Greta’s climate change message heard loud
Vatican task force
The Vatican is launching a task force of experts to help Catholic dioceses and religious orders develop guidelines to handle cases of sexual abuse by clergy and tend to survivors. The initiative was proposed last year during Pope Francis’ summit on preventing abuse. It was considered necessary given Catholic leaders in some parts of the world have failed to comply with a 2011 Vatican directive to develop the guidelines. The task force is the latest initiative by the Vatican to underline the global nature of clergy sexual abuse, after the Catholic hierarchy for decades insisted it was exclusively a problem in the English-speaking world.
Paris train station fire
Police evacuated an historic Paris train station yesterday after a fire engulfed multiple vehicles and sent a large cloud of black smoke over the neighbourhood. Police said the fire was under control by nightfall near Gare de Lyon train station. At one point, the station’s landmark clock tower was engulfed in smoke. Paris police said they arrested 54 people on the margins of a Congolese rapper’s concert at nearby Accorhotels Arena concert hall, near the banks of the Seine River. Someone set fire to a scooter near the train station, and the flames quickly spread to nearby vehicles, a police official said.
Heathrow runway stoush
The British Government has signalled it plans to shift focus to expanding regional airports as judges blocked Heathrow’s third runway on environmental grounds. The Court of Appeal concluded the Secretary of State for Transport had failed to take account of the Government’s commitments to tackling climate change. Campaigners hailed the ruling as a victory that “killed off” plans for a third runway, and said the project was now “politically unacceptable”. Heathrow Airport insisted it will press on with the project. The Supreme Court will now give the final decision on the runway.
Courts halts Trump policy
Dealing a significant blow to a signature Trump administration immigration policy, a federal appeals court ruled yesterday the government can no longer make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico while their cases wind through US immigration courts. The government faced a setback from a three-judge panel of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals that may prove temporary if President Donald Trump’s administration appeals to the US Supreme Court, which has consistently sided with Trump on immigration and border security policies. The “Remain in Mexico” policy, known officially as “Migrant Protection Protocols,” took effect in January 2019 in San Diego and gradually spread across the southern border.
Cargo ship leaking oil
A cargo ship grounded off the coast of Brazil has begun leaking oil, the country’s environmental enforcement agency said yesterday. A thin spill of oil extended as far as 830m from the partially submerged Stellar Banner, according to the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources. The captain of the ship detected water entering the cargo compartments on Monday and ran the ship aground to prevent it sinking. It was located about 100km offshore of Sao Luis. Crew members were removed. from the ship. The vessel, operated by South Korea-based Polaris Shipping, was carrying 300,000 tons of iron ore destined for Qingdao, China.
The world has watched captivated as Meghan and Harry put the wheels in motion for their bombshell split from the British monarchy, and the couple are now down to their final month as senior royals.
Harry touched down in Britain for a series of royal events this week, and the countdown to March 31 — which marks the formal date their new life will begin — has officially begun.
But while Harry and Meghan’s stacked February/March diary has been made available to the public, once they return to Canada and no longer carry out duties on behalf of the Queen, we have little idea how their life will look.
Here’s a glimpse into their month:
FEB 26 — TRAVALYST CONFERENCE
Harry was pictured arriving in Britain from Canada early this week, shortly before heading to a summit on his sustainable tourism project, Travalyst, founded with brands Booking.com, Skyscanner, Tripadvisor, Trip.com and Visa.
The conference at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre allowed Harry and his Travalyst team to gain feedback from the travel industry on new ideas for sustainability, including creating an online scoring system to show the eco-friendly status when booking flights and accommodation.
When Harry launched Travalyst last year, he defended his use of private planes.
In response to criticism, he said he spent “99 per cent of my life” using commercial flights, but occasionally needed to ensure “my family are safe”.
Sustainable tourism is something Harry will continue to work on when he steps back from senior royal duties. final
FEB 28 — INVICTUS GAMES CHOIR
Harry — who made a pointed request to be addressed without his royal title in Scotland — has visited the Abbey Road Studios in London for a collaboration with none other Jon Bon Jovi (see picture story at right).
MARCH 5 — ENDEAVOUR FUND AWARDS
The announcement of Harry and Meghan’s joint appearance at the Endeavour Fund Awards at
It was the type of reception more often received by rock stars than environmental activists. But when Greta Thunberg took to the stage in the middle of Bristol yesterday, a crowd of climate change protesters, estimated to be 30,000 strong, roared their excitement at witnessing the unlikely global teenage icon in the flesh.
It was the 10th “strike” organised by Bristol Youth Strike 4 Climate, part of the international movement that has seen large numbers of children skip school to call on world leaders
How the couple will spend their final month as royals
London’s Mansion
House next week delighted fans.
The couple will help celebrate the achievements of wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women at annual awards, now in their fourth year.
Upon arrival, the Sussexes will attend a preceremony reception where they will meet the nominees, endeavour participants and key supporters of the Endeavour Fund.
They will then attend the awards ceremony, where they will each present an award.
Harry will also give a short speech. to do more emergency.
But this one was special. Organised in just a week following news that the 17-year-old Swedish eco-activist would be visiting, it was an opportunity for those attending not only to highlight green issues, but also to catch a glimpse of their heroine, the girl who inspired a mass youth movement by skipping school on Fridays to protest in front of the Swedish parliament.
“She’s an eco rock star,” said Rosie Marcus, 21, a student at the University to tackle the climate
The engagement will be the first of three joint engagements the couple will undertake together before closing their Buckingham Palace office on April 1 and heading back to Canada.
Last year at the awards ceremony, a heavily pregnant Meghan presented the Celebrating Excellence Award to Nathan Forster, a former soldier of the Army’s Parachute Regiment.
MARCH 6 — SILVERSTONE EXPERIENCE MUSEUM of Bristol who attended the rally in College Green and the subsequent march through the city led by Greta.
Another student, Freya ScottTurner, 20, went one better: “She’s like Gandhi. She’s so cool. I love her.”
As the rain poured down, transforming parts of the ground into a mudbath and lending the event a soggy festival vibe, chants of “Greta! Greta!” filled the air.
Thousands of mobile phones were raised above heads, like a salute, to honour the moment.
The girl herself cut a diminutive
Harry will then join British Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton at the official opening of the Silverstone UK Experience Museum, which aims to tell the story of the past, present, and future of British motor racing.
In 2016, the Silverstone Heritage Experience appointed Harry as the Royal Patron of the project.
Speaking about the initiative, Harry said: “The Silverstone Experience will be an exhilarating attraction, based here at the home of British motorsport and I’m sure it will help to engage children in engineering by making that all important connection between their textbooks and the excitement and thrills of motorsport.”
MARCH 7 — MOUNTBATTEN MUSIC FESTIVAL
Meghan and Harry will link up again to attend the Mountbatten Music Festival at the Royal Albert Hall, which celebrates the musicianship of the Royal Marines.
The festival takes places over two figure as, at 11.45am, she rose to the platform to speak. But there was nothing small about her address to the drenched crowds gathered below.
“This is an emergency,” she announced. “People are already suffering and dying as a consequence of climate and environmental emergency. But still it will get worse and still this emergency has been completely ignored by the politicians, media and those in power.”
The message was stern, uncompromising, brutal. But necessary, ac