Ex-RJD MLA shares video of distressed Air India passengers after AC malfunction
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
20 minutes ago
- News18
UN's top court in landmark climate change decision enshrines human right
Agency: Last Updated: July 23, 2025, 20:30 IST Representational image (Image: News18) The Hague, Jul 23 (AP) Judges with the United Nations's top court say in a landmark climate decision that a 'clean, healthy and sustainable environment" is a human right. The International Court of Justice is delivering an advisory opinion Wednesday about nations' obligations to tackle climate change and consequences they may face if they don't. The non-binding opinion, which runs to over 500 pages, is seen as a potential turning point in international climate law. Enshrining a sustainable environment as a human right paves the way for other legal actions, including states returning to the ICJ to hold each other to account, as well as domestic lawsuits. 'The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is therefore inherent in the enjoyment of other human rights," court President Yuji Iwasawa said. The decision could serve as the basis for other legal actions, including domestic lawsuits, and legal instruments like investment agreements. The case is led by the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu and backed by more than 130 countries. All UN member states including major greenhouse gas emitters like the United States and China are parties to the court. Outside the court, climate activists gathered. They held a banner that read: 'Courts have spoken. The law is clear. States must ACT NOW." The courtroom, known as the Great Hall of Justice, was packed. After years of lobbying by vulnerable island nations who fear they could disappear under rising sea waters, the UN General Assembly asked the ICJ in 2023 for an advisory opinion, an important basis for international obligations. A panel of 15 judges was tasked with answering two questions: What are countries obliged to do under international law to protect the climate and environment from human-caused greenhouse gas emissions? Second, what are the legal consequences for governments when their acts, or lack of action, have significantly harmed the climate and environment? 'The stakes could not be higher. The survival of my people and so many others is on the line," Arnold Kiel Loughman, attorney general of the island nation of Vanuatu, told the court during a week of hearings in December. In the decade up to 2023, sea levels rose by a global average of around 4.3 centimeters (1.7 inches), with parts of the Pacific rising higher still. The world has also warmed 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.3 Fahrenheit) since preindustrial times because of the burning of fossil fuels. Vanuatu is one of a group of small states pushing for international legal intervention in the climate crisis but it affects many more island nations in the South Pacific. 'The agreements being made at an international level between states are not moving fast enough," Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu's minister for climate change, told The Associated Press. Any decision by The Hague-based court would be unable to directly force wealthy nations into action to help struggling countries. Yet it would be more than just a powerful symbol, since it could serve as the basis for other legal actions, including domestic lawsuits. 'What makes this case so important is that it addresses the past, present, and future of climate action. It's not just about future targets — it also tackles historical responsibility, because we cannot solve the climate crisis without confronting its roots," Joie Chowdhury, a senior attorney at the Centre for International Environmental Law, told AP. Activists could bring lawsuits against their own countries for failing to comply with the decision and states could return to the International Court of Justice to hold each other to account. And whatever the judges say will be used as the basis for other legal instruments, like investment agreements, Chowdhury said. The United States and Russia, both of whom are major petroleum-producing states, are staunchly opposed to the court mandating emissions reductions. Swipe Left For Next Video View all Simply having the court issue an opinion is the latest in a series of legal victories for the small island nations. Earlier this month, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights found that countries have a legal duty not only to avoid environmental harm but also to protect and restore ecosystems. Last year, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that countries must better protect their people from the consequences of climate change. In 2019, the Netherlands' Supreme court handed down the first major legal win for climate activists when judges ruled that protection from the potentially devastating effects of climate change was a human right and that the government has a duty to protect its citizens. (AP) RD RD (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments News agency-feeds UNs top court in landmark climate change decision enshrines human right Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
20 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Resume Goa-Gatwick flight, many take it for employment: CM to Centre
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant Wednesday wrote to the Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu requesting his intervention for resumption of the Air India flight from Goa to Gatwick, London. Sawant said the flight had been suspended following the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad last month. The crash on June 12 killed all but one of the 241 passengers aboard and 19 people on the ground. In an email to the Union Minister Wednesday, Sawant said: 'It is learnt that the operation of the Goa-Gatwick non-stop flight operated by Air India was suspended in June 2025, after the Ahmadabad plane crash. The resumption was likely to be started with effect from July 15'. Sawant said the suspension of flight services has caused a lot of inconvenience to Goans travelling to and from London. 'Many Goans travel on this route for employment purposes. I request you to kindly take up the issue with Air India and facilitate early operation of this flight,' he said. Calangute MLA Michael Lobo had initially raised the issue in the state legislative assembly on Monday, expressing concern over the suspension of the flight. Lobo said the flight was used by Goans, who had been studying and working abroad, and sought intervention of the chief minister. Sawant said he will consult the Union Civil Aviation Ministry on the issue. On Wednesday, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Venzy Viegas raised a point of order in the House and sought an update on the matter. In response, Sawant informed the House that he will write to the Ministry Wednesday via email.
India Today
20 minutes ago
- India Today
Who can defeat Mamdani? New York business leaders remain unsure
With less than four months to go before the mayoral election, New York City's business elite are facing a political dilemma. As Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani heads into the elections, major players in the city's business community are split on how to block his path to the mayoral leaders feel that either Andrew Cuomo or Mayor Eric Adams needs to drop out for the other to have a chance against surprise Democratic mayoral primary winner Mamdani, news agency Reuters losing to Mamdani in the Democratic Party primary, Cuomo refused to bow out of the NYC mayoral race, setting up a four-way contest with current Mayor Adams and Republican Curtis Sliwa also in the fray. Following Cuomo's announcement that he would stay in the race as an independent after losing to Mamdani, New York-based CEOs have yet to coalesce behind either the former governor or incumbent Adams in their bid to defeat Mamdani, according to business leaders, speaking anonymously, expressed support for Cuomo, while others favoured Adams, a former police captain elected mayor as a Democrat in 2021 but running as an independent this year, due to doubts about the former's chances, the report leaders are taking a wait-and-watch approach, though others believe that could be a bad move, keeping another candidate from gaining momentum, according to the TEAM SLAMS CUOMO FOR RUNNING AS INDEPENDENT IN NEW YORK MAYORAL POLLMamdani's spokesperson, Jeffrey Lerner, criticised Cuomo over his decision to run for New York City mayor as an independent, accusing him of being hand-in-glove with billionaires."While Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams are tripping over themselves to cut backroom deals with billionaires and Republicans, Zohran Mamdani is focused on making this city more affordable for New Yorkers. That's the choice this November," Lerner told The New York 33-year-old Mamdani won the June 24 primary with 56% of the vote, bolstered by young voters drawn to his social media presence and messaging focused on solving the city's affordability crisis. Polling suggests he would prevail over a fractured field of Cuomo, Adams, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, but some polls indicate Cuomo would win a head-to-head matchup against Mamdani in heavily Democratic New York, Reuters owners worry that Mamdani's plans – such as rent freezes, fare-free public buses, and government-run grocery stores – could raise taxes for residents and drive investment out of the has also called for a higher minimum wage and a new office to promote small promise to freeze rent resonated particularly in Manhattan, where the median monthly rent for a flat sits at a record $4, flat owners say such a move would make buildings unliveable, Reuters reported last month."A four-year rent freeze all but ensures these buildings completely crumble," said Kenny Burgos, chief executive officer of the New York Apartment Association, which represents several thousand property owners and managers."I sympathise with folks who have an issue with the cost of rent and the lack of affordability, but there's a conversation to be had on policy that doesn't ignore the cost," Reuters quoted Burgos as far, Mamdani has raised about $820,000 (approximately Rs 6.85 crore) since the primary through July 21, according to the city's campaign finance prominent business leaders have publicly come out in support of Mamdani, who has received endorsements from unions that previously backed Cuomo. In recent days, Mamdani met with executives in a meeting organised by the non-profit Partnership for New York City, according to Reuters."He did a pretty good job of making the case that he was open to conversations, discussion and learning, and that he wanted to build a coalition that would represent all New Yorkers," Reuters quoted Kathy Wylde, president and chief executive officer of the group, as saying.- EndsMust Watch
