International News
UNEP signs MoU with Mah govt for implementing climate change actions
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Maharashtra government to support its ‘Majhi Vasundhara’ campaign, an initiative with regard to the energy and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.
“The beginning of a new partnership between UN Environment Programme and the Government of Maharashtra will support the state in the implementation of climate change mitigation and adaptation measures,” said a statement from UN office on Saturday.
The MoU was signed on Friday.
‘Majhi Vasundhara’ (literally, My Earth) is an initiative of the Government of Maharashtra’s Environment and Climate Change Department to empower citizens with knowledge on the impacts of climate change and environmental issues and to encourage them to make a conscious effort towards improvement of the environment.
Speaking for the government of Maharashtra, Cabinet Minister of Tourism, Environment and Protocol, Aditya Thackeray said: “We should start to consider all possible avenues to get to Net Zero at the earliest. Over the next few months, Maharashtra will evaluate the investment prospects that will be required to steer Maharashtra’s economy towards net zero. We have an imperative to act now.”
UNEP will support the state in educating and mobilising youth on plastic pollution and marine litter through UNEP’s Tide Turner Challenge across all educational institutes in the state of Maharashtra. Under the partnership, UNEP will support the Maharashtra government on various clean energy initiatives and in its efforts to develop a strategy for carbon neutral development in line with the Government of India’s vision.
“The time is right for Maharashtra to lead the drive in a clean energy transition with its recent renewable energy policy being an important step.”
This can pave the way for industry to make this shift, alongside the financing opportunities that are coming in tandem. Clean energy, and sustainability as a whole, is growing as an opportunity for industry. “There is a global trend in which frontrunners are occupying a niche in different markets, not just in the energy sector, but in sectors such as transport, agriculture, electronics, chemicals, buildings and construction, textiles, to those taking advantage of what a circular plastics economy can offer. Maharashtra is well placed to take advantage of this transition,” said Director, Economy Division, UNEP, Sheila Aggarwal-Khan.
“In this Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we are pleased to see this collaboration between UN Environment Programme as a member of the UN Country Team in India and the Government of Maharashtra, which will help inculcate climate consciousness and green values across communities and especially the youth. This is an important step to enhance sustainable interaction between people and their environment, aligning respect for the Earth with prosperity,” Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator in India, said.
The UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
disaster
Passenger plane crashes in Kazakhstan; survivors reported
Aktau (Kazakhstan), Dec 25: A passenger plane carrying over 100 people crashed near Aktau Airport in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, according to reports from the country’s Emergencies Ministry.
Local media outlet Kazpravda.kz reported that the crash caused a fire at the site.
“A total of 52 rescuers from the Kazakh Emergencies Ministry and 11 pieces of equipment arrived at the scene. Upon arrival, they found the plane engulfed in flames. Firefighters are currently working to extinguish the blaze. Preliminary data suggests there are survivors,” the Ministry stated.
Initial reports indicate that at least 105 passengers and five crew members were on board. While the exact toll remains unclear, at least 25 survivors have been reported, with 22 hospitalised.
Rescue operations are ongoing, and details about the victims are being verified.
The plane, an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer ERJ-190, was flying from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny in Russia’s Chechnya. It was rerouted to Aktau due to dense fog.
Online flight tracking website FlightRadar24 data shows the plane flying over the Caspian Sea and heading towards its destination, in Chechnya. As the plane entered Russia’s territorial borders, it started circling near the airport. Following this, it requested an emergency landing.
At 6:28 am local time, the plane crashed a few kilometres away from the airport.
According to FlightRadar24, the plane was exposed to “strong GPS jamming, which made the aircraft transmit bad ADS-B data.” Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.
Unverified videos circulating on social media show the moment the plane crashed, bursting into flames, with thick black smoke billowing into the sky.
An operational headquarters has been established at the Command Center of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, with a hotline made available for inquiries.
Further updates on the incident are awaited.
International News
Pak airstrikes in Afghanistan claim 15 lives; Taliban vows to retaliate
Kabul, Dec 25: At least 15 people, including women and children, have been killed in Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan, with the death toll expected to rise further, according to local media reports.
The strikes carried out late on Tuesday, targeted multiple areas in the Barmal district of Paktika province, dismantling a Taliban training facility .
Seven villages were bombed, including Laman, where five members of a single family lost their lives, and Murg Bazaar village, which was completely destroyed.
The airstrikes have deepened Afghanistan’s ongoing humanitarian crisis, causing significant destruction and civilian casualties, further straining relations between the two nations.
Afghanistan care-taker government condemned the attack and pledged retaliation.
“The Barmal district of Paktika was bombed by the Pakistan Army yesterday. Most of the victims were civilians, including Waziristani refugees. Several were martyred or injured, including children,” the country’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a statement.
Calling the incident a “barbaric act,” the MoD added, “This clear aggression is contrary to all international principles. The Pakistani side should understand that such actions will not solve any problems. The Islamic Emirate will defend its territory and consider this its inalienable right.”
Pakistan has yet to officially claim responsibility for the strikes, which have heightened tensions between the two neighbours.
The attacks come amidst deteriorating relations between Islamabad and Kabul over the presence of Pakistani militants in Afghanistan. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has intensified its operations against Pakistani forces in recent months, with Islamabad accusing the Afghan Taliban of sheltering the group.
While Pakistan has repeatedly called on the Afghan Taliban to take action against the TTP, Kabul denies harbouring the militants. The latest escalation adds another layer of complexity to an already fragile relationship.
International News
One child killed every hour in Gaza: UN agency
Gaza, Dec 25: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said that one child gets killed every hour in the Gaza Strip.
“No place for children. Since the beginning of the war, 14,500 children have been reported killed in Gaza according to UNICEF. One child gets killed every hour. These are not numbers. These are lives cut short,” UNRWA said in a press statement.
“Killing children cannot be justified. Those who survive are scarred physically and emotionally. Deprived of learning, boys and girls in Gaza sift through the rubble,” it added.
“The clock is ticking for these children. They are losing their lives, their futures and mostly their hope,” it said.
Israel has been launching a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage.
The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 45,338, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Tuesday.
Earlier on Monday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “there has been progress” in efforts to secure a ceasefire-for-hostages deal with Hamas, but cautioned that the timeline for reaching an agreement remains unclear.
Speaking before the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, Netanyahu said, “I do not know how long it will take,” while vowing to “continue to act in every possible way until we bring everyone home.”
Earlier on Monday, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar outlined parts of the deal during a closed meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, describing it as “a phased, gradual framework.”
Israeli and Palestinian media reported that efforts led by Qatari, Egyptian, and US mediators have shown progress, though a breakthrough remains elusive.
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