A statement from the five association boards insists a “similar return on investment” will be brought in with a “far lower delivery cost”, thenational.scot, reported on Monday…reports Asian Lite News
Scotland have joined forces with England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland in a bid to land hosting duties for Euro 2028.
“The football associations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland have agreed to focus on a bid to host UEFA EURO 2028, the third-largest sports event in the world,” a joint statement read.
A statement from the five association boards insists a “similar return on investment” will be brought in with a “far lower delivery cost”, thenational.scot, reported on Monday.
While the bid to host Euro 2028 has been launched, the nations have agreed not to submit a bid for the 2030 World Cup.
“The feasibility study included an analysis of the economic impact, the political football landscape, and likely costs of hosting major international tournaments. On balance, the five associations have decided to focus solely on an official bid to host UEFA EURO 2028, and have agreed not to bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup,” said the statement.
“It would be an honour and a privilege to collectively host UEFA EURO 2028 and to welcome all of Europe. It would also be a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the true impact of hosting a world-class football tournament by driving positive change and leaving a lasting legacy across our communities.
“We believe the UK and the Republic of Ireland can offer UEFA and European football something special in 2028 — a compact and unique five-way hosting collaboration that will provide a great experience for the teams and the fans,” it added.
Some train routes, including one between the cities of Edinburgh andNewcastle, were cancelled due to damage caused by the storm…reports Asian Lite News.
Tens of thousands of people in Scotland and northern England remained without power Sunday after a storm brought sleet, subzero temperatures and disruptions across much of the UK.
Icy gusts caused power cuts around the border between Scotland and England, with Northern Powergrid saying it recorded 1,100 instances of damage requiring significant repairs. It said it was trying to restore service to 40,000 customers, while the SP Energy Networks said 21,000 customers remained without power Sunday.
“The storm was well forecasted and despite being prepared, Storm Arwen resulted in damage of a scale and intensity not seen for 15 years,” said Rod Gardner, Northern Powergrid’s major incident manager.
The power cuts came as forecasters issued ice warnings and said the coldest night of the season would hit parts of the UK later Sunday, with snowfall expected across the country and temperatures dropping to as low as -10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of Scotland and northern England.
Some train routes, including one between the cities of Edinburgh and Newcastle, were cancelled due to damage caused by the storm.
The cold spell came after three people were killed when trees were blown over by strong winds as Storm Arwen hit the UK on Friday.
At least three people have died after the year’s first winter storm battered parts of the countries with gusts of nearly 100 mph (160 kph).
The storm, which was named Arwen by the country’s Met Office, hit parts of the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland particularly hard late Friday and early Saturday. Three men — one in each of those parts of the UK — died as trees were blown over.
The storm, which also caused road closures, train delays, power cuts and high waves, abated Saturday.
“Storm Arwen has delivered some dangerously strong winds overnight, with gusts in excess of 90 mph recorded,” the Met Office’s chief meteorologist Steve Ramsdale said. “The strong winds will move south across the UK through the day, gradually weakening.”
The high-level segment of COP-26 is titled the World Leaders’ Summit (WLS) and the Summit will be attended by Heads of State/Government of more than 120 countries…reports Asian Lite News.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with members of the Indian community in Glasgow on Monday to strengthen people-to-people bonds ahead of his participation in the 26th session of the Conference of Parties (COP-26).
“Strengthening our people-to-people bonds. Indian community members and Indologists gather in Glasgow to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet.
At COP-26, the parties are expected to work to achieve the completion of Paris Agreement implementation guidelines; the mobilisation of climate finance; actions to strengthen climate adaptation, technology development and transfer; and keeping in reach the Paris Agreement goals of limiting the rise in global temperatures.
The COP-26 is going to be a multilateral event and an opportunity for “Prime Ministers of India and the UK to sit together and review the implementation, the progress that had been made on the roadmap 2030 in May 2021,” High Commissioner of India to UK Gaitri Issar Kumar had said during an interview with ANI.
The COP-26 is set to take place under the Presidency of the UK partnering with Italy. The high-level segment of COP-26 is titled the World Leaders’ Summit (WLS) and the Summit will be attended by Heads of State/Government of more than 120 countries.
PM Modi arrived in Glasgow on Sunday. The Prime Minister is on a two- day visit to participate in the event.Later in the day, PM Modi is also scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of COP-26 and will also meet UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to discuss bilateral ties between India and the UK.
PM Modi is also slated to launch two important initiatives under the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and the International Solar Alliance (ISA) at the 26th session of the Conference of Parties.
This comes after PM Modi participated in the G20 summit and in the Summit on Global Supply Chain Resilience, on the sidelines of the G20. He also met outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Rome. (ANI)
According to Mountford, for the first time, G20 leaders collectively recognized the importance of reaching net-zero emissions by or around mid-century…reports Asian Lite News.
G20 leaders have committed to revisit and further enhance their 2030 emission reduction targets. This must now paint the way for negotiators at the ongoing UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) that opened in Glasgow with the key aims of raising ambition on all fronts, experts said on Monday.
However, some believe G20 made a mild pledge on climate change that is now an existential threat to humanity.
The G20 Summit wrapped on Sunday in Rome as the two-week long COP26 climate talks kicked off in Glasgow.
The G20 communique includes several signals calling for bold climate action. G20 leaders noted the importance of strengthening national climate action this decade and reach net-zero emissions by or around mid-century and for the first time committed to halt international financing for building unabated coal-fired power plants abroad.
Responding to the G20 announcement to scale up support for clean power, World Resources Institute Vice President (Climate and Economics) Helen Mountford told IANS: “G20 leaders made some progress heading into the COP26 summit in Glasgow, calling for accelerated climate action this decade, phasing out international coal financing, and recognizing the importance of reaching net-zero emissions by mid-century.
“It is noteworthy that G20 leaders committed to revisit and further enhance their 2030 emission reduction targets where necessary. This must now paint the way for negotiators at COP26 to agree that major emitters will come back in the next couple of years to further strengthen their 2030 targets to align with avoiding the 1.5 degrees C temperature threshold.
“While the latest national climate plans have shifted us to a much better trajectory than the one before the Paris Agreement was struck, they do not achieve the deep emission reductions necessary to avoid the most dangerous levels of warming.”
According to Mountford, for the first time, G20 leaders collectively recognized the importance of reaching net-zero emissions by or around mid-century.
“It is impressive that 90 per cent of G20 countries have now indicated some intention to reach net-zero, which would have been unfathomable just a few years ago.
“G20 countries deserve credit for sending an unequivocal message that they will stop financing unabated coal power abroad, yet they failed to make the obvious leap to stop building coal-fired plants at home as well. At COP26, countries can continue to sound the death knell for the world’s dirtiest fossil fuel. Shifting investments to clean energy is just common sense given it is cheaper almost everywhere.”
Seeing the G20 statement extremely disappointing, Namrata Chowdhary, Chief of Public Engagement at 350.org said: “Heads of state from the world’s richest — and therefore most powerful — countries had the opportunity to radically reset multilateral politics and generate the commitments necessary to keep global heating below 1.5 degrees Celsius, to protect workers, communities, the environment and future generations.
“Instead, they’ve made a contradictory and empty statement on climate: they’ve restated their commitment to keeping global heating below 1.5 degrees Celsius, but failed to commit to any action themselves, not even agreeing that their national climate plans must be improved.
📣 NEWS: Today #G20 leaders met and agreed action this decade towards keeping 1.5 in reach.
“Right now, they have us on a path to nearly 3 degrees of heating. These so-called leaders need to do better. They have another shot at this: starting tomorrow (Monday).”
Representatives from the most impacted people and areas, along with thousands of campaigners for climate justice from around the world, are heading to Glasgow to hold them accountable at COP26.
On finance, the G20 leaders agreed to use recovery plans for climate, mobilise more from development banks (World Bank etc.) and new commitment to mobilise public and private for green development.
Ulka Kelkar, Climate Policy Director, WRI India, said: “The G20 leaders’ call to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is very significant. COP26 now needs to back it up with measures to cut emissions rapidly in this decade and urgently scale up climate finance.”
Climate change think tank E3G’s Senior Associate Alden Meyer said: “The acknowledgement by G20 leaders that akeeping 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach will require meaningful and effective actions and commitment by all countries,’ together with their pledge to aaccelerate our actions across mitigation, adaptation and finance’ and ato take further action this decade’ is an important signal.
“But much hard work — especially on issues of climate finance — remains ahead if COP26 is to reach agreement on concrete ways to address the huge gap in ambition between what countries have currently committed to under the Paris Agreement and what is needed to keep 1.5 degrees C alive and help vulnerable countries and communities cope with the mounting impacts of climate change.
“Leaders must instruct their ministers and negotiators to turn this rhetoric into reality over the next two weeks if Glasgow is to truly represent a turning point in our common endeavour of confronting the climate emergency.”
In the backdrop of a series of reports and studies warning that urgent action is needed to keep the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global average temperature increases to 1.5C within reach, COP26 opened on Sunday with the key aims of raising ambition on all fronts and finalising the agreement’s implementation guidelines.
UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa
“We are extremely grateful to the government of the UK for hosting this crucially important conference in these unprecedented times and for making every effort to keep all participants safe and healthy,” UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa said.
“The devastating loss of lives and livelihoods this year due to extreme weather events clarifies how important it is to convene COP26 despite the impacts of the pandemic still being felt. We are on track for a global temperature rise of 2.7C, while we should be heading for the 1.5C goal. Clearly, we are in a climate emergency.”
COP26 will set an example for other large-scale international events, in terms of food sourcing, by taking a number of measures to ensure a sustainable approach…reports Asian Lite News.
COP26 delegates will be served sustainable, locally-sourced food at the upcoming climate summit in Glasgow, the UK confirmed today.
Overall, 95 percent of the food will be from the UK, largely sourced from Scotland, and be seasonal. This will put sustainability at the heart of catering for the summit, reducing emissions and promoting environment-friendly food production.
COP26 will set an example for other large-scale international events, in terms of food sourcing, by taking a number of measures to ensure a sustainable approach.
Ingredients will be replicated across the conference’s menus to ensure produce can be repurposed for other meals, if necessary, to avoid food waste.
The cups used to serve drinks will be reusable and it is estimated that this approach will save up to 250,000 single use cups.
Suppliers are setting high standards for sustainable food production, from Edinburgh’s Mara Seaweed, which is abundant and entirely sustainable and does not require fertilizer, fresh water or soil to grow, through to Benzies carrots and potatoes who use wind turbines to power their cool storage, biomas to provide heating and actively recycle the water they use.
In line with the international nature of COP26, we will be using Scottish produce to deliver an international inspired menu. There will even be a Scottish fusion to certain international dishes such as the ‘Scotch beef ramen’.
“There will be a tremendous amount of work to be done at COP26, with many hours of negotiations and long days, so the choice of food that we serve our visiting delegations, staff and all our volunteers, is very important,” said COP26 President Alok Sharma.
“It is exciting to see such innovation in the menus that will be on offer and to understand the thought and effort that has gone into making dishes both healthy, sustainable and suitable for different diets and requirements.”
“We very much look forward to giving our international visitors a flavour of the wide-ranging cuisine the UK has to offer,” he added.
Kevin Watson, Business Director, SEC Food said: “We have worked hard to create low carbon menus that are accessible to all. We hope our sustainable food strategy will shape menus of the future as we all work to protect our planet. As well as providing great tasting and nutritious food, our menus are focused on local and seasonal sourcing, with a plant-forward approach. We have been delighted to showcase and work with so many local Scottish suppliers and our teams are looking forward to supporting the event.”
She said that in May people in Scotland elected a new Scottish Parliament which has a “clear and substantial majority in favour of an independence referendum”…reports Asian Lite News.
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that her party intends to hold another legal referendum on independence from Britain by the end of 2023 if the Covid-19 pandemic is under control.
In a speech delivered to the Scottish National Party (SNP)’s autumn conference on Monday, Sturgeon called for a second Scottish independence referendum, asking the British government to agree to it “in the spirit of co-operation”, reports Xinhua news agency.
She said that in May people in Scotland elected a new Scottish Parliament which has a “clear and substantial majority in favour of an independence referendum”.
“As we emerge from the pandemic, decisions fall to be made that will shape Scotland for decades to come. So we must decide. Who should be making those decisions: people here in Scotland or governments we don’t vote for at Westminster.
“That is the choice we intend to offer the Scottish people in a legal referendum within this term of Parliament — Covid permitting, by the end of 2023,” she said in the speech.
Sturgeon added that “it is not up to a Westminster government which has just six MPs in Scotland to decide our future without the consent of the people who live here”.
Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, Sturgeon said she wouldn’t “set a precise level of infection” for when a vote could happen — “but you would want to see the COVID situation under control”.
The SNP conference has backed the Scottish government’s plans for the timing of another independence referendum at the “earliest” possible moment after the Covid-19 crisis.
The party said the date should be determined by “data-driven criteria” about when the public health crisis is over.
A Scottish independence referendum was held in 2014, when 55 per cent voters backed staying in Britain.
Soon after Sturgeon’s party secured the fourth consecutive victory in the Scottish parliamentary election in May, she pledged to push for a second independence referendum when the pandemic crisis has passed.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has previously said he will not approve a second independence referendum.
It further reported that the third factor is now widely accepted that mixing associated with the Euro 2020 championships increased the COVID cases…reports Asian Lite News.
Scotland has become the ‘COVID capital’ of Europe with five in ten of the areas with highest infection rates, according to the Scottish newspaper.
Citing the World Health Organisation, The Scotsman reported that Tayside has the highest rate of COVID cases in Europe with 677 cases. This is followed by Lothian, at 570 COVID cases. Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Fife, and Lanarkshire are also in the top ten areas with the highest infection rates.
The reasons for Scotland’s high COVID infection rates cannot be known for sure, but it’s likely to be a number of factors. The first factor is the ease of COVID-19 restrictions while the cases were rising, according to the Scottish newspaper.
The other factor includes the current wave, driven by the Delta variant of COVID, first identified in India. This seeded into Scotland’s biggest city, Glasgow, and as such has been able to spread quickly to the rest of the country, The Scotsman reported. The cases began to rise across the whole of Scotland several weeks after the variant became a concern in Glasgow.
It further reported that the third factor is now widely accepted that mixing associated with the Euro 2020 championships increased the COVID cases. Almost 2,000 people who tested positive for COVID in June had attended a Euro 2020 event – including those who travelled to London for the Wembley game, spectators at Hampden or people who had watched a match in the Glasgow fan zone or at a pub or house party.
First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has pointed to a lower population immunity in Scotland. In previous waves of the virus, there were fewer infections in Scotland than elsewhere in the UK, meaning that fewer people have developed natural immunity.
Meanwhile, the Highlands’ largest hospital has been placed on “code black status” after reaching capacity amid increasing COVID cases, BBC reported.
Citing NHS Highland statement, BBC reported that the staffing and services at Inverness’ Raigmore Hospital were under pressure due to large numbers of staff having to self-isolate. The health board stated that its other hospitals and services were facing similar challenges with staffing.
All non-urgent elective surgery has been cancelled. Outpatient activity – with the exception of cancer, urgent and some other activities – has also been cancelled.
NHS Highland said its area was seeing more than 100 cases on a daily basis. In June, it had more than 1,300 cases which is about a fifth of the health board’s total number of cases since the start of the pandemic.
“The number of Covid-19 cases across our area has increased significantly,” NHS Highland said, adding “This is impacting on NHS Highland as some of these cases are now being admitted into our hospitals.”
It added, “We are also seeing the impact on a large number of our staff, across a number of settings, who are having to self-isolate leading to gaps and pressures in our service. In addition to this we are also at the beginning of the summer school holidays and planned annual leave.”
Dr Boyd Peters, medical director for NHS Highland, said, “We are doing all we can to safeguard services but we have had to make the difficult decision to cancel non-urgent work which I know many will find upsetting and frustrating.
“We are very sorry that we have had to do this,” Peters added. (ANI)
Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP Pam Gosal has welcomed an “extremely positive” meeting with High Commissioner of India Gaitri Issar Kumar in Edinburgh … reports Asian Lite News
Pam Gosal, who was the first ever Indian Sikh to be elected to the Scottish Parliament met with Gaitri Issar Kumar to discuss a number of issues to strengthen the relationship between India and Scotland.
Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP Pam Gosal with High Commissioner of India Gaitri Issar Kumar in Edinburgh
Pam says she is committed to working closely with the High Commissioner to ensure India and Scotland can benefit from strong trade deals with each other as well as promoting voices from the Indian and Sikh communities at Holyrood.
“I was delighted and honoured to meet with the Indian High Commissioner,” said Pam. “This was an extremely positive meeting and I was pleased to have the opportunity to do so quickly after being elected last month.
“India and Scotland have a long-standing relationship and I am keen to do everything I can as a MSP to strengthen that.
“There are many trading opportunities for businesses in both countries and I am keen to be a strong voice for our Indian communities within the Scottish Parliament, after becoming the first Indian Sikh MSP to be elected.
“I would like to thank the High Commissioner for taking the time to meet with me and I look forward to continuing to work constructively with him to bring greater opportunities for individuals and businesses within our communities in both Scotland and India.”
Earlier, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned of a “rough winter” as pressure on the National Health Service (NHS) could intensify due to possible new diseases amidst the Covid-19 pandemic…reports Asian Lite News.
Scotland is planning to ease all of its major legal Covid curbs in early August, the country’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced on Tuesday.
According to BBC reports, Sturgeon was speaking as she confirmed lockdown easing would be paused for three weeks to allow more time for people to be vaccinated.
Until July 19, the mainland areas will not move to the lowest level zero restrictions. It is expected that the remaining rules will be lifted on 9 August, according to the report.
The First Minister said this would allow life in Scotland to return to “almost complete normality”.
But the government will not advise an immediate return to full office working on that date – and people will still be required to wear face masks in some settings, it was reported.
Earlier, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned of a “rough winter” as pressure on the National Health Service (NHS) could intensify due to possible new diseases amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
“You can never exclude that there will be some new disease, some new horror that we simply haven’t budgeted for or accounted for,” Johnson said on Monday as he did not rule out the prospect of further lockdowns in the winter.
“Obviously there are big pressures on the NHS, which is all the more reason to reduce the number of Covid cases now, give the NHS the breathing space it needs to get on with dealing with all those other pressures.
“We’re certainly going to be putting in the investment to make sure that they can,” he added.
The Prime Minister said cases of the Delta variant are still rising and the public have to remain cautious.
“It’s going up by about 30 per cent a week in cases, hospitalizations are up by roughly the same amount and so, sadly, are ICU (intensive care units) admissions into intensive care.
“We’ve got to be cautious but we’ll be following the data the whole time. But looking at where we are, the efficacy of the vaccine against all variants that we can currently see.
“I think it is looking good for July 19 to be that terminus point,” Johnson added.
