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☆ Lightning kills 907 in India as extreme weather surges in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A policeman jumps off a makeshift raft after wading through a flooded area of a slum on the banks of the river Yamuna in New Delhi, India, September 28, 2022. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File PhotoNEW DELHI, Dec 7 (Reuters) - India saw a big jump in extreme weather events such as heatwaves and lightning strikes this year and related deaths rose to their highest in three years, government data showed on Wednesday, with scientists blaming climate change for the heavy toll. There were nearly eight times as many heatwaves, 27 in all, and lightning strikes rose more than 111 times, killing 907 people, the Ministry of Earth Sciences said in a report to parliament. Lightning and floods and heavy rains accounted for 78% of the deaths this year, the data showed. India is the world's third-largest carbon polluter, though its per-capita emissions are much lower than many developed countries.

State media is blaming overzealous municipal officials for excessive lockdowns; they in turn have abruptly eased movement curbs. Stocks popped in mid-November when the government signaled it would relax draconian measures under President Xi Jinping’s “dynamic zero-Covid” policy. Officials will do well to avoid imitating Hong Kong, where Covid deaths per-capita set world records after Omicron hit. Singapore telegraphed its plan to lift quarantine and social distancing measures in stages after over 80% of its population was fully vaccinated. Instead of obsessing over infections, it referred to the number of patients in intensive care units to control the pace.

Under the proposal, all 27 EU members will be required to reduce packaging waste per capita by 5% by 2030 and 15% by 2040 compared with 2018 levels. The Commission said packaging waste, notably plastic, would continue to rise if no action were taken, increasing emissions of greenhouse gases and so jeopardising the EU's target of net zero emissions by 2050. The planned legislation proposes minimum targets for recycled content in plastic packaging, such as 30% for drinks bottles by 2030 and 65% by 2040. Certain plastic packaging, such as tea bags, coffee pods, very light plastic bags and sticky labels for fruit and vegetables, will need to be compostable. EU members will also be required to have deposit return systems in place for plastic bottles and cans.

☆ Want to create a startup? Join another first
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Supantha Mukherjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A sticker of French ride-sharing start-up BlaBlaCar is seen on a car May 27, 2017 at Le Coudray-Montceaux, near Paris, France. Each of those companies has led to the creation of more than 20 startups, helmed by former employees. Former employees from each of the newer startups like Babylon, Celonis, iZettle (IPO-IZET.ST) and SumUp have also created more than 10 companies. "Unicorns tend to create more rounded founders than large organizations like the tech behemoths because people have had kind of a better training ground for entrepreneurial activity," Nelis said. Employees in a startup tends to get access to many different functions from engineering to sales, giving them exposure to various parts of the business, he said.

ATHENS, Nov 28 (Reuters Breakingviews) - There will be no joy if countries get help for climate damage from a fund promised at COP27, but the planet still fries. Call this a country’s “above average emissions“. When you run the numbers from 1992 to 2019, America is the biggest polluter, responsible for 44% of all the “above average emissions”. DYNAMIC FORMULAIt seems fair to look at above average emissions to date when judging who should pay for a current climate disaster, such as the flooding in Pakistan. If one froze the formula on the basis of above average emissions up to now, countries wouldn’t have an incentive to cut their pollution.

☆ Most Moldovan power supplies restored after Russian strikes on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CHISINAU, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Power was restored to most parts of Moldova on Wednesday, hours after Russian missile strikes on neighbouring Ukraine caused blackouts across half of the small impoverished country, officials said. Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spinu, who had earlier reported a "massive blackout", said in a statement that all power had been restored to the north of Moldova. Premier Energy, a Moldovan company that serves the centre and the south, said 90% of the electricity supply was back on line. It shares a border with Ukraine, a fellow ex-Soviet state, and is connected to its power grid. Spinu said the situation was a repeat of Nov. 15, when Moldova also suffered blackouts after Russian missile strikes.

☆ Inside the Syrian refugee camp where supplies are low and ISIS fears run high
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Courtney-Kube-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Courtney Kube | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

Members of the Syrian Kurdish Asayish security forces inspect tents at the Kurdish-run al-Hol camp, on Aug. 28, 2022, during a security campaign by the Syrian Democratic Forces against IS "sleeper cells" in the camp. While most ISIS fighters were killed or captured, their families were bused to the refugee camp as a temporary holding place, but with no long-term alternatives. In September, the SDF conducted an operation to root out ISIS fighters inside the camp. Over 24 days, they rounded up about 300 ISIS fighters, killed several more, and confiscated weapons and explosives. U.S. military officials warn that ISIS has divisions of troops waiting to fight inside Hasakah and the other prisons.

☆ Qatar makes World Cup debut in a controversial tournament of firsts
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Doha, Qatar CNN —There have been 21 editions of the men’s World Cup since its inauguration in 1930 but Qatar 2022 is set to be a tournament like no other. Since it was announced as the host city almost 12 years ago, it was always destined to be a World Cup of firsts. Seventy percent of the squad that won the trophy came through the academy, and that number has only increased heading into the World Cup. Female officialsQatar 2022 will also see female referees officiate a men’s World Cup match for the first time. Referee Yoshimi Yamashita will make her debut at the men's World Cup.

☆ Analysis: India power binges on coal, outpaces Asia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Sudarshan Varadhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

But the increase in India's coal-fired power output has outstripped its regional peers, data from the government and analysts showed. India's power ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Reuters GraphicsCLEAN ENERGY EFFORTSState-run Coal India, the country’s dominant coal miner, ramped up production to meet the utility demand. It reported a 13.5% year-on-year increase in its coal output in March-October to a record high of 432 million tonnes. Consultancy Wood Mackenzie expects India's coal-fired power output to grow 10% in 2022 compared to the previous year.

☆ Qatar World Cup: 'Our dreams never came true.' These men helped build Qatar's tournament, now they are struggling to survive.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Aimee Lewis Pramod Acharya Sugam Pokharel | Aimee Lewis | Pramod Acharya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +31 min

It will be a historic event, the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East, but one also mired in controversy. He had dreamed of watching World Cup matches from the rooftop of the hotel he had helped build. In Qatar, migrant workers can now change jobs freely without permission from their employer. However, a number of European federations have issued a joint statement saying they would campaign at the tournament on human rights and for a migrant workers center and a compensation fund for migrant workers. The motto for Qatar’s bid team in 2010 was ‘Expect Amazing.’ In many ways, this year’s World Cup has replicated that maxim.

A UN study last year found "negligible" correlation between household food waste and gross domestic product, indicating most countries "have room to improve." "We do have a long way to make the goal," said Jean Buzby, the food waste liaison at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration agreed in 2018 to tackle America's food waste together. A spokesman for New Zealand's environment ministry said the country is finalizing its baseline food waste estimate so it can establish a target. SLOWEST GAZELLEIn California, which has America's most ambitious climate policies, officials are trying to ensure food waste goes to composting, not landfills.

☆ Gulf Arab states can’t give up oil. But they can slash their emissions
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Abu Dhabi CNN —As Western states try to wean themselves off their addiction to hydrocarbons, Gulf oil nations have been pushing back hard, warning that a hasty transition away from fossil fuels will be counterproductive. According to the World Bank, Qatar had the highest carbon emissions per capita as of 2019, followed by Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. So, investment in clean energy projects and renewables “makes very good business sense and PR sense for the Gulf,” he said. Gulf petro-states are warning against a quick transition away from hydrocarbons, with the UAE calling for a “mixed energy” approach that minimizes emissions without cutting hydrocarbons. Much of the hydrocarbons exported by Gulf states go to some of the world’s biggest consumers and polluters, including China and India.

☆ Remaking the River That Remade L.A.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Michael Kimmelman | Photographs Adali Schell | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +33 min

Remaking the River That Remade L.A.February 1938 was a wet month in Los Angeles. Reservoirs overflowed, dams topped out and floodwaters careered down Pacoima Wash and Tujunga Wash toward the Los Angeles River. The Los Angeles River was never a storybook river of the kind that, like the Hudson or the Seine, we associate with great cities. Among the naysayers is a venerable organization called Friends of the Los Angeles River, founded by the Texas-born poet and performance artist Lewis MacAdams. “With all the problems L.A. is facing,” he said, “even if it costs $50 billion to fix the river, we should just effing do it.”The headwaters of the Los Angeles River aren’t easy to find.

☆ Turkey arrests bakers' union head for calling bread-eating societies 'stupid'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Union for Bread Producers Chairman Cihan Kolivar made the comments to broadcaster Haberturk on Monday as he spoke about the rising price of bread and Turkey's soaring inflation. "Bread is the staple food for stupid societies. I speak scientifically, I am not making it up - per capita consumption is 210 kilos in Turkey; and 45-50 kilos in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, England, Japan," Kolivar said. Critics blame Turkey's economic ills on Erdogan's unorthodox monetary policies, which he says are aimed at boosting exports, investment and jobs. "In addition to insulting our nation and bread, this person's statements show that he is an element of the politics of hostility, the politics of hatred," Celik said.

☆ We're fed up after Disney's terrible quarter and streaming losses. It's time for some big changes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Operating income fell 91% to $83 million mostly due to higher than expected losses from the Direct-to-Consumer business. In better news, Disney ended Q4 with 164.2 million Disney+ subscribers, up 12.1 million from the prior quarter and well above estimates of about 160.45 million. Bundling has a negative effect on ARPUs, and Disney said Tuesday evening that bundled and multiproduct offerings now make up over 40% of domestic Disney+ subscribers. In terms of subscribers, Disney sees core Disney+ subscribers slightly increasing in its first quarter, though Disney+ Hotstar is expected to lose subs due to the absence of the Indian Premier League Cricket rights. After checking consensus estimates, this is a terrible miss compared to expectations of sales growing by 11% and operating income increasing by 17%.

The comments marked the first time the two nations have been lumped into the list of major emitters that island states say should be held to account for damage already being wrought by global warming. "We all know that the People's Republic of China, India - they're major polluters, and the polluter must pay," Browne said. To date, climate vulnerable countries have called on historical emitters like the United States, United Kingdom and the EU to pay climate reparations. China itself has previously supported the creation of a loss and damage fund but has not said it should pay into it. The EU and United States have said that China, the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitter, should pay.

☆ The World Is Falling Short of Its Climate Goals. Four Big Emitters Show Why.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Max Bearak | Nadja Popovich | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +10 min

Together, the four countries account for more than half of historical emissions of planet-warming gases, which include carbon dioxide and methane. ChinaThis is China’s current emissions track. Change in emissions by 2030 compared with last year On current track Range Paris pledge 1.5°C compatible –100% –75% –50% –25% +25% 0 This is China’s current emissions track. Because China’s emissions are so high, however, no other country will be more crucial in lowering global emissions. IndiaThis is India’s current emissions track.

☆ India and climate change: Can Modi deliver what the world needs?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Tara Subramaniam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

By 2030, Modi wants half of India’s energy to come from renewables. The state is fast becoming a hotbed of solar energy, yet is also home to at least seven coal-fired power plants. “Even during Covid it hasn’t stopped.”At COP26, Modi outlined a series of targets for India’s efforts to combat climate change. It’s also a question of funding – investing in renewable energy and other climate change mitigation efforts is expensive. And your other burning questions answered 03:37 - Source: CNNIf India doesn’t receive the financial support it needs, maintaining its pace on developing renewable energy will be difficult.

☆ A survey of first-year investment bank analysts could indicate a shift in how future junior bankers are trained up
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Would you like to get inside the mind of Wall Street's junior bankers? Insider's Emmalyse Brownstein got her hands on recruitment firm Odyssey Search Partners' survey of first-year investment banking analysts. Click here to check out 13 of the most interesting data points from a survey of first-year investment banking analysts. 3. Business students don't want to work on Wall Street. Almost 90,000 business students from around the globe were surveyed on the top employers they would most want to work for.

☆ In meat-loving South Africa, climate concerns whet appetite for veggie burgers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Tim Cocks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Workers prepare a plant-based polony used as an alternative or meat substitute at meat processor Feinschmecker, in Germiston, in the East Rand region of Johannesburg, South Africa, October 11, 2022. That could be heartening for climate scientists, who say shifting diets from emissions-heavy meat and dairy towards more plant-based foods is vital to the fight against climate change. Plant-based meat substitutes are growing by 6.5% a year and sales are expected to reach $561 million by 2023, according to Research and Markets - more than half Africa's share of a global market forecast to hit $162 billion by 2030. But the popularity of veggie alternatives would have been unthinkable even a decade ago and the market is outstripping forecast growth for meat. She gave up meat over climate concerns and her diabetes.

☆ Debate on Police in Jackson, Miss., Adds Tension to City Divided by Water Crisis
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Cameron Mcwhirter | Photographs Timothy Ivy For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

JACKSON, Miss.—As state and local officials in Mississippi’s capital continue fighting over responsibility for the breakdown that recently left most of the city without clean drinking water, tensions are rising over how to address rampant violent crime. Mississippi officials are planning to more than double the size of the police force that protects the Capitol and state office buildings to 170 officers by the end of next year. They gave the police force power to patrol a larger area of Jackson, which has one of the highest per capita homicide rates in the U.S. The Jackson Police Department, which has about 250 officers, will continue to oversee the remaining 92% of the city.

Here are some of the ways that China has changed under Xi. The taming of once-unruly borderlandsThe regions of Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong, all far from Beijing, have long created headaches for China's ruling Communist Party. Average particulate matter, a common measure of air pollution, has gradually declined in China since 2017, when Xi Jinping began his second term in office. Extreme poverty eliminated, inequality persistsXi describes elimination of extreme poverty in China as one of the key Communist Party achievements of the past decade. Reuters GraphicsIn 2021, Xi Jinping declared victory over extreme poverty, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day.

☆ Qatar faced unprecedented criticism over hosting World Cup, emir says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DOHA, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Qatar has faced unprecedented criticism since winning the bid to host the 2022 World Cup, some of which amounted to slander, its ruler, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, said on Tuesday. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterQatar, the first Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup, has come under intense international criticism for its treatment of foreign workers and restrictive social laws. Qatar expects 1.2 million visitors during the tournament, creating an unprecedented logistical and policing challenge for the tiny Gulf Arab state. Sheikh Tamim said hosting the World Cup was "a great test for a country the size of Qatar". The World Cup would allow Qatar to showcase its economic and institutional strength and cultural identity, he said.

On a quarterly basis, GDP rose 3.9% versus a revised drop of 2.7% in April-June and an expected 3.5% rise. 1/9 Workers work at a construction site, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Shanghai, China, October 14, 2022. A Reuters poll forecast China's growth to slow to 3.2% in 2022, far below the official target of around 5.5%, marking one of the worst performances in almost half a century. Retail sales grew 2.5%, missing forecasts for a 3.3% increase and easing from August's 5.4% pace, underlining still fragile domestic demand. "On the policy front, the overall policy will remain supportive," said Hao Zhou, chief economist at Guotai Junan International.

☆ It's not just you: Americans everywhere are waiting longer to see a doctor
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The average doctor's appointment wait time in 2022 was 26 days, 24% higher than it was in 2004. In 2022, the average appointment wait time in the 15 cities is 26 days, up from 24.1 days in 2017. The specialty with the highest average appointment wait time is dermatology, which has an average wait time of 34.5 days. San Diego had the highest average wait time of 55 days to see an orthopedic surgeon, while Washington, DC, had an average appointment wait time of 5 days. Longer wait times ahead?

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