Climate change pushes Malaysia’s coastal fishermen away from the sea
Gelang Patah, Malaysia – On an overcast morning six years ago, Mohammad Ridhwan Mohd Yazid was on his way back to Malaysia’s southern Johor coast when his small fishing boat was caught in a sudden storm. In a matter of minutes, the calm southerly March winds transformed into gales whipping up high seas that slammed into his boat, knocking both him and the day’s catch into the air. Alone and about a kilometre (about half a mile) from Singapore’s northwestern shore, Ridhwan landed back on the boat near its engine and turned quickly for land. “I didn’t care that I lost half of what I caught that day. I just wanted to go home,” the 30-year-old told Al Jazeera in an interview at the coastal jetty in Pendas, a fishing village in Malaysia’s southern state of Johor. Ridhwan’s tale is not an isolated one, but shared by many traditional Malaysian fishermen who have found themselves increasingly affected by the climate crisis, which is changing weather patterns that have long governed when and where they can fish. Such fishermen are estimated to make up about 65 percent of Malaysia’s total fishing community, and are small-scale operators from seaside or river communities and ply waters close to shore or along the river for fish, clams, crabs and other marine animals to meet local demand. They typically use single-engine boats about seven metres (23 feet) long, casting their nets in an area up to five nautical miles from the shore along the country’s more than 4,600km (2,858 miles) of coastline. Malaysian fisherman Mohd Faizan Wahid, 43, checking his equipment after casting his net into the waters of the Johor Strait between Malaysia and Singapore [Patrick Lee/Al Jazeera] But erratic weather, warming seas and declining fish stocks caused by climate change are slowly pushing them away from the seas they and generations before them once depended on. “In the past, we didn’t have to go far to get a good catch. We could just go near the shore,” said Mohd Hafiza Abu Talib. Now, he said, winds could shift direction without warning, treacherous for those who usually work alone or fish at night. “The winds can suddenly change and bring us somewhere else. It’s even worse when we fish in the dark, and we don’t have GPS,” the man in his late 40s added. Warming waters Studies by the United Nations have shown that oceans absorb 25 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions and capture 90 percent of the heat generated by these emissions trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere. The US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed a daily sea surface temperature of 21 degrees Celsius (69.8 Fahrenheit) from early January, one degree more than during the same period 30 years ago. Man-made emissions have pushed the average temperature of oceans higher, leading to the melting of polar ice, rising sea levels, ocean acidification, marine heatwaves and more fiercely unpredictable weather. Mangroves have also been damaged, and coral reefs, where fish breed, have bleached. The small-time fishermen’s catch is sold at a market next to the jetty where they dock their boats in Pendas [Patrick Lee/Al Jazeera] Professor Mohd Fadzil Mohd Akhir, an oceanographer with Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, said marine animals, sensitive to sea temperatures, had been found to migrate to cooler waters as oceans warmed. “It doesn’t mean that when the climate gets warmer, that fish is not available anywhere,” he said. “Most marine organisms in tropical areas will move to cooler areas when these areas get warmer.” A 2022 University of British Columbia study found that climate change would force 45 percent of fish that cross through two or more exclusive economic zones to move away from their natural habitats by the end of the century. An exclusive economic zone (EEZ) refers to an area of ocean or sea that extends some 200 nautical miles beyond a country’s territorial waters. The prospect of a further decline in an already falling harvest is a huge blow for Malaysia’s coastal fishermen who have invested thousands in a back-breaking trade with often poor returns. A single boat can cost about 14,000 Malaysian ringgit ($2,928) with thousands more needed for nets, engines and fuel. A Pendas fisherman can potentially net upwards of about 300 ringgit ($62) of fish or crabs from the sea on a good day, and more during certain seasons. However, fishermen who have fished here for decades complain that there are fewer good days than before. “I used to be able to get 30 to 40kg [66 to 88lbs] of crabs in a day,” said Shafiee Rahmat, 63, who has been fishing for 50 years. “Now I get about 10kg [22lbs] in a day. It’s just not worth it.” ‘Dramatic collapse’ Originally, fishermen in the area blamed the dwindling supply on coastal and industrial developments. Chief among the complaints was the construction of the artificial islands making up the 2,833-hectare (7,000 acres) China-backed Forest City property project, some 20km (12 miles) from Pendas. But Serina Rahman, a conservation scientist working with fishermen in the area for more than 15 years, also noticed a “dramatic collapse” as the world shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We always thought it was development that was affecting the fish catch,” the lecturer from the National University of Singapore said. Fishermen relax before heading out to sea in southern Johor [Patrick Lee/Al Jazeera] However, Serina and the fishermen noticed that fish stocks did not climb back as hoped, even as coastal development, previously blamed for declining catches, came to a halt during the lockdowns. She said that while dredging in the past had been shown to increase the catch of certain species, such as prawns, climate change had no such benefits. “That was when we really saw the fall in catch, because over the COVID period was when we saw the numbers totally decline,” Serina said. Spurred by the diminishing supply and extreme weather, some fishermen from Pendas have banded together with help from a local environmental group to
FM Wang Yi insists China ‘force for peace’; defends Russian ties
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said China sees itself as a “force for peace” in the world, even as it pursues deeper ties with Russia despite Moscow’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine. “In the face of complex turmoil in the international environment, China will persist in being a force for peace, a force for stability, and a force for progress in the world,” Wang told reporters at a press conference in Beijing on Thursday, on the sidelines of the country’s annual meeting of its parliament. Wang, who spoke in Mandarin, was also asked about China’s relationship with Russia, which began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The two countries announced a “no limits” partnership shortly before the invasion, as Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing, and visiting Moscow last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed a “new era” of cooperation. The foreign minister said Beijing and Moscow’s closer relationship was a “strategic choice”, noting that bilateral trade had reached a record $240bn in 2023. “New opportunities” lay ahead, he added, portraying the two countries’ ties as a “new paradigm” in the relations between big powers. “Major countries should not seek conflict and the Cold War should not be allowed to come back,” Wang said. China has positioned itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine war, and on the first anniversary of the conflict, released a 12-point peace plan calling for a ceasefire and talks between the two parties. On Thursday, Wang insisted that Beijing maintained an “objective and impartial position” on Ukraine and called again for peace talks, noting that peace envoy Li Hui was currently in the region. “A conflict, when prolonged, tends to deteriorate and escalate and could lead to an even bigger crisis,” Wang said. During the wide-ranging discussion, which lasted for 90 minutes, 70-year-old Wang was also asked about issues including the conflict in Gaza, China’s relationship with the United States, and the disputed South China Sea. The veteran diplomat called Israel’s five-month-long war in Gaza and the world’s apparent inability to stop the bloodshed, a “tragedy for humanity and a disgrace for civilisation”. Israel sent its forces into the territory after Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2006, launched an assault on Israel on October 7, killing 1,139 people and kidnapping some 250 Israelis and foreigners. At least 30,717 Palestinians have been killed in the bombardments since amid a collapse in the health system and a growing risk of starvation. Hamas released some of the captives during a ceasefire in November but is thought to still be holding about 100 people. Urging the release of “all detainees”, Wang called for an immediate ceasefire and peace talks. “The calamity in Gaza is a wakeup call for the world,” he said. Talks brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the US to reach a six-week ceasefire ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan have so far failed to achieve a breakthrough. Wang also reiterated China’s longstanding commitment to a two-state solution, saying it was the only way to achieve an end to the conflict. He also said China supported Palestine’s “full” membership of the United Nations. On relations with the US, which recovered some equilibrium late last year after the countries’ two presidents met in San Francisco, Wang struck a note of optimism even as he lashed out at Washington for sanctions that he said had reached a “bewildering level of unfathomable absurdity”. Noting the US and China were due to mark 45 years of formal bilateral ties this year, Wang said China wanted relations that were “stable and consistent” and that Washington could work with Beijing on the basis of “mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.” The two sides have been at odds over a range of issues from Taiwan to trade and an alleged Chinese spy balloon that was shot down after crossing into the US last year. Wang reiterated China’s claim over Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing maintains is part of its territory, and said those who sought independence would be “liquidated by history”. He also had sharp warnings over the disputed South China Sea where China, which claims almost the entire sea despite an international tribunal ruling it without merit, has been involved in multiple confrontations with the Philippines in recent months. In the latest incident on Tuesday, the Philippines said its boat was damaged by a Chinese coast guard ship that tried to block a resupply mission to the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, which lies about 200km (124 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan and more than 1,000km (621 miles) from China’s southern Hainan Island. Manila has moved closer to the US amid the growing tension in the strategic waters where China also deploys a maritime militia and its fishing fleet. Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam also claim the parts of the South China Sea around their coasts. “We resolutely oppose all acts of hegemony and bullying, and will strongly uphold national sovereignty and security as well as development interests,” Wang said. Adblock test (Why?)
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un orders heightened war preparations
Latest comments come as US and South Korea hold joint military exercises involving thousands of troops. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered heightened readiness for war after inspecting troops at a major military operations base in the country’s west. The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) did not reveal the location of the base in its report on Thursday. The North Korean leader said the military must “dynamically usher in a new heyday of intensifying the war preparations in line with the requirements of the prevailing situation”, according to KCNA. “Our army should … steadily intensify the actual war drills aimed at rapidly improving its combat capabilities for perfect war preparedness,” he added. Kim’s visit took place as forces from the United States and South Korea continued their annual Freedom Shield large-scale military exercises. The drills, expected to involve 48 field exercises including missile interception drills, bombing, air assault and live-firing, began on Monday with twice the number of troops participating compared with last year. KCNA did not say whether Kim discussed the US-South Korean drills with the troops he met with [KCNA via Reuters] North Korea has long condemned military drills by the US and South Korea, claiming they are rehearsals for an invasion, and has conducted weapons tests in response to previous exercises. On Monday, KCNA quoted an unnamed spokesperson for North Korea’s Ministry of Defence urging Seoul and Washington to cease their “reckless” and “frantic war drills”. The US and South Korea “will be made to pay a dear price for their false choice”, the spokesperson added. In Thursday’s report, KCNA did not mention whether Kim directly referred to the Freedom Shield drills. It said the troops at the base were conducting manoeuvres under conditions simulating actual war. North Korea has continued to carry out missile tests this year as it modernises its military. Adblock test (Why?)
Why is Pakistan’s PTI fighting for reserved seats in parliament?
Islamabad, Pakistan — It is the latest setback for former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. On Monday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) declared that the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) could not claim allocated reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies. PTI, unable to contest recent elections due to a ban on their electoral symbol, instructed its candidates to join the right-wing fringe religious party in order to extend their numerical strength in the National Assembly. In its 22-page judgment issued on Monday, the five-member electoral body decided 4-1 that the SIC failed to submit a party list for reserved candidates before the ECP’s deadline of February 22, two weeks after the February 8 election. Pakistan’s National Assembly has a total of 70 reserved seats which are distributed among parties based upon their performance in the general elections. Similarly, the four provincial assemblies have a combined total of 149 reserved seats that are similarly distributed. A majority of these reserved seats have already been allocated — around 77 remain vacant, for now. PTI has criticised the ECP judgement, calling it an attack on democracy. “This is the last assault on the heart of democracy,” Senator Ali Zafar of PTI, and a senior party lawyer said during a speech in the Senate, the upper house of the assembly on Monday after the decision was announced. The ECP’s decision opens the door for a prolonged legal battle, as PTI has announced it will challenge the decision in higher courts. However, if the party fails to overturn it, it could further dent its position in the lower house of parliament, potentially allowing the ruling coalition to gain a two-thirds majority in the 336-member National Assembly. What are reserved seats — and why do they matter? Pakistan’s general elections for the National Assembly take place on 266 seats. But there are an additional 70 reserved seats (60 for women and 10 for minorities) which give the body a total size of 336 seats. To achieve a simple majority to form a government, a total of 169 seats is required. However, a two-thirds majority — or 224 votes — is necessary to make any constitutional amendments. Reserved seats are allocated only to political parties that win seats in the National Assembly, and the distribution is done based on their proportional representation after the general elections. Similarly, reserved seats are allocated in provincial assemblies based on the parties’ proportionate performances. According to regulations, any political party contesting the polls must submit a list of their nominations for reserved seats prior to elections, as per the schedule given by the ECP. However, after the polls, if a party has over-performed and needs to submit additional names for reserved candidates, it has two weeks to do so. Independents have three days after their win announcement to declare their affiliation with a party in the assembly. The party they join gets a boost in the number of reserved seats it gets, commensurate with the number of independents that join it. In the National Assembly, the ECP has already allocated at least 40 out of 60 seats to different political parties for their reserved quota for women. Similarly, seven out of 10 seats reserved for the minorities quota have already been allocated in the lower house of the parliament. The rest are currently vacant. What happened in the current elections? Forced to contest the recent general elections on February 8 without its party symbol – the cricket bat – due to violating election rules, PTI fielded candidates as independents. Despite facing a nationwide crackdown for nearly two years, with its leader, former Prime Minister Imran Khan, imprisoned since August last year, and its candidates unable to campaign freely, PTI still emerged as the single largest bloc, with its candidates winning 93 seats. While the party claimed widespread rigging across the country and alleged a “stolen mandate”, its rivals, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), managed to cobble together a ruling alliance, with 75 and 54 seats respectively, in coalition with other smaller parties. Even though they won the most seats, the PTI leadership, under orders from Imran Khan, decided not to form a government with any of the major parties and instead joined hands with a fringe, right-wing religious party, the SIC, to claim reserved seats. Complicating matters further was the fact that the SIC, despite being a registered political party, did not contest the general elections. Its leader, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, chose to contest independently, winning his seat from Faisalabad city in Punjab province. What does the ECP verdict say? In its verdict, the ECP stated that the SIC was not entitled to claim the quota for reserved seats due to a “violation of a mandatory provision of submitting a party list for reserved seats, which is a legal requirement”. It also said that the currently vacant seats in the national assembly — 23 — “will not” remain vacant and will be distributed among other parties based on the elected seats they won. The commission criticised the SIC by reminding them that they were given a specific timeframe to submit a list of nominations, which the party did not. “Every political party, while making any decision regarding crucial steps concerning matters of the political party required under law, should be aware of the potential consequences they may face in the future,” the ECP wrote. What are the consequences of the ECP decision? On March 3, Shehbaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) was elected the country’s new prime minister by the National Assembly, securing 201 votes. Omar Ayub Khan, the PTI leader backed by the SIC, managed to secure 92 votes. The biggest beneficiary of the ECP decision will be Sharif’s PMLN, along with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), which won the most number of seats in the general elections, with 75, 54 and 17 respectively. In case PTI’s legal challenge fails
Alabama governor signs bill protecting IVF into law: ‘Proud we are a pro-life, pro-family state’
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill into law Wednesday evening protecting in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments after a February decision by the state Supreme Court led some fertility clinics to pause their procedures. Senate Bill 159, a bipartisan piece of legislation, was met with heavy support from state lawmakers and quickly moved through the legislature to ensure clinics could confidently resume operations for IVF patients. “Alabama works to foster a culture of life, and that certainly includes IVF,” Ivey said in a statement Wednesday night. “I am pleased to sign this important, short-term measure into law so that couples in Alabama hoping and praying to be parents can grow their families through IVF.” ALABAMA HOUSE, SENATE PASS PROTECTIONS FOR IVF AFTER COURT RULING The law is designed to protect medical professionals from civil and criminal immunity in case of unintentional death or damage to an embryo following a ruling made by the state Supreme Court allowing three couples who lost frozen embryos during a mishap at a storage facility to file for wrongful death claims. “Unborn children are ‘children’ … without exception based on developmental stage, physical location, or any other ancillary characteristics,” Justice Jay Mitchell wrote in the ruling. Ivey said she understands IVF is a “complex issue” and she anticipates “there will be more work to come,” but the priority was to “provide the assurances” fertility clinics needed so the ones who paused treatments could “resume services immediately.” “Let me say clearly: Alabama supports growing families through IVF. From protecting the unborn to supporting IVF, Alabama is proud we are a pro-life, pro-family state,” Ivey said. Alabama Fertility, one of the clinics that paused IVF treatments last month, said on its Instagram page Wednesday afternoon before the bill became law that it is “ready to re-start IVF treatments as soon as tomorrow.” The law is effective immediately and applies retroactively, excluding pending litigation.
A petition to recall Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson fails
The former Democratic state lawmaker announced he was switching party affiliations last year — prompting the recall by community activist Davante Peters.
John Kerry says people would ‘feel better’ about the Ukraine war if Russia would reduce emissions
Outgoing Special Presidential Envoy for Climate (SPEC) John Kerry claimed that people would “feel better” about the ongoing war in Ukraine if Russia would “make a greater effort to reduce emissions.” “If Russia wanted to show good faith, they could go out and announce what their reductions are going to be and make a greater effort to reduce emissions now,” Kerry said during a foreign press briefing on Tuesday in Washington, D.C., his last as the SPEC, as he departed from the position Wednesday to reportedly join President Biden’s presidential re-election campaign. “Maybe that would open up the door for people to feel better about what Russia is choosing to do at this point in time,” he said. BIDEN ADMIN SUED FOR HIDING JOHN KERRY’S STAFF, COORDINATION WITH ECO GROUPS Kerry’s remarks came after a Russian news agency reporter, Igor Naimushin, asked him about the U.S. relationship with Russia on his climate agenda. “I believe that Russia has the ability to be able to make enormous changes if it really wanted to. I mean, if Russia has the ability to wage a war illegally and invade another country, they ought to be able to find the effort to be responsible on the climate issue,” Kerry said. “And unfortunately, because of the actions that Russia took in an unprovoked, illegal war against another nation, we have not been engaged in discussions with Russia, sadly,” he continued. “I say “sadly” because it’s a loss for the world not to be able to have Russia acting constructively on this issue.” The comments were the latest example of Kerry warning about the climate change implications of war in Ukraine. Kerry previously came under fire after saying that a key consequence of the ongoing Ukraine war stemming from Russia’s invasion last year is increased global greenhouse gas emissions. “Lots of parts of the world are exacerbating the problem right now, but when you have bombs going off, and you have damage to septic tanks or to power centers, etcetera, you have an enormous release of greenhouse gas, methane, all of the family of greenhouse gasses and the result is it’s adding to the problem,” Kerry said during a July 2023 interview with MSNBC. Shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Kerry told multiple media outlets that he was concerned about emissions from a potential military conflict. WHITE HOUSE SILENT AFTER JOHN KERRY LAMENTS UKRAINE WAR’S CARBON EMISSIONS “Equally, importantly, you’re going to lose people’s focus,” Kerry told BBC in February 2022. “You’re going to lose certainly big country attention because they will be diverted, and I think it could have a damaging impact. Hopefully [Russian President Vladimir Putin] would realize that in the northern part of his country, they used to live on 66% of a nation that was over frozen land. Now, it’s thawing.” “I am concerned in terms of the climate efforts that a war is the last thing you need with respect to a united effort to try to deal with the climate challenge,” Kerry told Reuters in a separate interview that same day. “Obviously, we hope that we can compartmentalize, but it’s just made that much more difficult without any question.” In 2021, Biden appointed Kerry to be the U.S. SPEC, a position that had not previously existed and did not require Senate approval. Kerry traveled worldwide, attending high-profile climate summits and diplomatic engagements in an effort to push a global transition from fossil fuels to green energy alternatives. Kerry’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News’ Thomas Catenacci contributed to this report.
Katie Porter suggests billionaires rigged California Senate primary after losing to Adam Schiff
Senate candidate Katie Porter, D-Calif., on Wednesday suggested that the California primary race was rigged by “an onslaught of billionaires” after losing to her Democratic opponent, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. The progressive Democrat did not win a single county, earning a statewide total of just under 14%. She finished nearly twenty points behind both Schiff and Republican candidate Steve Garvey and came in third place in Orange County, which she has represented since 2019. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Porter said her supporters “had the establishment running scared – withstanding 3 to 1 in TV spending and an onslaught of billionaires spending millions to rig this election.” She said the results demonstrated that Californians were “hungry for leaders who break the mold, can’t be bought, and push for accountability in government and across our economy.” TRUMP SENDS MESSAGE TO HALEY SUPPORTERS AFTER SHE SUSPENDS 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN “Special interests like politics as it is today because they control the politicians,” she said. “As we’ve seen in this campaign, they spend millions to defeat someone who will dilute their influence and disrupt the status quo.” Former President Trump was frequently criticized for throwing around the word “rigged” after losing the 2020 presidential election to President Biden. Fox News Digital has reached out to the campaign offices of Porter and Schiff for additional comment. Garvey declined to respond. Porter herself has received millions of dollars from big donors to boost her campaign, despite touting her record of not accepting corporate PAC money. She has reportedly accepted thousands of dollars in donations from big Wall Street donors, according to federal campaign finance disclosures. California, in which Republicans are outnumbered by registered Democrats by about 2-to-1, puts all candidates, regardless of party, on the same primary ballot and the two who get the most votes advance to the general election. A Republican hasn’t won a statewide race for any office in California since 2006.
Congress to announce first candidates list for Lok Sabha polls today
Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who heads the manifesto committee, said on Tuesday that the draft report will be presented to the Congress president.
Texas places state’s largest charter school network under conservatorship
The state had been investigating IDEA Public Schools since 2021 and raised questions on its spending on things like a luxury driver and private jet.