- Spinners come to party as England defeat Bangladesh at T20 World Cup
- Search continues for missing in deadly Bosnia floods
- Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- France's Auradou whistled on Pau return in Perpignan loss amid ongoing rape case
- A 'forgotten' valley in storm-hit North Carolina, desperate for help
- Arsenal hit back in style after Southampton scare
- Hezbollah heir apparent Safieddine out of contact after strikes
- Liverpool stay top of Premier League as Arsenal, Man City win
- In dank Tour of Emilia, Pogacar shines in rainbow jersey
- DR Congo launches mpox vaccination drive, hoping to curb outbreak
- Trump returns to site of failed assassination
- Careless Leverkusen held to Bundesliga draw
- O'Brien's 'superstar' Kyprios posts landmark win on Arc weekend
- Liverpool suffer Alisson injury blow
- Habosi helps Racing beat Vannes before Auradou's playing return
- Thousands march in London in support of Palestinians, 1 year after Oct 7
- Israel readying response to Iran missile attack
- Schutt, Mooney help Australia beat Sri Lanka in Women's T20 World Cup
- Liverpool extend Premier League lead with win at Palace
- Djokovic 'shakes rust off' to make third round of Shanghai Masters
- 'Imperfect' PSG fighting on all fronts - Luis Enrique
- Struggling Pakistan look to thwart adaptable England
- Child 'trampled to death' in asylum seekers' Channel crossing: minister
- Gauff fights back to set up Beijing final against Muchova
- Guardiola claims Premier League won't delay season for Man City
- Israel to mark October 7 attack as Gaza war spreads
- Gauff fights back to reach China Open final
- Recovering Stokes ruled out of first Pakistan Test
- Hezbollah battles troops on border as Israel pounds Lebanon
- Alcaraz, Sinner breeze into third round of Shanghai Masters
- Bagnaia wins Japan MotoGP sprint to cut Martin's lead
- Alcaraz breezes into third round of Shanghai Masters
- Gaza cultural heritage brought to light in Geneva
- 'Bullet for democracy': Trump returns to site of rally shooting
- Italy targets climate activists in 'anti-Gandhi' demo clampdown
- South Korean cult-horror series 'Hellbound' returns at BIFF
- Nepalis fear more floods as climate change melts glaciers
- Honduras arrests environmentalist's alleged murderer
- Padres pitcher Musgrove needs elbow surgery
- Supreme Court lets stand rules to curb mercury, methane emissions
- Boston beat Denver in NBA exhibition season opener, but Jokic says omens are good
- Chagos diaspora angry at lack of input on islands' fate
- Biden says 'not confident' of peaceful US election
- US trade chief defends tariff hikes when paired with investment
- Lukaku stars as Napoli beat Como to hold Serie A top spot
- Ohtani set for MLB playoff debut as Dodgers face Padres
- Pogba's drug ban cut to 18 months from four years
- Devine leads New Zealand to big win over India in Women's T20 World Cup
- Bosnia floods kill 16 people
- EU court blocks French ban on vegetable 'steak' labelling
Clock ticking down on vital UN nature talks
Crucial UN talks aimed at sealing a "peace pact for nature" were entering their final stages Saturday, officially the last day the world's environment ministers are gathered in Montreal for the COP15 meeting.
Whether they deliver a deal for biodiversity that is as ambitious as the Paris accord for climate, endorse a watered-down text, or fail to agree on anything at all remains to be seen, though there are strong signs the negotiations set to last until December 19 will run beyond the allotted time.
With the clock ticking down, over 3,000 scientists wrote an open letter to policymakers, calling for immediate action to stop the destruction of critical ecosystems.
"We owe this to ourselves and to future generations -- we can't wait any longer," they said.
At stake is the future of the planet and whether humanity can roll back habitat destruction, pollution and the climate crisis, which are threatening an estimated million plant and animal species with extinction.
The text is meant to be a roadmap for nations to follow that carries them through until 2030, after the last 10-year plan signed in Japan failed to achieve any of its objectives, widely blamed on its lack of monitoring mechanisms.
Major draft goals include a cornerstone pledge to protect 30 percent of the world's land and oceans by 2030, which is compared to the Paris deal commitment to hold long-term planetary warming by 1.5 degrees Celsius or at least to 2C.
In all, there are more than 20 targets, including reducing environmentally destructive subsidies of agriculture, obliging businesses to assess and report on their biodiversity impacts, and tackling the scourge of invasive species.
The thorny issue of how much money the global north will send to the global south to help preserve their ecosystems has emerged as the biggest sticking point.
Several countries have announced new commitments either at the COP or recently, with Europe emerging as a key leader. The European Union has committed seven billion euros for the period until 2027, double its prior pledge.
But these commitments are still well short of what observers say is needed, and what developing countries are seeking.
Brazil has led that charge, proposing flows of $100 billion annually, compared to the roughly $10 billion at present.
But France has hit back, saying developed countries will only step up funding if developing countries agree to more ambitious plans, including on reducing pesticide use that agro industries in the global south use heavily.
"We cannot have on hand some tears for species but no real commitments at the end of this COP," French environment minister Christophe Bechu said Friday.
Whether international aid is delivered via a new fund, an existing mechanism called the Global Environment Facility, or a halfway solution involving a new "trust fund" within the GEF, is still up for debate.
A.Magalhes--PC