The COP26 climate summit comes six years after the Paris Agreement was signed by over 190 countries to limit rising global temperatures to well below 2C with a view of reaching 1.5C…reports Asian Lite News.
The world must move from aspiration to action to limit rising global temperatures, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will tell leaders at UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, as he commits to increase the UK’s own climate finance by 1 billion pounds by 2025.
In an address at the World Leaders Summit opening ceremony on Monday, the Prime Minister will urge world leaders to take concrete steps on phasing out coal, accelerating the transition to electric vehicles, and halting deforestation as well as supporting developing nations on the frontline of the climate crisis with climate finance.
These actions will make the biggest difference in reducing emissions this decade on the world’s path to net zero and keeping alive the global aim of limiting rising temperatures to 1.5C under the Paris Agreement.
Leading by example, the UK doubled its International Climate Finance commitment to 11.6 billion pounds over five years in 2019, and the Prime Minister’s new announcement would take this to a world-leading 12.6 billion pounds, if the economy grows as forecast.
The UK’s International Climate Finance is drawn from the overseas aid budget, which — as set out in the Spending Review — is forecast to return to 0.7 per cent of GNI in 2024-25. The funding goes to life-changing programmes around the world, shoring up the defences of communities on the frontline of climate change, protecting nature and biodiversity, and supporting the global transition to clean and green energy.
At Monday’s opening ceremony, Johnson is expected to say: “Humanity has long since run down the clock on climate change. It’s one minute to midnight and we need to act now. If we don’t get serious about climate change today, it will be too late for our children to do so tomorrow.”
Later in the day, he will bring round one table some of the world’s biggest economies with the countries most vulnerable to climate change to hear what is at stake for countries if action is not taken now and set the tone for two weeks of negotiations to come.
The COP26 climate summit comes six years after the Paris Agreement was signed by over 190 countries to limit rising global temperatures to well below 2C with a view of reaching 1.5C.
According to the UN, global temperatures are currently set to rise to 2.7C.
Scientists are clear that emissions must halve by 2030 to keep the aims made in Paris within reach.
Three winners will be selected from the entries received, qualifying for prizes of AED 10,000, 7,000 and 5,000 respectively. Students have until Saturday, 20th November, 2021, to register for the competition…reports Asian Lite News
The Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) team has launched the fifth cycle of its Explore Mars Competition, offering science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students an opportunity to explore Mars using scientific data from EMM’s Science Data Centre for the first time.
The competition gives students the chance to analyse the science data gathered by the Hope Probe, working individually or collaborating in teams of up to three people. To enter, students are required to produce an A1 format scientific poster – a commonly used presentation of science data used in international science meetings and events. The posters will be judged by a panel and evaluated based on their scientific content and insight, design and presentation.
EXPO 2020
Three winners will be selected from the entries received, qualifying for prizes of AED 10,000, 7,000 and 5,000 respectively. Students have until Saturday, 20th November, 2021, to register for the competition.
For competition guidelines and registration, students should contact science@mbrsc.ae.
Omran Sharaf, Project Director of the Emirates Mars Mission at MBRSC, said: “This is the first time in the five years we have been holding the Explore Mars competition that we have been able to offer students the chance to analyse live data from our own instruments, so we are particularly excited to see what insights and discoveries they manage to pull together. The EMM Science Data Centre is currently hosting data gathered from Hope’s first mission phase, including ground-breaking observations of Mars’ discrete aurora and our findings of unusually high concentrations of atmospheric oxygen and carbon monoxide.”
The Explore Mars Competition is geared towards honing and refining students’ research skills by exposing them to the EMM Science Data Center (SDC) and the analytical tools required to compare and contrast the Hope Probe’s unique data sets.
Hessa Al Matrooshi, Emirates Mars Mission Science Lead, said: “Launching the fifth version of the Explore Mars competition highlights our ongoing commitment to inform, educate and inspire the next generation of talent. After sharing the first batch of data gathered by Hope Probe with the scientific community, we are excited to use this contest as an opportunity to get students excited about using the data to serve as a launch pad to inspire and encourage them to explore careers in space science.”
The Emirates Mars Mission is studying the relationship between the upper layer and lower regions of the Martian atmosphere, giving the international science community full access to a holistic view of the Martian atmosphere at different times of the day, through different seasons.
The Hope Probe carries three state-of-the-art instruments: EXI – The Emirates eXploration Imager is a digital camera that will capture high-resolution images of Mars along with measuring water ice and ozone in the lower atmosphere through the UV bands.
EMIRS – The Emirates Mars InfraRed Spectrometer will measure the global distribution of dust, ice cloud, and water vapor in the Martian lower atmosphere.
EMUS – The Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer will measure oxygen and carbon monoxide in the thermosphere and the variability of hydrogen and oxygen in the upper atmosphere.
Data from these instruments is uploaded every three months to the EMM Science Data Centre and made publicly available to scientists, researchers and enthusiasts globally, without embargo.
The Mission’s Hope Probe is following its planned 20,000 – 43,000 km elliptical science orbit, with an inclination to Mars of 25 degrees, giving it a unique ability to complete one orbit of the planet every 55 hours and capture a full planetary data sample every nine days throughout its one Martian year (two Earth year) mission to map Mar’s atmospheric dynamics.
EMM and the Hope probe are the culmination of a knowledge transfer and development effort started in 2006, which has seen Emirati engineers working with partners around the world to develop the UAE’s spacecraft design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities. Hope is a fully autonomous spacecraft, carrying three instruments to measure Mars’ atmosphere. Weighing some 1,350 kg, and approximately the size of a small SUV, the spacecraft was designed and developed by MBRSC engineers working with academic partners, including LASP at the University of Colorado, Boulder; Arizona State University and the University of California, Berkeley.
The Hope Probe’s historic journey to the Red Planet coincides with a year of celebrations to mark the UAE’s Golden Jubilee.
Plans for child-friendly urban planning unveiled at Expo
The Sharjah Principles for Child-Friendly Urban Planning build on the emirate’s approach of putting children first, with a focus on their specific needs in urban environments…reports Asian Lite News
Sharjah has set a global benchmark in child-friendly urban planning best practices with the launch of the ‘Sharjah Principles for Child-Friendly Urban Planning’ today (Sunday) at Expo 2020 Dubai. The pioneering design guide which puts children at the heart of urban planning, has been developed by the Sharjah Child Friendly Office (SCFO)’s Child Friendly Urban Planning (CFUP) project in strategic partnership with Sharjah Urban Planning Council (SUPC), UNICEF and UN Habitat.
EXPO 2020
The launch ceremony was held in Expo’s Opportunity Pavilion, at the UN-Hub, in the presence of; Dr. Khawla Al Mulla, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA); Dr. Hessa Khalfan Al Ghazal, Executive Director of SCFO, Saji Thomas; Chief of Child Protection, UNICEF; Kerstin Sommer, Representative of UN Habitat; and a recorded speech by Eng. Khalid Al Ali, Secretary General of the of Sharjah Urban Planning Council (SUPC).
Coinciding with the World Cities Day, observed globally on October 31 to raise awareness on sustainable urbanisation, the launch of the Sharjah Principles reflects the emirate’s firm commitment to human-centric, sustainable and inclusive development.
The key architect of the 10 principles, Child Friendly Urban Planning (CFUP) project, was instituted by SCFO in 2017 to realise Sharjah’s visionary child-friendly approach to urban planning, which seeks ensure the basic rights of children and youth from different cultures and exhibiting varied competencies without any discrimination. This includes their right to express their opinion and partake in the decision-making process, thereby actively furthering SCFO’s efforts to improve their quality of life through child-responsive urban planning.
The CFUP project was officially launched as part of SCFO’s Sharjah Child Friendly City Strategic Plan 2018–21, which has been worked on by the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA) affiliate in partnership with SUPC, UNICEF CFCI and UN Habitat.
The Sharjah Principles for Child-Friendly Urban Planning build on the emirate’s approach of putting children first, with a focus on their specific needs in urban environments. It presents a global model for designing child-friendly cities and will serve as a reference for Sharjah government bodies and relevant entities working in urban planning, architecture, road works, municipality, including specialists, engineers, designers and developers engaged in planning public spaces.
Dr. Khawla Al Mulla, Secretary-General of the SCFA, emphasised that Sharjah Principles was a major achievement for SCFO, whose vision is to ensure that every child has the right to access to friendly spaces, breathe clean air and engage with and participate in the decisions that will impact their future.
She added: “Every milestone achieved in Sharjah expands on the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to focus on new accomplishments that will incrementally enhance the prosperity of community members. The launch of the Sharjah Principles also realises the directives of H.H. Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of Sharjah Ruler, and Chairperson of SCFA, on child and family-welfare related issues.”
For her part, Dr. Hessa Khalfan Al Ghazal said, “Befitting its reputation as the centre of art and culture, Sharjah is promoting the Principles for Child-Friendly Urban Planning in an innovative manner. This is also a celebration of one of the first ever collaborations between the UN Habitat and an Arab city on the field of child-friendly urban planning, and quite appropriately, we are launching the principles from the UN Hub at the Expo 2020 Dubai.”
The SCFO Director thanked the project’s strategic partners for their invaluable contributions in helping Sharjah cross a new milestone in “realising more comprehensive, child-centric ecosystems”, adding that the Sharjah Principles were “based on the vision of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of SCFA, whose directives guide SCFO in providing children with a thriving environment to hone their skills, and develop their talents and capabilities.”
Congratulating SCFO on the launch of the Sharjah Principles, Eng. Khalid Al Ali, Secretary-General of the SUPC noted: “We have been associated with SCFO’s Sharjah Child Friendly City Strategic Plan 2018–21 from the initial stages as part of its steering committee. SUPC is proud of its contributions to the project, which is the first step towards a future in which children’s requirements will be built into urban planning as a matter of principle, and safe and friendly open spaces will become the norm rather than the exception.”
Plans for child-friendly urban planning unveiled at Expo
SAJI THOMAS, CHIEF OF CHILD PROTECTION, UNICEF: “We had been hearing a lot about Sharjah’s work with child-friendly initiatives and its meaningful participatory process. Since I moved to the UAE last November I have been seeing it for myself and I find it absolutely commendable. It is also a great example of political will and proper deployment of resources, which proves that what matters is not the size of the project but great leadership and the right process. We should emphasise how crucial it is to ensure children’s right to play, as much as education and health. Science tells us how critical it is for children’s development. Cities should deploy resources to ensure that children have the time and space to indulge in play. I once again congratulate Sharjah for putting children at the centre of urban planning and development.”
For her part, Kerstin Sommer, Representative of UN Habitat, said: “UN Habitat offers its congratulations to Sharjah on its absolutely commendable work in initiating and realising child-centric urban planning. We all know how essential it is to ensure such spaces for children’s all-round development. Physical activity is crucial for the mental wellbeing of everybody, especially children. Urban play spaces where children are able to move freely and interact with their peers also serves to promote social skills among them which is also very vital for their development. Cities must ensure such spaces are also inclusive and provide for their caregivers, parents and families for overall social development. In this region, it is important to take the climate into consideration so that children are able to enjoy their play outdoors throughout the year. I thank you for this opportunity and look forward to seeing Sharjah’s Principles for Child-Friendly Urban Planning being adopted widely, and the child-friendly facilities being maintained for the future generations.”
Soon after its launch in 2017, the CFUP project conducted brainstorming sessions for children in partnership with SUPC and UNICEF, where they shared their vision and ideas for new, inclusive urban features and facilities to develop their community. The findings from the site-specific assessment, lessons learnt, outcomes, and recommendations based on Sharjah’s experience all form part of the Child Friendly Urban Planning guide.
Dubai is world's busiest international airport again
Dubai International Airport handled 13 million passengers in the first seven months of 2021…reports Asian Lite News
Dubai International Airport (DXB) reclaimed the top spot as the Busiest International Airport in the World this month as capacity through the Middle East hub returned in earnest, said OAG, a global travel data provider.
Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), which occupied the top position for some time, moved into second place and Europe’s other big hubs are also catching up with Frankfurt (FRA) moving into 3rd place and London Heathrow (LHR) into 4th, it said.
Dubai is world’s busiest international airport again
There are eight European airports in the Top 10 Busiest International Airports this month. Antalya (AYT) in 9th place is up from 32nd in October 2019, and Vienna (VIE) is 10th from 22nd two years ago.
Meanwhile, Dubai International Airport handled 13 million passengers in the first seven months of 2021.
Senior Dubai officials project passenger traffic to see significant growth in the next six months on the back of Expo 2020.
“Government took strategic decisions and offered the right incentives to enable the country to overcome the effects of the pandemic and put us in the right position to lead the world’s economic recovery, and build bridges across the world to accelerate the recovery process, especially in aviation and tourism sectors,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), chairman of Dubai Airports and chairman and CEO of Emirates Group.
According to its figures, the UAE-UK route is the third busiest so far in October with more than 217,000 seats.
In fact, four of the top 10 busiest international routes start or end in Dubai, connecting Riyadh, London Heathrow, Bahrain and Jeddah with the UAE.
Only routes between Antalya in Turkey and Moscow Sheremetyevo (270,402) and between Dubai and Saudi capital Riyadh (240,938) registered more seats this month.
The recovery has been boosted by the UK’s decision to reopen the travel corridor between it and the UAE while the UAE’s conditional lifting of travel restrictions for passengers arriving from four countries in the Indian subcontinent as well as Nigeria and Uganda have also delivered.
India continued to be DXB’s top destination country by traffic volume in the first half with passenger numbers exceeding 1.9 million, followed by Pakistan, Russia and Egypt.
Earlier this month, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said Middle East carriers are expected to see a very limited improvement in their financial performance from a $6.8 billion loss in 2021 to a $4.6 billion loss in 2022 as the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact.
It said that without large domestic markets, the region’s major carriers rely significantly on connecting traffic, especially to Asia-Pacific which has been slow to re-open to international traffic.
Globally, IATA said net industry losses are expected to reduce to $11.6 billion in 2022 after a $51.8 billion loss in 2021. Net 2020 loss estimates have been revised to $137.7 billion (from $126.4 billion). Adding these up, total industry losses in 2020-2022 are expected to reach $201 billion.
India Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020 reveals that it will mark the festival of lights with all the gaiety and festive fervour over four days… reports Asian Lite News
Diwali celebrations returns to Dubai with Expo 2020 Dubai setting the backdrop to highlight the Indian festival of lights with week-long celebrations.
According to Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, traditional decor and illuminating projection showcases will be organised at Expo 2020 Dubai to help visitors get into the Diwali spirit. The celebrations which began on Friday will continue till November 4.
Expo diwali2
“Each evening, Diwali will be celebrated with a custom show created exclusively for Expo and performed in Al Wasl Plaza. On the Jubilee Stage, Late Nights will feature performances inspired by Diwali and artists include Peter Cat, When Chai Met Toast, Shilpa Ananth and Dhol Tasha,” authorities announced.
Meanwhile, the India Pavilion said it will mark the festival of lights with all the gaiety and festive fervour over four days.
From Bollywood music composer duo Salim-Sulaiman’s musical night with popular playback singer Vipul Mehta to performances by famous bands, dance schools and students, there will be an array of entertainment shows to enthral Expo visitors.
“We welcome the visitors to the India Pavilion with a grand entrance arch designed with floral patterns. On both sides of the arch we will have larger-than-life diyas (oil lamps traditionally made of clay) with a backdrop inspired by Mandala art,” the pavilion stated. Diyas symbolically destroy darkness and ignorance and usher in hope and knowledge.
“Along the walls of the pavilion, a large lotus tree with hanging Akash kandils (light lanterns) will illuminate the surroundings. The lotus tree with rangoli patterns will be a beautiful photo-opportunity for visitors. We also have a delightful hamper of larger-than-life firecrackers, including the familiar chakris, ladis and ‘rockets’. Visitors could pose in front of these giant crackers and click pictures.”
At the India Pavilion, there will be a Swarangoli, an interactive musical LED Rangoli, this time. “Interactive LED rangolis will come to life when visitors step on a sensor. The LED rangoli will be integrated with colourful design patterns and accompanied by ‘Saptaswaras’ — the seven notes of Indian classical music.”
The events organised by India Pavilion will also be held at the Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre (DMA) at the Expo 2020 Dubai from November 2 through November 5.
From 8.30pm to 9.30pm on November 2, Deepavali Utsav will be held, which will feature traditional games, rangoli displays etc and will be followed by performance by Dubai-based band Rooh.
The highlight of the festivities on November 3 will be a dance-drama performance by the students of the Indian High Group of School in Dubai at the amphitheatre right outside the India Pavilion. The event titled ‘From Darkness to Light’ will celebrate the victory of good over evil on the auspicious occasion of Diwali.
On November 4, the main day of Diwali, a special performance that incorporates martial arts and dances by artists in colourful costumes inspired by the festival processions and the Diwali Mela will be held from 9.05pm.
MPs, Peers, civil society, business leaders and British-Nepali’s welcome Sher Bahadur Deuba to the UK for COP26 with a gala dinner in his honour, reports Asian Lite News
In a gala dinner at the Naval and Military Club, between Mayfair and Westminster, Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba was welcomed to the UK and feted for his role in building Nepal’s future.
Surrounded by dignitaries from politics and business the evening began with a reception and concluded with a dinner. The dinner was hosted by Virendra Sharma MP, the Chair of the Nepal All-Party Parliamentary Group, who introduced the Prime Minister on stage.
The dinner was made possible by the generosity of Ravi Jung Lamichhane and Mahanta Bahadur Shrestha, who were present at the dinner, thanked by the audience and welcomed the Prime Minister with garlands.
Speaking to introduce the Prime Minister, Virendra Sharma MP said, “The new government settlement and constitution, after years of civil war in Nepal, has set Nepal on its own self decided course. Prime Minister it was your leadership that made that possible, you have been fundamental to the position that Nepal is in today. Your legacy is assured, and yet you continue to strive for the people of Nepal and for the good of the country. I thank you for your service to both countries.”
The Prime Minister thanked those present for their attendance and congratulated the UK and Nepal on their continued friendship. The Prime Minister outlined his belief in the strength of the relationship between the two countries, and his hopes for the future.
The Lord Sheikh, Lord Lancaster and Catherine West MP, Shadow Foreign Office Minister, also spoke to welcome the Prime Minister and to toast the Nepal-UK relationship. In the audience, amongst others, were Andrew Rosindell MP, Sharon Hodgson MP close aide to Leader of the Opposition Keir Starmer MP, Fleur Anderson MP, Matthew Offord MP, Navendu Mishra MP, Nick Smith MP, Baroness Chapman, Lord Popat, Lord Balfe and others.
In more than 200 years the UK and Nepal have stood together as allies, this gala dinner highlighted that the relationship is as healthy as ever before. The Prime Minister Boris Johnson was unable to attend, but issued his best wishes for the dinner, and announced he was looking forward to meeting Sher Bahadur Deuba in Glasgow for COP26.
