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Humanitarian Aid on Trial in Greece

  File photo: Migrants from Afghanistan is towed by rescuers of the Refugee Rescue NGO, on the island of Lesbos, Greece. Twenty-four humanitarian aid workers have gone on trial in Greece, facing felony charges of migrant smuggling, money laundering, and membership in a criminal organization . The case, unfolding on the island of Lesbos, targets former volunteers of the now-defunct NGO Emergency Response Centre International (ERCI) , which operated search-and-rescue missions between 2016 and 2018. Among the defendants are Sarah Mardini , a Syrian refugee and professional swimmer whose story inspired the Netflix film The Swimmers , and Seán Binder , a German-Irish rescue diver. Both were arrested in 2018 for their involvement in helping migrants and refugees arriving by sea from Turkey. If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison . Greek prosecutors allege that the group facilitated illegal entry into the country by monitoring coastguard communications and relaying ...
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COP28 reaches landmark agreement to transition from fossil fuels

 



In a historic breakthrough, the COP28 climate summit in Dubai concluded on Wednesday with a deal that commits nearly 200 countries to start reducing their reliance on fossil fuels and shift to renewable energy sources.

The agreement, which was reached after two weeks of intense negotiations and a day of overtime, marks the first time that the world has explicitly recognized the need to transition away from oil, gas and coal, the main drivers of global warming.

The deal also sets ambitious targets for increasing renewable energy capacity, cutting coal use, and deploying technologies that can capture and store carbon emissions. It aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, in line with the latest scientific findings.

The deal was hailed as a historic moment by many countries, especially the small island states that are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. They had pushed hard for strong language on phasing out fossil fuels, despite facing resistance from the OPEC group of oil producers, led by Saudi Arabia.

The COP28 president, Sultan Al Jaber, who is also the UAE minister of industry and advanced technology, said the deal was a “clear signal” to investors and policy-makers that the world is united in its desire to break with fossil fuels and embrace a clean-energy future.

However, he also stressed that the success of the agreement would depend on its implementation, and urged countries to take concrete actions to fulfill their commitments.

The deal was welcomed by environmental groups, who praised it as a significant step forward in the global fight against climate change. However, they also warned that more work is needed to ensure that the transition is fair and equitable, and that the most vulnerable communities are supported and protected.

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