Teen climate activist to get human rights award
LONDON • Amnesty International is giving its annual Ambassador of Conscience award to Swedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg and her protest movement, citing their "unique leadership and courage in standing up for human rights".
Greta, 16, said it was "a huge honour" to receive the prize on behalf of the movement, known for staging global school strikes to demand action on climate change under the "Fridays For Future" slogan.
"Human rights and the climate crisis go hand in hand. We can't solve one without solving the other," she said in a statement via Amnesty International yesterday. No date has been set for the award ceremony, Amnesty International said.
DPA
Sri Lanka to ban chainsaw imports, shut timber mills
COLOMBO • Sri Lanka will ban imports of chainsaws and shut timber mills within five years to protect forests, President Maithripala Sirisena's office said yesterday.
Mr Sirisena highlighted his determination to clamp down on illegal logging and increase the amount of territory devoted to forests at an environmental conference.
"I have instructed officials to ban the import of chainsaw machines and blades from next week," Mr Sirisena told the conference on Thursday, his office said.
Four months ago, he compelled all users to register chainsaws with the police and 82,000 units were recorded within three weeks.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Girl, two, killed over unpaid $197 loan in India
NEW DELHI • Indian police have sent reinforcements to a northern city to head off tensions after the murder of a two-year-old girl over an unpaid US$144 (S$197) loan.
Police said two suspects have been detained after the girl's body was discovered at a rubbish dump in Aligarh, in Uttar Pradesh state. The girl was abducted on May 31.
Officers said a medical report found that the toddler was strangled with a cloth.
"The girl's grandfather owed the accused money and they had an argument," said Aligarh police chief Aakash Kulhari.
He said the initial post-mortem examination had ruled out rape, but that samples had been sent for examination.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
