Condemnation, calls for restraint: World reacts to Israeli strikes on Iran
The Israeli military launched strikes on military bases in Iran, hitting about 20 sites over several hours in Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran. Iran confirmed that the attacks on Saturday targeted military bases but resulted in only “limited damage”, the barrage marking an escalation in the ongoing tensions between the two countries. The Israeli army announced that the operation was complete, and military spokesman Daniel Hagari said that if Iran carries out retaliatory strikes, Israel will be “obligated to respond”. Iran’s air defence headquarters said the “aggressive action was successfully intercepted and countered by the country’s integrated air defense system”. Here are some world reactions: United States “We urge Iran to cease its attacks on Israel so that this cycle of fighting can end without further escalation,” US National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett told reporters. “Their response was an exercise in self-defence and specifically avoided populated areas and focused solely on military targets, contrary to Iran’s attack against Israel that targeted Israel’s most populous city,” he added. Stressing that the US did not participate in the operation, he said “it is our aim to accelerate diplomacy and de-escalate tensions in the Middle East region”. A senior White House official said the Biden administration believed the Israeli operation should “close out” the direct military exchange between Israel and Iran. US President Joe Biden was updated as the Israeli operation was developing and as the attacks were carried out by the Israelis, the official said. Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder posted on X that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke to his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant and “reaffirmed the ironclad commitment of the US to Israel’s security and right to self-defense”. Saudi Arabia Condemning the military targeting Iran as a “violation of its sovereignty” and international laws, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged all parties to “exercise the utmost restraint and reduce escalation”. The ministry said in a statement, “The Kingdom affirms its firm position in its rejection of the continued escalation in the region and the expansion of the conflict that threatens the security and stability of the countries and peoples of the region.” In recent months, relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran have improved with high-level meetings held between officials from both sides. In 2023, the two countries agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies in a deal reached in China. (Al Jazeera) United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Iran should not respond to a wave of Israeli strikes, urging restraint on all sides. “I am clear that Israel has the right to defend itself against Iranian aggression. I’m equally clear that we need to avoid further regional escalation and urge all sides to show restraint. Iran should not respond,” he told a news conference in Samoa, where he has been attending a Commonwealth leaders’ meeting. Pakistan The Israeli military strikes “against the sovereignty and territorial integrity” of Iran “are a grave violation of the UN Charter and the international law”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The attacks “undermine path to regional peace and stability and also constitute a dangerous escalation in an already volatile region,” the ministry statement said, adding that “Israel bears full responsibility for the current cycle of escalation and expansion of the conflict in the region”. It also called on the United Nations Security Council “to play its role for the maintenance of international peace and security, and to take immediate steps to bring an end to Israeli recklessness in the region and its criminal behaviour”. United Arab Emirates The Gulf nation condemned the military targeting of Iran and stressed the importance of exercising “maximum restraint” to avoid escalation. Malaysia The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the Israeli strikes a “clear violation of international law” that “seriously undermine regional security”. It also said that “Malaysia calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and an end to the cycle of violence”. Israel’s continued attacks on countries in the Middle East continue to bring the region closer to the brink of a wider war, the ministry statement added. Adblock test (Why?)
Lebanon added to money laundering ‘grey list’
Global watchdog adds Lebanon to its list of nations subject to increased monitoring of financial transactions. A global anti-money laundering watchdog has added Lebanon to its “grey list” of nations that are subject to increased monitoring of financial transactions. The Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) said on Friday that Lebanon had made progress on several recommended actions and would continue to implement reforms. Lebanon has been in a financial crisis since 2019 that has been left to fester by the country’s leaders and now faces growing damage from Israeli air strikes and ground operations against the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah. The grey-listing could potentially further deter investment in Lebanon and could affect the relationship between some Lebanese banks and the global financial system. “Of course, we recognise the extremely grave situation that Lebanon is currently facing,” said Elisa de Anda Madrazo of Mexico, which currently holds the organisation’s rotating presidency. Lebanon’s being put on the grey list “should not impede relief efforts … and we are working to ensure that channels of humanitarian aid remain open,” she said. De Anda said that being put on the grey list was not a “punitive measure” and was part of the process of helping nations develop action plans to make improvements. The FATF also said it added Algeria, Angola, and Ivory Coast to its grey list. Senegal was removed from the grey list and the FATF noted improvements, including in its ability to investigate and prosecute money laundering cases linked to corruption. The FATF made no changes to its “black list” of nations against which countermeasures should be taken to protect the international financial system from money laundering and terrorist financing risks emanating from those countries. Iran, Myanmar and North Korea are on the black list. Adblock test (Why?)
Brazil seals $30bn compensation deal with BHP, Vale over 2015 dam collapse
The dam collapse unleashed wave of tailings in disaster that killed 19 people, left hundreds homeless, flooded forests. Brazil has signed a 170 billion reais ($29.85bn) compensation agreement with miners BHP, Vale and Samarco for the Mariana dam collapse in 2015, one of the country’s worst environmental disasters. The agreement was signed on Friday. The collapse of the dam at the iron ore mine owned by Samarco, a joint venture between Vale and BHP, near the city of Mariana in southeastern Brazil, unleashed a wave of tailings in a disaster that killed 19 people, left hundreds homeless, flooded forests and polluted the length of the region’s Doce River. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attended a ceremony in Brasilia to mark the signing of the agreement, with the government saying the first instalment of 5 billion reais ($878m) must be paid within 30 days. The agreement provides for the payment of 132 billion reais ($23bn), of which 100 billion reais ($17.5bn) represent “new resources” that must be paid to public authorities within 20 years by the companies involved in the tragedy. The other 32 billion reais ($5.6bn) will be allocated to compensate for affected people and reparation actions that will remain their responsibility. That’s in addition to the 38 billion reais ($6.6bn) the miners say they have disbursed. The government’s solicitor general, Jorge Messias, said the agreement’s resources will enable local authorities to compensate families for financial losses and fund environmental recovery in affected areas. These efforts will focus on the states of Minas Gerais, where the dam is located, and Espirito Santo, through which the Doce River flows to the sea. The annual payments are scheduled until 2043, with values varying between 7 billion reais ($1.2bn) in 2026 and 4.41 billion reais ($7.7bn) in the last instalment. ‘Provide justice’ “These resources will allow us to provide justice in reparation to the families directly affected, and their impact will be felt over several areas, not only in the recovery of the environment but in the resumption of economic activities, health and infrastructure,” Messias said. In a statement, BHP said it expected outflows under the agreement to align with its full-year 2024 Samarco provision of $6.5bn, and no update was required to the existing provision. Friday’s agreement could end more than a hundred lawsuits against the mining companies in the South American country and possibly limit legal action abroad, three sources close to the matter said this week. BHP is contesting liability in a lawsuit worth up to 36 billion pounds ($47bn) in London’s High Court over its responsibility for the Mariana disaster. The world’s largest miner by market value argues that the London lawsuit duplicates ongoing legal proceedings and reparation and repair programs in Brazil and should, therefore, be dismissed. Adblock test (Why?)
13 ex-Trump officials back Kelly’s stand against Trump
The former Trump aides are ‘not surprised’ by Kelly’s claims Trump complimented Hitler and scorned the US constitution. A group of Donald Trump-era officials have rallied behind former Chief of Staff John Kelly after he warned that the former president behaves like a “fascist” and craves dictatorship. In a letter first reported by Politico on Friday, 13 officials who worked under former US president Trump said they “applaud” Kelly for speaking out against the former president. “There are moments in history where it becomes necessary to put country over party,” wrote the officials, all lifelong Republicans. “This is one of those moments.” They added, “Everyone should heed General Kelly’s warning.” The officials include former Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Elizabeth Neumann, former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham and former deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews. ‘The dictator approach’ Kelly, a retired general who was Trump’s longest-serving chief of staff, made waves when he detailed his concerns about a possible second Trump term. Kelly told the New York Times that, as president, Trump “preferred the dictator approach”, scorned the US Constitution and threatened to weaponise the US military against his domestic foes. The former chief of staff also said Trump repeatedly complimented Hitler. “He’s certainly the only president that has all but rejected what America is all about, and what makes America, America,” said Kelly, adding that he thought Trump lacked empathy. Trump’s campaign has denied Kelly’s account, calling the four-star general a “total degenerate” and a “lowlife”. But the 13 officials backing Kelly say they are not surprised by his allegations about Trump. “The revelations General Kelly brought forward are disturbing and shocking,” they wrote. “But because we know Trump and have worked for and alongside him, we were sadly not surprised by what General Kelly had to say.” Threat to democracy? Since leaving office, Donald Trump has faced an unprecedented backlash from senior officials within his party, many of whom warn that he poses a unique threat to democracy. Republican former Vice President Dick Cheney, who has endorsed Trump’s Democratic opponent Kamala Harris for president, stated that there has never been a “greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump.” Harris has capitalised on the Republican critiques, saying their warnings provide “a window into who Donald Trump really is.” “Donald Trump is increasingly unhinged and unstable”, Harris told reporters outside the White House on Wednesday. If he wins a second term, officials like Kelly will not be there to “rein him in”, she added. More than 80 American Nobel Prize winners in physics, chemistry, medicine and economics have also signed an open letter endorsing Harris for president, which was published on Thursday by the New York Times. The Nobel laureates warned that Trump would ” jeopardise any advancements in our standards of living” because of his previous proposals for science funding. Trump and Harris are currently neck and neck in the polls ahead of the November 5 election, which analysts describe as a toss-up. With 11 days to go, the latest poll by CNN found 47 percent of likely voters support Harris and an equal 47 percent support Trump. Only 2 percent of all likely voters say they haven’t yet chosen a candidate, and another 9 percent say that they could change their minds before casting a ballot, CNN reported. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 973
As the war enters its 973rd day, these are the main developments. Here is the situation on Friday, October 25, 2024: Fighting Russian forces launched drone attacks overnight at the Ukrainian capital, the 15th air attack on Kyiv this month, city officials said. There were no immediate reports of injuries. One person was killed and nine wounded in a Russian attack in the town of Kupiansk in the northeastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said. Russian shelling killed three people around the strategic hub of Pokrovsk in the eastern Donetsk region, governor Vadym Filashkin said on the Telegram messaging app. A Russian strike on a branch of the Nova Poshta delivery service killed two people in Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka, near the front-line towns of Chasiv Yar and Kostiantynivka, Filashkin said. Russian media and war bloggers reported that Russian forces had advanced into the coal mining town of Selydove, about 20km (12 miles) southeast of Pokrovsk. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said the most intense Russian assaults along the front line were currently taking place on the Pokrovsk front, including near Selydove. But it did not say whether Russian soldiers had entered the town. Ukraine said Russian forces executed four captured Ukrainian servicemen in Donetsk. Ukraine’s military intelligence service said the first North Korean units trained in Russia had been deployed in Kursk, a Russian border region where Ukrainian forces staged a surprise incursion in August. Politics and diplomacy South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs voiced “grave concern” after Russia moved to ratify its defence treaty with North Korea, calling on Moscow to stop its “illegal cooperation” with Pyongyang. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Tokyo was following with “serious concern” reports that North Korean troops are in Russia ahead of their possible deployment in Ukraine. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Russian President Vladimir Putin that his invasion of neighbouring Ukraine violated the UN charter and international law, according to a readout of their meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan. Putin said any proposals for peace with Ukraine must take into account the territory held by Russian forces, stressing that negotiations must be “based on the realities on the ground”. He also said he welcomed “sincere” comments made by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump about bringing an end to Russia’s conflict with Ukraine. Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of late Russian dissident Alexey Navalny, slammed Guterres for meeting Putin, calling the Russian president a “murderer”. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has rejected Ukraine’s request to immediately join NATO, made by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy when he presented his “victory plan” to Western allies, saying a country at war “absolutely cannot become a member” of the bloc. Adblock test (Why?)
Three journalists killed in Israeli attack in southern Lebanon
The Israeli military did not issue a warning prior to the attack, which is believed to have targeted the journalists. An Israeli air strike has killed at least three journalists as they slept in their accommodation in southern Lebanon, in what news outlets say was a direct hit on an area removed from the continuing conflict between the Israeli military and Hezbollah. The air raid hit a compound in Hasbaiyya housing several journalists at about 4am (01:00 GMT) on Friday, killing two cameramen and a technician. “This is a very serious incident. Israel didn’t give any warning,” Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan said, reporting from the southern Lebanese city. “Hasbaiyya is under no evacuation orders and, in fact, it has been relatively calm.” The victims were identified as cameraman Ghassan Najjar and engineer Mohamed Reda who worked for Al Mayadeen, the pan-Arab TV channel said. Al-Manar TV, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, said its camera operator Wissam Qassim was also killed. Reporters at the scene said the bungalow where the men were sleeping was directly targeted. Local news station Al Jadeed aired footage showing collapsed buildings and cars marked “press” covered in dust and rubble. Lebanon’s Information Minister Ziad Makary called the attack “a war crime”. “This is an assassination, after monitoring and tracking, with premeditation and planning, as there were 18 journalists present at the location representing seven media institutions,” he wrote on social media platform X. Ghassan bin Jiddo, the director of Al Mayadeen, said on X that Israel’s “targeting of the journalists’ residence was deliberate, and there are injured journalists from other Arab channels”. “We hold the occupation fully responsible for this war crime, in which journalist crews, including the Al Mayadeen team, were targeted.” There was no immediate comment from Israel. ‘Message to journalists’ The attack comes a day after an Israeli strike hit an office used by Al Mayadeen in Beirut’s southern suburbs that killed one person and wounded five others. Al Jazeera’s Khan said “it doesn’t matter whether you like that news organisation or you dislike that news organisation. If you are a democracy, freedom of speech is a core value.” He added that the attack was “a deliberate message to all journalists”, who would now be leaving the area. “Clearly, they are trying to blind the world to what’s going on in southern Lebanon by targeting journalists,” Khan said of the Israeli military. In November, two journalists for Al Mayadeen TV were killed in a drone strike, which the network said was deliberate. A month earlier, Israeli shelling in southern Lebanon killed Reuters videographer Issam Abdallah and wounded other journalists from the AFP news agency and Al Jazeera. Journalists have faced unprecedented danger while covering Israel’s wars in Gaza and Lebanon. Frank Smyth, the founder of the organisation Global Journalist Security, told Al Jazeera that more journalists have been killed in the Palestinian enclave in the past year than in any other conflict worldwide, with the majority being local reporters covering their own communities. Smyth emphasised that there is evidence that Israeli forces are directly targeting journalists, while indiscriminate bombings have also killed many media professionals. Israeli authorities have repeatedly killed and threatened Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza, whom they accused of being Hamas affiliates. The network has denied and condemned the claims. Adblock test (Why?)
US election: 11 days left – What polls say, what Harris and Trump are up to
Eleven days before voters head to the polls, Vice President Kamala Harris has appealed to middle-class America at a rally in Georgia, drawing a crowd of about 20,000. Harris was not the only one the crowd had come for: Iconic musician Bruce Springsteen, former President Barack Obama, movie director Spike Lee and actor and filmmaker Tyler Perry were there to back her up. Meanwhile, Donald Trump held rallies in Arizona and Nevada. In Arizona, he said he had watched Kamala Harris’s town hall this week on CNN and described her performance as “pathetic” – only the latest in a series of personal barbs that the candidates have traded in recent days. As of Thursday evening, more than 30 million voters had already cast their ballots, according to tracking data from the Election Lab at the University of Florida. While this has broken early vote records in some states, the numbers, so far, are far below those from 2020, when – amid the COVID-19 pandemic – more than 100 million voters cast their ballots before Election Day. What are the latest updates from the polls? A new poll released by the Financial Times (FT) on Thursday showed that Trump has slightly surpassed Harris as the candidate Americans trust most with the economy. The poll, conducted by the FT and the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, found that 44 percent of respondents trust Trump to handle the economy, compared with 43 percent for Harris. The results suggest that Harris’s economic message has stalled in the final stages of her increasingly close race against Trump. Meanwhile, in a separate analysis from FiveThirtyEight’s daily election poll tracker, as of Wednesday, Harris is slightly ahead in the national polls, leading Trump by 1.7 percentage points. However, the long-term trend shows that the race is getting closer, with the gap narrowing from 1.8 points earlier in the week. While national surveys provide valuable insights into voter sentiment, the ultimate winner will be decided by the Electoral College, which reflects the outcomes in individual states. The seven key swing states that could determine the election are Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Nevada. Together, these states account for 93 Electoral College votes. According to FiveThirtyEight’s daily poll tracker, Harris’s support in Michigan has grown marginally, from less than half a percentage point to 0.7 percent. The vice president is marginally ahead in Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Trump has a slight edge over Harris in Pennsylvania and holds a slightly larger lead in North Carolina, Arizona and Georgia. In Nevada, Trump and Harris are in a dead heat. However, the results from each state fall within the margin of error of the polls, indicating that the race remains extremely close, and that these swing states could still shift in favour of either candidate. What was Kamala Harris up to on Thursday? Harris campaigned alongside Obama at an event that also saw performances from Springsteen and filmmaker Perry. The vice president was the final speaker and she opened her speech praising Obama. “Thank you, Mr. President,” she said. Harris expressed confidence in winning, adding, “As a certain former president would say, ‘Yes we can.’” Harris highlighted her proposals regarding healthcare and the economy, emphasising the necessity of reducing costs and outlining her plans for small businesses while labelling abortion bans “immoral”. Bruce Springsteen, after a performance of his ballad, The Promised Land, said, “I’m here today to support Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. “Trump is running to be an American tyrant,” he added before performing Land of Hope and Dreams and Dancing in the Dark. Thank you, @Springsteen. Our democracy is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it, and I am grateful you are with us in this fight. pic.twitter.com/tqB3nH0mBy — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 24, 2024 Perry walked in to the tune of Aretha Franklin’s Respect and spoke about how he had lived in Georgia for 30 years. “This is where I found the American Dream for myself,” he said. “I know what it is like to be homeless here in Georgia,” he continued. “And I also know – hear me – how expensive it is to be poor.” He called for people to vote for Harris before introducing Obama. “Today, I voted for Kamala Harris,” Tyler Perry said. “And Georgia, it was about 11,400 votes that separated Trump and Biden [in 2020]. So every vote counts. “I’m begging you, imploring you, let’s get out and make Kamala Harris the 47th president,” he added, before introducing Obama. Director Spike Lee speaks during a campaign rally [EPA] As Obama started his speech, he mocked Trump saying he resembled an older family member in need of intervention. “Hey, have you noticed grandpa, he’s acting kind of funny out there?” Obama said. He also said he understood why people were trying to find somebody to “shake things up”. “What I can’t understand is why anyone would think that Donald Trump will shake things up in a way that is good for you, because there is absolutely no evidence that this man thinks about anybody but himself,” he added. Obama campaigns with Democratic presidential candidate Harris [EPA] What was Donald Trump up to on Thursday? On Thursday, Trump rallied in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Tempe, Arizona. In his Arizona rally, he promised to launch the largest deportation operation in history. Condemning violent gangs, he said: “We’ve got to get these animals out of here fast.” In Las Vegas, he arrived at a large rally hosted by the conservative organisation Turning Point Action. During his speech he mocked Harris and tried to reach out to minority communities. “Under the Trump administration, we’re going to build an economy that lifts up all Americans, including African Americans, Hispanic Americans and also members of our great Asian American and Pacific Islander community, many of whom are here today.” Trump attends a campaign event sponsored by conservative group Turning Point Action, in Las Vegas, Nevada [Ronda Churchill/Reuters] Al Jazeera’s John Holman, reporting from
Israel’s claim vs Victim’s relative’s account on Gaza hospital tent attack
Compare & Contrast Israel’s claim vs Victim’s relative’s account on Gaza hospital tent attack. Read more We compare and contrast Israel’s claim that the Gaza hospital tent attack was “fabricated” vs an account from a relative of a victim. Published On 24 Oct 202424 Oct 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Mozambique ruling party declared winner of election amid fraud claims
The ruling Frelimo party’s presidential candidate Daniel Chapo secures more than 70 percent of votes, election commission says. Mozambique’s ruling party candidate, Daniel Chapo, has been declared the winner of the country’s presidential election amid claims of rigging by the opposition. Chapo, from the Frelimo party which has been in power for almost half a century, secured more than 70 percent of the votes, the National Election Commission (CNE) said on Thursday. His main opponent, the independent candidate Venancio Mondlane, came second with more than 20 percent, while the candidate of the opposition party Renamo, Ossufo Momade, came third with more than five percent, according to the CNE. The results of the October 9 election mean the governing Front for the Liberation of Mozambique party, or Frelimo, has extended its 49 years in power since the southern African country gained independence from Portugal in 1975. It then fought a bloody 15-year civil war against the rebel group Renamo, which later developed into the main opposition party. The 47-year-old Chapo will officially take charge of the southern African country in January, becoming Mozambique’s first president born after independence. Mondlane, 50, backed by the Podemos party, has claimed he won the vote, alleging electoral fraud and manipulation in favour of Frelimo. Since voting day Mondlane has issued calls on social media for protests. In a message on Facebook late Wednesday, he encouraged a “great national demonstration” against Frelimo’s half-a-century in power. “The time has come for the people to take power and say that we now want to change the history of this country,” he said. Frelimo has often been accused of rigging elections, which it has consistently denied. Current President Filipe Nyusi of Frelimo is stepping down after serving two terms, the maximum allowed. The EU’s observer mission said this week that some of its election observers had been prevented from monitoring counting in some areas, and there was an “unjustified alteration” of results at some polling stations. Opposition parties have alleged fraud since the day of the election. The country of around 33 million people has been on edge since Elvino Dias, a lawyer and advisor to Mondlane, was killed when gunmen riddled his car with bullets in the port capital of Maputo, the opposition Podemos party said. Podemos spokesperson Paulo Guambe was also in the car at the time and was killed. Mondlane has accused the security forces of carrying out the killing. Police said they have launched an investigation into the killings, which Frelimo “vehemently” condemned as a “macabre act”. Police also quelled demonstrations by opposition supporters this week, by firing teargas. Adblock test (Why?)
World ‘paying terrible price’ for climate inaction, UN’s Guterres warns
Current policies will result in global warming of more than 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century, new report finds ahead of COP29 summit. People around the world are “paying a terrible price” for inaction on global warming, with time running out to correct the course and avoid climate disaster, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned. A new United Nations report released on Thursday says current climate policies will result in global warming of more than 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century, more than twice the rise agreed to nearly a decade ago. The annual Emissions Gap Report, which takes stock of countries’ promises to tackle climate change compared with what is needed, finds the world faces as much as 3.1C (5.6F) of warming above pre-industrial levels by 2100 if governments do not take greater action on slashing planet-warming emissions. Governments in 2015 signed up to the Paris Agreement and a cap of 1.5 C (2.7 F) warming to prevent a cascade of dangerous impacts. “We’re teetering on a planetary tightrope,” Guterres said in a speech. “Either leaders bridge the emissions gap, or we plunge headlong into climate disaster”. “Around the world, people are paying a terrible price.” The call to action follows a streak of destructive and deadly extreme weather in a year expected to be the hottest in recorded history. The world’s poorest have been particularly hard hit, with typhoons, floods and heatwaves in Asia and the Caribbean, floods in Africa, and droughts and wildfires in Latin America. Global greenhouse gas emissions rose by 1.3 percent between 2022 and 2023, to a new high of 57.1 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, the report said. Under current pledges to take future action, temperatures would still rise between 2.6C (4.7F) and 2.8C (5F) by 2100, the report found. That is in line with findings from the past three years. “If we look at the progress towards 2030 targets, especially of the G20 member states … they have not made a lot of progress towards their current climate targets for 2030,” said Anne Olhoff, chief scientific editor of the report. The world has currently warmed by about 1.3C (2.3F). Nations will gather next month at the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, where they will work to build on an agreement made last year to transition away from fossil fuels. Negotiations in Baku will help to inform each country’s updated emissions-cutting strategy, known as a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), due in February 2025. The report suggests that nations must collectively commit to and implement a cut of 42 percent on yearly greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and reach 57 percent by 2035 for any hope of preventing warming beyond 1.5C (2.7F) – a target now seen as likely out of reach. Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, urged countries to use the Baku talks to increase action in their NDCs. “Every fraction of a degree avoided counts,” she said. Guterres said wealthy G20 economies in particular would need to show far more ambition in the next round of NDCs. The world’s 20 largest economies were responsible for nearly 80 percent of global emissions in 2023. The bottom 47 countries accounted for three percent. “These reports are an historical litany of negligence from the world’s leaders to tackle the climate crisis with the urgency it demands, but it’s not too late to take corrective action,” said Tracy Carty from Greenpeace International. Adblock test (Why?)