Latest news with #Seas
Japan Today
30-04-2025
- General
- Japan Today
On the horizon? Wave of momentum for high seas treaty
The 2025 United Nations (UN) Oceans Conference, seen here with Secretary General Antonio Guterres delivering a speech at the 2022 edition, serves as a nexus for ratifying a 2023 High Seas pact by member nations By Amélie BOTTOLLIER-DEPOIS A treaty to protect the high seas will not come to life by the time the U.N. Oceans Conference opens in June, but persistence by member states has nudged the landmark pact towards enactment. Adopted in June 2023 after years of exhausting negotiations, the pact aims to protect marine habitats vital to humanity but threatened by pollution in vast waters beyond any national jurisdiction. It now has 113 signatories, but just 21 have ratified it. After the past two weeks of United Nations meetings in New York -- with the conspicuous absence of the United States -- negotiators came "one step closer to shaping the institutional backbone" of the agreement, said Nichola Clark of the Pew Charitable Trusts after the first preparatory commission for the treaty's entry into force. However, as the treaty can only take effect 120 days after the 60th ratification, there is no chance of its enactment happening before the U.N. Oceans Conference gathers in Nice, France on June 9-13. Experts now hope the 60-ratification threshold can be reached by June so the treaty can still take effect this year. The Nice summit will feature dozens of heads of state and will be preceded by a conference bringing together 2,000 scientists from around 100 countries. A special ceremony in Nice on June 9 will serve as "a unique opportunity to reaffirm our collective political commitment" to the treaty's implementation, French delegation head Sandrine Barbier said. In a sign of growing enthusiasm, the opening preparatory commission moved more quickly than expected through discussions on multiple issues, including formulation of a system to exchange information between the parties. There was "a lot of love in the room" for the treaty during the preparatory meetings, High Seas Alliance director Rebecca Hubbard told AFP, describing the text as "one of our best opportunities to deliver action to protect the ocean." And beyond the technical elements, said Pew's Clark, "there's been some exciting progress and movement" on the issue of marine protected areas that are emblematic of the treaty. Overall enthusiasm was dampened however by the absence of the United States -- which had signed on to the treaty under Joe Biden's administration but did not ratify it -- and a shock announcement by Donald Trump on a major, controversial issue for the oceans: deep-sea mining. On April 24, the US president opened the door to commercial extraction of rare earth minerals from the ocean floor, including in international waters, bypassing the jurisdiction of the International Seabed Authority, of which Washington is not a member. Trump's executive order "is an insult to multilateralism and a slap in the face to all the countries and millions of people around the world who oppose this dangerous industry," said Arlo Hemphill, project lead on Greenpeace USA's campaign to stop deep-sea mining. "This is a clear sign that the U.S. will no longer be a global leader on protecting the oceans, which support all life on this planet." Governments worldwide have put forward a goal to protect 30 percent of the world's land and ocean by 2030. © 2025 AFP
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Faster Pussycat Singer's Fiancée Kimberly Burch Dies After Going Overboard on '80s-Themed Cruise
Kimblery Burch, the fiancée of Faster Pussycat singer Taime Downe, died Monday after falling overboard during an '80s-themed cruise on Royal Caribbean. Burch's family confirmed the tragic news of her passing in a Facebook post on Tuesday morning. 'It is with broken hearts that we share the sad news that Kimberly Burch has passed away,' her family said in a statement. 'She was a beloved daughter, sister, sister-in-law and aunt. She will be greatly missed by all that knew and loved her. We ask for prayers during this time for our family as we try to wrap our minds around this heartbreaking tragedy. We love and miss you Kimberly Burch!' Burch went overboard around 11 p.m. on Monday, according to media reports. The Explorer of the Seas ship was stopped for several hours while multiple boats nearby searched for the missing woman. The search was then taken over by the U.S. Coast Guard and the ship resumed its scheduled route. Royal Caribbean said in a statement to press, 'Our crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort, is working with local authorities and we are providing support and assistance to the guest's family during this difficult time. To respect the privacy of our guest's family, we have no additional details to share.' Representatives for Royal Caribbean and Faster Pussycat did not return TheWrap's request for comment. Burch was aboard the cruise ship to support Downe and Faster Pussycat, who were set to play. She posted a selfie on Threads with Downe on Monday with the caption, 'We made it aboard @the80scruise.' The hard rock/glam metal band reportedly had a performance on Sunday as well as another show scheduled for Tuesday. Other acts scheduled to perform on the nostalgic cruise were Squeeze, Adam Ant, Tiffany and Men at Work. A spokesperson told TMZ that the accident happened around 20 miles away from Freeport, Bahamas. U.S. Coast Guard search efforts included a helicopter search as well as the Royal Bahamas Defense Force. It remains unclear what caused the incident. The search for Burch's body remains ongoing. An individual who said they were onboard the RCL Explorer of the Seas during the incident said that boats had been deployed after a woman fell from the 8th floor balcony. The guest also said the couple was arguing before the incident. Faster Pussycat was founded in 1985 by Downe, guitarists Greg Steele and Brent Muscat and bassist Kelly Nickels. The hard rock band 'emerged from the '80s Los Angeles glam scene.' The group has gone through various member changes over the years but Downe has remained a constant. They are known for songs like 'Babylon,' 'Bathroom Wall,' 'House of Pain' and 'Nonstop to Nowhere.' Downe and Burch have reportedly been dating for over five years. The post Faster Pussycat Singer's Fiancée Kimberly Burch Dies After Going Overboard on '80s-Themed Cruise appeared first on TheWrap.
