⏳ Tuesday Fix: Rise Above?
Morning all,
Commitments, deals, pledges and announcements in Glasgow, but the COP26 conference is not without its embarrassing headlines.
Until tomorrow,
Your Fixers
CLIMATE COVERAGE
In what is being seen as the summit's "first major deal," more than 100 countries will later sign a pledge to end deforestation by 2030.
Crucially, Brazil - home to the Amazon - and China are both set to join the pact.
Here is the COP26 declaration on it, which includes the full list of countries making the commitment.
Also expected today...
President Biden is expected to unveil the Global Methane Pledge - leading 90 countries in committing to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030.
Remember: Methane is far more damaging than CO2, but remains in the atmosphere for less time. In terms of the Global Methane Pledge, it includes only half of the top 30 methane emitter countries - China, India and Russia have not joined the agreement, per The Guardian.
WHAT TO WATCH?
For anyone interested, The Economist uploaded this fascinating and super informative piece over the weekend - what three degrees of global warming looks like.
OTHER COP26 HEADLINES
The Queen's speech: In a pre-recorded video message, the Queen called upon leaders at the summit to "“rise above the politics of the moment, and achieve true statesmanship”.
Johnson accused of hypocrisy: Prime Minister Johnson was criticised after he acknowledged he would be flying back to London via private jet from the conference, rather than taking the train. Defending the move, his spokesperson said the plane is "one of the most carbon-efficient planes of its size in the world".
No wheelchair access: An Israeli minister was unable to attend the conference on Monday because it was not wheelchair accessible for her. BBC News reported Israel's prime minister, Naftali Bennett, would not attend the summit on Tuesday if the minister still could not access the event.
Archbishop of Canterbury: He had to issue an apology after suggesting if leaders fail to act on climate change it would be "possibly more grave than leaders who ignored warnings about the Nazis in the 30s".
Biden sleeping? Plenty of people speculated about this clip online - sleeping, or just resting one's eyes?
MONDAY'S OTHER MAIN LINES
Barclays chief executive Jes Staley stepped down on Monday following an investigation into his relationship with convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
Investigation: The investigation was conducted by the UK financial watchdog and began after Staley’s former employer provided the regulator with emails sent between Staley and Epstein. Staley used to run JPMorgan's private bank, where Epstein was a top client. Anyway, the investigation's preliminary findings showed a discrepancy between their relationship, and how Staley had described it.
Worth noting: Barclays said the investigation did not conclude Staley was aware of Epstein’s crimes.
How unexpected was this news? According to The Financial Times, Barclays were "blindsided" by the investigation's findings, and had been planning to send Staley as their representative at the COP26 summit.
What next? Staley says he is “shell-shocked, angry and upset" and will challenge the findings. This may delay or block regulators from issuing fines and penalties, and the findings becoming public.
ON TODAY'S AGENDA...
Huma Abedin - a long-time aide to Hillary Clinton and the ex-wife of disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner, releases her first book today and has been making headlines while promoting it.
Remember: Abedin's ex-husband was embroiled in numerous sexting scandals, even while trying to revive his political career. During the bitterly fought 2016 election, then FBI Director James Comey made the unprecedented decision to reopen an investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails. This was based on email's found on Weiner's laptop between Abedin and Clinton. The FBI decision just days before going to the polls against Donald Trump is what Hillary Clinton points to as the ultimate reason she lost the election.
The interview above actually makes for a very interesting watch. Not familiar with Abedin's ex- husband, Anthony Weiner? Below is a trailer for one of the most fascinating political documentaries we've ever watched.
KEEPING AN EYE...
In Nigeria, more than 100 are feared missing following a building collapse in Lagos. RTÉ News described the building as "a luxury residential high rise" under construction.
MOST READ
- BBC News: Wheelchair-using minister unable to attend COP
- The Guardian: Public told to avoid highly poisonous plant washed up on Cumbria beaches
- The Financial Times: Barclays chief Jes Staley to step down following Epstein investigation
- Al Jazeera: Tesla boss Musk challenges UN official
- The Irish Times: 'I am 35 and I can't marry. Who would accept me? I have nothing.'
'WILDLY HONEST'
American singer and entrepreneur, Jessica Simpson, uploaded an unrecognisable photo of herself from 2017 - before becoming sober.
Simpson has spoken openly in the past about her struggle with alcohol addiction, but the Instagram post on Monday sparked a lot of online debate about sobriety etc.
"There is so much stigma around the word alcoholism or the label of an alcoholic. The real work that needed to be done in my life was to actually accept failure, pain, brokenness, and self sabotage. The drinking wasn’t the issue. I was." - Jessica Simpson
#HAVEYOURSAY
In Monday's NewsFix, we wrote about the dilemma facing the British Museum and other institutions with looted artefacts from Britain's colonial past.
In a poll on our Instagram, 71% of you felt artefacts should be returned to their home countries rather than kept together in the one museum.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
Below is a beautiful photo from the Laytown races in Ireland.
TODAY MARKS...
One year since our first ever NewsFix newsletter was published - what a year it has been!
What was the opening to last year's newsletter?
"A Prince who had Coronavirus, a King acknowledging protests, a former Taoiseach under fire, and of course, a President under pressure…"
Can you guess the stories? Here is a link to the full first newsletter.
ON A LIGHTER NOTE...
Oh when they all, they all fall down,
I'm telling you oh, they all fall down.
