Latest news with #UnitedNations
The Standard
37 minutes ago
- Politics
- The Standard
Australia shuts down Tehran embassy as Iran-Israel conflict escalates
Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of Australia Penny Wong addresses the "Summit of the Future" in the General Assembly hall at United Nations headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 23, 2024. REUTERS/David Dee Delgado/File Photo
New Straits Times
42 minutes ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Myanmar refugee: Prison in Malaysia felt safer than home
KUALA LUMPUR: A former teacher from Myanmar who sought refuge in Malaysia says she felt safer in prison here than living under fear and persecution back home. The 33-year-old woman, Aung (not her real name), fled to Malaysia after refusing to continue working as a government school teacher under the military junta following the 2021 coup. Her decision to join the civil disobedience movement made her a target. "My own headmaster threatened to report me to the military. That's when I knew I had to leave." Aung said. Upon arriving in Malaysia, Aung was arrested for lacking valid documents and spent nearly six months in detention and prison. She described her time in custody as deeply isolating and mentally exhausting. "I felt I was no longer human. I started talking to the walls to stay sane," she said. After serving her sentence, Aung was deported to Myanmar only to be detained again. She was later released after her family raised three million kyats, equivalent to nearly a year's savings to secure her freedom. Still fearing re-arrest, she returned to Malaysia and is now working informally while awaiting refugee status with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). "Please don't send us back. We just want to live in safety. "For all Myanmar refugees who barely escaped the military junta, this is our humble request to be allowed to stay here temporarily, and not be returned to danger." Aung said the trauma of her past still lingers, but she continues pushing forward to rebuild her life. Heidy Quah, founder of Refuge for the Refugees, said Aung's experience is not an isolated one. Many people who flee conflict and persecution are treated as undocumented migrants in Malaysia and are vulnerable to arrest and detention, especially if they are unregistered with UNHCR. "Without legal recognition, refugees live in constant limbo. "They are unable to work, access education, or move freely without fear. For women and families, the risks are even higher." Heidy said that stories like Aung's are not told to assign blame, but to humanise the people affected and shift the public conversation. "Aung is someone's daughter, a friend, a member of a community. When we reduce people to immigration status, we lose sight of their full humanity," she said. She added that systemic change is urgently needed including alternatives to detention, improved oversight of facilities, and access to healthcare and legal support. But equally important is the need to see refugees as part of Malaysia's social fabric. "It's not about blame. It's about understanding. Dignity isn't a privilege, it's the foundation of any just and cohesive society." In conjunction with World Refugee Day, Heidy said Malaysians can play a role in building social cohesion by supporting refugee-led initiatives, challenging misinformation, and creating spaces for shared experiences. "Each of us has a role to play whether it's listening with empathy, supporting refugee-led initiatives, or addressing misinformation. "Recognising refugees as people with dreams, skills and the desire to belong is the first step towards dignity and inclusion." she added.
Nahar Net
an hour ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Israel killed and injured 500 children in Lebanon in 2024
From Gaza and Lebanon to the Democratic Republic of Congo, violence against children in conflict zones reached "unprecedented levels" in 2024, a United Nations annual report said Thursday. The report calls out Israel's military operations in Lebanon, where more than 500 children were killed or injured last year. "In 2024, violence against children in armed conflict reached unprecedented levels, with a staggering 25 percent surge in the number of grave violations in comparison with 2023," according to the report from U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The report verified 41,370 grave violations against children in 2024 -- including 36,221 committed in 2024 and 5,149 committed previously but confirmed in 2024 -- the highest number since the monitoring tool was established nearly 30 years ago. The new high beats 2023, another record year, which itself represented a 21 percent increase over the preceding year. With more than 4,500 killed and 7,000 injured, children continue to bear "the brunt of relentless hostilities and indiscriminate attacks," the report said. There was also a marked increase in the number of child victims of multiple violations to 22,495. "The cries of 22,495 innocent children who should be learning to read or play ball -- but instead have been forced to learn how to survive gunfire and bombings -- should keep all of us awake at night," said Virginia Gamba, special representative of the U.N. secretary-general for children and armed conflict. "This must serve as a wake-up call. We are at the point of no return." The Israeli armed forces, which were named last year along with Palestinian Hamas, remain on the "list of shame" calling out those responsible for the violations. The Palestinian territories occupy the top spot in the dismal rankings, with more than 8,500 serious violations, the vast majority attributed to Israeli forces, including more than 4,800 in the Gaza Strip. This figure includes confirmation of 1,259 Palestinian children killed in Gaza, and the U.N. notes it is currently verifying information on an additional 4,470 children killed in 2024 in the war-torn territory. Also listed again is the Russian army for its actions in Ukraine, where the report records a 105 percent increase in serious violations between 2023 and 2024.
New Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
ALEAP president shortlisted for UN Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize
HYDERABAD: Association of Lady Entrepreneurs (ALEAP) President Rama Devi Kanneganti has been shortlisted for the prestigious United Nations Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize 2025. According to a press release issued on Thursday, this recognition has been given in appreciation of her commitment to empowering women through entrepreneurship. Under Rama Devi's leadership, ALEAP has grown to over 10,000 members and made significant strides in building an entrepreneurial ecosystem for women in India. Though the award is given to only a man and a woman globally every five years, being shortlisted among 330 nominees worldwide is a moment of great pride and global acknowledgement for ALEAP's impactful journey, the statement said.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Clean-tech investment could boost China's economy, cut emissions and achieve 2035 development goals, study finds.
Rows of solar panels are seen during installation at a photovoltaic project in Qingdao, in eastern Shandong province. PHOTO: AFP SINGAPORE – China is on the cusp of a clean-energy-led economic revolution that could not only achieve the government's 2035 development goals but also slash air pollution and carbon emissions in a global win for fighting climate change, researchers say. To get there, Beijing needs to enact policies that ramp up investment in renewable energy and green-technology manufacturing and innovation as well as set ambitious emissions reduction targets for the next decade, Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (Crea) said in a report published on June 19. Decisions made over the coming months will be key, the authors said. China's clean energy industries could double in value by 2035, adding US$2.1 trillion (S$2.7 trillion) to the economy, if the country and the world's other large markets follow emissions targets aligned with the United Nations Paris Agreement, the planet's main climate pact. China is already the world's top investor in renewable energy. Sustained green investment will make an important contribution to China's target of becoming a 'moderately prosperous' country in a decade, delivering one- fifth of the targeted gross domestic product growth in 2035, the authors said. Achieving a moderately prosperous economy is a key goal for Beijing , and to achieve this would mean doubling China's GDP from 101.6 trillion yuan (S$18. 15 trillion) in 2020 to more than 200 trillion yuan by 2035. 'The next decade will be critical in deciding whether China can seize the economic and strategic advantages of clean energy sectors and lead the world into a new phase of high-quality, innovation-led development,' said Ms Belinda Schaepe, China policy analyst at Crea and a co-author of the report . The government needs to set out ambitious policy targets in China's 15th Five-Year Plan covering 2026 to 2030, and in its climate action plan out to 2035 that it must submit to the United Nations in 2025, she added . The climate plan, called a nationally determined contribution (NDC), is mandatory for all parties to the Paris Agreement . NDCs are submitted every five years and are meant to be more ambitious than the previous one. 'Weak targets, by contrast, risk slowing China's momentum, creating uncertainty, and missing a historic opportunity to lead the global energy transition,' said Ms Schaepe . China needs to submit its NDC by the UN COP30 climate talks in Brazil in November . Beijing has already said the NDC will cover the entire economy and all greenhouse gases, a first for the country. The potential of the clean-energy sector to transform the economy is already apparent. In 2024, the sector, which includes electric vehicles, EV batteries, wind turbines and solar cells and modules, accounted for 10 per cent of GDP and 25 per cent of GDP growth, overtaking the value of real estate sales for the first time. And China is continuing its record-breaking renewable energy investment, adding 124.9 gigawatts (GW) of wind and solar capacity in the first four months of 2025, according to Sydney-based think-tank Climate Energy Finance, based on data from China's National Energy Administration. By April 2025, China had 1,533 GW of wind and solar capacity, far ahead of any other nation, helping to reduce its dependence on polluting coal. In 2024, China's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions declined year-on-year for the first time despite strong electricity demand growth. 'China's unprecedented clean energy expansion was the primary driver in reducing emissions, offsetting the increase in emissions from other industrial sectors,' the authors noted . 'Beyond economic contributions to China's GDP, clean energy sectors could also cut China's emissions by 30 per cent compared with current levels,' they added . This is key because China is also the world's top CO2 polluter and coal consumer and what it decides on energy and economic policy will affect the global pace of climate change for years to come. China's rapid expansion of clean-energy investment and production overseas will also help reduce global emissions growth, while also boosting the economy at home. 'The clean energy sectors stand poised to both lead China's economic prosperity and drive down the country's CO2 emissions,' said co-author Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst at Crea. But if momentum in these sectors were to slow, they could instead become a drag on the economy and also curb emissions reductions, he added. David Fogarty is deputy foreign editor at The Straits Times and senior climate writer. He also covers the environment, in areas ranging from biodiversity to plastic pollution. Find out more about climate change and how it could affect you on the ST microsite here.
