May 22 is International Day for Biological Diversity. As the global community is called to re-examine its relationship to the natural world, one thing is certain: despite all our technological advances we are completely dependent on healthy and vibrant ecosystems for our water, food, medicines, clothes, fuel, shelter and energy, just to name a few. The 2020 theme “Our solutions are in nature” emphasizes hope, solidarity and the importance of working together at all levels to build a future of life in harmony with nature.

On April 28, the UN World Day for Safety and Health at Work will focus on the enormous challenges facing governments, employers, workers and their organizations as they try to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and protect safety and health at work. Beyond the immediate crisis, there are also concerns about resuming activity in a manner that sustains progress made in suppressing transmission.

Here are some experts from McGill University that can provide comment on this issue:

To avoid a contested convention and block the path of Sen. Bernie Sanders to the Democratic U.S. presidential nomination, the field of contenders needed to get smaller and the vote of Democratic moderates had to coalesce behind one candidate – in less than a week, both of those requirements have now been fulfilled. Former vice-president Joe Biden's stunning performance in the Super Tuesday primaries not only resurrected his foundering third attempt for the U.S.

The U.S. government began outlining its extradition case against Julian Assange in a London court on February 24, arguing that the WikiLeaks founder is not a free-speech champion but an "ordinary" criminal who put many lives at risk with his secret-spilling. U.S. authorities want to try Assange on espionage charges that carry a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison over the 2010 publication of hundreds of thousands of secret military documents and diplomatic cables. (CBC News)

The Iowa Democratic Party says it will release some results of Monday night’s caucuses Tuesday afternoon, blaming inconsistencies in reporting for the delay. Many of the candidates have already moved on to New Hampshire, which holds its primaries in a week. (Washington Post)

Here is a McGill expert who can comment on this topic:

Boris Johnson has set out his vision for a trade deal with the EU, saying there is "no need" for the UK to follow Brussels' rules. The PM called for a Canada-style free trade deal, saying the UK would return to the Withdrawal Agreement if such a deal was not reached. (BBC)

The McGill experts who can talk about this subject are:

Brian Cowan, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Early Modern British History, Department of History and Classical Studies