विदेश

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 25 (ANI): The Ambassador of France to India, Thierry Mathou, is in Mumbai on a two-day mission (September 25- 26) focused on enhancing the vibrant cultural and business relations between France and India, the Embassy of France in India said in a release.

On September 25, the first day of his mission, Ambassador Mathou will confer the prestigious French distinction of Knight in the Order of Arts and Letters on Sangita Jindal, Chairperson of JSW Foundation and President of ART India.

The award recognises her outstanding leadership in promoting the arts and traditional crafts, as well as philanthropy, and highlights France’s admiration for champions of creativity and heritage preservation in India, the release stated.

On September 26, Ambassador Mathou will hold meetings exploring the many facets of Mumbai’s global role and interact with French Foreign Trade Advisers.

Thereafter, he will address the 48th Annual General Meeting of the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

These exchanges, themed on “Innovating for Tomorrow: Showcasing Indo-French Synergies for a Sustainable Future”, will reaffirm France’s long-standing commitment to nurturing Indo-French economic cooperation and supporting the growth of French enterprises in India, the Embassy of France in India said in an official statement.

Looking ahead to the AGM, Ambassador Mathou said, “With 716 French companies registered in India and more than 1000 establishments, France stands as one of the top ten foreign investors in the country. Here in Mumbai, the beating heart of India’s economy, we are proud to stand alongside Indian and French businesses that are shaping the future together.”

“France and India share a common vision for sustainable growth and innovation, which will be furthered during the India-France Year of Innovation in 2026. By creating more structured innovation corridors between France and India, we will not only be strengthening our bilateral ties, but also positioning our partnership at the forefront of global innovation,” the Embassy of France in India added. (ANI)

Source

The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.

New York [US], September 25 (ANI): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday urged the international community to fulfil its commitments on climate finance, stressing that debt-driven support could not address the catastrophe confronting vulnerable nations like Pakistan, Dawn reported.

Speaking at the Special Climate Event convened by United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, along with the president of Brazil, the host of COP30, Sharif said, “Loans over loans, [and] adding to loans is not a solution.” He called on developed countries to honour their pledges for the sake of future generations.

According to Dawn, the prime minister reminded delegates that Pakistan was still reeling from the devastation of the 2022 floods, which inflicted losses exceeding $30 billion, displaced millions and left behind lasting scars. He noted that this year’s monsoon season had already “impacted more than five million people, destroyed 4,100 villages, and claimed over 1,000 precious lives.”

Highlighting Pakistan’s negligible role in global emissions, he said, “Despite a negligible contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, we bear impacts far beyond our share.” The premier reaffirmed Islamabad’s “steadfast and unwavering” commitment to its climate agenda.

Dawn reported that Sharif also outlined the country’s progress on its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), recalling that in 2021 Pakistan had pledged an unconditional 15 per cent reduction in projected greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. “Renewables are presently providing over 32pc of Pakistan’s power mix. Solar energy has grown sevenfold since 2021,” he said, adding that 23,000 hectares of mangrove forests had been restored.

He announced that Pakistan would raise the share of renewables and hydropower to 62 per cent of the energy mix by 2035, expand nuclear capacity by 1,200 megawatts by 2030, shift 30 per cent of transport to clean mobility and set up 3,000 charging stations nationwide. Plans also include scaling up climate-smart agriculture, ensuring water security and planting one billion trees.

However, the premier regretted that the implementation of Pakistan’s adaptation plan was “hampered, and hampered severely, due to inadequate international climate finance,” Dawn noted.

In his remarks at the same event, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said it was still possible to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C by the end of the century. “The bottom line: clean is competitive, and climate action is imperative,” he stressed.

Guterres underlined the need for COP30 in Brazil to deliver a credible global response plan, including mobilising $1.3 trillion annually in climate finance by 2035. He called for effective debt relief and measures such as debt swaps and disaster pause clauses, noting that “developing countries that did least to cause the crisis are suffering most.” (ANI)

Source

The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.

Karachi [Pakistan], September 25 (ANI): The transgender community, supported by civil society activists, staged a protest outside the Karachi Press Club to denounce the brutal killings of three transgender persons and to demand immediate justice. The demonstration was organised under the banner “Justice for the Khwaja Sira Community”, as reported by The Express Tribune.

According to The Express Tribune, the protest was led by prominent transgender leaders, including Chandni Shah, Dr Sarah Gul, Advocate Nisha Rao, Kami Choudhry, and Bandia Rana. Members of the Awami Workers Party also participated, raising concerns about the growing vulnerability of the transgender population. Protesters appealed to both federal and provincial governments to ensure safety for the community and to apprehend those responsible for the murders. Speaking at the rally, Bandia Rana, chairperson of Gender Interactive Alliance (GIA), emphasised that the transgender community had no option but to stage peaceful demonstrations to draw attention to its plight. She stated that targeted killings are becoming alarmingly frequent, with similar protests already being held in Hyderabad and Sukkur over the recent spate of murders. Rana added that the community’s demands for protection and inclusion continue to be ignored.

Rana also highlighted that many transgender persons remain unemployed and systematically excluded from government jobs. This marginalisation, she said, forces a large number of them into begging as a means of survival. She further pointed out that the community suffers from a lack of access to basic public services while simultaneously enduring malicious propaganda campaigns aimed at discrediting them, as reported by The Express Tribune.

The protest concluded with a strong call for urgent government action. Protest leaders warned that silence and negligence on the part of the state would only embolden perpetrators of violence. The participants vowed to continue their struggle until justice is secured for the victims and equality is extended to all members of the Khwaja Sira community, as cited by The Express Tribune. (ANI)

Source

The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.