Migrant encounters at US-Mexico border are at a 21-year high

Issued on: 25/10/2021 - 

The Border Patrol made about 1.66 million arrests of migrants crossing the US-Mexico border illegally since the begining of 2021, the highest annual number ever recorded in 20 years, according to figures released Friday by US Customs and Border Protection. FRANCE 24's Fanny Allard and Kethevane Gorjestani reports from the Rio Grande Region.

UK climate protesters restart traffic-blocking tactics

Climate activists from Insulate Britain are pulled from the 

street during a demonstration in central London D

ANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS AF


Issued on: 25/10/2021 

London (AFP)

Insulate Britain, a new group whose campaigners have repeatedly blocked roads and motorways in and around the capital, targeted three locations including the Canary Wharf and City of London financial districts.

The activists, who want the government to insulate all British homes starting with social housing, began their disruptive demonstrations last month but temporarily suspended them in mid-October to give themselves and the public "a break".

The restart of their protests, which have infuriated drivers and led to some confrontations, comes as the UK prepares to host the UN COP26 climate summit in the Scottish city Glasgow later this week.

"3 locations across the city of London are currently blocked by #InsulateBritain," the group said on Twitter.

  

Insulate Britain is a new group whose campaigners have repeatedly blocked roads and motorways in and around London 

DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS AFP

"We demand a meaningful statement that the government shall insulate the UK housing stock," it added.

"Why should we wait until millions have lost their homes, are fighting for water or starving to death?"

Police, which responded to Monday's renewed protests, have arrested hundreds of Insulate Britain activists -- with some people detained several times -- since they began the demonstrations on September 13.

The government has meanwhile secured court injunctions leaving activists facing court summons and possible imprisonment or an unlimited fine if they block some motorways.

But the group, which has demanded ministers produce within four months a legally-binding and funded national plan to retrofit all homes by 2030, has vowed to continue its campaign.

The government last week outlined more detailed plans to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, but was accused by climate campaigners of lacking the necessary ambition in many areas -- including home insulation.

© 2021 AFP

Climate change now worse than war for Afghan farmers

Desperate to feed their families, people in a remote Afghan district have been forced to sell their livestock, flee their villages and even sell their daughters into marriage Hoshang Hashimi AFP


Bala Murghab (Afghanistan) (AFP)

As the world watched the Taliban wage a stunning offensive that ended in the rapid collapse of the country's western-backed government, a longer-term crisis was building.

In desperate attempts to feed their families, herders have been forced to sell their livestock, farmers to flee their villages and parents to sell their daughters into marriage at ever younger ages.

"The last time I saw rain was last year, and there wasn't much," Mullah Fateh, head of the Haji Rashid Khan village in Bala Murghab.

Communities cling to life in small clusters of mud-brick homes among an endless ocean of rolling brown hills in this corner of Badghis province -- where 90 percent of the 600,000-strong population live off livestock or fields, according to humanitarian agency ACTED.

"We sold sheep to buy food, others died of thirst," Fateh told AFP.

When the first of two recent droughts hit in 2018, he had 300 sheep, but as the latest dry spell bites, he's down to 20.

On Monday, UN agencies said more than 22 million Afghans will suffer "acute food insecurity" this winter, warning the unstable country faces one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

The UN has said more than 22 million Afghans will suffer 'acute food insecurity' this winter, warning the country faces one of the world's worst humanitarian crises 

Hoshang Hashimi AFP

Aid-dependent Afghanistan, which has spent decades trapped in cycles of war, has borne the sixth hardest blow from climate change, driven by greenhouse emissions such as CO2, according to a study by environmental group Germanwatch.

An Afghan lifestyle causes 0.2 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year, compared to 15 from the average American, World Bank figures show.

As predicted, one of the devastating effects has been a drop in rainfall in northern Afghanistan.

Rise in child marriage

When Mullah Fateh needs to fetch water, he sends young boys and men on a day-long trip with a donkey. This year, he said, two young shepherds died of thirst in the hills.

The thirst attacks not just the body, but family bonds.

This year 20 families in Haji Rashid Khan village, which has no school and no clinic, sold their very young daughters into marriage, to raise money for food.

"The rest of the children were hungry and thirsty," explained Bibi Yeleh, a mother of seven whose 15-year-old daughter is already married and whose seven-year-old will soon follow.

If the drought continues, she said, a two and a five-year-old will be next, to be handed over to the groom's family when they are older.

Around 45 of roughly 165 families in the village and tens of thousands across the province have been displaced this year into miserable camps on the outskirts of larger towns.

Even there, food is hard to come by, and some take desperate risks.

"Families stay, but the men need to go to look for work in Iran or beyond, some die on the road," says Musanmill Abdullah, 28, who lives with his family in another Badghis village.

The community is named after his father, Haji Jamal, and Abdullah is a member of the Taliban, the movement which should be celebrating its victory in the civil war.

But military and political success in Kabul has done little to help Badghis.

Communities cling to life in small clusters of mud-brick homes among an endless ocean of rolling brown hills in this corner of Badghis province

 Hoshang Hashimi AFP

"The fields are ruined, the animals have nothing. Over the past two years, six people died of hunger," the elder man, Haji Jamal, said.

"The jerry cans we use to gather water have worn through and we can't afford to replace them."

Neighbour Lal Bibi said as desperation grows, the "women and children are alone, and in danger".

Aid flow disrupted

Few of the local people have heard of climate change, but the UN report warned that annual droughts in several Afghan regions will "probably become the norm" by 2030.

The Taliban has not yet been recognised by foreign governments and has been frozen out of Afghanistan's financial reserves, held mainly in the US, with the flow of aid also disrupted.

Regional representatives of the new Taliban government said there is little they can do.

"The Emirate hasn't got a lot of money. Our plans are linked to the international community," admitted Abdul Hakim Haghyar of the Badghis province refugees office.

Some international NGOs are still operating and foreign governments have promised humanitarian aid if it can be routed to the people -- but the Taliban remain under sanctions.

In the camps for displaced farmers, matters have become desperate. When nine-year-old Bashir Ahmad's father sold his last livestock, the young boy got a job scavenging for discarded cans and bottles.

Among the rubbish, he found an unexploded munition. It detonated and he lost two fingers on one hand, three on another. Now he lies by his dad, his hands in bandages, a new burden to bear.

© 2021 AFP

Climate change: Italian beekeepers' heavy losses in Sicily

This year’s UN climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, marks the 26th time since 1995 that world leaders have gathered to confront global warming. On this occasion FRANCE 24 will broadcast a series of special reports on global warming. For the first episode, we head to the Italian island of Sicily where increasingly hot summers are wreaking havoc on the agricultural sector. Beekeepers have been particularly hard hit this summer, as our correspondent in Italy, Natalia Mendoza, explains in this report.

Industrial explosion left fire crews battling blaze at crude oil tank farm northeast of Edmonton

An industrial explosion at a crude oil tank farm took place Saturday afternoon at SECURE Energy's Elk Point facility northeast of Edmonton.

© Courtesy: Lakeland Connect/Arthur Craig Green Tank farm fire northeast of Edmonton.

Chris Chacon 17 hr

"Talking to some of the local people, they heard the percussion. Some of them felt the percussion when it happened," Two Hills County Reeve Don Gulayec said.

Gulayec said more than 35 firefighters from several departments along with RCMP and EMS initially responded.

The county also cut off the natural gas and electricity to the site.

"Basically, you're dealing with a tank farm that holds hydrocarbon material, and they are all on fire. It's huge. The thing is you don't know what the potential for an explosion or things like that are," Gulayec said.

Gulayec said experts in industrial explosions were brought in to suppress and control the fire. The Alberta Energy Regulator and an agency to monitor the air quality were also on site. As a precaution, people living nearby were evacuated from their homes.

"There were no fatalities. Some people were hurt from what I gather, but the extent of their injuries is unknown at this time," Gulayec said.

In a statement to Global News, Secure Energy said: "At appropriately 2:35 p.m. MST on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, a fire started at SECURE Energy's Elk Point facility. Our emergency response plan was immediately initiated, which included contacting local emergency authorities."

"All employees are safe and accounted for. The fire is out, and we are working with all appropriate authorities to investigate the cause. The safety of our employees, the public and the environment remain our top priority."

Gulayec said in the end, he is proud of the many men and women who volunteered to help battle this blaze.

"It was a big fire for our area," Gulayec said.

Fury as Tory MPs vote to allow water companies to dump raw sewage into Britain's rivers and seas

MPs voted to allow water companies to dump raw sewage into rivers and seas

Just 22 Conservatives rebelled against the Government on Wednesday

Amendment to bill sought to stop companies pumping raw sewage in waterways

Last year, raw sewage was discharged into waters more than 400,000 times

By JACK WRIGHT FOR MAILONLINE
 UPDATED: 04:25 EDT, 25 October 2021

MPs are facing a backlash after voting against amending a bill to stop water companies dumping raw sewage into Britain's rivers and seas.

Just 22 Conservatives rebelled against the Government last week by voting for an amendment to the Environment Bill which sought to place a legal duty on water companies not to pump sewage into rivers.

Sewage pollution is a key component of what MPs have heard is a chemical cocktail of pollutants going into rivers, with raw sewage being discharged into waters more than 400,000 times last year.

It coes seven weeks after wastewater plants were told by the government they may dispose of sewage not fully treated due to a shortage of chemicals caused by the lorry driver crisis.

The amendment, introduced in the House of Lords by the Duke of Wellington, would have also forced water companies and the Government to 'take all reasonable steps' to avoid using the combined sewer overflows, which regularly release untreated waste into rivers and seas.

Campaign groups including Surfers Against Sewage said it was crucial to ensure action to tackle sewage pollution started now.

But Environment Secretary George Eustice recommended MPs reject amendments to the bill, just days before Boris Johnson hosts world leaders at the Cop26 climate change summit in Glasgow.

The vote caused a huge backlash on social media, with Twitter users posting images of the MPs who shot down the amendment.


MPs have voted against amending a bill to stop water companies dumping raw sewage into Britain's rivers and seas (stock image)


This map from The Rivers Trust shows where sewage enters local rivers. The trust advises people to avoid entering the water immediately downstream of these discharges and avoid the overflows (brown circles), especially after it has been raining


This map from Surfers Against Sewage, part of its Safer Seas and Rivers Service, tracks real-time combined sewage overflows and pollution risk forecasts, and monitors the water quality at over 400 locations around UK rivers and coastlines



A close-up of the Surfers Against Sewage map shows where swimming is advised against on a stretch of the south coast

+6



Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a visit to the Covid vaccine centre at the Little Venice Sports Centre in west London, on October 22, 2021















The vote caused a huge backlash on social media, with Twitter users posting images of the MPs who shot down the amendment

One person questioned: 'What sort of person votes to allow water companies to pump raw sewage into our water?'

Supply chain issues affect levels of sewage treatment chemicals

Wastewater plants were told by the government last month that they may dispose of sewage not fully treated due to a shortage of chemicals caused by the lorry driver crisis.

Some of the chemicals used in the sewage treatment process became one of the products left in short supply by the driver shortage, caused by a combination of Brexit and the Covid pandemic.

Plants were told they may dispose of effluent not fully treated because of disruption caused by 'supply chain failure' in a regulatory position statement issued at the start of September.

The statement came from the Environment Agency, which introduced a waiver that would allow some companies to bypass the third stage in the treatment process if they are not in possession of the right chemicals.

Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) said the waiver specifically related to a shortage of ferric sulphate, an acidic solution used to suppress the growth of algae.

The government agency said the regulatory position statement (RPS) would apply until the end of the year, after which companies would required a permit in order to continue the practice.

Another wrote: 'I just emailed me MP asking her to outline the benefits of raw sewage being dumped into our waterways.'

A government source told MailOnline: 'Tory MPs have categorically not voted to allow water companies to dump raw sewage into our rivers and seas. The provisions in the Environment Bill will deliver progressive reductions in the harm caused by storm overflows. The Environment Bill requires us to set a target to drive progress on water quality, and we are already taking significant action to address water quality more widely. Claims to the contrary are simply wrong.'

The measure is now set to return to the Lords on Tuesday, where peers are expected to send it back to the Commons later next week - possibly on Thursday - and force another vote among MPs.

The Duke of Wellington, a crossbench peer, said he believed the amendment would stimulate investment in improving the systems, which date back decades and are in severe need of upgrades.

It comes as figures collected by charity the Rivers Trust show that all of England's rivers are currently failing to pass cleanliness tests, with 53 per cent of them in a poor state at least partly because of water companies releasing raw and partially-treated sewage.

In England, just 14 per cent of rivers have good ecological status and none have good chemical status because water companies are currently allowed to release raw sewage into rivers and seas as part of a 'combined sewer overflow', a legacy of Britain's Victorian drainage system, The Telegraph reported.

This means rainwater and liquid waste are combined in the same tanks and overflows into waterways as an escape valve, rather than backing up into homes and streets.

Among those campaigning to clean up British waterways is former Undertones singer Feargal Sharkey, who last year announced plans to start legal action over the Environment Agency's management of England's rivers.

Last year, raw sewage was discharged into waters more than 400,000 times. Pictured: Pollution in the Jubilee River at Eton Wick, Berkshire last year

He previously said: 'As a nation, we're going to have to face a very simple situation. Do we want our rivers full of our own human waste?

Hertfordshire's River Mimram turns PURPLE with pollution, just hours after environment ministers posed in front of it to announce plans to protect and restore England's rare chalk streams

River Mimram in Hertfordshire turned purple with pollution, just hours after environment ministers posed in front of it over plans to restore rare chalk streams.

When environment Minister, Rebecca Pow and members of the Chalk Stream Restoration Group visited the river, it was a clear looking stream.

Not long after they left, the chalk stream, that runs through North Hertfordshire from Hertford, turned a shade of purple, according to pop star and clean river campaigner Feargal Sharkey, who shared an image of the stream on Twitter.

Campaigners said this highlights the dire state of Britain's rivers, where 53 per cent are in a poor state, and only 14 per cent are in 'good ecological condition.'

The Environment Agency said the river had already returned to normal when it returned to investigate, and found no evidence of any harm to fish from the incident.

They can't say what caused it to turn purple, but campaigners speculate it could be anything from an algae bloom to dyes seeping into water from industry.

'The truth is, unfortunately, there's been a long term issue about failure of regulatory oversight, lack of political leadership, most of that, driven by concerns about the price of water, and now we've reached the situation through incompetence that every river is now basically full of sewage.'

In April this year, MPs were told that water companies poured raw sewage into rivers for three million hours last year, while paying shareholders billions in dividend payments.

The environmental audit committee heard that the huge Mogden treatment plant sent the equivalent of 400 Olympic swimming pools worth of raw effluent into the Thames over two days last autumn.

Sewage is allowed to be discharged only during periods of heavy rain, but Mr Sharkey told MPs the River Chess and Chesham plant in Buckinghamshire 'was discharging sewage for 35 days, one continuous discharge'.

Peter Hammond, retired former professor of computational biology at University College London, said his analysis of sewage treatment works had found 160 breaches of permits granted by the EA to allow sewage discharges.

He said the watchdog has only prosecuted 174 cases of illegal discharges in the last decade.

'My research has found that many of the treatment works do not continue to treat a minimum rate of sewage when they are spilling and many of these illegal spills are not identified by the EA,' Hammond told MPs on the environmental audit committee.

'My research found 160 breaches of permits in 2020. I believe they are in order of magnitude that I think is 10 times more … than the agency have identified.'

The EA revealed there were 403,171 spills of sewage leaked into England's rivers and seas in 2020 due to 'storm overflows'. It also said that there were more than 3.1 million hours of spillages in 2020.

The data was published 'proactively' for the first time as part of a pledge to increase transparency around the issue.

US Pacific Northwest deluged with rain, snow due to ‘Bomb Cyclone’

Two people killed in greater Seattle; heavy rain and snow pound alil major cities of California, Washington and Oregon, recently plagued with wildfire

 By DTE Staff

Published: Monday 25 October 20

 The 'Bomb Cyclone' off the US Pacific Northwest. Photo: @NWSWPC / Twitte

The United States Pacific Northwest, consisting of the states of Washington, Oregon and California, has been deluged with rain and snow as a ‘bomb cyclone’ took effect and unleashed a storm October 24, 2021.

The USA Today daily reported that over 160,000 homes and businesses in California, more than 170,000 in Washington and over 28,000 in Oregon had been left without power October 24 due to the extreme weather.

USA Today further reported that the storm had been most severe in the northern and central portions of California and parts of southern Oregon. Two people were killed when a tree fell on a vehicle in the greater Seattle area.

Almost all the big cities of the US west coast including Seattle, those in the San Francisco Bay Area, including San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland and San Rafael as well as the capital of California, Sacramento, received heavy rain. In fact, Sacramento was well on its way to breaking a precipitation record.

USA Today quoted Jon Porter, a meteorologist, as saying that a bomb cyclone forms when air pressure rapidly drops as the storm explosively strengthens. The bomb cyclone has been pulling deep tropical moisture from the Pacific, creating an “atmospheric river”, according to Porter.

He described the river as a “firehose of moisture in the sky” capable of unleashing intense rain and mountain snow.

American climate scientist Daniel Swain expressed amazement at the bomb cyclone as seen in satellite photographs.

California and the Pacific Northwest of North America are witnessing the rain after having been through a brutal heatwave this summer.

The rain and snow are expected to extinguish the various wildfires that have been burning in California since the summer. These include the Caldor fire that started August 14 in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, east of Sacramento and had burned 221,775 acres till October 24. The fire has now been contained, according to reports

However, the fires created another problem in the lead-up to the bomb cyclone. They had stripped a large part of the landscape of foliage, stripping the ground naked. Experts had predicted that such burnt areas would be more prone to mudlsides.

Several parts of California, including the Santa Cruz mountains and parts of western Santa Barbara county, had instated evacuation orders because of their proximity to burnt areas.

In photos: Drought-ravaged 

California lashed by major storm

Rebecca Falconer


Workers try to divert water into drains as rain pours down on Oct. 24 in Marin City, California. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A major storm system was pummeling Northern California and parts of the Pacific Northwest with heavy rains overnight.

The big picture: The "atmospheric river" storms, associated with a record-strong "bomb cyclone" offshore from the Pacific Northwest, have brought flooding and mudslides to parts of California that were razed by recent wildfires and in severe drought. It's also caused widespread power outages in California and Washington state.

A pedestrian walks on a flooded street on October 24, 2021, in Kentfield, California. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Tree workers cut up a tree that fell across a road in Ross, California, on Oct. 24. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The swollen San Anselmo creek touches the bottom of businesses on October 24, 2021, in San Anselmo, California. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images  

A truck driving through a flooded street in Mill Valley, California, on Oct. 24. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Image

"Atmospheric river" swings Northern California from drought to flood

Rebecca Falconer, Andrew Freedman


Satellite view of the bomb cyclone swirling off the coast of the Pacific Northwest and the atmospheric river affecting California on Oct. 24.

 Photo: CIRA/RAMMB

A series of powerful "atmospheric river" storms are delivering historic amounts of rainfall across parts of drought-stricken California and the Pacific Northwest.

Why it matters: The atmospheric river, packing large amounts of moisture, was causing Northern California to whiplash from drought to flood, as it slowly moved south overnight. It's triggered widespread power outages, flooding and mudslides.

The storm system claimed the lives of two people in Washington state after a tree fell on a vehicle amid powerful winds Sunday.

Threat level: The storm is associated with a record-strong "bomb cyclone" off the Pacific Northwest, which was forecast to remain at sea. But it's bringing wind gusts of up to 60-70 mph and greater than 40-foot waves off the coasts of northern California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.
A bomb cyclone refers to a non-tropical storm whose pressure drops at least 24mb in 24 hrs. This one more than doubled that rate, and is likely to become the strongest low-pressure area on record off the coast of the Pacific Northwest.

Widespread flooding was reported in the San Francisco Bay area amid potentially record rainfall.
The atmospheric river in this region was elevated to a Category 5 — the highest level on a scale based on strength and duration, per the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

By the numbers: Over 116,000 customers had lost power in California and 72,000 others in Washington state were also without electricity early Monday, according to utility tracking site poweroutage.us.

The big picture: The storm was hitting with historic intensity, dumping 8-10 inches of rain across the region Sunday — and has already triggered potentially life-threatening flash floods and mudslides near the Dixie Fire and Calder Fire burn scars, per the National Weather Service.
Other burn areas during the devastating fire seasons from 2018 to 2021 were also under flash flood warning.

Evacuation orders were announced for the Santa Cruz Mountains ahead of the storm's expected arrival early Monday amid concerns the rain could cause debris flows in the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burn scar.

Tho NWS warned residents near burn scars in Sacramento to be prepared to evacuate if ordered to do so, noting that in some areas it may be too late for evacuation and residents should shelter in the highest parts of their homes.

California's Department of Transportation said mudslides in Colusa and Yolo counties caused state highways 16 and 20 to close.

Of note: Sacramento, which just experienced its longest dry spell ever recorded, after breaking a record set in 1880, saw 5.44 inches of rainfall by Sunday evening.

This broke the all-time record for the city's highest 24-hour rainfall total, the NWS Sacramento office noted in a statement.

Reno, Nev., meanwhile, set a new October rainfall record, with 2.82 inches of rainfall by 5 a.m. PDT Monday. That includes 2.59 inches of rain that fell in the past 24 hours, according to NWS Reno.
The previous October record was set in 2010 when 2.65 inches of rain fell in the city.
"The rain hasn't ended!" NWS Reno tweeted Monday.

Between the lines: That turnaround marks an example of the extremes that are known to buffet California, with precipitation going from "feast to famine" and back again — except the odds are stacked even further in favor of extremes now with climate change.

Yes, but: The extreme rainfall won't be enough to end the drought for most places, though it will help.
Not all of California was forecast to be hit by this rainfall, and fire season was set to continue in the south part of the state.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

Strongest Storm In a Quarter Century, In a Century? Bomb Cyclone Surpasses Bay Area Predictions, Causes Havoc All Over

While meteorologists on Sunday morning were still predicting large, but not record-breaking rain totals, a storm system rolled in off the Pacific and pummeled the Bay Area with way more rain than most of us were expecting, causing flooded roads, neighborhoods, and more.

It seems to be a story that fits with the climate-change narratives about extreme weather that defies historical precedent. And Sunday's "bomb cyclone" and atmospheric river event, centered off the Pacific around the Alaska and and Pacific Northwestern coast, looked a lot more like the Category 3 and 4 hurricanes that we've watched from afar drenching the South and the eastern seaboard.

While meteorologists had predicted that the North Bay and San Francisco would see the heaviest rains earlier in the day Sunday, the weather system actually moved slower toward the south than predicted, leading to more steady rainfall accumulation and a somewhat different storm trajectory Sunday than originally predicted.

This resulted in flooding across most Bay Area counties — and flooding that was not relegated to just extremely low-lying areas. Also, parts of San Francisco, including I-280 where it crosses Mission Street, experienced flooding.

The storm that came to drench Northern California on Sunday continues to break records, and we'll likely still be tallying the numbers well into Monday and Tuesday. But here are are a few:

The San Francisco-based Golden Gate Weather Services, which maintains the Bay Area Storm Index, said Sunday that this was the strongest storm to hit the Bay Area in 26 years.

The area of low pressure on the Pacific Coast that helped create the atmospheric river is being called the deepest in decades.

Just after noon on Sunday, a wind gust was recorded at SFO at 60 miles per hour.

The Russian River in Sonoma County, running at extremely low levels all summer, went from a level of less than 6 feet to over 12 feet at 2 p.m. on Sunday, per the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

Meteorologist Daniel Swain pointed back to his own 2018 article that predicted that more extreme precipitation events like this one were likely to hit the California coast due to climate change — and here, in October, well ahead of the traditional "rainy season", we have one.

In San Francisco, small floods formed throughout the city, including this one in the Outer Richmond that was being battled by residents with brooms.

Climate scientists have continued to try to tell the globe that extreme, unseasonable events likes these are likely to become the norm, even if we still see them as new and abnormal. And parts of the Bay Area are now going through the whiplash of a very tense fire season that gave way to record-setting rain, flooding, mudslides, and a historic and fire-season-ending storm.

It's a lot to take. But welcome to the 2020s

.

 

Timing of climate summit ‘probably worst’: Devi Sridhar

• Chandrashekar
 
• 24 October, 2021

Artists paint a mural on a wall next to the Clydeside Expressway near Scottish Events Centre which will be hosting the COP26 UN Climate Summit later this month, on October 13, 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland. COP26 will officially begin on Sunday October 31 with the procedural opening of negotiations and finish on Monday November 12. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

By: Chandrashekar Bhat

AN Indian American health expert has warned that the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference to be held in Glasgow could potentially risk a spike in coronavirus cases.

Devi Sridhar, professor of global public health at Edinburgh University and member of the Scottish government’s Covid-19 advisory group, said the event where some 25,000 delegates from 200 countries are expected to attend could lead to the spread of the virus.

00:00

/

00:00

According to the Miami-born health expert, the timing of the conference was not right “as we are heading into winter”.

“And (I am) not underplaying at all the significance of climate change, but I’m concerned about the impact of #COP26 in Glasgow on COVID control as we head into winter. Probably worst timing ever in a pandemic”, she tweeted.

Her concerns arise from the fact that the in-person event will be held indoors with less ventilation as windows at the venues will likely be closed to retain heat.

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is among global leaders who will attend the climate summit, also known as COP26 which will be held from October 31 to November 12 under the co-presidency of the United Kingdom and Italy.

Full text: Xi's speech on 50th anniversary of restoration of PRC's seat in UN

CGTN


Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday hailed the restoration of all the rights of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the United Nations (UN) 50 years ago as a victory of the Chinese people and the people from all countries around the world.

President Xi made the remarks in Beijing at a commemorative meeting marking the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the PRC's lawful seat in the UN.

Below is the full text:

Speech by H.E. Xi Jinping

President of the People's Republic of China

At the Conference Marking the 50th Anniversary of the Restoration of the Lawful Seat of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations

October 25, 2021

Your Excellency Secretary-General António Guterres,

Your Excellencies Diplomatic Envoys and Representatives of International Organizations,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friends,

Comrades,

Fifty years ago today, the 26th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted, with an overwhelming majority, Resolution 2758, and the decision was made to restore all rights of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations and to recognize the representatives of the Government of the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations. It was a victory for the Chinese people and a victory for people of the world.

Today, on this special date, we are here to review the past history and look to the future, and that makes our gathering all the more significant.

The restoration of New China's lawful seat in the United Nations was a momentous event for the world and the United Nations. It came as the result of joint efforts of all peace-loving countries that stood up for justice in the world. It marked the return of the Chinese people, or one-fourth of the world's population, back to the UN stage. The importance was significant and far-reaching for both China and the wider world.

On this occasion, I wish to express, on behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, heartfelt gratitude to all countries that co-sponsored and supported UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, and to pay high tribute to all countries and people that stand on the side of justice.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friends,

Comrades,

The past five decades since New China restored its lawful seat in the United Nations have witnessed China's peaceful development and its commitment and dedication to the welfare of all humanity.

— For these 50 years, the Chinese people have demonstrated an untiring spirit and kept to the right direction of China's development amidst changing circumstances, thus writing an epic chapter in the development of China and humanity. Building on achievements in national construction and development since the founding of New China, the Chinese people have started the new historical era of reform and opening-up, and successfully initiated and developed socialism with Chinese characteristics. We have continued to unleash and develop productivity and raise living standards, and achieved a historic breakthrough of leaping from a country with relatively low productivity to the second largest economy in the world. Through much hard work, the Chinese people have attained the goal of fully building a moderately prosperous society on the vast land of China, and won the battle against poverty, thus securing a historic success in eradicating absolute poverty. We have now embarked on a new journey toward fully building a modern socialist country and opened up bright prospects for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

— For these 50 years, the Chinese people have stood in solidarity and cooperation with people around the world and upheld international equity and justice, contributing significantly to world peace and development. The Chinese people are peace-loving people and know well the value of peace and stability. We have unswervingly followed an independent foreign policy of peace, stood firm for fairness and justice, and resolutely opposed hegemony and power politics. The Chinese people are a strong supporter of other developing countries in their just struggle to safeguard sovereignty, security and development interests. The Chinese people are committed to achieving common development. From the Tazara Railway to the Belt and Road Initiative, we have done what we could to help other developing countries, and have offered the world new opportunities through our own development. During the trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic, China has been active in sharing COVID response experience with the world, and has sent large quantities of supplies, vaccines and medicines to other countries, and deeply engaged in science-based cooperation on COVID-19 origins tracing, all in a sincere and proactive effort to contribute to humanity's final victory over the pandemic.

— For these 50 years, the Chinese people have upheld the authority and sanctity of the United Nations and practiced multilateralism, and China's cooperation with the United Nations has deepened steadily. China has faithfully fulfilled its responsibility and mission as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, stayed true to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and upheld the central role of the United Nations in international affairs. China has stood actively for political settlement of disputes through peaceful means. It has sent over 50,000 peacekeepers to UN peacekeeping operations, and is now the second largest financial contributor to both the United Nations and UN peacekeeping operations. China has been among the first of countries to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals. It has taken the lead in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, accounting for over 70 percent of global poverty reduction. China has acted by the spirit of the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and earnestly applied the universality of human rights in the Chinese context. It has blazed a path of human rights development that is consistent with the trend of the times and carries distinct Chinese features, thus making major contribution to human rights progress in China and the international human rights cause.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friends,

Comrades,

The trend of the world, vast and mighty, prospers those who follow it and perishes those who go against it. Over the last 50 years, for all the vicissitudes in the international landscape, the world has remained stable as a whole, thanks to the concerted efforts of people of all countries. The world economy has grown rapidly, and innovation in science and technology has kept breaking new ground. A large number of developing countries have grown stronger, over a billion people have walked out of poverty, and a population of several billion are moving toward modernization.

In the world today, changes unseen in a century are accelerating, and the force for peace, development and progress has continued to grow. It falls upon us to follow the prevailing trend of history, and choose cooperation over confrontation, openness over seclusion, and mutual benefit over zero-sum games. We shall be firm in opposing all forms of hegemony and power politics, as well as all forms of unilateralism and protectionism.

— We should vigorously advocate peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, which are the common values of humanity, and work together to provide the right guiding philosophy for building a better world. Peace and development are our common cause, equity and justice our common aspiration, and democracy and freedom our common pursuit. The world we live in is diverse and colorful. Diversity makes human civilization what it is, and provides a constant source of vitality and driving force for world development. As a Chinese saying goes, "Without achieving the good of one hundred various schools, the uniqueness of one individual cannot be achieved." No civilization in the world is superior to others; every civilization is special and unique to its own region. Civilizations can achieve harmony only through communication, and can make progress only through harmonization. Whether a country's path of development works is judged, first and foremost, by whether it fits the country's conditions; whether it follows the development trend of the times; whether it brings about economic growth, social advancement, better livelihoods and social stability; whether it has the people’s endorsement and support; and whether it contributes to the progressive cause of humanity.

— We should jointly promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, and work together to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity. The human race is an integral community and Earth is our common homeland. No person or country can thrive in isolation. Humanity should overcome difficulties in solidarity and pursue common development in harmony. We should keep moving toward a community with a shared future for mankind, and jointly create a better future. To build a community with a shared future for mankind is not to replace one system or civilization with another. Instead, it is about countries with different social systems, ideologies, histories, cultures and levels of development coming together for shared interests, shared rights and shared responsibilities in global affairs, and creating the greatest synergy for building a better world.

— We should stay committed to mutual benefit and win-win results, and work together to promote economic and social development for the greater benefit of our people. As ancient Chinese observed, "The essence of governance is livelihood; and the essence of livelihood is adequacy." Development and happy lives are the common aspirations of people in all countries. Development is meaningful only when it is for the people's interest, and can sustain only when it is motivated by the people. Countries should put their people front and center, and strive to realize development with a higher level of quality, efficiency, equity, sustainability and security. It is important to resolve the problem of unbalanced and inadequate development, and make development more balanced, coordinated and inclusive. It is also important to strengthen the people's capacity for development, foster a development environment where everyone takes part and has a share, and create a development paradigm where its outcome benefits every person in every country more directly and fairly. Not long ago, at the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly, I proposed a Global Development Initiative with the hope that countries will work together to overcome impacts of COVID-19 on global development, accelerate implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and build a global community of development with a shared future.

— We should step up cooperation, and work together to address the various challenges and global issues facing humanity. The international community is confronted by regional disputes as well as global issues such as terrorism, climate change, cybersecurity and biosecurity. Only with more inclusive global governance, more effective multilateral mechanisms and more active regional cooperation, can these issues be addressed effectively. Climate change is Nature's alarm bell to humanity. Countries need to take concrete actions to protect Mother Nature. We need to encourage green recovery, green production and green consumption, promote a civilized and healthy lifestyle, foster harmony between man and Nature, and let a sound ecology and environment be the inexhaustible source of sustainable development.

— We should resolutely uphold the authority and standing of the United Nations, and work together to practice true multilateralism. Building a community with a shared future for mankind requires a strong United Nations and reform and development of the global governance system. Countries should uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order underpinned by international law and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. International rules can only be made by the 193 UN Member States together, and not decided by individual countries or blocs of countries. International rules should be observed by the 193 UN Member States, and there is and should be no exception. Countries should respect the United Nations, take good care of the UN family, refrain from exploiting the Organization, still less abandoning it at one's will, and make sure that the United Nations plays an even more positive role in advancing humanity's noble cause of peace and development. China will be happy to work with all countries under the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits to explore new ideas and new models of cooperation and keep enriching the practice of multilateralism under new circumstances.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friends,

Comrades,

A review of the past can light the way forward. Standing at a new historical starting point, China will stay committed to the path of peaceful development and always be a builder of world peace. China will stay committed to the path of reform and opening-up and always be a contributor to global development. China will stay committed to the path of multilateralism and always be a defender of the international order.

As an ancient Chinese poem reads, "Green hills immerse in the same cloud and rain. The same moon lights up towns however far away." Let us join hands, stand on the right side of history and the side of human progress, and work tirelessly for the lasting and peaceful development of the world and for building a community with a shared future for mankind!

Thank you.