
-
Amazon satellite launch scrubbed due to weather
-
Art of the deal? How Trump backed down on tariffs
-
Aston Villa boss Emery remains bullish despite defeat in Paris
-
Barca still improving: Flick warns rivals after thrashing Dortmund
-
Echavarria risks Masters Par-Three Contest curse with playoff win
-
Who stands in the crosshairs of Trump's tariffs?
-
US stocks soar on Trump tariff reversal, oil prices jump
-
Salah getting closer to new Liverpool deal: reports
-
NBA rescinds Doncic ejection foul in Thunder loss
-
Cricketer De Villiers gets a Masters hit with pal Bezuidenhout
-
Saudi top diplomat in US to prepare for Trump visit
-
Kvaratskhelia genius helps give PSG Champions League edge against Villa
-
Sensational Barca destroy Dortmund in Champions League mismatch
-
Author of explosive Meta memoir stars at US Senate hearing
-
King Charles addresses Italian parliament, greets pope on visit to Rome
-
Dominican Republic ends search for nightclub collapse survivors
-
Pentagon chief says US could 'revive' Panama bases
-
Trump stuns with tariff backtrack but punishes China
-
King Charles jokes, cites Monty Python at Italian state banquet
-
Strength in numbers: Latin America urges unity in face of Trump tariffs
-
France could recognise Palestinian state 'in June': Macron
-
Tariff war could cut US-China goods trade by 80 percent: WTO chief
-
Europa League success 'massive' for Man Utd, says Amorim
-
Scheffler tunes out talk of history in Masters title defense
-
Turkey opposition to fight Erdogan 'until the end': leader tells AFP
-
Argentina braces for 24-hour strike as it awaits news on IMF loan
-
Volkswagen says first-quarter profits impacted by Trump tariffs
-
Hope fades as deaths mount in Dominican Republic nightclub disaster
-
Herd of animal puppets treks from Africa to Europe in climate action
-
'Versatile' Sudharsan helps Gujarat to top of IPL table
-
Israel says seizing 'large areas' of Gaza as strike kills 23
-
Trump stuns with tariffs reversal but hits China harder
-
Amazon to launch first batch of satellites rivaling Musk
-
Sudharsan, Krishna lead Gujarat to top of IPL table
-
Settlement champion Huckabee confirmed as US Israel envoy
-
Trump pauses tariffs for 90 days but hits China harder
-
US federal judges halt deportations of Venezuelans under wartime law
-
No direct LIV path to Masters but Ridley wants one elite tour
-
UK cinemas fight viral 'chicken jockey' trend
-
Russia denounces brief detention of government employee in France
-
Nepal fights wildfires and pollution amidst drier winter
-
Jamaican speed merchant Thompson seeks fast progress in 2025
-
'Horrible' Djokovic falls in Monte Carlo, first win for Alcaraz
-
Masters chief defends Cabrera invite after domestic violence convictions
-
Pentagon chief in Panama vows to counter China 'threat'
-
Trump's NASA chief pick says will 'prioritize' Mars mission
-
Europe's first Universal theme park to bring 'joy to Britain': PM
-
Trump tells US to 'be cool' as China, EU strike back
-
Djokovic crashes out in Monte Carlo, first win for Alcaraz
-
Over 120 dead in Dominican Republic nightclub disaster

UN takes 'historic' step toward global treaty on plastic trash
The United Nations on Wednesday agreed to start negotiating a world-first global treaty on plastic pollution in what has been hailed as a watershed moment for the planet.
Nearly 200 nations at the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi unanimously agreed to create an intergovernmental committee to negotiate and finalise a legally binding plastics treaty by 2024.
UNEA chair Espen Barthe Eide declared the resolution passed with a strike of the gavel -- itself made from recycled plastic -- as the assembly hall erupted into cheers and applause.
"We are making history today. You should all be proud," said Eide, who is Norway's climate and environment minister.
Negotiators have been given a broad and robust mandate to target plastic trash in all its forms.
It addresses not just the bottles, straws and shopping bags floating in rivers and oceans, but invisible microplastics found in the deepest oceans and highest mountains, and within the air, soil and food chain.
- 'Historic crossroad' -
Supporters described the commitment as the most important environmental decision taken by the UN in years.
"We stand at a crossroad in history when ambitious decisions taken today can prevent plastic pollution from contributing to our planet's ecosystem collapse," said Marco Lambertini from WWF.
The broad treaty framework approved by 193 UN nations -- among them major plastic producers like the United States and China -- does not spell out specific measures but leaves particulars to negotiations.
But the scope covers pollution "from source to sea" -- a key demand of many nations -- and could for the first time introduce caps on the production of new plastic from fossil fuels.
Other regulations could require that industry redesign products to make recycling easier and stem the torrent of trash created by single-use items.
Less than 10 percent of plastic is recycled. Most of the 460 million tonnes of plastic produced in 2019 wound up in landfill and oceans.
"This is a clear acknowledgement that the entire life cycle of plastic, from fossil fuel extraction to disposal, creates pollution that is harmful to people and the planet," said Graham Forbes from Greenpeace.
- 'Landmark' decision -
The amount of plastic entering the oceans is forecast to triple by 2040, and governments have been under pressure to unite against the trash "epidemic".
The rate of plastic production has also grown faster than any other material and is expected to double within two decades without urgent action.
By some estimates, a garbage truck's worth of plastic is dumped into the sea every minute.
Large pieces of plastic are a notorious peril for sea birds, whales and other marine animals. But at the microscopic level, particles of plastic can also enter the food chain, eventually joining the human diet.
To address the urgency, talks toward concluding the treaty are being fast-tracked and the first round is slated for later this year.
Diplomats and conservationists cautioned that the strength of the treaty would be determined by the level of political will shown in these negotiations.
Setting targets, ensuring accountability, and monitoring success or otherwise could prove sticking points, said UN environment chief Inger Andersen.
Negotiators will need to establish what measures are binding or voluntary, and some countries are pushing for flexibility in setting their own goals through national action plans.
"There will be a number of thorny issues as there always is when we start a negotiation," said Andersen, head of the UN Environment Programme.
Big corporations had expressed support for a binding agreement and negotiators were urged to engage industry players in the process.
Dozens of major businesses had called for a common set of rules around plastic to create a level playing field for competition.
Trade group Plastics Europe said its products played a vital role in society and industry was doing its part to bolster recycling and invest in solutions.
"The UNEA resolution represents a major step towards the creation of a waste free future which is critical to achieving our collective climate ambitions," said Plastics Europe president Markus Steilemann.
P.A.Mendoza--AT