Egypt Urges Increase in Int'l Funds to Tackle Climate Change

Egypt's Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad. (Egyptian government)
Egypt's Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad. (Egyptian government)
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Egypt Urges Increase in Int'l Funds to Tackle Climate Change

Egypt's Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad. (Egyptian government)
Egypt's Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad. (Egyptian government)

Egypt requested on Thursday an increase in finances from developed countries to address climate change in countries that currently suffer from fires, high temperature and floods.

Egypt is hosting the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Sharm El Sheikh in November.

Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad held a virtual meeting Thursday with Mary Robinson, the former head of the UNHCR and the chairperson of Elders, an independent group of global leaders working together for peace, justice and human rights.

They discussed preparations for COP27, especially the importance of increasing adaptation finance for countries suffering from climate change, said a statement from the Egyptian minister.

Fouad said speaking about financing adaptation to climate change would be addressed on Gender Day held during the COP27, and that the keynote speech on this day will be given by the President of the National Council for Women in Egypt.

For her part, Robinson stressed the importance of increasing adaptation finance for countries suffering from climate change in line with the outcomes of COP26 in Glasgow.

She said this should be achieved by 2025.



Tunisia Detains Prominent Lawyer Souab

Members of the honor guard stand at attention during a flag-raising in place of Kasba in Tunis, Tunisia, June 26, 2018. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
Members of the honor guard stand at attention during a flag-raising in place of Kasba in Tunis, Tunisia, June 26, 2018. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
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Tunisia Detains Prominent Lawyer Souab

Members of the honor guard stand at attention during a flag-raising in place of Kasba in Tunis, Tunisia, June 26, 2018. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
Members of the honor guard stand at attention during a flag-raising in place of Kasba in Tunis, Tunisia, June 26, 2018. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi

Tunisian police on Monday detained Ahmed Souab, a prominent lawyer and fierce critic of the country's president, lawyers told Reuters, raising human rights groups' concerns that a crackdown on dissent will go ahead.

Souab is among the lawyers acting for opposition leaders who received lengthy prison sentences on Saturday on conspiracy charges.

Souab strongly criticized the judge and the trial on Friday, calling it a farce and saying the judiciary had been completely destroyed.

"It seems he was detained because of his critical comments on the trial on Friday," said Samir Dilou, one of Souab's lawyers. Two others lawyers confirmed the detention.

Political parties rejected the rulings, saying they were retaliatory after a trial aimed at cementing President Kais Saied's authoritarian rule.

Rights groups say Saied has had full control over the judiciary since he dissolved parliament in 2021 and began ruling by decree. He dissolved the independent Supreme Judicial Council and sacked dozens of judges in 2022.

"The mass conviction of dissidents...is a disturbing indication of the authorities' willingness to go ahead with its crackdown on peaceful dissent," the human rights group Amnesty International said.

Those convicted included prominent leaders of the Islamist Ennahda party, the main opposition party to Saied.

Ennahda Vice President, Noureddine Bhiri received a 43-year prison sentence, while the court sentenced two senior party officials, Said Ferjani and Sahbi Atig, to ​​13 years each.

The largest sentence was 66 years for businessman Kamel Ltaif, while opposition politician Khyam Turki received a 48-year sentence.