G7 pledges to quit fossil fuels faster, no new deadline - CNA

SAPPORO, Japan: The Group of Seven (G7) pledged on Sunday (Apr 16) to speed up the phase-out of fossil fuels and urged other countries to do the same, but did not set any new deadlines on the exit from polluting energy sources such as coal.

In a statement following two days of talks in Japan, climate and environment ministers from the leading developed nations outlined efforts to keep global warming under the key 1.5 degree Celsius limit.

They vowed to "accelerate the phase-out of unabated fossil fuels so as to achieve net zero in energy systems by 2050 at the latest ... and call on others to join us in taking the same action".

But the group did not offer any new deadlines beyond last year's G7 pledge to largely end fossil fuel use in their electricity sectors by 2035.

France's energy transition minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said the wording on a fossil fuel "phase-out" was nonetheless a "strong step forward" ahead of the G20 and COP28 summits later this year.

"The most important progress we have made is clearly the fact that we agree to move away from non-carbon-offset fossil fuels," she told AFP.

Britain and France had proposed a new goal of ending "unabated" coal power - which does not take steps to offset emissions - in G7 electricity systems within this decade.

But with global energy supplies still squeezed by the war in Ukraine, that target faced pushback from other members, including bloc president Japan and the United States.

"I would obviously have liked to have been able to make a commitment to phase out coal by 2030," Pannier-Runacher said.

"This was not possible, and it is one issue on which we can still make progress in forthcoming discussions, particularly at COP28."

CALL TO REDUCE "GAS DEMAND"

The G7, which also includes Germany, Italy, Canada and the EU, all target net-zero emissions by 2050 or sooner after signing the Paris Agreement to cap warming at well under 2 degrees Celsius, and ideally 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The ministers had been under pressure to announce ambitious steps after a major UN climate report warned last month that 1.5 degrees Celsius increases would be seen in about a decade without "rapid and far-reaching" action.

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2023-04-16 05:03:53Z
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Singapore-flagged ship boarded by pirates found; all 20 crew members reported safe - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - The Success 9 – a Singapore-flagged vessel that was boarded by pirates around 570km off the Ivory Coast on Monday – was found on Saturday evening, and all its 20 crew members, including a Singaporean, are safe.

In a statement issued early Sunday morning, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said the chemical and oil product tanker had been located off the coast of the city of Abidjan by a commercial ship, the Monjasa Sprinter.

The ship had picked up a distress call from Success 9 and MPA was eventually alerted.

MPA, which has been working closely with HS Ocean – Success 9’s owner – as well as multinational agencies through the Information Fusion Centre and the Monrovia Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, subsequently informed the two centres.

A patrol vessel from the Ivory Coast’s navy was deployed to confirm and board the ship, and all crew members were found to be “safe and in good health”.

The ship has since arrived at Abidjan’s port.

During the search for Success 9, MPA had been collaborating with various agencies in the region, including the Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade – Gulf of Guinea, a joint maritime monitoring effort by France and Britain.

It also worked with regional security forces, the French navy, as well as the coast guards and maritime administrations from the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

“All nearby and passing commercial ships were also cued to help in the search for Success 9,” said MPA.

Since it was boarded by pirates on Monday, the Success 9 had been uncontactable, with its location failing to show up on automatic identification systems as well.

Described as a “black-hulled tanker with a white superstructure, (and a) white funnel with blue stripes”, the search for the vessel had seen Ivory Coast authorities deploying air and sea assets to the vicinity of its last known position.

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2023-04-15 20:33:29Z
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Japan's Kishida vows safety of G7 meetings after 'smoke bomb' attack - CNA

TOKYO: Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, a day after he was evacuated from an apparent attack, vowed on Sunday (Apr 16) to do everything possible to ensure the safety of meetings of the Group of Seven (G7) industrial powers through next month.

Kishida escaped unhurt after a suspect threw what appeared to be a smoke bomb during an election campaign stop at a fishing port in western Japan.

The suspect, identified by police as 24 year-old Ryuji Kimura, was also carrying a knife when he was arrested, as well as a possible second explosive device he dropped at the scene after bystanders and police tackled him, Kyodo news agency reported.

No motive for the apparent attack, in which media said one police officer was slightly injured, has been announced.

Speaking to reporters, Kishida said Japan must not allow acts of violence that attack the foundation of democracy.

"At a time when high-ranking officials from all over the world are visiting ... Japan as a whole needs to maximise its efforts to ensure security and safety," Kishida told reporters on Sunday.

"It's unforgivable such a violent act was committed during an election campaign," he added.

His bomb scare in Wakayama prefecture near Osaka was an eerie reminder of the assassination last July of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot with a homemade gun while campaigning for a parliamentary election.

Abe's killing shocked Japan, where gun crimes are exceedingly rare, and prompted a review of security for politicians, who routinely mingle with the public.

Japanese politicians are campaigning for by-elections on Apr 23 for the lower house of parliament.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Saturday that police have been instructed to boost security and the government would do what is necessary to ensure security when Kishida hosts the May G7 summit in Hiroshima.

G7 foreign ministers gather on Sunday for a meeting in the resort city of Karuizawa, while the group's environment and energy ministers are meeting this weekend in Sapporo in northern Japan.

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2023-04-16 01:42:00Z
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Brazil leader ends China visit by telling US to ‘stop encouraging’ war - South China Morning Post

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1. Brazil leader ends China visit by telling US to ‘stop encouraging’ war  South China Morning Post
2. Brazil paves way for semiconductor cooperation with China  CNA
3. China, Brazil urge developed nations to meet climate finance vows  Bangkok Post
4. China and Brazil deepen ties amid rising US-China tensions  The Straits Times
5. Lula courts Chinese tech for Brazil, brushes off "prejudices"  CNA
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2023-04-15 13:50:39Z
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Japan's Premier Vows to Continue Election After Smoke Bomb Scare - Bloomberg

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1. Japan's Premier Vows to Continue Election After Smoke Bomb Scare  Bloomberg
2. Japan PM Kishida evacuated after apparent smoke bomb blast  CNA
3. Japan PM Kishida unhurt after smoke bomb thrown at him during outdoor event, suspect held  The Straits Times
4. Japan PM Kishida unhurt after smoke bomb thrown during stump speech  Bangkok Post
5. Japan PM Kishida evacuated unhurt after apparent smoke bomb blast  CNA
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2023-04-15 08:48:44Z
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Blinken starts Vietnam visit amid hopes of deeper ties to counter China - CNA

For Hanoi, it has been a difficult balancing act, being open to more cooperation with Washington without upsetting Beijing, even though Vietnam has been alarmed by China's growing military claims in the South China Sea.

The diplomatic calculus is further complicated by the increasingly close relationship between Beijing and Moscow, which last year declared a "no limits" partnership shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Last month saw a call between US President Joe Biden and the head of Vietnam's ruling Communist party Nguyen Phu Trong, which together with Blinken's visit could lead to a meeting between the two in July, the 10th anniversary of the existing formal bilateral partnership, analysts say.

But while the United States will likely to push for stronger ties with Vietnam, Hanoi may not share the enthusiasm, Rand Corporation analyst Derek Grossman said.

"For one thing, there is no need, from Vietnam’s perspective, to unnecessarily antagonise China ... Another is that Hanoi wants to avoid appearing openly part of the US Indo-Pacific Strategy designed to counter China," he said.

Blinken is also expected to raise human rights issues with Vietnamese officials. Rights groups have regularly raised concerns over the communist country's treatment of dissidents.

Earlier this week, a Hanoi court sentenced a prominent Vietnamese political activist to six years in prison for conducting anti-state activities, his lawyer said.

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2023-04-15 01:31:44Z
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Mum shocked after son returns home from pre-school with bruised face and gash on arm - AsiaOne

Was it a case of kids being kids, or something more malicious? 

A mother of a three-year-old boy has requested to withdraw her son from his pre-school after the latter returned home from school on four occasions with injuries on various parts of his body. 

The woman, surnamed Wu told Shin Min Daily News that her son had enrolled in Hampton Pre-School located in Tiong Bahru at the start of the year. 

His latest mishap was on March 29, when a teacher called Wu to inform her that the boy had a 3.5cm gash on his left arm. 

"A school staff told me that he was pinched by a classmate, but it didn't look like a pinch wound to me. I brought my son to the doctor that day, and he agreed it didn't look like my son was pinched," the 42-year-old accountant told the Chinese daily. 

Her son had also told her the same thing, but she still felt that something was amiss from the way he spoke. 

According to her, the young boy has been traumatised from the incident.

"He's had repeated nightmares after that day, and he yelled 'Don't chase me!' on one occasion. His wound also hasn't healed after one week." 

Wu also said that her son came home from pre-school with scratches between his eyebrows and bruises on his face on other occasions. 

"These were inflicted by another classmate while they were playing with each other," she explained. 

No CCTV in school

Following the incident in late March, Wu escalated the matter to the school's principal but was told the same story. 

"There's no way to prove what actually happened, as there isn't a CCTV installed on the school's premises."

[[nid:603390]]

Wu also questioned why the staff did not stop the other student from injuring her son, and why she wasn't informed immediately after the incident. 

"I tried asking if I could speak to the student's parents, but the school said I couldn't do so," lamented the frustrated mother. 

Left with no choice, Wu said she has since reported the matter to the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA). 

To protect her son, she has also applied to withdraw him from the pre-school.

Although the school has refunded Wu her deposit of $770, they still asked her to pay for his fees for the month of April — even though the boy has been absent since the incident. 

Responding to Shin Min's queries, Hampton Pre-School said that two staff members were present when the boy had gotten injured — a teacher and a teaching assistant. 

"The teacher inspected the boy's injuries and informed the boy's parents immediately," said the school. 

They stated that they have also investigated the incident, and determined that the boy's injuries were caused by another student, adding that they are currently in touch with Wu to resolve the matter. 

ECDA also told Shin Min that they are aware of the incident and are investigating the situation. 

Student attacked by classmate with metal rod 

In 2021, a secondary school student was left with a gaping wound in his head after he was allegedly brutally attacked by a schoolmate who was armed with a metal rod. 

The victim had been dropped off at school by his elder sister at about 6.45am that morning, and was attacked by his schoolmate an hour later. 

He was subsequently taken to the hospital. 

Police told The Straits Times then that another student was arrested for voluntarily causing hurt by a dangerous weapon. 

ALSO READ: Woman who failed O-level English twice tries to become pre-school principal, jailed for forgery

claudiatan@asiaone.com

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2023-04-15 01:18:00Z
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