Latest news with #LulaDaSilva
Arab News
5 hours ago
- Business
- Arab News
Nations urged to make UN summit a ‘turning point' for oceans
PARIS: Nations will be under pressure to deliver more than just rhetoric at a UN oceans summit in France next week, including much-needed funds to better protect the world's overexploited and polluted seas. The third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) seeks to build global unity and raise money for marine conservation even as nations disagree over deep-sea mining, plastic trash and overfishing. On Sunday, hosts France are expecting about 70 heads of state and government to arrive in Nice for a pre-conference opening ceremony, including Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Oceans are 'in a state of emergency' and the June 9 to 13 meeting 'will not be just another routine gathering,' said UN under-secretary-general Li Junhua. 'There's still time to change our course if we act collectively,' he told reporters. Most countries are expected to send ministers or lower-level delegates to the summit, which does not carry the weight of a climate COP or UN treaty negotiation or make legally binding decisions. The United States under President Donald Trump — whose recent push to fast-track seabed mining in international waters sparked global outrage — is unlikely to send a delegation at all. France has promised the summit will do for ocean conservation what the Paris Agreement did for global climate action. Nations present are expected to adopt a 'Nice Declaration': a statement of support for greater ocean protection, coupled with voluntary additional commitments by individual governments. Greenpeace has slammed the text — which was agreed after months of negotiation — as 'weak' and said it risked making Nice 'a meaningless talking shop.' Pacific leaders are expected to turn out in force and demand, in particular, concrete financial commitments from governments. 'The message is clear: voluntary pledges are not enough,' Ralph Regenvanu, environment minister for Vanuatu, told reporters. The summit will also host business leaders, international donors and ocean activists, while a science convention beforehand is expected to draw 2,000 ocean experts. France has set a high bar of securing by Nice the 60 ratifications needed to enact a landmark treaty to protect marine habitats outside national jurisdiction. So far, only 28 countries and the European Union have done so. Olivier Poivre d'Arvor, France's oceans envoy, says that without the numbers the conference 'will be a failure.' Bringing the high seas treaty into force is seen as crucial to meeting the globally-agreed target of protecting 30 percent of oceans by 2030. The summit could also prove influential on other higher-level negotiations in the months ahead and provide 'a temperature check in terms of ambition,' said Megan Randles, head of Greenpeace's delegation at the Nice conference. In July the International Seabed Authority will deliberate over a long-awaited mining code for the deep oceans, one that Trump has skirted despite major ecological concerns. That comes in the face of growing calls for governments to support an international moratorium on seabed mining, something France and roughly 30 other countries have already backed. And in August, nations will again seek to finalize a binding global treaty to tackle plastic trash after previous negotiation rounds collapsed. Countries and civil society groups are likely to use the Nice meeting to try to shore up support ahead of these proceedings, close observers said. Nations meeting at UN conferences have struggled recently to find consensus and much-needed finance to combat climate change and other environmental threats. Oceans are the least funded of all the UN's sustainable development goals but it wasn't clear if Nice would shift the status quo, said Angelique Pouponneau, a lead negotiator for the Alliance of Small Island States. 'With so many competing crises and distractions on the global agenda, it's hard to be confident that the level of ambition needed will actually show up,' Pouponneau told AFP. Costa Rica, which is co-hosting the conference with France, said public and private commitments of $100 billion with 'clear timelines, budgets and accountability mechanisms' could be expected. 'This is what is different this time around — zero rhetoric, maximum results,' Maritza Chan Valverde, Costa Rica's permanent representative to the UN, told reporters. Pepe Clarke, oceans practice leader from WWF, told AFP there was 'an understandable level of skepticism about conferences.' But he said Nice must be 'a turning point... because to date the actions have fallen far short of what's needed to sustain a healthy ocean into the future.'
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Nations urged to make UN summit a 'turning point' for oceans
Nations will be under pressure to deliver more than just rhetoric at a UN oceans summit in France next week, including much-needed funds to better protect the world's overexploited and polluted seas. The third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) seeks to build global unity and raise money for marine conservation even as nations disagree over deep-sea mining, plastic trash and overfishing. On Sunday, hosts France are expecting about 70 heads of state and government to arrive in Nice for a pre-conference opening ceremony, including Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Oceans are "in a state of emergency" and the June 9 to 13 meeting "will not be just another routine gathering", said UN under-secretary-general Li Junhua. "There's still time to change our course if we act collectively," he told reporters. Most countries are expected to send ministers or lower-level delegates to the summit, which does not carry the weight of a climate COP or UN treaty negotiation or make legally binding decisions. The United States under President Donald Trump -- whose recent push to fast-track seabed mining in international waters sparked global outrage -- is unlikely to send a delegation at all. France has promised the summit will do for ocean conservation what the Paris Agreement did for global climate action. Nations present are expected to adopt a "Nice Declaration": a statement of support for greater ocean protection, coupled with voluntary additional commitments by individual governments. Greenpeace has slammed the text -- which was agreed after months of negotiation -- as "weak" and said it risked making Nice "a meaningless talking shop". Pacific leaders are expected to turn out in force and demand, in particular, concrete financial commitments from governments. "The message is clear: voluntary pledges are not enough", Ralph Regenvanu, environment minister for Vanuatu, told reporters. The summit will also host business leaders, international donors and ocean activists, while a science convention beforehand is expected to draw 2,000 ocean experts. - Temperature check - France has set a high bar of securing by Nice the 60 ratifications needed to enact a landmark treaty to protect marine habitats outside national jurisdiction. So far, only 28 countries and the European Union have done so. Olivier Poivre d'Arvor, France's oceans envoy, says that without the numbers the conference "will be a failure". Bringing the high seas treaty into force is seen as crucial to meeting the globally-agreed target of protecting 30 percent of oceans by 2030. The summit could also prove influential on other higher-level negotiations in the months ahead and provide "a temperature check in terms of ambition", said Megan Randles, head of Greenpeace's delegation at the Nice conference. In July the International Seabed Authority will deliberate over a long-awaited mining code for the deep oceans, one that Trump has skirted despite major ecological concerns. That comes in the face of growing calls for governments to support an international moratorium on seabed mining, something France and roughly 30 other countries have already backed. And in August, nations will again seek to finalise a binding global treaty to tackle plastic trash after previous negotiation rounds collapsed. Countries and civil society groups are likely to use the Nice meeting to try to shore up support ahead of these proceedings, close observers said. - Turning point - Nations meeting at UN conferences have struggled recently to find consensus and much-needed finance to combat climate change and other environmental threats. Oceans are the least funded of all the UN's sustainable development goals but it wasn't clear if Nice would shift the status quo, said Angelique Pouponneau, a lead negotiator for the Alliance of Small Island States. "With so many competing crises and distractions on the global agenda, it's hard to be confident that the level of ambition needed will actually show up," Pouponneau told AFP. Costa Rica, which is co-hosting the conference with France, said public and private commitments of $100 billion with "clear timelines, budgets and accountability mechanisms" could be expected. "This is what is different this time around -- zero rhetoric, maximum results," Maritza Chan Valverde, Costa Rica's permanent representative to the UN, told reporters. Pepe Clarke, oceans practice leader from WWF, told AFP there was "an understandable level of scepticism about conferences". But he said Nice must be "a turning point... because to date the actions have fallen far short of what's needed to sustain a healthy ocean into the future". np-aag/klm/phz
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Sikh groups say Ottawa should not invite India's Modi to G7 summit
OTTAWA — Sikh organizations are calling on Ottawa to break with a five-year tradition by not inviting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 summit. Canada is hosting the G7 leaders' summit next month in Kananaskis, Alta. While the leaders of those G7 nations — France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States — are expected to attend, along with the president of the European Commission, Ottawa hasn't said which leaders it has invited from outside that core group of like-minded liberal democracies. The Canadian Press learned Friday that Canada has invited Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to attend the summit. Brazil's foreign ministry did not immediately say whether he has accepted the invitation. The South African high commission has told The Canadian Press that Ottawa also invited President Cyril Ramaphosa to attend the summit. Ramaphosa, who is hosting the G20 summit this November in Johannesburg, has not said if he will attend. Canada has invited both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to the summit; both have said they will attend. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said this week that Canada had invited her nearly two weeks prior but she had not yet decided whether she'll attend. Modi has been invited to every G7 leaders' summit since 2019 and Canada and India have signalled recently a possible thaw in relations after months of tensions. But the Toronto-based Sikh Federation said this week that Canada should withhold any invitation "until India substantially co-operates with criminal investigations in Canada." They point to Canada's allegation that New Delhi played a role in the assassination of a Sikh activist near Vancouver in 2023, and in numerous other violent crimes. The Sikh Federation and the World Sikh Organization have expressed concerns about the federal Liberals seeking deeper ties with India. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said recently she had a "productive discussion" with her Indian counterpart on May 25 about "deepening our economic co-operation and advancing shared priorities." The Sikh groups argue this suggests the federal government is putting economic concerns ahead of human rights. The Liberals originally made India the focus of their Indo-Pacific strategy in late 2022, describing the country as a democratic nation with strong trade potential. That all changed after the June 2023 assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. Months later, the government accused India of involvement in his death. The RCMP says it has evidence that New Delhi is behind numerous crimes targeting Sikh-Canadians. India claims Canada is enabling a separatist movement that calls for a Sikh homeland — Khalistan — to be carved out of India, and calls that a violation of its sovereignty. Ottawa has long held that it allows free speech that doesn't call for violence. Prime Minister Mark Carney said during the recent election campaign he wants to pursue trade with India. He said India could play a key role in ending the trade wars if it shows "mutual respect" in light of "strains on that relationship that we didn't cause." India's high commission referred an interview request on the bilateral relationship to the country's foreign ministry in New Delhi. Global Affairs Canada hasn't released the names of every leader Ottawa has invited to the summit. Department spokeswoman Camie Lamarche said the names will be "made available in due time." Since the April 28 federal election, Carney's office has published readouts of discussions with his counterparts from the G7 countries, along with Australia, Ukraine, Mexico, New Zealand, Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Norway and Jordan. G7 hosts in recent years have invited four or more guests. Canada invited a dozen when it last hosted the summit in 2018, including Haiti, the Seychelles, Norway and Argentina. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025. Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
Reuters
4 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Brazil's Petrobras to commission 52 vessels by 2026-end in $5.1 billion investment
RIO DE JANEIRO, May 29 (Reuters) - Brazil's state-run oil firm Petrobras ( opens new tab will commission 52 vessels by 2026, investing 29 billion reais ($5.12 billion), said Chief Executive Magda Chambriard during an event on Thursday alongside President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Without providing further details, Chambriard said the firm will ensure up to 65% in local content for the construction of the vessels, which would help boost Brazil's shipbuilding industry. ($1 = 5.6621 reais)
Free Malaysia Today
4 days ago
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Lula diagnosed with vertigo-causing ear condition
Brazilians concern for president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's health have raised questions about his fitness to seek reelection next year. (EPA Images pic) SAO PAULO : Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was diagnosed Monday with labyrinthitis, an ear condition that can cause vertigo, in the latest health setback for the 79-year-old. Lula, who was hospitalised last year for a hemorrhage under his skull caused by a bathroom fall, was examined Monday at a hospital in Brasilia before returning to the presidential residence with orders to rest, the government said. Lula has faced several health issues. He suffered from hypertension, was treated for throat cancer in 2011 with chemo- and radiotherapy, and in 2023 had a hip replaced with a prosthesis. A 2024 fall in a bathroom in his presidential residence left him with a concussion, several stitches and a hemorrhage that landed him on the operating table. When he recovered, Lula resumed a busy schedule of meetings and international trips, including to China, Russia, Vietnam, and Japan. In the latest hitch, Lula 'canceled part of his schedule' due to discomfort, a presidency source who asked not to be named, told AFP. Concerns for Lula's health have raised questions about his fitness to seek reelection in a vote next year. He has already served two terms from 2003 to 2010.
