World News Roundup: Besieged Ukrainian city plans evacuation again, refugee total hits 1.5 million; Over 100 Rohingya refugees arrive by sea in Indonesia's Aceh province and more
Following is a summary of current world news briefs:
Besieged Ukrainian city plans evacuation again, refugee total hits 1.5 million
Authorities in Mariupol were seeking to evacuate some residents on Sunday under a new ceasefire plan for the encircled Ukrainian city, as the United Nations said Europe faced its fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War Two. With Russia's assault on Ukraine on its 11th day, the Mariupol city council said its evacuation plan would run from noon (1000 GMT) to 9 p.m. (1900 GMT), after a ceasefire plan the previous day earlier collapsed with each side blaming the other.
Over 100 Rohingya refugees arrive by sea in Indonesia's Aceh province
Over 100 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar arrived by boat on the shores of Indonesia's Aceh province in the early hours of Sunday, an NGO group at the scene said. Authorities were unsure for how long the 114 refugees, including 35 children, had been at sea, but some needed medical assistance when they arrived in Bireuen, Aceh, Nurul Yana Daba, a volunteer for the NGO Aksi Cepat Tanggap, told reporters.
U.S. top diplomat Blinken reassures Moldova amid refugee influx from Ukraine
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday reassured Moldova's leaders that the United States would rally international opposition to Russian aggression "whenever and wherever" it occurs. Speaking alongside Moldovan President Maia Sandu on a tour through eastern Europe in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Blinken also said that the United States supported Moldova's aspirations to join the European Union but that the process would be decided by the EU.
Erdogan urges Putin to declare Ukraine ceasefire, make peace
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Sunday to declare a ceasefire in Ukraine, open humanitarian corridors and sign a peace agreement, his office said. NATO member Turkey shares a maritime border with Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea and has good ties with both. Ankara has called Russia's invasion unacceptable and offered to host talks, but has opposed sanctions on Moscow.
India targets net-zero carbon emissions by 2070, says Modi
India’s economy will become carbon neutral by the year 2070, the country’s prime minster has announced at the COP26 climate crisis summit in Glasgow. The target date is two decades beyond what scientists say is needed to avert catastrophic climate impacts. India is the last of the world’s major carbon polluters to announce a net-zero target, with China saying it would reach that goal in 2060, and the United States and the European Union aiming for 2050.
COP26: What climate summit means for one woman in Bangladesh
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
Why China's climate policy matters to us all
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
Deliver on promises, developing world tells rich at climate talks
A crucial U.N. conference heard calls on its first day for the world's major economies to keep their promises of financial help to address the climate crisis, while big polluters India and Brazil made new commitments to cut emissions. World leaders, environmental experts and activists all pleaded for decisive action to halt the global warming which threatens the future of the planet at the start of the two-week COP26 summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Monday. The task facing negotiators was made even more daunting by the failure of the Group of 20 major industrial nations to agree ambitious new commitments at the weekend.