NEWS SHORTS

UAE oil chief urged to quit as COP28 chair

Climate campaigners have condemned the appointment of the UAE state oil company’s CEO as chair of COP28 climate talks in Dubai in November, calling on him to step down.

Memory Kachambwa of the African Women Development & Communication Network called the appointment “an insult to the collective wisdom of everyone committed to addressing the climate crisis.”.

French 'insurrection' over attack on pension age

An estimated two million people took to the streets of France in January to oppose efforts to raise the retirement age by two years to 64. Transport, schools and the energy sector were all heavily affected by the second day of industrial action, as 250 protests against the changes took place across the country.

MST pledges to keep up fight under President Lula

The Brazilian Landless Workers Movement (MST) has pledged to continue mobilising to help President Lula deliver on his agenda, following the defeat of Jair Bolsonaro in October’s elections and the failed coup attempt in January by his supporters. “We know that without popular mobilisation there will be no real change in the country”, it said.