas Advocacy Director, Amnesty International USA

Civil Rights and Anti-Discrimination

“FIFA’s decision to cancel anti-racism and anti-discrimination messaging at the Club World Cup sent a chilling signal to communities of color and all who have fought for equality in sport,” said Jamal Watkins, senior vice president of strategy and advancement, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). “At a time when hate crimes are rising and DEI programs are under attack, FIFA should not be retreating.”

Athletes’ Rights and LGBTQ+ Safety

“As an out athlete, I know what it means to compete in environments where you’re not sure you’ll be safe,” said Matthew Pacifici, former men’s professional player in the US and Athlete Ally ambassador. “LGBTQ+ players and fans need more than symbolic gestures—we need enforceable protections. The homophobic chants at the Club World Cup in Atlanta show exactly why FIFA’s retreat from anti-discrimination messaging is so dangerous. Players and fans must know that FIFA will protect them, not abandon them.”

Supporters’ Voice and Fan Safety

“Supporters are the backbone of this sport, yet FIFA keeps making decisions about our safety without ever talking to the people who actually show up,” said Bailey Brown, president, Independent Supporters Council. “You cannot claim to ‘unite the world’ while shutting out the very fans who bring the energy and passion to every match. We’re asking for something simple: transparency, real consultation, and concrete protections for every supporter at the 2026 World Cup.”

“The World Cup cannot be a celebration of football when half of the world is being priced out of the tournament,” said Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe. “By choosing to put profit over inclusivity, FIFA is threatening the very nature of the game. Fans across the globe will watch the draw in fear of not being able to enter the US, to afford putting down months of salary for a chance to follow their team or not knowing how they will be treated inside the country. It’s not too late for FIFA to reverse course, review its ticket pricing policy and clarify the security doctrine of this tournament.”

Safeguarding Children

“It is unacceptable that FIFA has no child safeguarding policy for the 2026 World Cup,” said Katherine La Puente, children’s rights coordinator at Human Rights Watch. “Risks children can face in the context of major sporting events include trafficking, sexual exploitation, child labor, and family displacements, among other forms of violence and abuse.”

Host City Residents, Communities

“For the World Cup to truly ‘unite the world,’ both FIFA and host committees need to ensure that the rights and dignity of everyone, whether residents or visitors, are protected and not exploited,” said Jennifer Li, coordinator of Dignity 2026 and director of the Center for Community Health Innovation at Georgetown Law. “For example, people who are unsheltered should not be criminalized for their status or displaced as part of so-called beautification efforts. FIFA and host cities have a responsibility to ensure that hosting communities benefit from this event, and that the most vulnerable residents do not bear the greatest costs.”

Host City Plans

As part of FIFA’s human rights framework for the 2026 World Cup, each of the 16 host cities is required to develop its own “human rights action plan” to prevent discrimination, support workers’ rights, protect children, and combat human trafficking.

Human Rights Watch, along with the Sport & Rights Alliance, Dignity 2026, and their member organizations, are calling on FIFA and host committees to:

  • Reinstate anti-discrimination messaging;
  • Commit to ensuring effective protections against racial profiling, arbitrary detention, and unlawful immigration enforcement during the tournament;
  • Work closely with community partners on finalizing the Human Rights Action Plans;
  • Take effective steps to ensure respect for the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful protest;
  • Announce and implement a comprehensive Child Safeguarding Policy;
  • Ensure meaningful community benefit from the 2026 World Cup; and
  • Take effective steps to ensure that the 2026 World Cup does not lead to abuses of vulnerable communities, including the jailing of unhoused populations.

·     

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Sudan: RSF’s ruthless attack on Zamzam camp should be investigated for war crimes

Source: Amnesty International –

Sudan: RSF’s ruthless attack on Zamzam camp should be investigated for war crimes

  • New report by Amnesty International shows how the RSF killed civilians, took hostages and destroyed mosques and schools during a large-scale attack in Zamzam 
  • ‘This was not an isolated attack, but part of a sustained campaign against villages and camps’ – Agnès Callamard 

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) deliberately killed civilians, took hostages, pillaged and destroyed mosques, schools, and health clinics during a large-scale attack in April on Zamzam, the largest camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in North Darfur State, Amnesty International said in a new report published today. These violations must be investigated as war crimes under international law. 

The 52 page report, “A refuge destroyed: RSF violations in Darfur’s Zamzam camp for internally displaced persons”, documents how, between 11 and 13 April 2025, the RSF attacked the camp, deploying explosive weapons and randomly shooting their firearms in populated residential areas. The relentless assault caused around 400,000 people to flee the camp between 13 and 14 April alone and was part of the RSF’s military campaign that began in May 2024 to capture El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State. The RSF claimed control of El Fasher on 26 October, executing scores of unarmed men and raping dozens of women and girls as they captured the city. 

Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said: “The RSF’s horrific and deliberate assault on desperate, hungry civilians in Zamzam camp laid bare once again its alarming disregard for human life. Civilians were ruthlessly attacked, killed, robbed of items critical to their survival and livelihood, and left without recourse to justice, while grieving the loss of their loved ones. This was not an isolated attack, but part of a sustained campaign against villages and camps for internally displaced persons..Some international partners, such as the UAE, actively fuelled the armed conflict by supporting the RSF with weapons.” 

“The only way to end these violations is to stem the flow of arms to parties to the conflict by expanding the arms embargo that currently applies to Darfur to the rest of the country. The member states of the African Union, the European Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the United Kingdom, United States, Russia, and China must call for all countries, in the first place the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to refrain from transferring weapons and ammunition to the RSF, Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and other actors. In addition, given the very high risk of diversion to the RSF, states must immediately cease all arms transfers to the UAE.”  

‘The shelling was everywhere’ 

Survivors of the assault told Amnesty that, on Friday 11 April and Saturday 12 April, shells landed in homes, on streets and, in one case, near a mosque during a wedding ceremony – all densely populated areas – killing and injuring civilians and setting homes on fire.  

Satellite imagery captured on 16 April and analysed by Amnesty showed new craters, providing further evidence of the widespread use of explosive weapons in populated areas.  

Survivors gave harrowing accounts of fleeing burning neighbourhoods and hiding from heavy fighting.   

Younis*, an emergency room volunteer, said: “It was really bad. You could not identify where the shelling is coming from. It was everywhere, in every place.” 

Mamoun*, a man in his mid-twenties who volunteered to distribute humanitarian aid, recalled: “[RSF] fighters were just shouting and shooting anywhere, so that is how many people were killed.” 

Sadya*, a volunteer for non-governmental organizations, described RSF fighters driving through her neighbourhood, not far from the main market in Zamzam, on 12 April: “One [RSF fighter] will stand up through a small roof and just shoot around and shoot anyone in the street.” 

Amnesty also documented RSF fighters deliberately shooting and killing civilians. Eyewitnesses told Amnesty that they saw RSF fighters shoot and kill 47 civilians who were hiding in homes, fleeing the violence, at a clinic and seeking refuge in a mosque.  

Eyewitness accounts and video evidence demonstrate that the RSF targeted civilians due to their perceived affiliation to the Joint Forces – an alliance of former Darfur rebel groups, fighting alongside the SAF – and the SAF. RSF fighters also pillaged and set fire to homes, businesses, the market and structures in the compound of the Sheikh Farah school and mosque, destroying or badly damaging critical civilian infrastructure. Religious, medical, and educational infrastructure are protected under international law. 

The displaced persons interviewed by Amnesty described making arduous journeys in search of safety without food, water, and medical services. Some experienced acts that may amount to the war crimes of rape, murder and pillage. 

Without food, water, healthcare services, or legal redress, the survivors of the attacks have felt abandoned by the international community. They told Amnesty that their priorities are humanitarian aid, safety, and the protection of civilians. They also called for criminal accountability and compensation for the crimes committed during and in the aftermath of the attack. 

Elnor*, who witnessed around 15 armed men – likely RSF fighters – storm his compound and shoot and kill his 80-year-old brother and 30-year-old nephew, said: “No-one is concerned with our situation.” 

ENDS 

Notes to editor 

* Pseudonyms are used to protect identities of interviewees for security and confidentiality reasons.

For this report, Amnesty International conducted research between June and August 2025 and interviewed 29 people, mostly eyewitnesses, survivors, relatives of victims, journalists, conflict analysts, and medical personnel who responded to those injured during the attack. The organization also verified and analysed dozens of videos, photos and satellite imagery. 

The RSF did not respond to Amnesty International’s request for comment. 

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The Atom and the Algorithm: Nuclear Energy and AI are Converging to Shape the Future

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

(As prepared for delivery)

Distinguished delegates, colleagues and friends,

Writers and futurists have long echoed Alvin and Heidi Toffler’s idea that “the future arrives too fast…and in the wrong order.” Today, we know, the speed is exponential. 

Two forces are reshaping humanity’s horizon at an unprecedented pace: the rise of artificial intelligence and the global transition towards clean, reliable energy. The world’s energy map is being redrawn before our eyes.

The essential point, our opportunity and our responsibility, is that these forces are not unfolding separately. They are converging and redefining the new global economy. 

We can now say with clarity: the AI revolution, through its scale and speed, was always going to choose nuclear energy as a partner. The only question was “when?”. Today, we know that the answer is “now.”

Let me explain why this partnership was inevitable and what it means for every region, every nation, and every person.

Why AI was destined to turn to nuclear energy

All major technological breakthroughs have been linked to new energy backbones: steam engines to coal, electrification to hydro and fossil fuels, digitalisation to gas and renewables, and now AI to clean, uninterrupted power.

AI’s demand for energy is intersecting with two other key global forces: the drive for energy security and the drive to meet environmental and climate goals. These three trends reinforce each other, and together they are determining investments, policies and geopolitics.

Artificial intelligence astonishes us. But beneath the elegant algorithms lies a simple truth:

AI runs on vast, uninterrupted quantities of electricity.

Training a frontier AI model requires tens of thousands of GPUs running continuously for weeks or months. Everyday use is spreading into hospitals, public administration, transport, agriculture, logistics, and education. Each query, each simulation, each recommendation consumes power.

And not just any power: power that never stops.

Customers want AI to be fast and always available. Investors want new and better data products. Innovation requires a lot of computing power. Providing what customers and investors want is an existential assignment for any corporation. In technology, the demand and the competition are hyperscale and hyperfast. 

There is only one energy source that can meet combined demands of low-carbon generation, 24/7 reliability, massive power density, grid stability and genuine scalability: nuclear energy.

This is why I call it not just a partnership, but a structural alliance: “Atoms for Algorithms.”

A two-way partnership 

Artificial intelligence is not only powered by nuclear energy, it’s also improving it.

Let me list 4 areas:

In nuclear power operations, AI supports predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, and optimization of thermal performance.

In design, it supports accelerated reactor modelling, fuel-cycle simulation, and materials development.

In safety, AI supports accident simulation, response analysis, and the development of emergency procedures.

And in safeguards it provides analysis of hours of surveillance footage, satellite imagery, and offers important pattern recognition tools.

This is happening right now in IAEA laboratories and across our work with Member States on all continents.

Reassuringly, despite its brilliance, AI still needs a human to make sure it is right and impartial, and to understand the politics behind a safeguards footnote.

And it requires humans to make sure it has the energy it needs, wherever in the world it operates. 

Data centres and their energy needs

AI may live in the cloud, but it runs on electricity.

Across the world, data centres consume more than 400 TWh of electricity each year. As their number grows at unprecedented rates of 20 to 30%, their total energy consumption is expected to more than double to nearly 1000 TWh per year. That’s as much electricity as is needed to power a G7 country.

We have a huge opportunity to make sure our digital future runs on clean energy. This is where Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) become especially relevant. They work particularly well for data centres because they are designed to be built in segmental units, making phased deployment possible. As an AI cluster expands, so can its nuclear power source.

The smaller footprint of SMRs and their enhanced safety systems mean they can operate close to industrial zones, including data-centre campuses. With SMRs, tech companies can avoid dependence on constrained regional electricity grids and reduce transmission losses. This becomes decisive in places where grid upgrades are slow, and interconnection queues already stretch far into the future.

SMRs need to get from the development stage to the international market fast and safely. The IAEA’s Nuclear Harmonization and Standardization Initiative has been working with regulators and industry to get it done.  

Around the world, more than 30 newcomer countries are looking to introduce nuclear energy, including SMRs. The IAEA works with them. Many of these same countries are also exploring how AI can support their development and economic modernization. The two go hand in hand.

The IAEA helps countries map out their energy future, using proven planning tools and decades of experience. In my travels, leaders everywhere talk about their long-term strategies for energy and economic growth; again and again, nuclear energy and AI are raised in the same sentence.

Today, AI-driven data centres are concentrated in a limited number of hubs. But that map is changing. A rapid global response to the surge in AI and cloud computing could see as much as 7 trillion dollars spent on data centres around the world by 2030. New digital corridors will emerge, including in Asia, Latin America and Africa. All of them will require reliable energy sources. And all of them will require local knowledge, trusted partners, and long-term cooperation focused on technology and economic growth.

AI in industrialised economies

The United States has more nuclear power plants than any other country and is working actively to triple capacity. It holds a leadership position in the development of artificial intelligence, hosting nearly 45% of the world’s data centres and more than half of all hyperscale facilities.

In Canada, rising investment in data centres is happening alongside the major refurbishment of existing nuclear power plants. 

Europe has some of the world’s densest digital corridors, with hubs in Frankfurt, Amsterdam and London. In Germany, Frankfurt hosts one of the largest internet exchange points by peak traffic. Italy’s hubs of Milan and Turin are poised to grow. 

Nuclear energy still provides about half the EU’s low-carbon power. Existing leaders like France and the UK are doubling down on nuclear, and newcomers like Poland are making fast progress in joining the club.  

Russia has a skilled research base in mathematics and computer science working on AI, and in nuclear energy it remains the world’s largest exporter, as well as a leading operator and developer of advanced reactor technologies.

China has bet on AI and on nuclear energy, with remarkable success. Its rapid advances in AI development and the construction of AI-focused data centres are happening as more nuclear-reactors are being built in China than anywhere else.

As Japan turns once-again to nuclear energy, it is investing heavily also in building and upgrading data centres to meet rising demand.

In the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates is one of the most recent countries to build a successful nuclear energy programme and is a leading regional AI hub. Saudi Arabia is considering introducing nuclear energy and is also investing heavily in AI.  

Israel is among technology leaders, with strong entrepreneurial community.

 AI’s potential in Asia

Singapore is hub of connectivity, while South Korea is advanced in AI and nuclear energy.

Elsewhere in Asia there is enormous potential: countries including India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Vietnam, and the Philippines represent some of the fastest-growing markets for data-centre investment. Booming internet adoption and rapid digitalization are pushing infrastructure to keep pace.

If these countries align digital growth with firm, clean power, including SMRs, they will build some of the world’s most sustainable AI corridors.

AI in Latin America 

In Latin America, countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Colombia are emerging as important markets for AI and cloud services. This is driven by expanding digital economies and rising demand for data-centre infrastructure. 

Argentina has the opportunity to scale digital capabilities alongside its established nuclear-energy programme and its development of small modular reactors.

As a whole, the region provides the chance to build a sustainable and resilient digital ecosystem with clean, reliable power as a stabilizing foundation.

Africa’s digital leap

Africa stands poised for a digital leap. Its internet adoption is growing several times faster than the global average, but the continent still hosts less than one percent of global data-centre capacity.

Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa are emerging as digital hubs.  South Africa alone provides more than half of Africa’s data-centre capacity. 

Governments across the continent are determined to expand reliable electricity to more than 600 million people without access. 

A growing number of countries, including Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Zambia, are exploring both conventional and modular nuclear power. 

By harnessing clean, dependable energy, Africa has the opportunity to build a resilient, scalable digital presence that can support its rapidly expanding economies and populations.

Across these regions, the IAEA steadfastly supports the growth of economies. We help countries examine their readiness to introduce or expand nuclear power programmes. Our review missions cover everything from legal and regulatory requirements to the state of the power grid and human resources. 

The Role of the IAEA

As nuclear energy and AI converge, we are facilitating the safe integration of AI into nuclear operations. Digital resilience, regulatory capacity and a common scientific base are key.

Equally, we are accelerating nuclear energy deployment. The IAEA has deep experience across the full spectrum of technologies, from large reactors and SMRs, to AI applications. 

The IAEA is the bridge to helping AI grow with the safe companion of nuclear energy. We are at the centre of the global nuclear safety standards system and support countries in building nuclear energy programmes through our Milestones Approach.

We help nations benefit from nuclear energy for electricity, for desalination, for medical research, and for radiotherapy care, to name but a few examples. This requires close collaboration with governments, regulators, academia, industry and local communities. More and more, we are poised to help nations benefit from nuclear energy for AI.

We have created pioneering partnerships with the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and are in the process of doing the same with other regional development banks. Together we help countries meet their economic ambitions. 

Ensuring success requires not only financing, but also the policies, expertise and safeguards that make investment sound, sustainable and trustworthy.

As the Spanish poet Antonio Machado said: “We make the path by walking.”

The Agency walks with every nation.

Atoms for Algorithms

Over the coming two days, you will have the chance to walk together and to discuss how to make this alliance – Atoms for Algorithms – happen. It is why we have assembled this outstanding group of representatives from every corner of the fields of AI, nuclear energy and beyond.

The interest in being part of this Symposium, here in person and online, is immense – representatives of 252 different organizations are registered: 23 nuclear operators; 13 State corporations; 13 AI and technology companies; 25 nuclear suppliers; 11 SMR and advanced reactor developers; 8 national laboratories; 19 research institutions; 28 universities; 29 regulatory bodies; 15 government agencies and ministries; 5 intergovernmental organizations; 10 industry associations, 8 NGOs; 21 consulting and engineering firms; 7 waste management and decommissioning companies; 7 financial and legal firms; and that still leaves 10 in other categories. 

I encourage you to talk to each other openly, continue the dialogue when you return home, collaborate across borders and disciplines, and come back to report on how you have transformed ideas into real progress.

Through the ideas and expertise you share this week, the IAEA will develop a framework and concrete action plans together with experts from both the AI and nuclear fields.

Our goal is to deliver tangible and coordinated outcomes that do two things: 1. advance clean energy solutions for AI and data centres; and 2.  improve performance and accelerate the deployment of nuclear energy technologies.

We will make it happen by using the many avenues we’ve already built delivering the IAEA’s “Atoms for Peace and Development” mission, and by establishing partnerships with you, with our Member States, and with other key stakeholders.  

I would like to thank the US, Japan and the other contributors who have supported this Symposium.

In closing, I promise you: the IAEA will stay ahead of the curve. We will support you, create opportunities, and remain an impartial, technical, ever-innovating global asset that serves the international community and you.

Let’s work for a future where AI expands human creativity, data centres run on clean, reliable power, nuclear anchors a sustainable digital age, and every region benefits.

If we get this right, we will shape a century worthy of our highest aspirations.

As Niels Bohr is said to have quipped: “Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future.”

Then, let’s not predict the future, let’s build it. 

If we succeed, one day, in whatever language AI invents, it will say this: “They understood the challenge and they did what was needed.”

Thank you.

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Humanity on trial: the case of search-and-rescue volunteer Seán Binder 

Source: Amnesty International –

On 4 December 2025, Seán Binder will stand trial in Lesvos, Greece, for his work as a volunteer rescuer helping people in distress and at risk of drowning at sea. Alongside 23 other defendants, he faces criminal charges including membership of a criminal organization, money laundering, and smuggling and risks up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

I first met Seán in 2019. A bright, articulate Irish activist in his twenties, he was our guest at the Belgian launch of Amnesty International’s annual end-of-year campaign. And there, he shared his equally inspiring yet shocking story of blatant injustice, as he and others were being prosecuted for saving lives.

Two years earlier, Seán had traveled to Lesvos as a volunteer, joining a local search-and-rescue NGO to patrol the coastline for small boats in distress and provide first aid to those crossing from Turkey to Greece.

Since 2015, the war in Syria has forced countless individuals to flee their homes and seek safety in Europe via dangerous routes — including the perilous journey across the Aegean Sea. In 2017 alone, more than 3,000 people were reported dead or missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean, and when authorities failed to step in, many volunteers from across Europe did so instead.

Seán was one of them. He did what any of us would hope to do in his position: save lives and help people. Yet, in 2018, he was arrested by Greek authorities and held in pretrial detention for over 100 days before being charged with a range of crimes alongside other humanitarian workers.

These charges aim to portray those who help people on the move as criminals. And it’s part of a trend sweeping across Europe that’s criminalizing solidarity.

In Malta, three teenagers from West Africa stand accused of helping to bring more than 100 people rescued at sea to safety, and are facing charges that carry a lifelong sentence. In Italy, ships operated by search-and-rescue organizations are being impounded. And in France, mountain guides have faced prosecution for assisting people at the border with Italy.

European governments are not only failing people seeking protection, they’re also punishing those who try to fill that dangerous gap.

I met Seán again in 2021 and 2023, both times outside the courthouse in Mytilene on Lesvos. In 2023, the lesser misdemeanor charges against him and the other foreign defendants — forgery, espionage and the unlawful use of radio frequencies — were dropped. Then, in 2024, the rest of the defendants were acquitted of those same charges.

While leaving the courthouse that day, still facing the more serious felony charges along with the other 23 aid workers, Seán said: “We want justice. Today, there has been less injustice, but no justice.”

As Amnesty International, we’ve been consistently calling for these charges to be dropped. The U.N. and many human rights organizations have also expressed serious concerns about the case, while thousands across Europe and around the world have stood by Seán’s side in defense of solidarity with migrants and refugees, signing petitions and writing letters.

This trial should set off alarms not only for Europe’s civil society but for any person’s ability to act according to their conscience. It isn’t just Seán who is on trial here, it’s solidarity itself. The criminalization of people showing compassion for those compelled to leave their homes because of war, violence or other hardships must stop.

Meanwhile, a full decade after Syrians fleeing war began arriving on Europe’s shores in search of safety and protection, Europe’s leaders need to reflect. They need to learn from people like Seán instead of prosecuting them. And instead of focusing on deterrence, they need to ensure the word “asylum,” from the Greek “asylon,” still means a place of refuge or sanctuary for those seeking safety in our region. People who save lives should be supported, not criminalized.

This week, six years after our first encounter, Seán and I will once again meet in front of the Mytilene courthouse as his trial resumes. I will be there in solidarity, representing the thousands who have been demanding that these charges be dropped.

I hope, with all my heart, to see him finally receive the justice he is entitled to.

Humanity must win.

This was originally published by POLITICO: People who save lives should not be criminalized – POLITICO

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Sudan: Rapid Support Forces’ ruthless attack on Zamzam camp should be investigated for war crimes

Source: Amnesty International –

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) deliberately killed civilians, took hostages, pillaged and destroyed mosques, schools, and health clinics during a large-scale attack in April on Zamzam, the largest camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in North Darfur State, Amnesty International said in a new report published today. These violations must be investigated as war crimes under international law.

The report, “A refuge destroyed: RSF violations in Darfur’s Zamzam camp for internally displaced persons”, documents how, between 11 and 13 April 2025, the RSF attacked the camp, deploying explosive weapons and randomly shooting their firearms in populated residential areas. The relentless assault caused around 400,000 people to flee the camp between 13 and 14 April alone and was part of the RSF’s military campaign that began in May 2024 to capture El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State. The RSF claimed control of El Fasher on 26 October, executing scores of unarmed men and raping dozens of women and girls as they captured the city.

“The RSF’s horrific and deliberate assault on desperate, hungry civilians in Zamzam camp laid bare once again its alarming disregard for human life. Civilians were ruthlessly attacked, killed, robbed of items critical to their survival and livelihood, and left without recourse to justice, while grieving the loss of their loved ones. This was not an isolated attack, but part of a sustained campaign against villages and camps for internally displaced persons,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General. “Some international partners, such as the UAE, actively fueled the armed conflict by supporting the RSF with weapons.”

The RSF’s horrific and deliberate assault on desperate, hungry civilians in Zamzam camp laid bare once again its alarming disregard for human life.

Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General

“The only way to end these violations is to stem the flow of arms to parties to the conflict by expanding the arms embargo that currently applies to Darfur to the rest of the country. The member states of the African Union, the European Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the United Kingdom, United States, Russia, and China must call for all countries, in the first place the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to refrain from transferring weapons and ammunition to the RSF, Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and other actors. In addition, given the very high risk of diversion to the RSF, states must immediately cease all arms transfers to the UAE.”

For this report, Amnesty International conducted research between June and August 2025 and interviewed 29 people, mostly eyewitnesses, survivors, relatives of victims, journalists, conflict analysts, and medical personnel who responded to those injured during the attack. The organization also verified and analysed dozens of videos, photos and satellite imagery.

The RSF did not respond to Amnesty International’s request for comment.

‘The shelling was everywhere’

Survivors of the assault told Amnesty International that, on Friday 11 April and Saturday 12 April, shells landed in homes, on streets and, in one case, near a mosque during a wedding ceremony – all densely populated areas – killing and injuring civilians and setting homes on fire.

Satellite imagery captured on 16 April and analyzed by Amnesty International showed new craters, providing further evidence of the widespread use of explosive weapons in populated areas.

The only way to end these violations is to stem the flow of arms to parties to the conflict by expanding the arms embargo that currently applies to Darfur to the rest of the country.

Agnès Callamard

Survivors gave harrowing accounts of fleeing burning neighbourhoods and hiding from heavy fighting. Younis*, an emergency room volunteer, said: “It was really bad. You could not identify where the shelling is coming from. It was everywhere, in every place.”

Mamoun*, a man in his mid-twenties who volunteered to distribute humanitarian aid, recalled: “[RSF] fighters were just shouting and shooting anywhere, so that is how many people were killed.”

[RSF] fighters were just shouting and shooting anywhere, so that is how many people were killed.

Mamoun*, Eyewitness

Sadya*, a volunteer for non-governmental organizations, described RSF fighters driving through her neighbourhood, not far from the main market in Zamzam, on 12 April: “One [RSF fighter] will stand up through a small roof and just shoot around and shoot anyone in the street.”

Shooting in such a manner without a specific military target may constitute an indiscriminate attack, a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

Amnesty International also documented RSF fighters deliberately shooting and killing civilians. Eyewitnesses told Amnesty International that they saw RSF fighters shoot and kill 47 civilians who were hiding in homes, fleeing the violence, at a clinic and seeking refuge in a mosque. The deliberate killing of individuals who do not participate or are no longer directly participating in hostilities is a serious violation of international humanitarian law and constitutes the war crime of murder.

Eyewitness accounts and video evidence demonstrate that the RSF targeted civilians due to their perceived affiliation to the Joint Forces – an alliance of former Darfur rebel groups, fighting alongside the SAF – and the SAF. RSF fighters also pillaged and set fire to homes, businesses, the market and structures in the compound of the Sheikh Farah school and mosque, destroying or badly damaging critical civilian infrastructure. Religious, medical, and educational infrastructure are ? is protected under international law.

The displaced persons interviewed by Amnesty described making arduous journeys in search of safety without food, water and medical services. Some experienced acts that may amount to the war crimes of rape, murder and pillage.

Without food, water, healthcare services or legal redress, the survivors of the attacks have felt abandoned by international actors. They told Amnesty International that their priorities are humanitarian aid, safety and the protection of civilians. They also called for criminal accountability and compensation for the crimes committed during and in the aftermath of the attack.

Elnor*, who witnessed around 15 armed men, likely RSF fighters, storm his compound and shoot and kill his 80-year-old brother and 30-year-old nephew, said: “No-one is concerned with our situation.”

* Names have been changed to protect identities of interviewees for security and confidentiality reasons.

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Merchants of Myth: new report exposes plastic recycling as costly failure

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

Amidst declining capacity, corporations ditch voluntary sustainability commitments, invest billions in plastic disinformation campaign

A new report from Greenpeace USA reveals plastic recycling has largely failed after decades of being touted by corporations as a solution to the pollution crisis.

WASHINGTON D.C. (Dec. 3, 2025) — A new report from Greenpeace USA reveals plastic recycling has largely failed after decades of being touted by corporations as a solution to the pollution crisis. The report uncovered that only a fifth of the 8.8 million tons of the most commonly produced types of plastics — found in items like bottles, jugs, food containers, and caps — are actually recyclable. Moreover, plastic recycling rates in the United States have been cut in half since 2014, from 9.5% to roughly 5–6% today. The report concludes that plastic recycling is no more of a viable solution now than it was in the 1950s.

Our team of researchers also uncovered the effort by the plastic industry, retailers, prominent plastic-reliant brands, and related trade associations — the so-called “Merchants of Myth” — to mislead the public, protect their profits, and delay regulatory action.

Major brands like Coca-Cola, Unilever, and Nestlé have been quietly retracting sustainability commitments while continuing to rely on single-use plastic packaging. On top of this, the U.S. plastic industry is undermining meaningful plastic regulation by making false claims about the recyclability of their products to avoid bans and reduce public backlash. As global plastic production continues to climb and is projected to triple by 2050, our report investigates the ineffectiveness of voluntary measures without regulatory support. 

John Hocevar, Greenpeace USA oceans campaigner director, said: “Recycling is a toxic lie pushed by the plastics industry that is now being propped up by a pro-plastic narrative emanating from the White House. These corporations and their partners continue to sell the public a comforting lie to hide the hard truth: that we simply have to stop producing so much plastic. Instead of investing in real solutions, they’ve poured billions into public relations campaigns that keep us hooked on single-use plastic while our communities, oceans, and bodies pay the price.”

Despite growing public awareness of the environmental and health concerns posed by plastics and microplastics, Merchants of Myth reveals many corporations have ramped up their disinformation campaigns and aggressive lobbying – and are being backed up by a compromised government. 

While the Make Americans Healthy Again (MAHA) platform pledged to address chronic illnesses linked to toxic chemicals, its recent health report largely sidestepped plastics — one of the most pervasive sources of chemical exposure. Despite growing scientific consensus on the health risks and economic costs of plastic pollution, the report offered only vague commitments to develop a framework to study chemical exposures, including microplastics, allocate limited funding for safer farming, and launch a public pesticides awareness campaign.  

Jo Banner, executive director of The Descendants Project, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving Black history and fighting environmental racism in the frontline communities of Louisiana’s River Parishes, said: “It’s the same story everywhere: poor, Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities turned into sacrifice zones so oil companies and big brands can keep making money. They call it development — but it’s exploitation, plain and simple. There’s nothing acceptable about poisoning our air, water, and food to sell more throwaway plastic. Our communities are not sacrifice zones, and we are not disposable people.”

Among the report’s other key findings on the ineffectiveness of plastic recycling:

  • Recycling access gaps: Up to 43% percent of U.S. households lack access to basic recycling services. Participation in recycling is also decreasing.
  • Infrastructure limits: Of the 380 municipal recycling facilities nationwide, only 46 are capable of processing common consumer plastics.
  • Technological limits: Only 1 of 6 “advanced recycling” plants can handle mixed post-consumer waste — and even at full capacity, these facilities cannot meet the 60% recycling rate required by law.
  • Cost to taxpayers: The public has to pay to collect and sort plastics, while most of it ends up in the landfill with the rest of the trash.

Contact: Tanya Brooks, Senior Communications Specialist at Greenpeace USA, [email protected]  

Greenpeace USA Press Desk: [email protected]

Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.

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Oceans Norway puts Arctic deep-sea mining on ice until 2029 The newly elected Norwegian government today ruled out deep-sea mining licenses in Arctic waters until at least the end of 2029. The agreement to stop all exploration and exploitation of… by Alison Kirkman December 3, 2025

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

The newly elected Norwegian government today ruled out deep-sea mining licenses in Arctic waters until at least the end of 2029. The agreement to stop all exploration and exploitation of deep-sea minerals was confirmed after pressure from the environmental movement and hard negotiations from the green opposition parties in Norway. 

Norway will also cut all public funding for government-led mineral mapping, marking a major shift in its stance on deep-sea mining. Once one of the mining industry’s strongest proponents, the Norwegian government is now moving to halt both exploration and exploitation in its own waters.

The decision is another blow to a deep-sea mining industry whose viability has come under repeated strain before even going into business. In November, Cook Islands authorities announced that deep-sea mining applications in the Pacific nation’s waters would be subject to five-year extensions, delaying mining in the region until at least 2032.

Last month, Greenpeace activists visited the Norwegian embassy in London to deliver a letter urging the Nordic country to reject deep-sea mining.  

Haldis Tjeldflaat Helle, Deep-Sea Mining Campaigner at Greenpeace Nordic said: 

“Deep-sea mining in Norway has once again been successfully stopped. We will not let this industry destroy the unique life in the deep sea, not in the Arctic, nor anywhere else. Now Norway must step up and become a real ocean leader, join the call for a global moratorium against deep-sea mining, and bring forward a proposal of real protection for the Arctic deep sea.”

Erica Finnie, Ocean Campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said:

“This setback for the industry comes at a time when the UK government is reviewing its sponsorship of deep-sea mining exploration licenses. The UK should read the writing on the wall that there is no future for mining the deep sea, and focus its efforts on building support for a global moratorium.”

Louisa Casson, Deep Sea Mining Campaigner, Greenpeace International said: 

“Millions of people across the world are calling on governments to resist the dire threat of deep-sea mining to safeguard oceans worldwide. This is yet another huge step forward to protect the Arctic, and now it is time for Norway to join over 40 countries calling for a moratorium and be a true ocean champion.”

ENDS 

Photos and Video can be found in Greenpeace Media Library

The full list of countries calling for a moratorium

Contacts: 

Greenpeace UK news team on 020 7865 8255 and at press.uk@greenpeace.org

Haldis Tjeldflaat Helle, Deep Sea Mining Campaigner, Greenpeace Nordic: haldis.helle@greenpeace.org, +47 93 47 32 13

Sol Gosetti, Global Media Coordinator, Stop Deep Sea Mining campaign, Greenpeace International: sol.gosetti@greenpeace.org, WhatsApp +44 (0) 7380845754

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IAEA Hosts First International Symposium on AI and Nuclear Energy

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Monika Shifotoka, IAEA Office of Public Information and Communication

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi at the opening session of the International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear Energy (Photo: H.Shaffer).

Global energy and technology leaders are gathering this week at IAEA headquarters in Vienna for the first ever International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Nuclear Energy. The two-day event is bringing together senior representatives from government ministries, international organizations, the nuclear industry and major tech firms — including OpenAI, Google and Oracle — to discuss how nuclear energy can help meet the surging electricity demand of AI data centres, and how AI can support nuclear technology development. 

The two-day event kicked off today and the programme and livestream are available on the IAEA website.  

 IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said at the opening ceremony: 

“Two forces are reshaping humanity’s horizon at an unprecedented pace: the rise of artificial intelligence and the global transition towards clean, reliable energy. The world’s energy map is being redrawn before our eyes. “The essential point, our opportunity and our responsibility, is that these forces are not unfolding separately. They are converging and redefining the new global economy.”  

He added that nuclear energy is the only source capable of low-carbon generation, round-the-clock reliability, high power density, grid stability and scalability. He described the link between nuclear and AI as structural alliance of  “Atoms for Algorithms.” 

According to the International Energy Agency, data centres accounted for 1.5% of worldwide electricity demand in 2024 – a figure that could double by 2030. 

Nuclear power, with its ability to deliver reliable, low-carbon electricity, is increasingly seen as a solution to meet this demand. At the same time, AI offers powerful tools to optimize reactor performance, streamline construction and enhance operational efficiency — enabling nuclear energy to reach its full potential while maintaining the highest standards of safety, security and safeguards. 

The symposium will provide a venue to build partnerships and develop recommendations for a framework of cooperation between the AI and nuclear sectors with IAEA support. It will delve into opportunities offered by AI and nuclear energy, supporting global efforts toward clean, reliable and sustainable energy by connecting diverse stakeholders. 

Cooperation to Support AI Solutions

On Wednesday, the IAEA also signed an agreement with Atomic Canyon — a technology company developing AI-powered solutions for the nuclear energy sector. Under this pact, the IAEA and Atomic Canyon will explore opportunities for collaboration and evaluate a proof of concept to lay the groundwork for AI solutions in nuclear information management. 

AI and Data

AI has the potential to transform the nuclear power industry, but success depends on one critical factor: data. High-quality, accessible, shareable and secure datasets are essential for designing, training, and validating AI applications. Without robust data governance and industry-wide collaboration, progress could slow or stall. 

At the symposium, leaders from the nuclear and AI sectors will have the opportunity to interface with nuclear regulators from around the world.  Side events include a session by the IAEA’s ISOP AI for Nuclear Power Working Group, which will highlight collaborative approaches to advancing AI innovation in operating plants. The more detailed, technical content of the side events will complement strategic discussions held during the Symposium’s five panels. 

Follow updates about the conference here and on the IAEA social media channels: Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Threads.     

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“A complete shemozzle”: WA Government’s so-called ‘State Development Bill’ risks fast-tracking pollution

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

PERTH, Wednesday, 3 December 2025 — Greenpeace Australia Pacific has slammed the WA State Government’s State Development Bill’ as a ‘complete shemozzle’, and urged Parliament to fix critical flaws in the bill before it is passed.

The Cook Government’s ‘State Development Bill’, which was hoped could accelerate responsible renewable energy development in WA, has been drafted so broadly that it risks approving destructive fossil fuel projects without proper scrutiny. 

David Ritter, CEO at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: “Quite frankly, they’ve stuffed this one up.  The botched drafting of this Bill is like doing surgery with a sledgehammer instead of a scalpel. Prioritising clean energy projects through due process approvals is one thing, but this perverse shemozzle could allow polluting projects to cut corners on important, independent processes that are there to protect communities and nature. 

“The Government has framed this legislation as critical to assist with a faster build out of renewable energy in WA. Now we can see that the loose drafting of this bill actually risks fast-tracking fossil fuel projects.

“Less than a week ago, we saw how different parties can work together to secure strong legislation that protects nature while paving the way for responsible development, when Labor and the Greens collaborated to pass nature law reforms through Federal Parliament. 

“The WA Parliament needs to heed the example set by its Federal counterparts, and prioritise legislation that actually achieves the energy transformation needed in WA while also safeguarding WA’s ecosystems and communities.

“As it stands, this Bill is not fit for purpose and should not pass in its current form. Amendments must be made to ensure it has appropriate constraints. WA’s policymakers need to refer this Bill to a Committee for review, undertake broad consultation and make sensible amendments that ensure the integrity of independent assessments and avoid misuse in the future.”

-ENDS-

For more information or interviews, please contact Lucy Keller at 0491 135 308 or [email protected]