Prospects of strong outcome appear dim but there is hope the talks will address pressing issue of climate finance

More than 100 heads of state and government are expected to land in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, over the next few days and the first thing they are likely to notice is the smell of oil. The odour hangs heavy in the air, evidence of the abundance of fossil fuels in this small country on the shores of the Caspian Sea.

Flaring from refineries lights up the night sky, and the city is dotted with diminutive “nodding donkey” oil wells raising and lowering their pistons as they draw from the earth. Even the national symbol is a gas flame, epitomised in the shape of three skyscrapers that tower over the city.

Continue reading...

Guardian analysis suggests Harris underperformed compared with 2020 – but in the states that mattered most it was Trump’s gains that won him the White House

Nationwide, the US election was primarily a story of Democratic underperformance rather than huge Republican gains compared to 2020 – but in the swing states that ultimately decided the victor, it was the opposite story, with Trump’s gains far outstripping Harris’s losses.

Across the US, Democrats lost more total votes overall compared with 2020 than Republicans gained: Harris attracted 1.4m fewer votes than her Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, did, while Trump attracted 1.1m more than he did in the previous election.

Continue reading...

Alexis Jay says she is still pressing ministers to introduce mandatory reporting of allegations in England and Wales

A “once-in-a-lifetime” chance to protect children is at risk of being squandered by the UK government, a leading expert has warned.

Prof Alexis Jay, the former chair of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA) said she was still pressing Labour ministers for a commitment to introduce her recommendations made at the conclusion of the seven-year inquiry in 2022.

Continue reading...

CAR T-cell genetic therapy, typically used in cancer patients, could lead to cure for the disease, says expert

Doctors are hailing a “groundbreaking” new treatment for lupus that genetically modifies a patient’s cells to fight the autoimmune disease and could end the need for lifelong medication.

Lupus can range from mild to severe, with symptoms including joint pain, skin problems, fatigue and inflammation of major organs. Patients often have to take drugs their whole lives, ranging from ibuprofen to steroid tablets and injections, or other immunosuppressant or biological medicines.

Continue reading...

From football clubs to water companies, music catalogues to care homes, private equity has infiltrated almost every facet of modern life in its endless search to maximise profits. By Alex Blasdel

Continue reading...

On the eve of Cop29 in Baku, António Guterres says dangers are underestimated as irreversible tipping points near

The world is still underestimating the risk of catastrophic climate breakdown and ecosystem collapse, the UN secretary general has warned in the run-up to Cop29, acknowledging that the rise in global heating is on course to soar past 1.5C (2.7F) over pre-industrial levels in the coming years.

Humanity is approaching potentially irreversible tipping points such as the collapse of the Amazon rainforest and the Greenland ice sheet as global temperatures rise, António Guterres has said, warning that governments are not making the deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions needed to limit warming to safe levels.

Continue reading...

Jan Egeland, head of Norwegian Refugee Council, calls for ceasefire now, release of hostages and peace process to start

People in Gaza have been pushed “beyond breaking point” with families, widows and children enduring “almost unparalleled suffering”, according to the secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council.

Jan Egeland visited Gaza this week and found “scene after scene of absolute despair”, with families torn apart and unable to bury relatives who had died. He said that Israel, with western-supplied arms, had “rendered the densely populated area uninhabitable”.

Continue reading...

As Patti Smith’s debut single turns 50, punk musicians and music writers pick the songs that define the genre’s resistance, rebellion and refusal

Chosen by Phoebe Lunny , singer/guitarist of Brighton duo Lambrini Girls

Continue reading...

Country’s foreign minister says UN climate summits have produced ‘no results’ as Pacific nation takes the rare step of withdrawing from upcoming Cop29

Papua New Guinea’s decision to pull out of an upcoming UN global climate summit due to frustration over “empty promises and inaction” has prompted concern from climate advocates, who fear the move will isolate the Pacific nation and put vital funding at risk.

Prime minister James Marape announced in August the country would not attend Cop29 in “protest at the big nations” for a lack of “quick support to victims of climate change”. Then last week, foreign affairs minister Justin Tckatchenko, confirmed Papua New Guinea would withdraw from high-level talks at the summit, which begins on 11 November in Baku, Azerbaijan , describing it as “a total waste of time”.

Continue reading...