The Cop27 conference is set to enter a decisive final week on Monday with much of its success hinging on the results of key negotiations aimed at securing vital support for poorer countries hardest hit by the impact of climate change.
After a Sunday rest day at Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh, hopes will rest on high-level talks securing concrete action on grave environmental challenges facing the globe.
So with the crucial UN climate talks around the half-way stage, what has happened so far and what can we expect next week?
First, the bad news
The summit in Egypt started with a sobering warning that the world was on a “highway to climate hell”. Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary general, told world leaders at the opening of the summit on Monday the planet was reaching a point where “climate chaos” was irreversible.
The bad news did not stop there, with report after report released during the week outlining how leaders have repeatedly failed to act despite rising seas, melting sea ice and extreme weather events that are imperilling the world.
The avalanche of doom culminated on Friday with the release of a major report showing global emissions remain at record highs with no evidence they are slowing. The Global Carbon Brief outlined how there was a 50 per cent chance that global temperature rise will hit 1.5°C in less than a decade. If this vital threshold is breached, scientists say up to half the world's population could be exposed to life-threatening heat.
Protests at the Cop27 venue
Small protests have been taking place across the sprawling venue during the week. They intensified in frequency once world leaders left and have injected a colour and urgency to the dry Cop27 world of briefings and technical committees.
Youth delegations have lambasted leaders for inaction; activists urged the world to go vegan to save the planet; and indigenous voices have told the West they need financial support to deal with the effects of a climate change they did not cause.
Loss and damage
The issue has become so fraught it delayed the start of Cop27. Loss and damage — money to pay for the effects of climate change rather than adapt to them — has quickly become a key part of the talks. In a small, early win for the summit, it was added to the agenda at the UN's annual climate talks for the first time.
Developing countries sharply criticised wealthier nations — who also tend to be the worst emitters — for not agreeing to establish such a fund.
The crisis in Pakistan this year has again brought loss and damage into sharp focus. The country, responsible for one per cent of global emissions, suffered devastating floods that killed about 1,600 people, inundated large parts of the country and forced 33 million people towards destitution.
The US and other major rich countries have resisted paying compensation for such disasters. China said it supported developing nations and would play its part but this would not include cash.
Several counties such as Denmark, Ireland and Scotland agreed to contribute.
China and the US in informal talks
The United States and China are central to the success of the talks as they account for about half of global emissions.
But China halted climate dialogue with the US in August after the House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan.
However, Chinese climate negotiator Xie Zhenhua confirmed during the week that he had informal contacts during the summit with his “friend” US climate envoy John Kerry.
Delegates face difficulties in Sharm El Sheikh
Tens of thousands of Cop27 attendees, from UN officials to activists, have descended on the Red Sea resort that is typically the preserve of Russian, Ukrainian and British groups on package tours.
Delegates initially complained about huge queues and high prices at the small number of outlets at the venue, some of which were charging up to $17 for a burger. The situation improved later in the week with prices cut by 50 per cent, new outlets opening and water and soft drinks being given away for free.
The public transport system has also been pressured, with delegates seen stranded on roundabouts trying to flag down the shuttle buses to the conference venue.
What happens next
The Cop27 presidency on Saturday asked countries what they want to include in the summit’s final declaration. It said that while there had been “good progress” in many areas, others remain complex. Talks ramp up from Monday when each country will put their interests forward. Many will want to see progress on loss and damage. However, those close to the negotiations told The National the establishment of such a fund was unlikely at Cop27.
Countries also want to see action on a pledge by developed countries to provide $100 billion a year to poorer countries to help them reduce emissions and prepare for climate change.
Ministers start arriving later in the week to try to resolve these issues ahead of the summit’s final declaration expected on November 18, the closing day.
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TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
Who is Tim-Berners Lee?
Sir Tim Berners-Lee was born in London in a household of mathematicians and computer scientists. Both his mother, Mary Lee, and father, Conway, were early computer scientists who worked on the Ferranti 1 - the world's first commercially-available, general purpose digital computer. Sir Tim studied Physics at the University of Oxford and held a series of roles developing code and building software before moving to Switzerland to work for Cern, the European Particle Physics laboratory. He developed the worldwide web code as a side project in 1989 as a global information-sharing system. After releasing the first web code in 1991, Cern made it open and free for all to use. Sir Tim now campaigns for initiatives to make sure the web remains open and accessible to all.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Naga
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Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
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Liverpool 2
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British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
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Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
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2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
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Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
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Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
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