COP26 climate conference kicks off in Glasgow

Top of The World — our morning news roundup written by editors at The World. Subscribe here.

COP26
World leaders, climate activists and scientists have kicked off the UN climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland. UN Secretary-General António Guterres opened the conference with a blistering critique of the world’s failure to unite to address global warming.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on the eve of the conference that this is the last chance to keep alive the goal of limiting global warming to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit since pre-industrial times, adding that “if Glasgow fails then the whole thing fails.” US President Joe Biden is among the leaders who are set to address the gathering on Monday. Moscow says it remains fully committed to global efforts on controlling climate change, even though Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending the conference. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will also not be attending COP26 over a dispute on “protocol standards.” Meanwhile, as the conference kicked off, Glasgow’s trash collectors went on strike after talks on pay between their union and the City Council broke down.

Ethiopia
The conflict between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray’s People Liberation Front (TPLF) continues to escalate. On Sunday, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed urged citizens to join the fight against the TPLF. “Our people should march … with any weapon and resources they have, to defend, repulse and bury the terrorist TPLF,” he said in a Facebook post. The Ethiopian government has also said that TPLF rebels “summarily executed more than 100 youth residents” in the Kombolcha area, without offering any confirmation of the events. Meanwhile, Tigrayan forces claim to have seized cities, including Kombolcha, on a major highway leading to the capital, Addis Ababa. This push towards the Ethiopian capital marks a new phase in a war that has killed thousands of people.

COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has now killed more than 5 million people globally, according to data by the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center. Hot spots have shifted over the 22 months since the outbreak began and now the virus is hitting Russia, Ukraine and other parts of Eastern Europe especially hard. Out of 7 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses administered worldwide, only 3.6% have been in low-income countries. This wide gap in vaccine access continues to be one of the main challenges in curtailing the pandemic, along with vaccine hesitancy and misinformation.

From The World

Amid plans of mass protests, Sudan’s military suggests ousted prime minister can return to power

Civil disobedience continues across Sudan following the military’s takeover. Now, Gen. Abdul Fattah al-Burhan, the man behind the move, is suggesting civilian Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok could return to his position. Regardless, demonstrators went ahead with plans for mass, nationwide protests on Saturday.

Why COP26 is the ‘last, best hope’ for fighting climate change

The UN climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, dubbed COP26, is the most important UN climate summit since 2015. Roughly 20,000 accredited delegates — including some 120 world leaders, government officials, activists, scientists and journalists — are expected to attend the negotiating sessions, which are happening  from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12.

Bright Spot

A beautiful day in the neighborhood. ?

Rollins College in Florida honored one of its own on Friday by unveiling a sculpture honoring alumnus and beloved children’s TV host Mister Rogers. “This inspirational sculpture will be a permanent reminder of the ideals and values modeled by Mister Rogers as he set out to make the world a better place,” Rollins President Grant Cornwell said. Rogers, who died in 2003, was best known for writing and appearing in 912 episodes of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” which ran on public television from 1968 to 2001.

In case you missed it

Listen: UN climate summit kicks off in Glasgow

The 26th UN climate summit, or COP26, begins on Sunday. It’s frequently called the “last, best chance” to stave off the worst impacts of climate change. In Sudan, civil disobedience continues against the military coup and arrest of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. Doctors have gone on strike along with other professionals. Mass protests are planned for Oct. 30. Also, thousands of homes have been destroyed on La Palma, one of the Canary Islands in Spain, due to the Cumbre Vieja volcano which has been erupting for more than a month.

Don’t forget to subscribe to The World’s Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Soundcloud, RSS.