‘She was laying in the road, waiting for a car to run her over’: Inside Gaza's silent hellscape. Israeli airstrikes on Gaza may have eased, but Palestinians continue to die of hunger, dehydration, disease, cold and despair. Laureline Lasserre, who travelled across the enclave for Médecins Sans Frontières, describes an ever‑tightening hellscape.

Activists hang banners while participating in a demonstration at the Cop30 UN Climate Summit, Friday, 21 November 2025, in Belem, Brazil. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

🌎Cop30 delivers meek deal. Climate talks in Belém ended in confusion and controversy as Cop30 president André Correa do Lago brought down the gavel to signal adoption of a highly contested deal, despite objections from the European Union, Switzerland, Colombia and others. Delegates were left momentarily unsure whether the conference was still in session.

The final text leans heavily on voluntary initiatives, leaving out fossil fuel transition and deforestation roadmaps that some 80 countries had demanded. Nikki Reisch of the Center for International Environmental Law called it an "empty deal". As a partial consolation, Brazil will spearhead a voluntary spin-off of the roadmaps, open to all countries, with the first conference scheduled for April in Colombia.

On the upside, it commits to tripling adaptation financing – a win for developing nations already facing the worst impacts of climate change.

📖 Read our on-the-ground reporting on how it unfolded: Fossil fuels fight engulfs Cop30 as vulnerable states warn adaptation can’t wait

🕊️Geneva peace push. High-stakes diplomacy was underway in Geneva this weekend, as US, Ukrainian and European officials gathered to discuss Washington's 28‑point peace plan for Ukraine. The US delegation, led by secretary of state Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, faced pushback for their plan, crafted by Kirill Dmitriev, Vladimir Putin’s envoy. Kyiv and its allies consider it to tilt too far towards Russian demands, including territorial concessions and limits on Ukraine’s military.

Europe and Kyiv made a counter-proposal calling for US security guarantees for Ukraine and for negotiations over potential territorial concessions to continue only after a ceasefire is established along the current frontline. In return, sanctions on Russia could be lifted gradually.

Still, Rubio described the talks as the best so far, and Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Andriy Yermak, called the morning meeting "very productive". Talks in Geneva between delegations from the Ukraine, UK and Europe will continue today.