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.”
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For more information or interviews, please contact Lucy Keller at 0491 135 308 or [email protected]
In Chad, families are grieving, villages are burned, and thousands of people are living in fear.
Clashes between herders and farmers continue to increase, fuelled by the effects of climate change, pressure on natural resources, and the proliferation of weapons.
Our new report reveals serious facts: people killed, homes destroyed, abandoned populations and authorities failing in their duty to protect as well as a lack of justice for the victims
Responding to the arrest of a Hong Kong student who launched a petition demanding government accountability following a deadly fire in the city’s Tai Po district, Luk Chi-man, the Executive Director of Amnesty International Hong Kong Overseas, said:
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families of residents, workers, and firefighters who tragically lost their lives in the fire, and we wish a swift recovery for all those injured.
“Now is the time for the Hong Kong authorities to transparently investigate the causes of the devastating fire in Tai Po, rather than silencing those who ask legitimate questions.
“Even as we mourn, we cannot ignore the need to bring justice to the affected families as well as to prevent as much as possible the reoccurrence of similar tragedies. We urge the Hong Kong authorities to establish the full facts of last week’s tragedy through a thorough, independent, impartial and open investigation, and to publicly clarify the cause of the fire, hold relevant persons accountable and release all findings without delay.
“It is both a right and a duty for people in Hong Kong to demand this kind of accountability; but rather than recognise this, the Hong Kong authorities have instead chosen to silence those who raise their concerns and demands.
“A healthy society should not have only one voice.”
Sedition charges for uni students organising petition
The Wang Fuk Court fire in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong broke out on 26 November and has claimed at least 146 lives.
On 29 November, an individual who launched a petition demanding accountability was arrested by national security authorities on suspicion of “sedition”, according to local media reports. The university student, who had urged the government to respond to “four demands” in the aftermath of the fire, was reportedly released on bail on 1 December.
Local media reported that another two people were arrested on 30 November on “sedition” charges in relation to the fire.
Responding to today’s decision by an Azerbaijani court to remand in custody prominent opposition leader Ali Karimli, following a raid on his home and his arrest by the State Security Service, Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said:
“Ali Karimli’s detention is the latest outrage in the ongoing consolidation of authoritarian practices in Azerbaijan. There appears to be no limits to the government’s campaign to crush all political opposition and suppress all dissent in the country.
“While few are prepared to openly challenge the authorities, the decision to arrest an opposition leader, hold him incommunicado and press dubious charges of ‘attempted seizure of power’ against him, sends a chilling warning to anyone who may have doubts as to how far the Azerbaijani government is prepared to go.
“The authorities must release Ali Karimli unless they can demonstrate reasonable evidence of an alleged criminal offence. All they have demonstrated so far, by snatching and holding him incommunicado, and thus denying him his right to a fair trial, is their determination to take this wave of politically motivated arrests targeting opposition figures, academics, journalists and activists, even further.”
Journalists, academics and politicians rounded up
On 1 December, the Sabayil District Court in Baku remanded Ali Karimli, chairman of the opposition Azerbaijani Popular Front Party (APFP) in pre-trial detention for two months and 15 days, under Article 278.1 of the Criminal Code (“actions aimed at the violent seizure of power” and “violent change of the constitutional order”). Authorities have connected him to a criminal investigation against Ramiz Mehdiyev, the former head of the presidential administration, who was charged in October with attempted “seizure of power,” “high treason” and the “legalisation of property obtained by criminal means.”
Ali Karimli was detained on 29 November after security agents raided his home in Baku after which he was kept incommunicado for two days. Several other APFP members were also detained following searches, including Presidium member Mammad Ibrahim who has been held incommunicado since.
These arrests come amid an intensified crackdown on dissent in Azerbaijan, wherejournalists,academics andopposition figures increasingly face harassment, arbitrary detention and politically motivated prosecutions.
Three-day judicial review of Palestine Action proscription decision concludes today
Thousands have been arrested for peacefully protesting since the ban came into effect
Amnesty International UK and Liberty are intervening in the case
As the three-day judicial review of the UK government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action draws to a close, Kerry Moscogiuri, Amnesty International UK’s Director of Campaigns and Communications, said:
“Amnesty International has been clearthatPalestine Action should never have been proscribed.
“The Government’s banisa disproportionate misuse of the UK’s terrorism powers and breaches articles 10 & 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights – which protect freedom of expression and freedom of assembly and association.
“We have seen the chilling consequences of this decision across the country – with thousands of arrests in recent months. These mass arrests, and the silencing that organisations and individuals have felt, is a clear and frightening example of how the UK is misusingoverly-broad terrorism laws to suppressfree speech.
“Terrorism powers have never been used against what was previously direct-action protest and if this precedent is allowed to stand, it opens up a bleak future for protest rights in the UK.”
Millions of people have been affected by devastating flash-floods and landslides, across West Sumatra, North Sumatra, and Aceh. Around 700 people have been killed, and these numbers are expected to rise as responders gain access to remote areas. Oxfam’s prospective affiliate in Indonesia, Penabulu, have been assessing needs and are working with local authorities and other partner organisations to respond.
Dwi Aris Subakti, Humanitarian Sector Lead at Penabulu, said: “While the full picture of devastation remains unclear, we know the immediate needs are immense. Families are having to shelter under tarpaulins or in damaged homes with collapsed walls and roofing, while floodwaters have contaminated wells, forcing people to rely on unsafe sources of water.
“Many of the hardest-hit locations remain inaccessible due to destroyed bridges, blocked roads, and disruptions to electricity and mobile connectivity. Some areas can only be reached by helicopter or small aircraft, which is massively hindering the delivery of essential relief supplies.
“We are also concerned about increased protection needs, with overcrowded evacuation sites, lack of privacy, inadequate lighting, and limited sanitation facilities significantly increasing the risks of gender-based violence.”
Since the current Israeli government took office in December 2022, the authorities have intensified their policies aimed at displacing Palestinians in parts of the occupied West Bank known as Area C which is under Israeli control. These efforts have surged following the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023 and Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
In the Northern Jordan Valley, these policies—coupled with escalating settler violence—have displaced dozens of Palestinian communities and threaten hundreds more. Here Palestinian farmer Rasheed Khudeiri, an activist with the Jordan Valley Solidarity Campaign, describes residents’ daily struggle to remain on their land, the impact on their family and livelihood, and their unwavering resilience in the face of systemic efforts to uproot them.
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I have lived in Bardala since 1982. Bardala, like other nearby Palestinian communities, has always been a village with a strong community spirit. In 1965, after the Israeli water company Mekorot drilled several wells nearby across the line separating Israel from the Occupied Palestinian Territory. They drained the natural water springs we depended on, so local residents met and decided to dig an artesian well. The village could not afford to pay for workers, so everyone chipped in – some did the digging, others fed the workers or offered them a place to stay, and so on. It was a beautiful example of collective effort and the well revived our agriculture. However, in 1973, six years after the Israel occupied the territory, Mekorot took over the village’s well and made an agreement to sell water to the village residents while discounting the expenses of pumping the water.
Things changed further in 1993, when the water company dug three new wells inside Bardala but did not provide water to cover the village residents’ needs. As a farmers’ village, we find it hard to sustain our agriculture without access to water. Israel controls the water, supplying it to settlements abundantly, and preventing it from being supplied to Palestinian communities. Only last month, I lost 10,000 kilos of muloukhiyya (jute) crops. The water supply was cut off, and I couldn’t water my plants. Not only are our plants thirsty, so are we. It is a clear policy of discrimination.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –
In a video message opening the conference, Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency said, “First, nuclear energy depends on trust, and this trust is earned through robust, science-based emergency preparedness and response. Public confidence hinges on people knowing that authorities are prepared and seeing them act effectively when it matters most. Nuclear safety, security and emergency preparedness must come first, and must be credible and transparent.”
In her opening address, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security Karine Herviou said, “Preparedness is not about responding to yesterday’s risks, but about building robust and adaptive systems that continue to function when several of the conditions we take for granted fail at once.”
“This conference stands as a testament to the Kingdom’s unwavering commitment to advancing the peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology, while upholding the highest standards of safety, security, and preparedness,” said Dr. Khalid Aleissa, Chief Executive Officer of the Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission (NRRC) and President of the Conference. “Through the integration of emerging technologies, the exchange of practical experience, and deeper collaboration with the IAEA and our international partners, we collectively enhance global resilience in nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness and response.”
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –
Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
16/2025
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission (NRRC) of Saudi Arabia will host the International Conference on Nuclear and Radiological Emergencies: Building the Future in an Evolving World from 1 to 4 December 2025 at the Hilton Riyadh Hotel and Residences, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The conference, which is open to the media, will bring together policymakers, regulators, emergency responders from more than 100 countries as well as international organizations and six international bodies to discuss how emergency preparedness and response (EPR) can adapt to new technologies, emerging threats, and increasingly complex risk environments. The event will also be livestreamed on the conference website.
The opening ceremony on Monday, 1 December, will feature opening remarks by IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi (video statement), and the Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, Karine Herviou, Dr Khaled Aleissa, President of the NRRC and Conference Chair, and Dr Abel González, Advisor to Argentina’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ARN) and Conference Vice-President.
Conference discussions will explore a wide range of topics, including:
Artificial intelligence and digital innovation in emergency management;
Preparedness for new reactor concepts, including floating and mobile reactors;
Decision-making under uncertainty and coordination across international response frameworks; and
Medical response to nuclear and radiological emergencies.
Side Events and Exhibition Highlights
The programme will be further enhanced by side events offering broader context and engagement opportunities:
Women in Nuclear: Showcasing the leadership and experience of women across the EPR community, this session highlights achievements, challenges, and opportunities to promote equality of opportunity in emergency response (01 December 2025, 1600-1730 AST, Side Room A)
Connecting Generations in EPR: An interactive session bridging generations of experts, where seasoned professionals and young responders share “lessons from the field,” mentor future leaders, and invite participants to reflect creatively on their role in shaping EPR in 2030 (Tuesday, 2 December 2025, 1600-1730 AST, Side Room B)
Lessons Learned from ConvEx-3 2025: Focusing on lessons learned from the world’s largest full-scale nuclear emergency exercise – which took place in June 2025 – this event will explore how international coordination, innovation, and digital tools improve preparedness. (Wednesday, 3 December 2025, 1100-1230 AST, Main Room)
In parallel, a technical exhibition will feature emerging technologies and innovations that enhance assessment, response, monitoring, and communication during nuclear and radiological emergencies. Participating exhibitors will include governments, research institutes, and private-sector partners.
Accreditation
All journalists interested in covering the conference in person should contact the NRRC Media Office at Akhoudri@nrrc.gov.sa or talmussallam@nrrc.gov.sa for accreditation and logistical information.
Please send your name, organization, and press credentials to the email addresses listed below by 28 November.
For interview requests and further information, contact:
Jakarta, 2 December 2025. Greenpeace Indonesia offers its condolences over the devastating floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, which claimed the lives of more than 600 people, left hundreds missing, and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Given the enormous scale of the impact, Greenpeace joins others in urging the government to immediately designate this flood as a national disaster and to deploy rapid and appropriate disaster assistance.
“The enormous floods that hit Sumatra should be the final warning for President Prabowo Subianto’s administration to totally overhaul its forest governance, environmental and climate policies. The great flood signifies one thing: the unavoidable impact of the climate crisis and environmental destruction that has been allowed to worsen for years,” said Arie Rompas, Head of the Forest Campaign Team at Greenpeace Indonesia.
The impact of the climate crisis is evident in increasingly extreme weather, including heavy rain exacerbated by the occurrence of Tropical Cyclone Senyar on November 25-27, 2025, in the Malacca Strait.[1] According to the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the presence of Tropical Cyclone Senyar in the Malacca Strait, impacting the Sumatran mainland at Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, is an extremely rare phenomenon given the area’s position within about five degrees of the equator.
“Extreme downpours will continue to haunt us as a direct consequence of the climate crisis. As an archipelagic country prone to disasters, the impact of the climate crisis isn’t just numbers; it threatens lives. We need ambitious climate targets and action. We can no longer rely on mitigation and adaptation efforts that exist only on paper. There can be no more false solutions (such as biofuels) in national climate policy, it must shift from benefiting a few to ensuring livability for all,” said Iqbal Damanik, Climate and Energy Campaign Manager for Greenpeace Indonesia.
The second factor triggering the massive impact of the Sumatra floods is forest destruction, including in upstream river catchment areas. Greenpeace analysis based on Ministry of Forestry data found that during the period 1990-2024, much of North Sumatra Province’s natural forest was converted into palm oil plantations, dryland agriculture, and pulpwood plantations. A similar situation occurred in Aceh and West Sumatra.
Logging of natural forests on a vast scale to make way for industrial plantations is a major cause of slope instability and flooding. Seen are stockpiles of rainforest logs at the Indah Kiat Perawang pulp mill in Sumatera.
Sapta Ananda Proklamasi, a senior researcher for Greenpeace Indonesia said, “The majority of river catchment areas on Sumatra Island are in critical condition, enjoying natural forest cover of less than 25 percent. Meanwhile, overall, only 10-14 million hectares of natural forest remain, which is less than 30 percent of Sumatra Island’s 47 million hectare area.”
One of the severely damaged river basins is the Batang Toru catchment, which covers North Tapanuli, South Tapanuli, and Central Tapanuli Regencies. One of the last tropical forest areas in North Sumatra, it is burdened with various land-hungry industries, including the Batang Toru Hydropower Plant, which besides destroying forest, also displaces the slender remaining habitat of the newly identified Tapanuli orangutan species. The following are some data points on the Batang Toru catchment:
Between 1990 and 2022, 70 thousand hectares or 21 percent of the catchment area underwent deforestation. Now only 49 percent remains forested.
Areas licensed for extractive and land-based industries cover 94 thousand hectares, making up 28 percent of the total catchment area. Most of this consists of permits for forestry, mining, and palm oil.
Estimated total annual erosion potential is severe at 31.6 million tons, with approximately 56 percent of the catchment prone to annual erosion rates of over 180 tons per hectare.
The upstream section has been converted into dryland agriculture, while the downstream section has been converted into oil palm plantations. The remaining natural forest is primarily located in the middle section of the Batang Toru catchment.
The Indonesian government must seriously overhaul its overall land and forest governance policies to save nature and the public from climate-driven disasters. With the climate crisis worsening, deforestation and drastically reduced environmental capacity will guarantee increased devastation during extreme weather events.
“The government must admit that they have been wrong in their forest and land governance. As a result of corporate greed and government mismanagement, Sumatra’s once-great forests are severely depleted, and now the people of Sumatra face the unbearable cost of this ecological disaster. Prabowo and some of his ministers have indeed touched upon deforestation, but they seem to imply that the forest damage in Sumatra is due to illegal logging. In fact, besides illegal logging, massive deforestation for industry is legalized by the state, from one administration to the next,” said Arie Rompas.
“In addition to evaluating permits in Sumatra, the government must also halt forest destruction in other regions. Halt the forest destruction occurring in Raja Ampat and other small islands hollowed out by nickel mining, as well as massive planned deforestation in Merauke, West Papua, under the false guise of biofuel production and industrial agriculture estates. The 8 percent economic growth that Prabowo aspires to will never be achieved if the environment is trashed and climate disasters threaten us all.”
Note to editors: [1] The IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C says that even relatively small incremental increases in global warming (+0.5°C) cause statistically significant changes in extremes on the global scale. In particular, this is the case for temperature extremes, and the intensification of heavy precipitation including that associated with tropical cyclones.
Media Contacts: Igor O’Neill, Greenpeace Indonesia, [email protected] +61 414-288-424 Arie Rompas, Greenpeace Indonesia, +62 811-5200-822
