LOCAL South Africa has congratulated the Egyptian COP27 Presidency on the release of the draft outcomes text to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It reflects the urgency of the climate crisis and the need to keep the one point five degree temperature increase target alive by providing a clear programme to advance the mitigation agenda from now to 2030. COP27 was extended to today amid tough […]
INTERNATIONAL Countries at the United Nations COP27 climate summit in Egypt have adopted a final agreement that establishes a fund to help poor nations cope with the extreme weather events caused by global warming. Following tense negotiations that ran through the night, the summit’s Egyptian presidency released a draft text of the overall agreement early on Sunday and also called a plenary session to push the document through as the final, overarching agreement for […]
INTERNATIONAL Speaking at the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP27, Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has vowed to crack down on illegal deforestation in the Amazon rainforest and to make his country a leader in the global fight against climate change. The statements on Wednesday, which come six weeks before Lula is set to take office, signalled a departure from the policies of current President Jair Bolsonaro, who presided over years of rampant […]
INTERNATIONAL The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is calling on world leaders to address the impact that climate change and natural disasters have on the displacement of people, as countries gather in Egypt for the annual climate conference, Cop27. "COP27 must equip countries and communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis to prepare for extreme weather, to adapt, and minimize the impact of the climate emergency," Filippo Grandi said in […]
A group of more than 50 Democratic lawmakers have sent a letter to US President Joe Biden, urging him to use his platform at the Cop27 climate conference to shine a light on Egypt's crackdown on human rights, call for the release of political prisoners, and urge for all of civil society's participation in the summit. The effort has been led by Senator Chris Murphy and Congressman David Cicilline, who both sit on […]
INTERNATIONAL In a stinging report, Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday accused the Egyptian government of "severely curtailing" the rights of environmental groups in the country and their ability to carry out their work of protecting the natural environment. "The Egyptian government has imposed arbitrary funding, research, and registration obstacles that have debilitated local environmental groups, forcing some activists into exile and others to steer clear of important work," said Richard Pearshouse, […]
VOC became the first Muslim radio station in South Africa when a special events license was granted to the station in Ramadan/January 1995. Subsequent temporary broadcast licenses were granted, permitting the station to broadcast for 24 hours.
