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Here are some of the key areas agreed on after two weeks of negotiations hosted in Montreal, Canada. CONSERVATION, PROTECTION AND RESTORATIONDelegates committed to protecting 30% of land and 30% of coastal and marine areas by 2030, fulfilling the deal's highest-profile goal, known as 30-by-30. Wealthier countries should contribute at least $20 billion of this every year by 2025, and at least $30 billion a year by 2030. BIG COMPANIES REPORT IMPACTS ON BIODIVERSITYCompanies should analyse and report how their operations affect and are affected by biodiversity issues. This reporting is intended to progressively promote biodiversity, reduce the risks posed to business by the natural world, and encourage sustainable production.

☆ Bank of England calls for 'urgent' global action after near-collapse of UK pension funds
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, February 03: Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey leaves after a press conference at Bank of England on February 3, 2022 in London, England. LONDON — The Bank of England on Tuesday called for "urgent international action" from regulators on non-bank financial institutions after it was forced to rescue U.K. pension funds in September. A number of pension funds were hours from collapse when the central bank intervened in the long-dated bond market. It came after a series of massive moves in interest rates on U.K. government debt exposed vulnerabilities in liability-driven investment (LDI) funds, which are held by U.K. pension schemes. Its temporary emergency bond-buying program allowed LDI funds time to shore up their liquidity positions and ensure the country's financial stability.

[1/2] People take part in a protest against the electoral reform proposed by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and in support of the National Electoral Institute (INE) in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, November 13, 2022. Without opposition support, Lopez Obrador cannot pass his planned electoral overhaul, a constitutional reform which requires a two-thirds majority in Congress. Critics view that as a presidential power grab, something Lopez Obrador denies. If the bill founders, Lopez Obrador has mooted lesser changes that only require a simple majority. Lopez Obrador may have a last chance to reshape the INE when four of its 11 commissioners step down next April.

☆ Half a world apart, Biden counters Russia by touting the alliances that Trump mocks
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Peter Nicholas | Peter Nicholas Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Attending a summit meeting in Bali when the missile hit Poland, Biden quickly arranged the meeting with the leaders of France, Germany, Canada and other allies. Most of the leaders in attendance have agreed to sign on, a Biden administration official said. “We, of course, are ready to stand with our NATO allies and partners,” Vedant Patel, a State Department spokesman, told reporters. NATO, and the mutual defense obligation that underlies it, was nearly a casualty of the Trump administration. They’re still looking for him.” Left unsaid was that as president, Trump skipped summit meetings with Asian leaders in 2018, sending Vice President Mike Pence in his place.

The declaration would build on an agreement spearheaded by the United States and EU last year to slash methane emissions 30% by 2030 from 2020 levels. The draft said signatories could also bolster monitoring and reporting of methane emissions - forcing companies to face up to the scale of their problem. The 27-country EU is the world's biggest buyer of gas, while the United States is the world's biggest oil and gas producer. Agriculture is the top source of methane emissions worldwide, but experts say the energy sector can cut emissions faster - and often at low cost. So far, the Global Methane Pledge does not include China, the world's biggest methane emitter.

David Cruz, a spokesman for LULAC — the oldest Latino civil rights group in the United States — said a woman who joined the meeting claiming to represent the organization was "terminated" Oct. 22 and met with Musk "unlawfully." Johnson wrote and signed the letter along with the leaders of the National Urban League and the National Action Network, two of the most prominent civil rights groups in the country. "Her meeting with Mr. Musk was wholly unauthorized and breached our agreements and repeated notifications. Ms. Benavides is, in fact, a rogue, former respected leader who has decided to place herself above the organization that trusted her," Cruz added. The Dallas Morning News has reported that two factions inside LULAC have been vying for power in recent months.

☆ Britain to go it alone for now on reining in 'shadow banking'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Britain hopes the LDI crisis creates momentum for comprehensive global reform to improve data and liquidity in the sector. In Britain the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulates UK-based managers of LDI funds, and The Pensions Regulator (TPR) regulates pension schemes. UK regulators face pushing ahead alone, for now, hoping global reforms eventually pressure others to follow suit. Most LDI funds are listed in European Union states like Luxembourg and Ireland, meaning structural changes would rely on the bloc. The Central Bank of Ireland said it has stepped up data collection, analysis and engagement with LDI funds.

Sunak became prime minister on Monday, and has delayed an autumn fiscal statement to Nov. 17 as he looks to tackle a cost-of-living crisis and restore international economic credibility damaged in the short tenure of his predecessor Liz Truss. Truss had been expected to attend, but on Thursday Sunak's Downing Street office said the new prime minister was not planning to go to the summit. "The Prime Minister is not expected to attend the summit in Egypt due to other pressing domestic commitments, including preparations for the autumn statement," a Downing Street spokesperson said. The spokesperson said that Britain remained "absolutely committed to supporting COP27 and leading international action to tackle climate change and protect nature," having hosted the COP26 summit in Glasgow last year. The opposition Labour Party criticised Sunak's decision to skip the summit, with its climate change policy spokesperson calling it a "big mistake."

☆ One factory worker takes on Mexico's powerful unions
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Daina Beth Solomon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

CTM representatives say their unions defend worker rights, offer perks such as scholarships and sports programs and abide by Mexico's new labor rules. Along with La Liga, other new unions have also won victories over powerful rivals in the past year at GM, Japan's Panasonic (6752.T) and French glassmaker Saint-Gobain (SGOB.PA), pledging better pay. Even among the new crop, La Liga stands out for its broader vision: targeting companies no matter the sector, no matter the location. Leaving her three kids at home, she is traveling factory to factory seeking support. What's more, to drum up support, La Liga must fight a deeply embedded culture of fear and apathy around speaking out.

☆ Crowd demands resignations at chaotic L.A. City Council meeting after leaked recording of racist remarks
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Antonio Planas | Antonio Planas Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

An outraged crowd converged on a meeting at Los Angeles City Hall on Tuesday and demanded the immediate resignations of three Latino City Council members after an audio recording of racist remarks surfaced this week. Martinez has resigned as council president, and she announced she is taking a leave of absence from the council, according to NBC Los Angeles. Lori Condinus of the National Action Network Los Angeles was one of dozens of members of the public to speak. Martinez apologized and announced she was stepping down as council president in a statement Monday. “Therefore, effective immediately I am resigning as President of the Los Angeles City Council."

☆ Rep. Elissa Slotkin says Democrats need 'new blood' in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-09 | by ( Summer Concepcion | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said Sunday the Democratic Party needs "new blood" in Congress and the White House in 2024 but committed to support President Joe Biden if he runs for re-election. But she also noted: "I have been very vocal, including with my own leadership in the House, that we need a new generation. We need new blood, period, across the Democratic Party — in the House, the Senate and the White House. In July, Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., also called for a generational change in leadership, adding that he didn't think Biden, 79, should run for president again. Al Sharpton last month he will seek a second term in a private conversation at the White House.

In an emailed statement, Monica Medina, the U.S. official leading its treaty negotiations, said the country was committed to ending plastic pollution by 2040. Japan's vice minister for global environmental affairs, Hiroshi Ono, said he knew of a proposed coalition on plastic involving the United States but declined further comment. "We don't need a treaty for countries to decide themselves what their national actions should be. We need a treaty that can actually add on top of that," said Eirik Lindebjerg, global plastics policy manager at WWF, calling such an approach a "light touch." Calls for tougher global measures such as those focused on plastic production have also met resistance from the powerful oil and petrochemical firms that make plastic.

☆ Bolsonaro's gun laws arm Brazil's brazen bank thieves
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Gabriel Stargardter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

In July, Reuters reported that Brazil's Federal Police disapproved of Bolsonaro's gun policies, arguing they would put more weapons in the hands of criminals. Of all the weapons now available to Brazil's gun fans, the T4 has emerged as the weapon of choice for its gangsters. A common tactic used by gangs - as seen in the case of Huijsman's T4 - is to steal weapons from CAC permit-holders' homes. On Oct. 31, 2021, Minas Gerais military police and Brazil's Federal Highway Police carried out two raids against alleged bank robbers hiding out near Varginha, killing 26 of them. Marques, the gun expert, said Huijsmans' rifle wouldn't be the last legally acquired firearm to turn up at a crime scene.

☆ China may have committed 'crimes against humanity' in Xinjiang, UN report finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-31 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Hong Kong (CNN) China has committed "serious human rights violations" against Uyghur Muslims in its northwestern region of Xinjiang , which may amount to "crimes against humanity" according to a long-awaited report released Wednesday by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Separately on Thursday, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said China "rightfully rejects" the report, which it called "invalid and illegal." "The extent of arbitrary and discriminatory detention of members of Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim groups ... may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity," according to the report. What's nextThroughout the past four years, the international community within the UN has done little about the allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang. Omer Kanat, executive director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project, called the report a "game-changer for the international response to the Uyghur crisis."

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