Climate striker Greta Thunberg wins Swedish rights prize
Stockholm: Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg on Wednesday won the Right Livelihood Award, sometimes called the "alternative Nobel Prize", the jury for the Swedish human rights prize said.
Thunberg was honoured "for inspiring and amplifying political demands for urgent climate action reflecting scientific facts," the Right Livelihood Foundation said in a statement.
"Her resolve to not put up with the looming climate disaster has inspired millions of peers to also raise their voices and demand immediate climate action," it added.
Thunberg's global climate movement "Fridays for Future" began in August 2018 when she started sitting alone outside Sweden's parliament with her now iconic sign reading "school strike for the climate".
The message has struck a chord with youths around the world. Last Friday, an estimated four million plus people took to the streets in over 150 countries to join the "Global Climate Strike" protest, demanding action from politicians against climate disaster.
This year's Right Livelihood Award also honours three others, including Sahrawi human rights activist Aminatou Haidar "for her steadfast non-violent action, despite imprisonment and torture, in pursuit of justice and self-determination for the people of Western Sahara".
Lawyer Guo Jianmei received the award for her "pioneering and persistent work" for women's rights in China.
The Brazilian Hutukara Yanomami Association and its leader Davi Kopenawa were also honoured for their "courageous determination to protect the forests and biodiversity of the Amazon, and the lands and culture of its indigenous peoples."
The Right Livelihood Award was created in 1980 by Swedish-German philatelist Jakob von Uexkull after the Nobel Foundation behind the Nobel Prizes refused to create awards honouring efforts in the fields of the environment and international development.
The award consists of a cash prize of one million Swedish kronor ( 103,000 or 94,000 euro) for each laureate, meant to support the recipient's work.
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Heavy rains prompt warnings and travel bans in many Kerala districts
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): As rains lashed many parts of Kerala, authorities on Sunday urged people, particularly those living in hilly and coastal areas, to exercise vigil.
The Meteorological Department has issued red alerts for Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, and Idukki districts for Sunday and Monday, and sounded orange alerts for four other districts, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, and Ernakulam, for these days.
The Met office predicted thunderstorms with moderate rainfall and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40 km/h at one or two places in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Kannur and Kasaragod districts of Kerala till 1 pm on Sunday.
The Idukki District Collector has ordered a ban on night travel through the hilly areas of the district from Sunday until the red and orange alerts are withdrawn.
"Strict instructions have been issued to the District Superintendent of Police, Sub Divisional Magistrates, Regional Transport Officers, and Tehsildars to implement the ban effectively," an official statement said.
Mining activities have been banned in Ernakulam and Kottayam districts in view of the forecast for heavy rain.
The southern district of Thiruvananthapuram experienced heavy rains on Saturday night, leading to waterlogging in the city and its suburbs, affecting normal life.
Visuals aired by news channels showed that houses and shops were flooded in some parts.
Due to the non-completion of the Smart City Road, waterlogging has worsened in many places.
In some areas, canals crisscrossing the capital city and its suburbs overflowed.
The affected people alleged that the lack of pre-monsoon cleaning of canals and drainage systems was the reason for the waterlogging in the capital city and its suburbs.
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