Wellington (AFP) – Jacinda Ardern warns the Glasgow climate summit is “make or break” in the fight to curb global warming, saying the world is now paying the price for decades of procrastination. In an interview conducted in partnership with Covering Climate Now, the New Zealand Herald and NBC News, the New Zealand leader says the UN-brokered talks are “critical and I think everyone has recognised this juncture we’re at.”
Freetown (AFP) – Images show the aftermath of an explosion at a fuel depot in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, in which at least 80 people were killed. According to witnesses, the accident happened when a vehicle caught fire at a petrol station after a road accident. The flames then spread, burning people in cars and on roads nearby.
Stockholm (AFP) – Swedish pop sensation ABBA have made a comeback with their new album “Voyage”, nearly 40 years after they split up, with a digital avatar concert planned in London, as fans giddily celebrate their return.
Lindau (Germany) (AFP) – German Health Minister Jens Spahn is advocating for the widespread injection of a third dose of Covid vaccine for all in order to cope with the intense resurgence of the pandemic in the country.
Glasgow (AFP) – United States climate envoy John Kerry says there is a greater sense of urgency at COP26 in Glasgow and calls for promises to be ‘implemented’.
Abisko (Sweden) (AFP) – Scientists from the Abisko Research Station above the Arctic Circle in northern Sweden catch, weigh and measure birds and track their winter migration patterns, to see, among other things, what impact climate change and shifting weather patterns are having on their movements.
Johannesburg (AFP) – To many they are just filthy-looking jumbo bags bursting at the seams with recyclable waste wheeled along the streets of South Africa’s largest city. But now graffiti artists are giving them a makeover, spray-painting them with bold and bright designs to encourage bystanders to look up and notice the unsung work of the impoverished workers who pull them.
Gothenburg (Sweden) (AFP) – Sweden is a step closer to getting its first woman prime minister as left-wing politician Magdalena Andersson, dubbed the “bulldozer”, has been elected head of the main ruling party. Despite Sweden being known as a bastion for gender-equality, it has yet to have a woman as its head of government. She succeeds outgoing leader and Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, who announced his resignation in August, and now has to win a vote in parliament to be prime minister.
Chacaltaya (Bolivia) (AFP) – Once the highest ski resort in the world but now a crumbling relic to climate change in the Bolivian Andes, Chacaltaya was a popular family weekend retreat for inhabitants of La Paz, just 30 kilometers away. By 1998, the Chacaltaya glacier had been reduced to just seven percent of its size in 1940, while it disappeared entirely in 2009.
New Delhi (AFP) – Thick smog envelops India’s capital as its air quality plummets to hazardous levels. New Delhi is choked by deadly smog every winter because of it’s position and weather patterns. The Hindu festival of Diwali contributes to air quality problems as residents set off fireworks each year.
Stockholm (AFP) – Flamenco, circus, wildlife and cabaret… Owe Sandström, the designer behind ABBA’s costumes, explains the thought processes behind some of the Swedish band’s most iconic looks.
