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A6 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 16 July 2022
Pacific island national leaders declare climate emergency

SUVA, Fiji (AP) — Pacific forum and new diplomatic
island national leaders de- efforts to bring Kiribati back
clared a climate emergen- to the fold. While China was
cy on Friday and agreed not named in the commu-
to try to bring Kiribati back nique, its growing influence
to the region’s main diplo- in the region was a subject
matic grouping. of much discussion among
Kiribati announced it leaders.
had withdrawn from the The United States, Austra-
18-member Pacific Islands lia and New Zealand have
Forum ahead of a leaders’ been among the most vo-
summit in Fiji this week. The cal critics of a security pact
move was seen as a sign of signed between China and
China’s growing influence the Solomon Islands, host of
in the region. next year’s annual forum
In a soon-to-be released leaders’ summit.
communique, the lead- Details of the pact haven’t
ers “welcomed and fully been made public, but the
supported” the new Aus- deal has raised fears of a
tralian government’s com- permanent Chinese mili-
mitment to the forum’s tary facility within 2,000 kilo-
climate change priorities, meters (1,200 miles) of the
Australian Associated Press northeast Australian coast.
reported after seeing the Leaders pose during the family photo at the Pacific Islands Forum leaders summit in Suva, Fiji, Australia already has a se-
Thursday, July 14, 2022.
document. Associated Press curity treaty with the Solo-
Australia, the wealthiest mons and Australian police
and most populous of the all forum nations to deliver planet, consider climate person in the Pacific, I have have been in the capi-
forum nations, has commit- “clear progress on turning change their greatest se- urged @AlboMP to go fur- tal, Honiara, maintaining
ted to reduce greenhouse pledges and commitments curity risk and declared a ther for our family’s shared peace since riots late last
gas emissions by 43% be- into action” consistent with climate emergency. future by aligning Austra- year.
low 2005 levels by the end containing global warming Fiji Prime Minister Frank lia’s commitment to the Australia has argued that
of the decade under a to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Bainimarama, who chaired 1.5-degree target,” Baini- the family of forum nations
new government elected degrees Fahrenheit). the summit, used Twitter to marama posted. should manage their own
in May. Australia’s current targets urge Australian Prime Min- Pacific unity was anoth- security concerns instead
The previous Australian of a 43% reduction by 2030 ister Anthony Albanese to er key topic for leaders, of turning to outsiders such
government had commit- and net zero by 2050 fall take further action. heightened by Kiribati’s as China. The communique
ted to reductions of only short of that aspiration. “Australia’s new climate withdrawal. appeared to support that
26% to 28% by 2030. The leaders, many of whom pledge is a step-up that Fiji Australia and New Zealand view with a commitment to
Another clause in the com- are confronting an existen- has long sought but out of will fund the Suva Agree- “family first” security in the
munique pointedly urges tial threat from a warming the duty I owe every young ment, which reforms the Pacific.q

Slovenia army starts removing Croatia border razor wire

rolls into a truck. Officials fence can prevent migra- the fence has faced criti-
have said that it could take tion, but has caused many cism from right-wing par-
around five months before tragedies and people were ties that are staunchly op-
the nearly 200-kilometer dying” while trying to cross posed to migration. The
(around 120-mile) border the Kolpa, or Kupa, river on European Union nation
fence a combination of the border. has reported an increase
razor wire and metal pan- Senior police official Bostjan in migrant crossings in the
els is taken down. added that “the removed first half of 2022 compared
The decision to scrap the wire will be replaced by with the previous year, and
fence was taken by Slove- changing work methods rightist groups say the wire
nia’s new, liberal govern- and tactics,” including ad- removal is premature.
ment, which took office ditional border staff and Interior Minister Bobnar pre-
after an election in April. enhanced international viously has described the
Officials have said that the cooperation. border fence as a tempo-
A Slovenian soldier deployed for the removal of border fence border will be monitored Migrants from the Middle rary measure and said that
removes razor wire at the border crossing with Croatia in by other means, but that it East, Africa or Asia come “it is inadmissible for it to
Krmacina, Slovenia, Friday, July 15, 2022. is necessary to prevent any into Slovenia from Croatia become a permanent ele-
Associated Press accidents and injuries mi- via the so-called Balkan ment of Slovenia’s border
grants might face as they route. Many face perils policy.”
By DARKO BANDIC million people fleeing vio- seek to reach Western Eu- on their long journeys that The official STA news agen-
Associated Press lence or poverty entered rope. often take months, even cy reported that the army
KRMACINA, Slovenia (AP) Europe in 2015. “Migrations have not and years of dangerous cross- will first remove 51 kilome-
— Slovenia’s army on Fri- About a dozen soldiers will not disappear, but this ings of seas or rivers, abuse ters (30 miles) of the razor
day started removing a used cutters to help un- wire was a disproportion- by people smugglers or wire while the remaining
razor wire fence on the clog the wire that had got ate measure,” said Inte- sleeping rough in cold 143 kilometers (90 miles)
border with Croatia that entangled in bushes and rior Minister Tatjana Bobnar, weather and heat. of the fence will be taken
was put up to curb migrant other greenery along the who was present at the site. The Slovenian govern- down by a contractor that
crossings after more than 1 border, before loading the “Time has shown that no ment’s decision to remove is yet to be selected.q