Six In The Morning Sunday 31 October 2021

 

Key Issues at Climate ConferenceHow the Worst Can (Maybe) Still Be Averted

The Glasgow climate summit could be the key to limiting the damage of climate change, but its success will depend on the host country’s ability to bring guest nations together – and on the willingness of China and the U.S. to overcome their deepening rivalry.

An Analysis by Susanne Götze

Britain’s Cambo oilfield is located around 600 kilometers from Glasgow. One kilometer beneath the waves, it holds approximately 800 million barrels of oil. If all of it is ultimately burned, this oil will emit as much CO2 as all of Spain does in one year.

And now, just a few days before the beginning of the World Climate Conference in Glasgow, British Prime Minister Boris Johnston is clearing the way for the oil in the Cambo field to be extracted.

What is COP? Key facts and terms at climate summit explained

The U.N. climate summit, known as COP26 this year, brings officials from almost 200 countries to Glasgow to haggle over the best measures to combat global warming

Via AP news wire

The U.N. climate summit, known as COP26 this year, brings officials from almost 200 countries to Glasgow to haggle over the best measures to combat global warming.

Here are some of the terms and key issues that will be discussed at the event, which is scheduled to run from Oct. 31 to Nov. 13:

COP

Short for Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Hindu-Muslim violence crosses border from Bangladesh to India

Footage shared on social media blamed for igniting violence between communities that left seven dead, buildings torched and many living in fear

Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi and Redwan Ahmed in Cumilla

Sun 31 Oct 2021 06.00 GMT

It was early morning when Achintya Das, a 55-year-old teacher in the city of Cumilla in Bangladesh, was woken by the ringing of his mobile phone. On the other end of the line was a fearful, stricken voice. Come quickly, the local told him, something very grave had happened. A Qur’an had been found in the shrine they had recently erected for the upcoming Hindu festival of Durga Puja. The Islamic holy book had been placed on a statue of the Hindu god Hanuman.

Das, a Hindu who organised the festival in Cumilla, felt dread rise up in him at the news of the desecration of Muslim holy scripture in their shrine. “It didn’t even take me a second to understand the gravity of the situation. I rushed there immediately,” he said.

Taliban supreme leader makes first public appearance in Afghanistan

Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada addressed supporters in the southern city of Kandahar, officials announced Sunday, his first public appearance since taking control of the group in 2016. 

Akhundzada has been the spiritual chief of the Islamist movement since 2016 but has remained a reclusive figure, even after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan.

His low profile has fed speculation about his role in the new Taliban government, formed after the group took control of Kabul in mid-August -- and even rumours of his death.

Japan ruling bloc on course to keep lower house majority: exit polls

Japan's ruling coalition is on course to retain its majority in the House of Representatives following Sunday's general election, according to Kyodo News exit polls, as new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida seeks a public mandate for his COVID-19, economic and security policies.

Kishida's Liberal Democratic Party and its smaller partner Komeito appear to have won at least 233 of the 465 seats in the powerful lower chamber of parliament, defeating opposition parties that had sought to gain the support of voters dissatisfied with the government's coronavirus response and income disparities.

If so, the LDP would have lost many of the 276 seats it held prior to the election, but Kishida has said he will claim victory if the LDP-Komeito coalition retains a majority in the lower house.