Climate activists block private jets at Amsterdam’s main airport


Passengers inside Amsterdam's Schipol Airport. (AFP)

Reuters
Published: 05 November ,2022:

Hundreds of environmental activists wearing white overalls stormed an area holding private jets at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport and stopped aircraft from leaving for hours by sitting in front of their wheels on Saturday.

Military police moved in and were seen taking dozens of the protesters away in buses. More than 100 activists were arrested, national broadcaster NOS reported.

The protest was part of a day of demonstrations in and around the air hub organized by Greenpeace and Extinction Rebellion in the build-up to the COP27 climate talks in Egypt.

No delays to commercial flights were reported.

“We want fewer flights, more trains and a ban on unnecessary short-haul flights and private jets,” Greenpeace Netherlands campaign leader Dewi Zloch said.

The environmental group says Schiphol is the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the Netherlands, emitting 12 billion kilograms annually.

Hundreds of other demonstrators in and around the airport’s main hall carried signs saying “Restrict Aviation” and “More Trains.”

Responding to the protest, Schiphol said it aims to become an emissions-free airport by 2030 and supports targets for the aviation industry to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

Military police tasked with airport security said in a statement they had “made a number of detentions of persons who were on airport property without being allowed.”

The Dutch government announced plans in June for a cap on annual passengers at the airport at 440,000, around 11 percent below 2019 levels, citing air pollution and climate concerns.

Transportation Minister Mark Harbers told parliament last month his office could not control growing private jet traffic, and the government is considering whether to include the issue in its climate policy.

Greece’s spyware scandal expands further

Some 33 people have been found to have traces of the illegal spyware Predator on their devices, including several members of the Cabinet, according to a newspaper report.

It is not clear whether all the people allegedly targeted 

have indeed clicked on the malicious link | Image via iStock

BY NEKTARIA STAMOULI
NOVEMBER 5, 2022 

ATHENS — Greece’s ever-expanding spyware scandal got another twist on Saturday with the publication of a long list of names of state officials, journalists and businesspeople targeted with malicious software.

According to Greek newspaper Documento, some 33 people have been found to have traces of the illegal spyware Predator on their devices, including several members of the Cabinet of the conservative New Democracy government and members of their families, politicians in the main opposition Syriza party, journalists and businesspeople mainly from the media sector.

It is not clear whether all the people allegedly targeted have indeed clicked on the malicious link, effectively having their devices to be eventually infected. Most of the officials contacted by the newspaper said they were not aware that they were targeted or wouldn’t comment.

Among the people on the list are the finance minister, the foreign minister, two ex-ministers of civil protection, the development minister, the labor minister and the tourism minister, along with their spouses, as well as already known targets like the opposition Pasok leader Nikos Androulakis and journalist Thanasis Koukakis.

In a statement late Saturday, government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou said the report is “overwhelming in narratives while the evidence is absent,” added though that the report “needs to be thoroughly investigated by the authorities and especially by the Greek Justice, even though there is no documentation of the publication.”

“It is unthinkable and dangerous to suggest that the prime minister was tapping the foreign minister,” an official close to the foreign minister said, adding that Greece is constantly taking measures to secure the communications of the foreign minister, as many inside and outside of Greece would like to hear the conversations.

Greece’s eavesdropping scandal started to unfold in the summer when Androulakis discovered an attempted Predator wiretap on his phone. In August, the government of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis acknowledged Androulakis had been under state surveillance (though not with Predator) — a move he called legal but wrong.

Since then, the saga has morphed into an espionage thriller that has involved spyware being planted on the phones of an ever-expanding network of politicians and journalists. Athens denies having ever used or purchased the illegal spyware.

A report in the Greek newspaper “Ta Nea” last weekend said that two ministers of the conservative government have been under surveillance “who seem to have had less-than-good relations with the prime minister’s associates.”

“Documento is set to publish a long list of persons targeted with Predator. Buckle up,” tweeted MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld, who is the rapporteur of the European Parliament’s PEGA Committee investigating the use of spyware in the EU. “Government ministers. Hello EU Commission are we paying attention? Another case of EU institutions being directly affected by spyware.”

“These are crucial times for democracy and justice,” the Syriza party said in a statement. “What a guilty PM now claims is of little importance. What matters is whether the judiciary finally rises to the occasion and whether the political system ultimately protects its basic dignity and democracy.”

The PEGA Committee completed its mission in Athens on Friday, but as ‘t Veld said, the group left “with perhaps more questions than we had when we arrived.”

At the same time, she noted in a press conference on Friday in Athens that everything suggests that circles within the Greek government were using the spyware.

“There are still 100 pieces missing, but you can see the image,” in ‘t Veld said. “Everything is pointing in the direction of people within government circles.”

“Do we have rock solid proof? No, we don’t because we don’t have the necessary information. If the authorities decide to declassify the information, then we would have that. We have to work on the basis of what we have,” in ‘t Veld said in Athens. “There is always the assumption of innocence, but that doesn’t mean we should be deaf and blind.”

She also said it is worrying that no material has been confiscated by the companies selling the spyware in Greece.

The chair of the PEGA Committee, Jeroen Lenaers, called on Athens to thoroughly investigate the allegations of abuse of surveillance. He added that the governments of Cyprus and Greece have made an effort to actively cooperate with the committee, responding to its questions and sharing their proposals for reforms that could bolster the fundamental rights of the citizens.

In the meantime, another report by the independent investigative website “Inside Story” said that in the days before the PEGA Committee’s arrival in Athens, an FBI team from the U.S. was in the Greek capital to investigate how far the illegal surveillance software has spread and who trafficked it.

The Greek administration had no knowledge of the visit, a government official said.

“The government will proceed with the universal ban on the purchase [of spyware], a move that will make Greece the first country in Europe to ban the circulation of malicious software in its territory,” Oikonomou said in the statement.

On Friday though, in ‘t Veld pointed to the fact that the use of this spyware is already illegal in Greece, so it would be more important to focus on the implementation of the legal framework.

With Greece heading to elections by next summer, in ‘t Veld underlined the need for the issue to be fully clarified before then.

“National elections are also European elections, so they have to be free and fair,” she said. “Any shadow has to be lifted before the elections.”

 

250 Metres of Nord Stream Destroyed

Metre-deep craters and a debris field on the seabed: An investigation by the operating company reveals for the first time the full extent of the damage to the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline. It is therefore destroyed over a length of 250 metres.

A good five weeks after leaks were discovered on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline in the Baltic Sea, the operator’s first investigation report is available. According to Nord Stream AG, a tube of the double strand was destroyed over a length of around 250 metres.

In a section in Swedish waters, three to five-meter-deep craters were discovered on the seabed. The craters are about 248 meters apart. Nord Stream AG announced that the section of line 1 of the pipeline in between had been destroyed. Debris from the line was distributed within a radius of at least 250 metres. The data would be further examined.

Last week, Nord Stream AG announced investigations in the Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Therefore, approval from the authorities was lacking for assessing the damage in the Danish EEZ. A special vessel was sent to one of the spots in Swedish waters where leaks were suspected.

At the end of September, four leaks in the gas pipelines Nord Stream 1 and 2 were discovered after explosions near the Baltic Sea island of Bornholm, two of them in the exclusive economic zones of Denmark and Sweden. Both double strands run from Russia to Lubmin in north-eastern Germany. Russia had pumped gas from Siberia to Germany and other European countries through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline until the delivery stopped.

Both Denmark and Sweden concluded that explosions caused the leaks at the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines. So far, it is unclear who might be behind it, and the EU and NATO, among others, assume sabotage.

IRONIC SINCE HINDUTVA IS ARYANISM
At UN, India votes in favor of Russian resolution on 'Combating glorification of Nazism'

ANI
6th November 2022

New York [US], November 5 (ANI): India at United Nations voted in favour of Russia's draft resolution on "Combating glorification of Nazism."Amid the spirited debate, the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly approved a draft resolution on combating the glorification of Nazism by a recorded vote of 105 in favour to 52 against, with 15 abstentions.

The representative of India said that the concept of Indigenous Peoples is not applicable in the country's context, adding that it joins consensus on the resolution with this understanding.

The committee approved eight draft resolutions, including Texts on Indigenous Peoples' Rights, Privacy in Digital Age, Condemning Glorification Of Nazism.

The draft resolutions covered a range of human rights issues, from the right to literacy and protection of children from sexual exploitation to matters of crime prevention and criminal justice as well as efforts to combat the glorification of Nazism.

The draft resolution had the Assembly express deep concern about glorifying the Nazi movement, neo-Nazism and former members of the Waffen SS organization, including erecting monuments and holding public demonstrations in glorifying the Nazi past.

Russian Federation's delegate voiced concern over an increase in racist and xenophobic rhetoric, calls to deport migrants and refugees, Islamophobia, Afrophobia and antisemitism, the UN said in its release.

Several delegates took to the floor to express concerns over Moscow's attempt to exploit the pretext of combating neo-Nazism to justify its brutal war against Ukraine, with Ukraine's delegate asserting that the draft has nothing in common with the genuine fight against Nazism and neo-Nazism.

Echoing his concerns, the United Kingdom's delegate stressed that the resolution is part of Moscow's attempt to justify its aggression against Ukraine by furthering lies and distorting history.

The United States' delegate called the resolution "a cynical attempt" of Moscow to further its geopolitical aims by invoking the Holocaust and Second World War. In the same vein, Australia's delegate called Moscow's weaponization of the Holocaust and Nazism unacceptable.

Meanwhile, several delegates disassociated from the amendment, which notes with alarm that the Russian Federation seeks to justify its territorial aggression against Ukraine on the purported basis of eliminating neo-Nazism. Rejecting the amendment, as it politicizes the issue of elimination of racism while introducing a narrow, country-specific approach, the delegate of the Russian Federation said that "this is a thematic resolution, not a country-resolution". (ANI)

 

Sharjah donates €50,000 towards restoration of renowned bookshop in Bologna

Since its establishment, the bookstore has remained independent and has built a tremendous reputation for its expertise in publishing for children.

Sharjah World Book Capital has generously donated €50,000 to the restoration fund of the Giannino Stoppani Bookshop in Bologna, Italy, after a tragic fire severely damaged the iconic store in May of this year.

The shop was founded in 1983 by Simona Comelli, Grazia Gotti, Tiziana Roversi, Silvana Sola and Giampaola Tartarini - five ambitious women who specialised in literature for young children while studying at the University of Bologna.

Since its establishment, the bookstore has remained independent and has built a tremendous reputation for its expertise in publishing for children.

Over the years, it has become one of the primary consultants of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF) and has been responsible for curating its "International Book Shop,” which finds and promotes the best children’s books from around the world.

But beyond its important links with BCBF, the shop is an important academic and cultural touchstone for literature and publishing across Italy, and beyond.

When fire broke out earlier this year at the exquisite bookshop located on Palazzo Re Enzo, shockwaves were felt across the publishing community.

The bookshop - and its more than 39,000 volumes saw severe damage.

Sharjah World Book Capital, led by Bodour Al Qasimi, recognised the importance of Giannino Stoppani as a globally important literary institution, and what its loss would mean to the global publishing community.

When fire broke out earlier this year the bookshop and its more than 39,000 volumes saw severe damage. WAM

The organisation was inspired to reach out quickly, and through friends in the publishing sector, it has been in close contact with the owners offering invaluable practical, logistical, moral - and crucially, financial assistance.

This has been with the aim of helping to put the store on a much surer footing as it looks to the future, and its upcoming 40th anniversary celebrations.

Commenting on the importance of supporting the store, Bodour Al Qasimi, Chair of the Sharjah World Book Capital, said, "When I heard about the fire at Giannino Stoppani, I knew that we as a publishing community needed to rally around the store in order for it to take up its important work once again. I am delighted that Sharjah World Book Capital has been able to offer its backing as the store strives to get back on its feet. I would like to thank Marcella Terrusi, the University of Bologna professor, who facilitated the contact and communication with the owners of Giannino Stoppani Bookshop.”

The shop’s owners are now fighting to revive Giannino Stoppani, to raise further funds to fully restock its shelves.

Work has already begun on this with the 27,980 books that were only partially affected by the fire being sent to specialists for repairs and sanitisation - a costly undertaking.

But thanks to the tremendous support the store has received and the concerted efforts made by staff and the wider publishing community, Giannino Stoppani has been able to partially reopen only 150-days after the fire - with the rescued books already making back onto the shelves.

The shop’s owners are now fighting to revive Giannino Stoppani, to raise further funds to fully restock its shelves. WAM

However, an extensive amount of actions and work remains to be done in order for the store to fully reopen.

Expressing her gratitude for the assistance they have received, Giannino Stoppani’s co-owner Silvana Sola said, "The support we have had from the community has meant the world to us. We are truly and deeply honoured and want to thank you all for this, for the kind words about our work, and for the international commitment to children's book culture. This help has been an essential to us, and we feel you all close by our side. 

"Although we are not fully reopened, being able to welcome readers again - even in a small way, is an important first step for us, and we look forward for a future in which we will celebrate the rebirth of Giannino Stoppani, together."

“This substantial donation of €50,000 given by Sharjah World Book Capital is a further demonstration of its commitment to supporting global publishing through direct and practical engagement.”

England’s coach encourages gay soccer players to come out
yesterday


- England's coach Gareth Southgate looks out during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Italy and England at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 23, 2022.

 (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni, File)

ROME (AP) — England coach Gareth Southgate hopes that gay soccer players “come out soon” because “it would have an enormous impact on society,” he said in an interview with an Italian newspaper published on Saturday.

“The teams and players wouldn’t have any problem with it,” Southgate told La Repubblica ahead of this month’s World Cup in Qatar. “They would accept and embrace their teammates after a coming out. But footballers are afraid of the reactions outside and from the fans.

“I experienced it with Thomas Hitzlsperger at Aston Villa: I didn’t think he was gay and when he announced it, it was something completely normal,” he said of the former Germany international, who came out as gay after he retired from playing.

Southgate and Hitzlsperger were teammates at Villa in the early 2000s.

“European teams have never been as tolerant, multicultural and multi-religious as they are today,” Southgate said in comments that were published in Italian. “Of course there will always be homophobes on the outside. But I hope gay players come out soon because it would have an enormous impact on society.”

Gay rights have become an issue for the World Cup since same-sex relations are criminalized in the conservative Gulf nation.

WORLD CUP 2022

Canada fretting on Davies, Crepeau injuries before World Cup

England will wear the “OneLove” anti-discrimination captain’s armband at the World Cup.

At least 10 European nations committed to promote inclusion and campaign against discrimination this season and eight of them have qualified for Qatar.

Southgate was asked if the armband initiative will be enough to raise awareness about human rights issues in Qatar, with the treatment of migrant workers who built venues for the World Cup a decade-long controversy.

“We need to be realists about the goals we want to achieve,” the coach said. “I’ve been to Qatar three times and all the workers have told me clearly that they want the World Cup because it’s a vehicle for change.

“We need to respect a country with a different culture, religion and traditions. But at the same time we have the responsibility and the possibility to shed light on aspects that can be improved. That could make a big difference.”

England plays Iran in its opening match in Qatar on Nov. 21 before also facing the United States and Wales in Group B.

___

Scholz: Xi opposing nuclear weapons in Ukraine reason enough to visit China

Andreas Rinke
Sat, November 5, 2022 

German Chancellor Scholz visits China

By Andreas Rinke

BERLIN (Reuters) -German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who was heavily criticised for a trip to Beijing this week, said on Saturday his and Chinese President Xi Jinping's joint statement opposing the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine had been reason enough for the visit.

Scholz's comments came a day after his visit to the world's second-biggest economy alongside German corporate CEOs, the first by a G7 leader since the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Because the Chinese government, the president and I were able to declare that no nuclear weapons should be used in this war, that alone made the whole trip worthwhile," Scholz said during an event of his Social Democratic party.

Xi, who secured a third leadership term two weeks ago, agreed that both leaders "jointly oppose the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons" over Ukraine, but refrained from criticising Russia or calling on Moscow to withdraw its troops.

Scholz, who has been criticised for seeming to continue a strategy that exposes Germany's economy excessively to China, its most important trading partner, said diversifying was key to limit possible repercussions should the relationship sour.

"We have a clear plan, and we are following it through. And that means diversifying for all the countries we trade with, especially, of course, a country that is so big and has such a large share of the world economy," Scholz said.

"We will continue economic exchange with China ... But it's also clear, we're going to position ourselves to be able to deal with a situation at any time where there are difficulties - whether it's 10 years from now or 30 years."

SCHOLZ TO GERMAN CEOS: 'DIVERSIFY NOW'

During his trip Scholz told business leaders, including the CEOs of Deutsche Bank, Volkswagen, BASF, Siemens, BMW, Merck and BioNTech, to not put diversification on the backburner, a delegation source said.

At the closed-door meeting, he said it would take around 10-15 years to completely de-risk.

A separate government source said the impression was that the message had sunk in and that companies were diversifying while developing China ties.

This is particularly key for Germany's carmakers active in China, the world's top market, including Volkswagen, which has repeatedly been slammed for its plant in the Xinjiang region given reports of human rights violations there.

Battery materials, which are needed for packs that power electric vehicles, are also in focus. German automakers depend on China for lithium, nickel and cobalt, while Europe has launched programmes to build its own supply but is not there yet.

Germany's business relationship with China has come under closer scrutiny since February when Russia invaded Ukraine, which led to the end of a decade-long energy relationship with Moscow and caused numerous companies to ditch their local businesses.

This has fuelled concerns over the potential consequences for Germany's economy should China invade Taiwan.

"Start now, don't put it on the back burner. Do it now," Scholz said at a party event in comments which appeared directed at business leaders regarding diversification.

(Reporting by Andreas Rinke; Additional reporting by Christoph Steitz; editing by Jason Neely)

World is ‘doomed’ without historic climate deal, UN chief warns ahead of Cop27

Wealthy nations have long promised to find 100 billion dollars a year in climate finance for poor nations, with the target originally meant to have been hit in 2020.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at the start of the Transforming Education defended his use of dramatic language, saying the world is approaching “tipping points” that will “make [climate breakdown] irreversible”.

SAT, 05 NOV, 2022 - 
MEG HILL AND TONY JONES, PA

UN secretary general Antonio Guterres has said the world is “doomed” unless a “historic pact” is signed between rich and poor countries, speaking on the eve of Cop27.

The gathering of world leaders, business figures and environmentalists is being hosted at Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, following last year’s summit in Glasgow.

Speaking to The Guardian, Mr Guterres said the result of present policies and dynamics between the developed and developing world, if unchanged, would be “absolutely catastrophic”.

“There is no way we can avoid a catastrophic situation, if the two [the developed and developing world] are not able to establish a historic pact,” he said.

People pass a booth at the convention center hosting the COP27 UN Climate Summit, Saturday, Picture: AP Photo/Peter Dejong

Wealthy nations have long promised to find 100 billion dollars a year in climate finance for poor nations, with the target originally meant to have been hit in 2020.

It was first promised in 2009, but has never been accomplished. A report last year suggested it would not come to fruition until 2023.

Mr Guterres also defended his use of dramatic language, saying the world is approaching “tipping points” that will “make [climate breakdown] irreversible”.

“And as we are approaching those tipping points, we need to increase the urgency, we need to increase the ambition, and we need to rebuild trust, mainly trust between north and south,” he said.

Because at the present level, we will be doomed. Present policies will be absolutely catastrophic.

“And the truth is that we will not be able to change this situation if a pact is not put in place between developed countries and the emerging economies.”

Speaking ahead of the international summit, US envoy John Kerry has said the greatest responsibility lay with those countries which have been the biggest users of fossil fuels.

“Obviously those countries with greater means across the board – and that includes some developing countries that have greater means – need to also step up and help in this transition,” he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

“We don’t view it – and we’re not going to view it – as compensation. We are going to view it as our efforts to try to help countries to adapt, to be able to become more resilient and obviously address the challenges that they face as a result of the losses and damages.

“You have to work out the methodology by which you are going to assign a process that works for everybody.”

US envoy John Kerry has said the greatest responsibility lay with those countries which have been the biggest users of fossil fuels. 

Picture: AP Photo/Kin Cheung

Mr Kerry said that while it should be possible to reach agreement at the gathering at the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, the war in Ukraine had complicated the issue.

“There are people within the fossil fuel industry who are using the crisis in Ukraine, frankly, as leverage to be able to say ‘We need to be pumping a lot more. We’re moving much too fast’. It’s just not true, it’s not an accurate narrative.”

Mr Kerry said, however, that countries were realising they needed to reduce their dependence on oil and gas as a source of energy.

“Many countries in Europe – most of them in fact – have applied the lesson of this war, which is don’t allow a petro-dictator to hold you hostage to energy, don’t let them weaponise it against you,” he said.





WHAT IS...

Climate Justice

Climate justice is an approach that argues there are certain ethical considerations to how we approach tackling climate change.

Initially, the term referred to the injustice that those countries who did least to cause climate change were facing its worst impacts.

The concept was broadened to include gender: the burden of dealing with climate change falls disproportionately on women.

Climate change is an intersectional issue, as climate impacts and climate action have gender, racial, and social class aspects.

Climate Change Much Deadlier Than Cancer In Some Places, UNDP Data Shows

Sunday, 6 November 2022
Press Release: UN News

The impact of climate change on health if carbon emissions remain high, could be up to twice as deadly as cancer in some parts of the world, according to new data released on Friday by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Climate Impact Lab.

The study gives the example of Dhaka, Bangladesh, where under a scenario of very high emissions by 2100, additional deaths due to climate change could rise to nearly twice the country’s current annual death rate from all cancers, and 10 times its annual road traffic fatalities.

“Because of human action, the concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is reaching dangerous levels, driving Earth’s temperatures higher and amplifying the frequency of intensity of extreme events”, says the newly launched Human Climate Horizons platform, adding that without concerted and urgent action, climate change will further exacerbate inequalities, and uneven development.

Mortality impacts

Building on the analyses of 2020, 2021 and 2022 Human Development Reports - and fed by an evolving stream of frontier research - the data shows how climate change can impact people’s lives – from mortality to livelihoods, and energy use.

Although higher temperatures and a warmer climate put cardiovascular and respiratory systems under stress everywhere, outcomes will vary between places, according to communities that have the resources to adapt and those that do not.

The data shows that climate change could increase mortality rates in Faisalabad, Pakistan by near 67 deaths per 100,000 population – causing more fatalities than strokes, the country’s third leading cause of death.

In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, however, higher incomes could keep the death toll to 35 per 100,000, which is still deadlier than Alzheimer’s disease – the sixth leading cause of death globally.

Rising temps

Since the late 19th century, the earth’s average temperature has risen by nearly 1.2°C, changing the entire surface area of the planet, according to the research.

However, billions live in regions that have already experienced warming greater than the global average.

As an example, the platform pointed to Maracaibo, Venezuela, noting that in the 1990s it averaged 62 annual days with temperatures exceeding 35°C. However, by mid-century, that number will likely soar to 201 days.

Energy impacts

Electricity availability and fuels used to generate it to power air conditioners and heaters, play a crucial role in our ability to cope with extreme temperatures, said UNDP.

The impact of climate change differs across sectors of the economy – Human Climate Horizons

Yet, the impacts of climate change on energy use will vary locally, as individuals, communities and businesses adapt to conditions using available resources.

In Jakarta, for example, electricity consumption in response to warmer temperatures is projected to increase by roughly one-third of current household consumption in Indonesia. This will require critical additional infrastructure planning.

Labour impacts

More frequent and severe temperature extremes also impact livelihoods, affecting the ability to perform tasks and influencing work intensity and duration.

“The impact of climate change differs across sectors of the economy with workers in high-risk, weather-exposed industries like agriculture, construction, mining and manufacturing most affected”, according to platform data.

In Niamey, Niger, in sectors such as construction, mining and manufacturing, excessive heat was responsible for 36 fewer working hours annually, taking a 2.5 per cent toll on the country’s future GDP.

Human consequences

As the impacts of climate change are not evenly distributed globally, they will generate a significant uptick in inequalities over the coming years and decades.

But by highlighting that the future is not predetermined, UNDP hopes the information can empower people everywhere, to step up climate action.

The Human Climate Horizons mission is to ensure equal access to data on future impacts, inform decision-making and help everyone understand the human consequences of climate change in different scenarios.

‘Logical economic choice’

Meanwhile, UNDP has also launched the How Just Transition Can Deliver the Paris Agreement report this week, highlighting the need to embrace the “green revolution” – or risk increasing social inequality, civil unrest, economic loss.

Ahead of the UN climate conference, COP27, which kicks off on Sunday in in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, the report spotlights the importance of “fair and equitable” transitioning to meeting the climate goals set out in the Paris Agreement.

From providing workers with new green economy skills and access to social protection to ensuring that countries lay out a clear pathway to a net-zero future, UNDP chief Achim Steiner said the report provides “real-world insights into how to accelerate momentum around a just transition that is fair and equitable for the energy sector and beyond”.

A just transition

The report analyses both enhanced short-term climate pledges, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and long-term strategies in which countries lay out plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero.

Encouragingly, 72 per cent of nations with enhanced NDCs that refer to a just transition are linking them to socio-economic considerations, while 66 per cent are proposing concrete actions and measures factoring in climate justice.

However, they fail to make linkages to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or gender equality in either short or long-term climate plans – missing a significant opportunity, UNDP said.

“As climate change intensifies and the world faces an immense energy crunch…decoupling from fossil fuels and investing in the green energy infrastructure of tomorrow…[is] the only logical economic choice”, said Mr. Steiner.

© Scoop Media

Ghanaian protesters demand president step down over economic crisis


Sat, November 5, 2022 
By Cooper Inveen and Francis Kokoroko

ACCRA (Reuters) - More than 1,000 protesters marched through Ghana's capital Accra on Saturday, calling for the resignation of President Nana Akufo-Addo amid an economic crisis that has hammered the cedi currency and seen fuel and food costs spiral to record levels.

Filing past police in riot gear, the red-clad crowd waved placards and chanted 'Akufo-Addo must go' and 'IMF no' in reference to the government's ongoing talks with the International Monetary Fund for billions of dollars to prop up the economy.

The president last week sought to reassure Ghanaians that the authorities would get the country's finances back on track after consumer inflation topped 37% in September, a 21-year peak despite aggressive policy tightening.

"He has failed and we are asking him to resign. High fuel price increments are killing the people of Ghana," said protester Rafael Williams.

The peaceful protest was the latest in a series of demonstrations this year over the soaring cost of living that has made it even harder for people to get by in a country where around a quarter of the population live on less than $2.15 per day, according to the World Bank.

Ghana, which produces gold, cocoa and oil, has also seen the its cedi currency plummet by more than 40% against the dollar this year, making it one of the worst-performing currencies in a region that is suffering from the fallout from a global economic slowdown.

"We are speaking to the IMF. They should not give them loans," said tailor Francisca Wintima, who was among those protesting in the capital.

"Enough is enough. We have gold, we have oil, we have manganese, we have diamonds. We have everything we need in this country. The only thing that we need is leadership."

(Writing by Alessandra Prentice; editing by Jason Neely)

US again backs two-state solution in call to Palestinian leader

The US secretary of state reaffirms US commitment to a two-state solution in call with President Mahmoud Abbas.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah in May 2021 

[File: Alex Brandon/AP]

Published On 5 Nov 2022

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict in a phone call with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the Department of State said in a statement on Saturday.

The top US diplomat discussed joint efforts to improve the quality of life for the Palestinian people and enhance their security and freedom in a call with Abbas on Friday, the statement said.

Blinken “underscored his deep concern over the situation in the West Bank, including heightened tensions, violence, and loss of both Palestinian and Israeli lives, and emphasised the need for all parties to de-escalate the situation urgently,” according to the Department of State.

He also “further reaffirmed our commitment to a two-state solution,” which envisions an independent state of Palestine alongside Israel.

The statement came against the backdrop of soaring violence between Israel and the Palestinians.

The Palestinian president apprised the US secretary of state of the Israeli attacks against Palestinians, the Israeli blockade of Palestinian towns and villages as well as settler violence, the Wafa news agency reported.


Israeli forces killed four Palestinians in separate incidents in the occupied West Bank and the occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday, as Israel tallied the final votes in national elections held this week.

Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won a comfortable majority backed by far-right allies, including Itamar Ben-Gvir of the Otzma Yehudit party, who has called for Palestinians “disloyal” to Israel to be expelled.

On Friday, tensions flared up again in the blockaded Gaza Strip as Israeli fighter jets targeted what they called a “rocket manufacturing site”, in response to several rockets fired towards Israel – the first launched since Israel’s three-day deadly military offensive in the besieged enclave in August.

No Palestinian faction claimed the rocket attacks.

Hazem Qasem, a spokesman for Hamas, said “the barbaric Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip at dawn today is a blatant act of aggression, and represents an extension of its open war against our people in all the places we exist.”

More than 100 Palestinians have been killed in near-daily Israeli raids in the occupied territories since the beginning of the year.

Israel has intensified the raids in the wake of a series of deadly Palestinian attacks in Israel in March.

The Biden administration has sought to restore credible US engagement with Palestinians after the administration of former US President Donald Trump cut aid, downgraded the status of its main diplomatic mission in Palestine and inflamed tensions by relocating the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in recognition of the latter as Israel’s capital.

Israel wants undivided Jerusalem as its capital. It effectively has de facto control over the city after annexing East Jerusalem – a move not recognised by the international community.

Palestinians see Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem as the capital of its future state.

The status of Jerusalem remains one of the main sticking points in efforts to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

During his confirmation hearing in January 2021, Blinken also reiterated his support for a two-state solution, but added, “Realistically, it’s hard to see near-term prospects for moving forward on that.”

“What would be important is to make sure that neither party takes steps that make the already difficult process even more challenging,” he said.

The Israeli government has forged ahead with the construction of new settlements that are illegal under international law and that jeopardise Palestinian hopes for an independent state.