2023-12-10 14:51

Lavrov said Israel should not punish Palestinian people Gaza should have a monitoring mission - Lavrov Putin speaks to Netanyahu Talks on Ukraine? Lavrov: you should ask Zelenskiy MOSCOW, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Russia on Sunday called for an international monitoring mission to go to Gaza to assess the humanitarian situation, and said it was unacceptable for Israel to use Hamas' Oct. 7 attack as justification for punishing the Palestinian people. Israel invaded Gaza in retaliation for Hamas attack that Israel says killed 1,200 people. Israel's assault on Gaza has killed at least 17,000 people, Gaza health authorities say. The United States on Friday vetoed a proposed U.N. Security Council demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas. "We strongly condemned the terrorist attack against Israel on Oct. 7," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Al Jazeera in an interview aired on Sunday at the Doha Forum conference. "At the same time, we do not believe it is acceptable to use this event for the collective punishment of the millions of Palestinian people with indiscriminate shelling." Lavrov said that for there to be "humanitarian pauses" in Gaza "some kind of monitoring on the ground" was needed. "We addressed the UN Secretary General [Antonio Guterres] suggesting that he use his authority to consider some kind of monitoring - but so far to no avail," Lavrov said. President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly accused the United States and the West of ignoring the need for an independent Palestinian state within 1967 borders. Putin on Sunday spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Gaza. "This happened not in a vacuum," Lavrov said, pointing to decades of blockade and unfulfilled promises about a Palestinian state. The UN's Guterres has previously said that the Hamas attack did not happen in a vacuum. Israel said Guterres had justified the Hamas attacks with such words. Guterres rejected the Israeli accusations. UKRAINE Asked in the Al Jazeera interview if Russia was being hypocritical with its criticism about that fate of the Palestinians while Russia fights a war in Ukraine, Lavrov said neither he nor Russia were hypocritical. Lavrov said that the West was trying to exhaust Russia in Ukraine by supplying weapons and that if peace talks were to take place then Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy would have to annul his own presidential decree. "It is up to the Ukrainians to recognise how deep they are in the hole where the Americans put them," Lavrov said when asked if the war was at a stalemate. When asked by Al Jazeera what the chances were of diplomacy to bring about a ceasefire or peace in Ukraine, he said: "You'll have to call Mr Zelenskiy because a year and half ago he signed a decree prohibiting any negotiations with Putin." Lavrov said that a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia was almost reached in Istanbul in March and April 2022 based on the idea of Ukrainian neutrality. "This deal was aborted - it was cancelled because the Americans and the Brits decided that if Putin is ready to sign it then lets exhaust him more. That's what they are doing now. Stalemate or no stalemate - that is the fact," Lavrov said. Asked in the interview about the August plane crash which killed Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, Lavrov said investigators had probed the crash. "As regards the soldiers from Wagner group... quite a number of them went to Belarus and started to serve there," Lavrov said "Others joined the regular structures of the Russian army - and they continue to serve." https://www.reuters.com/world/russias-lavrov-hamas-attacks-do-not-justify-israels-punishment-palestinians-2023-12-10/

2023-12-10 14:04

KYIV, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Ukraine has transported the first batch of lorries to Poland by rail, bypassing the blockage of the land border between the two countries by Polish drivers, Ukrainian state railways Ukrzaliznytsia said on Sunday. Protests by Polish truckers started last month against the terms of EU access for Ukrainian lorries. They blocked the main road corridors into Ukraine, leading to higher prices for fuel and some food items as well as delays to drone deliveries to the Ukrainian army. "The truck consignment arrived in Poland by rail. The Ukrainian and Polish parties have agreed on all issues related to the transport and customs and border procedures," Ukrzaliznytsia said on the Telegram messaging app. "The trucks will continue to their destination by road," it said, adding that the rail shipments would be made regularly using modernised platforms. Ukrainian authorities say about 3,500 lorries are blocked on the Polish side of the Polish-Ukrainian border as of Sunday morning and so far authorities have not been able to reach an agreement with the protesters to stop the action. The main demand of Polish hauliers is to stop Ukrainian truckers from having permit-free access to the European Union, something that Kyiv and Brussels say is not negotiable. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-moves-first-lorries-poland-by-rail-through-blocked-border-2023-12-10/

2023-12-10 10:49

More than 80 countries pushing for deal that includes fossil fuel phase-out Countries still considering a range of options Pledges at summit only close a third of 2030 emissions gap if fully met DUBAI, Dec 10 (Reuters) - The president of the COP28 climate summit on Sunday urged negotiators to work harder to find consensus on a proposed first-of-its-kind deal to phase out the world's use of fossil fuels, as the two-week conference entered its final stage. The talks in Dubai have highlighted deep international divisions over the future role of oil, gas and coal that are complicating efforts by nearly 200 countries to hash out an agreement before the summit's scheduled end on Dec. 12. A coalition of more than 80 countries including the United States, the European Union and small island nations are pushing for an agreement at COP28 that includes language to “phase out” fossil fuels, the main source of greenhouse gas emissions that scientists blame for global warming. They are coming up against tough opposition led by the oil producer group OPEC and its allies. Seeking a breakthrough on Sunday, COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber took the unusual step of convening a 'majlis' - an Arabic term for a communal gathering - where delegations could speak in a different forum to the formal forward-facing plenary hall. "We are now in the end game," Jaber said. "I hope that you won't let me down." Speaking in a circular configuration, delegations restated their positions, but it was not immediately obvious that the forum had yielded a shift in positions. OPEC had issued a letter to its members and backers on Dec. 6 asking them to oppose any language targeting fossil fuels in a COP28 deal, and observers in the negotiations told Reuters that some of those delegations appeared to be heeding the call. "I think there are still quite entrenched positions," Adam Guibourgé-Czetwertyński, Poland's deputy minister for climate who is heading the country’s COP28 delegation, said prior to the majlis on Sunday. OPEC’s biggest producer and de facto leader Saudi Arabia, along with Russia and others, have argued that the focus of COP28 should be on reducing emissions, not on targeting the fuel sources that cause them. China’s top climate envoy, Xie Zhenhua, on Saturday said a COP28 deal can only be considered a success if it includes an agreement on fossil fuels – though he did not say whether Beijing would back a “phase-out” deal. "The positions on the issue are currently very antagonistic, and China is trying to find a solution that is acceptable to all parties and can solve the problems," he said, describing COP28 as the hardest climate summit of his career. U.S. Special Climate Envoy John Kerry met with Xie at the China delegation offices for 45 minutes on Sunday. Kerry did not say what the pair discussed. A draft text published on Sunday proposed that next year's COP29 climate summit be hosted by Azerbaijan between Nov. 11 and Nov. 22. The text will need to be adopted by the summit before it becomes official. SLEW OF COMMITMENTS The latest version of the core negotiating text, released on Friday, shows that countries were still considering a range of options - from agreeing to a "phase out of fossil fuels in line with best available science," to phasing out "unabated fossil fuels", to including no mention at all. Abating fossil fuels typically means reducing their climate impact by either capturing and storing their carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon capture is expensive and has yet to be proven at scale. Three sources told Reuters that the COP28 presidency did not intend to release another draft until Monday, something that would leave negotiators just one full day to resolve differences ahead of the conference’s scheduled end on Tuesday before noon. Speaking at the majlis on Sunday, a representative for Saudi Arabia's delegation reiterated its position that a COP28 deal should not pick and choose energy sources, but should instead focus on cutting emissions. "We have been thinking hard about how to send an inclusive signal to the world on what the science is telling us, entirely without cherry picking," the representative said. "We have raised our consistent concerns over the attempts to attack energy sources instead of emissions." OPEC member Iraq echoed the stance. Britain and Australia were among the few countries to offer a glimmer of compromise, saying flexibility on the fossil fuel language was possible as long as there were enough safeguards. The European Union, meanwhile, reiterated its position that the phase-out of fossil fuels was an essential component of any deal to avert the worst of climate change. "We are running out of time. And with all respect for your deadline, the time we are running out of is the time for our planet," said Wopke Hoekstra, the EU's chief negotiator at COP28. The conference has yielded a slew of other commitments from countries to hit targets like tripling renewable energy and nuclear power deployments, slash coal use and curb emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas methane. The International Energy Agency (IEA) on Sunday said these pledges - if honoured - would lower global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions by 4 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2030. While the figure is substantial, it represents only about a third of the emissions gap that needs to be closed in the next six years to limit warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, as agreed to in the 2015 Paris Agreement, the IEA said. "An 'orderly & just decline of global fossil fuel use' is needed to keep 1.5C in reach," IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking at the Doha Forum, urged leaders at COP28 to agree on deep cuts to emissions to stop global warming exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). Guterres said that despite pledges, emissions are at a record high and fossil fuels are the major cause. "I urge leaders at COP28 in Dubai to agree on deep cuts to emissions, in line with the 1.5-degree limit," he said. For daily comprehensive coverage on COP28 in your inbox, sign up for the Reuters Sustainable Switch newsletter here. https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/big-divisions-loom-over-fossil-fuels-cop28-talks-head-into-final-phase-2023-12-10/

2023-12-10 09:11

DOHA, Dec 10 (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Sunday he will not give up appealing for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, adding that the war undermined the credibility and authority of the Security Council. Gueterres was speaking at the Doha Forum conference as Washington vetoed on Friday a proposed U.N. Security Council demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas. "I urged the Security Council to press to avert a humanitarian catastrophe and I reiterated my appeal for a humanitarian ceasefire to be declared," Guterres said. "Regrettably, the Security Council failed to do it, but that does not make it less necessary," he said. "I will not give up," Guterres added. Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told the gathering that Doha will continue to pressure Israel and Hamas for a truce despite "narrowing" chances. Qatar, where several political leaders of Hamas are based, has been leading negotiations between the group and Israel. Sheikh Mohammed said hostages were released from Gaza because of negotiations and not because of Israel's military actions. The head of UNRWA, the U.N. aid agency for Palestinians, said the dehumanization of Palestinians has allowed the international community to tolerate Israel's continued attacks on Gaza. "There is no doubt that a humanitarian ceasefire is needed if we want to put an end to hell on earth right now in Gaza," UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said. The United States and Israel oppose a ceasefire because they believe it would only benefit Hamas. Washington instead supports pauses in fighting to protect civilians and allow the release of hostages taken by Hamas in a deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Guterres also urged leaders at the COP28 climate conference to agree on deep cuts to emissions and stop global warming exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). He said that despite pledges, emissions are at a record high and fossil fuels are the major cause. Oil producing powers clashed on Saturday with the rest of the countries over a possible agreement to phase-out fossil fuels at the climate summit in Dubai, jeopardising attempts to deliver a first-ever commitment to eventually end the use of oil and gas in 30 years of global warming talks. "I urge leaders at COP28 in Dubai to agree on deep cuts to emissions, in line with the 1.5-degree limit," Guterres said adding that fossil fuel companies and their backers should use their enormous resources to lead the renewables revolution. https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/un-chief-urges-leaders-cop28-agree-deep-cuts-emissions-2023-12-10/

2023-12-10 09:09

DUBAI, Dec 10 (Reuters) - A raft of new pledges announced at the COP28 climate summit - from tripling renewables to reining in methane emissions - won't be enough on their own to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Sunday. So far, 130 countries have agreed to triple renewables and double the rate of energy efficiency improvements, while 50 oil and gas companies have agreed to cut out methane emissions and eliminate routine flaring by 2030 under the Oil and Gas Decarbonisation Charter. If everyone delivered on their commitments, it would lower global-energy related greenhouse gas emissions by 4 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2030, the IEA analysis said. That is about a third of the emissions gap that needs to be closed in the next six years to limit warming to 1.5C above preindustrial levels, as agreed to in the 2015 Paris Agreement. "They would not be nearly enough to move the world onto a path to reaching international climate targets," the IEA said. "The IEA will continue to monitor the ongoing developments at COP28 and update its assessment as needed." The IEA has previously said that countries would need to deliver in five key areas at COP28 to keep 1.5C a possibility. In addition to adding renewables, boosting energy efficiency and cutting methane, it said a large-scale financing mechanism is needed to triple clean energy investment in poorer nations. The IEA also said the world would need to commit to a decline in the use of fossil fuels, and end new approvals of unabated coal-fired power plants. The COP28 summit runs through Dec. 12. For daily comprehensive coverage on COP28 in your inbox, sign up for the Reuters Sustainable Switch newsletter here. https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/cop28-pledges-so-far-not-enough-limit-warming-15c-iea-2023-12-10/

2023-12-10 08:57

DOHA, Dec 10 (Reuters) - The head of UNRWA, the U.N. aid agency for Palestinians, on Sunday said that dehumanization of Palestinians has allowed the international community to bear continued Israeli attacks in Gaza. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said the refugee agency is on the verge of collapsing in Gaza, adding that an immediate ceasefire is needed to end “hell on earth” in Gaza. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/unrwa-chief-says-dehumanization-palestinians-enable-israeli-attacks-2023-12-10/