Headline

Demand For Liability, Payments For Carbon Debts – ERA/FoEN Tells African Govts

Published

4 years ago

October 28, 2021

The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), has called on African governments and delegates to CoP26 holding in Glasgow, Scotland to be resolute in their demand for climate change liability and payments for carbon debts by rich countries.

The call was made by the Executive Director, ERA/FoEN, Dr. Godwin Uyi Ojo in a statement signed and made available to INFO DAILY wherein he said in recent times, rich countries have shown some appreciable effort to addressing climate change with a few countries as the USA, Germany and the United Kingdom taking the lead in renewed pledges to the UNFCCC climate fund to address mitigation and adaptation measures in developing countries.

He insisted that rich countries’ efforts so far have grossly fallen short of expectations and are unlikely to be on target to close the gap on limiting global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

“A recent UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report warns that unless global greenhouse gas emissions fall by 7.6 per cent each year between 2020 and 2030, the world will miss the opportunity to get on track towards the 1.5°C temperature goal of the Paris Agreement,” he added.

According to him, to secure ambitious outcome, there is the need to addressing the lack of equity and fairness in addressing climate change impacts.

Ojo, noted that catastrophic events due to the impact of climate change compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic have continued to buffet vulnerable countries especially in Africa.

He stated that given the rate of fiscal responsibility and allocations in addressing climate events in Europe and America and the robust response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an undeniable dichotomy between the rich and poor countries that betray the lack of equity and fairness in addressing these issues in the developing countries.

“According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, climate change impact will continue to be on the rise and with growing intensity hence the need for urgency.

The environmental rights organisation further disclosed that the historical carbon emissions released into the atmosphere jeopardises economic development of developing countries who must forgo their economic resources especially tarsands, coal, oil and gas potentials to combating climate change.

The organisation added that it is “highly commendable that the UK government as host, has taken the decision to end support for fossil fuels sector overseas. This means that the government will no longer support the development of fossil fuel sector overseas including end to export finance and credits, funding for new crude oil, natural gas and coal projects overseas.

“Other developed and developing countries should embrace this UK policy while paying for the costs of alternative pathway in renewable energy options and the avoidance of potential carbon emissions from the production and consumption of such harmful development model,” Ojo said.

Headline

US: Four Killed, 10 Others Wounded In California Shooting

Published

11 hours ago

November 30, 2025

Editor

Four people were confirmed dead and 10 others injured after a shooting at a family gathering in California, United States on Saturday night, according to US police, who described the attack as a “targeted incident.”

The incident occurred inside a banquet hall in Stockton, northeast of San Francisco, shortly before 6:00 pm, spokesperson for the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, Heather Brent, told reporters during a news briefing.

Brent said the victims, ranging from “juveniles to adults,” were rushed to nearby hospitals, noting that details about the shooting remained limited.

“What we have confirmed at this time is that there was a banquet hall where a family was celebrating. We have 14 victims of this shooting. Four of those are deceased,” Brent said.

“Early indications suggest that this may be a targeted incident. Investigators are exploring all possibilities at this time.”

The sheriff’s office posted on social media that detectives were “working to determine the circumstances leading up to this tragedy.”

“We are urging anyone with information, video footage, or who may have witnessed any part of this incident to contact the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office immediately,” the post added.

Authorities said no suspect had been identified at the time of the report.

California Governor Gavin Newsom was briefed on the development, his office said in a social media statement.

Data from the Gun Violence Archive shows there have been 504 mass shootings in the United States so far this year, including the Stockton attack.

(AFP)

Headline

FULL LIST: US To Review Green Cards From 19 ‘Countries Of Concern’ After Washington Shooting

Published

2 days ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it will review the immigration status of all permanent residents, or “Green Card” holders, from Afghanistan and 18 other countries following the attack on National Guard troops in Washington, D.C.

U.S. officials identified the suspect in Wednesday’s shooting as a 29-year-old Afghan national who previously worked alongside American forces in Afghanistan.

The individual was granted asylum earlier this year, not permanent residency, according to AfghanEvac, an organisation that assists Afghans resettled in the United States after the Taliban takeover in 2021.

“I have directed a full-scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,” said Joseph Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), on X.

The review follows a June executive order from President Trump classifying 19 countries as “of Identified Concern.”

The order banned entry for nearly all nationals from 12 countries, including Afghanistan. The full list of these countries is:

Afghanistan

Myanmar

Chad

Congo-Brazzaville

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Haiti

Iran

Libya

Somalia

Sudan

Yemen

A partial travel ban applies to seven additional countries, though some temporary work visas remain allowed: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

Headline

Romanian Defence Minister Quits After Admitting Error In Academic Record

Published

2 days ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

Romania’s defence minister resigned on Friday after saying he made a “mistake” on his CV about his university education, as controversy swirled over alleged lies on his resume.

Ionut Mosteanu – who has admitted to writing on his CV that he graduated from a university he never attended – said he did not want the row “to distract” the NATO member at a time when it and Europe are “under attack from Russia”.

Romania has repeatedly seen drone fragments fall on its soil since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and reported a number of drone incursions.

On Tuesday, a drone crashed in eastern Romania, which borders Ukraine.

Romania has also accused Moscow of “hybrid attacks”, including meddling in presidential elections last year that were subsequently annulled.

“Today, I resigned from my position as minister of national defence,” Mosteanu said in a Facebook post, adding he wanted the country to be focused on its “difficult mission”.

“Romania and Europe are under attack from Russia. Our national security must be defended at all costs,” he added.

Mosteanu had come under pressure after a media investigation published on Thursday revealed that he wrote in a CV that he graduated from a university which he did not actually attend.

That same day he apologised for what he called “a mistake”.

“In a CV I quickly put together in 2016 using a template I found online, there is a mistake that I admit embarrasses me. I didn’t pay much attention to these details at the time,” he said on Facebook.

Mosteanu was appointed defence minister in June of this year, when a new pro-European government was formed after months of political turmoil.

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said in a press release that he would propose economy and tourism minister Radu Miruta take over the defence portfolio in the interim.

AFP