Latest news with #Turk
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Israel kills at least 45 Palestinians waiting for aid near distribution sites of US-backed GHF
Israel on Monday killed at least 45 starving Palestinians, who were waiting to receive the much-needed humanitarian aid at the distribution sites of the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), in southern Gaza's Rafah. The newly established aid-distribution system was described as a "death trap" by various aid organisations and the UN who refused to cooporate with the GHF, stating it has been aiding Israel in its genocidal war against Gaza. The United Nations human rights chief on Monday condemned Israel's conduct in its war and said that the 'means and methods of warfare are inflicting horrifying, unconscionable suffering on Palestinians in Gaza.' "Israel has weaponised food and blocked lifesaving aid,' Turk said while presenting his annual report to the UN Human Rights Council. "I urge immediate, impartial investigations into deadly attacks on desperate civilians to reach food distribution centres," he said adding that the "disturbing, dehumanising rhetoric from senior Israeli government officials is reminiscent of the gravest of crimes." At least 300 Palestinians have been killed by Israel near the GHF aid distribution sites since it began its operations. Witnesses describe crowds under fire Israeli troops started firing as thousands of Palestinians massed around 4 a.m. at the Flag Roundabout before the scheduled opening time of the Rafah food centre, according to Heba Jouda and Mohamed Abed, two Palestinians who were in the crowd.
Daily Tribune
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
UN slams 'pushback' against diversity
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies are facing a pushback around the world as part of a strategic shift to scapegoat vulnerable groups, the UN rights chief Volker Turk said Monday. Since returning to the White House in January, US President Donald Trump has led a crusade against programmes promoting DEI. One of Trump's first acts was to terminate all federal government DEI programmes. Companies that implement such policies are threatened with prosecution, and several major brands, including Meta, Target and McDonald's, have either abolished their DEI programmes or drastically reduced them. However, this backtracking is not limited to the United States, said Turk -- who rarely mentions Trump by name -- in a global overview speech to the UN Human Rights Council. "Social tensions are often rooted in systemic, long-standing discrimination based on race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, migrant status, caste, and other characteristics," he said. "Policies to tackle such discrimination have had important successes in all regions of the world," he added. "Some call these DEI policies. I call them standing up for equality. "When we look at the pushback against such policies, we see it for what it is: a fundamental misrepresentation that reveals a strategic decision to scapegoat vulnerable groups." - 'Scourge' of racism - The UN high commissioner for human rights also took aim at racism and restrictions on women's rights. "Racism remains a scourge," he said. "People of African descent continue to suffer disproportionately from excessive use of force, including deaths at the hands of law enforcement, in Brazil, the United States, and beyond." Turk said data gathered by his office showed that women worldwide faced discrimination at more than double the level experienced by men. In parts of Russia and the United States, there are "severe restrictions on women's reproductive rights" and rights to healthcare, he said, while denouncing laws and practices that limit the rights of women and girls in Iran and Afghanistan. - LGBTQ, migrants - He also took aim at "legal restrictions, hate speech and even violence" targeting LGBTQ communities. "In West Africa, draconian laws threaten to criminalise consensual same-sex relations," said Turk. Meanwhile Argentine and US government officials "have made statements vilifying transgender and non-binary people, while restricting their rights", he said. Turk also said migrants and refugees were being targeted by hate speech, unjust legal restrictions, scapegoating and other forms of discrimination in many countries. He cited Afghans being forced to return from Pakistan and Iran, and calls in Europe to change the interpretation of rights law on migration governance. In the United States, the arrest and deportation of large numbers of non-nationals raises "serious concerns", Turk added.
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
UN rights chief urges Pak, India to uphold ceasefire
The United Nations flag flies at half-mast at the European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, November 13, 2023. PHOTO: REUTERS UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has called on Pakistan and India to uphold the ceasefire following their recent four-day conflict, and to restore "essential" water-sharing arrangements between the two South Asian countries. "I urge both India and Pakistan to ensure the ceasefire holds, to prevent hateful rhetoric and disinformation, and to re-establish essential water sharing arrangements," Turk told the Human Rights Council as he presented his annual report to the 47-member body in Geneva on Monday. His call for restoring water-sharing arrangements was aimed at India which suspended the1960 Indus waters treaty governing water sharing with Pakistan.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The AI revolution is likely to drive up your electricity bill. Here's why.
New Jersey residents got some bad news earlier this year when the state's public utilities board warned that their electricity bills could surge up to 20% starting on June 1. A key driver in that rate hike: data centers. The spread of these large-scale computing facilities across the U.S. amid growing demand for artificial intelligence, data storage and other technology services is projected to increase electricity consumption to record highs in the coming years, according to experts. A report from Schneider Electric, a company that specializes in digital automation and energy management, projects that electricity demand will increase 16% by 2029, mainly due to the proliferation of data centers. Most data centers rely on the nation's electrical grid for energy, meaning it will be Americans ratepayers who pick up the tab, Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, a group that represents states on energy issues. "As utilities race to meet skyrocketing demand from AI and cloud computing, they're building new infrastructure and raising rates, often without transparency or public input," he told CBS MoneyWatch in an email. "That means higher electricity bills for everyday households, while tech companies benefit from sweetheart deals behind closed doors." More data centers, more power Thousands of data centers now dot the country, with the largest concentrations in Virginia, California and Texas. The number of data centers in the U.S. nearly doubled between 2021 and 2024, according to a report from Environment America, a network of environmental groups. It's not just the number of data centers that are expected to rise, but the size. "The trend has been bigger data centers," Dave Turk, the former deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, told CBS MoneyWatch. "They tend to be more energy efficient." Spurring that expansion is the rapid growth of "generative" AI companies that are consuming vast amounts of electricity to train so-called Large Language Models like ChatGPT and power. AI searches use 10 times more electricity than normal internet searches, according to a study from the Electric Power Research Institute, a nonprofit organization. "AI is an increasing part of data centers and certainly responsible for increased electricity demand," Turk said. Data centers, which contain thousands of computer servers, networking gear and other infrastructure, also require power to cool their systems and keep them from overheating. Torsten Sløk, chief economist at asset management firm Apollo Global Management, estimates that data centers will require an additional 18 gigawatts of power capacity by 2030. To put that into context, New York City power demand is about 6 gigawatts. About 4.4% of U.S. electricity went to power data centers in 2023, according to a Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study. Not all of that demand is related to AI, but it represents a portion, Turk said. Other factors pushing up prices The spread of data centers isn't the only reason U.S. electricity prices are surging. The price of natural gas, inflation, ongoing electrification of buildings and vehicles, and other factors also play an important role. But utilities are factoring the high demand from data centers into their pricing models. For example, when Dominion Energy, one of the Virginia's largest utilities, in April proposed a price hike of $8.51 per month in 2026, the company also floated the idea of a "new rate class for high energy users, including data centers." Electricity prices have risen 4.5% in the last year, according to recent data from the Labor Department, and are estimated to surge this summer. Energy costs also drift higher if a Republican-backed budget package, dubbed the "big beautiful bill," is passed and signed into law by President Trump. Analysts from Rhodium Group predict that the bill, which would repeal a slate of tax credits created under the Inflation Reduction Act, could increase a family's energy expenditures by nearly $400 a year. Beyond price increases, the heightened energy demand from data centers could also compromise the reliability of the grid, according to experts. In a recent report, the North American Electric Reliability Corp said that facilities that service AI and cryptocurrency companies are being developed at a faster pace than the power plants and transmission lines to support them, "resulting in lower system stability. PJM, a grid operator in 13 states plus Washington, D.C., cited data center demand as one of the factors that could lead to capacity shortages in its 2025 forecast. Harry Chapin: Songwriter, activist and father How the U.S. Army was born Early details on arrest in Minnesota lawmaker shootings
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
UN accuses Israel of ‘weaponising food, aid' as 38 die in fresh gunfire in Gaza
The United Nations on Monday accused Israel of "weaponising food and lifesaving aid" amid reports of multiple shootings near humanitarian aid distribution centres in Gaza. As per the latest reports, at least 38 people were killed in gunfire near an aid site in Gaza on Monday. Presenting the annual report of the UNHRC at the 59th Human Rights Council in Geneva, United Nations rights commissioner Volker Turk has stated that Israel's "means and methods of warfare inflicting horrifying, unconscionable suffering on Palestinians in Gaza." In his speech at the 59th Human Rights Council on Monday, Turk accused Israel of blocking lifesaving aid for Gaza. 'Israel has weaponised food and blocked lifesaving aid,' the UN human rights chief said during his speech. READ | Greta Thunberg 'kidnapped' on Gaza flotilla; videos show Israeli forces intercepting Madleen 'I urge immediate, impartial investigations into deadly attacks on desperate civilians to reach food distribution centres. Disturbing, dehumanising rhetoric from senior Israeli government officials is reminiscent of the gravest of crimes," he added further. Since October 7, 2023, Israel's war on Gaza has killed at least 55,362 officials across the war-torn strip. As per Gaza's health ministry, a total of 38 Palestinians have been killed on Monday in gunfire near aid distribution centres. As officials, Monday's toll is the "deadliest yet" in the near-daily shootings that have taken place near aid centres run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. In the past month, several incidents of Palestinian killed in gunfire near aid sites have been reported. As per Palestinian media and officials, the gunfire is from Israeli officials operating near the aid centres. The aid centres across Gaza are being run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which has been labeled as a "controversial organisation" by the UN and other human rights organisations. GHF began operations in Gaza at the end of May after Israel lifted partially lifted its three-month aid block. The UN and other humanitarian groups have refused to cooperate with GHF, stating that the organisation "prioritises Israeli military objectives over humanitarian needs."
