Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

India’s Pachauri who led UN climate change panel passes away

INDIAN environmentalist Rajendra Pachauri, who led the UN climate change group that won a Nobel Peace Prize but whose later years were dogged by sexual harassment allegations, has died at the age of 79.

Pachauri who helmed the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for more than a decade died in a New Delhi hospital late Thursday (13) after undergoing open-heart surgery this week, his family said.


During his tenure, the IPCC and former US vice-president Al Gore were jointly awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for their work on pressing countries to take action over global warming.

The Nobel committee hailed the way the IPCC and Gore had laid "the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change."

But Pachauri was forced to step down from the panel in 2015 over sexual harassment accusations made by a staff member at an Indian environment institute he led.

He always denied any wrongdoing.

Trained as an engineer and economist at top universities in India and the US, Pachauri became a leading voice on the dangers of global warming.

Many of his warnings highlighted how climate change would disproportionately affect poorer countries, while richer countries would be forced to confront subsequent migration crises.

Nitin Desai, chairman of The Energy and Resources Institute that Pachauri led before being forced to stand down, said Pachauri made an "unparallelled" contribution to international campaigning on sustainable development.

"His leadership of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change laid the ground for climate change conversations today," he said.

(AFP)

More For You

Exclusive: 'Starmer must fill NHS staffing defecit'
Dr Chaand Nagpaul

Exclusive: 'Starmer must fill NHS staffing defecit'

LABOUR's latest announcement to cut NHS waiting lists, while welcome, does not go far enough, the former leader of the doctors’ union, Chaand Nagpaul has told Eastern Eye.

Prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, unveiled his plans on Monday (6). He pledged Labour would set up more NHS hubs in community locations in England, and the service would make greater use of the private sector to help meet the challenge.

Keep ReadingShow less
Exclusive: 'Stop spreading racial hatred'
Nazir Afzal

Exclusive: 'Stop spreading racial hatred'

POLITICIANS must dial down “dangerous and inflammatory” rhetoric and recognise the contributions of all communities in Britain, prominent south Asians have told Eastern Eye.

They are concerned that recent social media attacks on asylum seekers, immigrants, especially British Pakistanis, as well as ministers will lead to unnecessary deaths.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lisa-Nandy-Getty

The culture secretary retains powers to refer the case to the Competition and Markets Authority, which could trigger an investigation into press freedom concerns linked to Abu Dhabi’s involvement. (Photo: Getty Images)

Calls grow for Lisa Nandy to end Telegraph ownership stalemate

THE SALE of The Telegraph newspaper has drawn widespread political calls for culture secretary Lisa Nandy to intervene and end the prolonged uncertainty surrounding its ownership.

The newspaper has been in limbo for 20 months after an auction process initiated by RedBird IMI, an Abu Dhabi-backed investment fund, failed to secure a suitable buyer.

Keep ReadingShow less
illegal-migrants-getty

According to government data, over 36,800 people crossed the Channel in 2024. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Labour government reports highest illegal migrant removals since 2018

THE LABOUR government announced on Thursday that it had removed 16,400 illegal migrants since taking office in July, the fastest rate of removals since 2018.

On taking office, prime minister Keir Starmer scrapped the previous Conservative government's scheme to send migrants who arrive illegally to Rwanda, instead setting up a Border Security Command to crack down on illegal migration – a huge political issue in Britain.

Keep ReadingShow less
Two men jailed for trying to smuggle migrants into UK

Shafaz Khan (L), Choudhry Rashied (Photo: Home Office)

Two men jailed for trying to smuggle migrants into UK

TWO London-based men have been sentenced to over 10 years behind bars after being convicted of breaching UK immigration law by trying to smuggle four Indian migrants in a hidden van compartment disguised by a stack of dirty tyres.

According to the UK Home Office, British nationals Shafaz Khan and Choudhry Rashied, who operated under the alias ‘Manzar Mian Attique’, hid the group of migrants behind the tyres in a “purpose built” hidden space in the vehicle.

Keep ReadingShow less