World Briefing: November 24, 2024

Negotiators at a global climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, struck a last-minute deal for wealthy countries to help their poorer neighbors deal with global warming, saving the annual meeting as it verged on collapse. From the outset, the focus of the United Nations' COP29 climate conference was raising money to help developing nations cut their climate pollution and prepare for threats they face from extreme weather. Developing nations have contributed far less of the pollution heating the planet, but suffer the harms of extreme weather disproportionately. Those countries had pushed for climate funding of $1.3 trillion a year. But the final agreement set a goal of $300 billion annually. Some representatives of developing countries were furious at the outcome, saying $300 billion a year from industrialized countries is far short of what vulnerable nations need. "It's a paltry sum," said Chandni Raina, a member of India's delegation, during the conference's closing meeting. "It is not something that will enable conducive climate action that is necessary for the survival of our country and for the growth of our people, their livelihoods." Announced more than a day after the talks were scheduled to end, the funding deal was brokered after world leaders and climate activists leveled sharp criticism at industrialized nations, as well as the Azerbaijani officials who hosted the two-week meeting - NPR

Hundreds of Palestinian citizens of Israel, since the start of the war in Gaza, have been investigated by police for “incitement to terrorism” or “incitement to violence,” according to Adalah, a legal rights group for minorities. More than half of those investigated were also criminally charged or detained, Adalah said. Israel has roughly 2 million Palestinian citizens, whose families remained within the borders of what became Israel in 1948. Among them are Muslims and Christians, and they maintain family and cultural ties to Gaza and the West Bank, which Israel captured in 1967. Israel says its Palestinian citizens enjoy equal rights, including the right to vote, and they are well-represented in many professions. However, Palestinians are widely discriminated against in areas like housing and the job market. Israeli authorities have opened more incitement cases against Palestinian citizens during the war in Gaza than in the previous five years combined, Adalah’s records show. - AP

Donald Trump has nominated longtime ally Brooke Rollins for secretary of agriculture, completing his cabinet roster. He made the announcement Saturday late afternoon, tapping the head of Maga-backed think tank the America First Policy Institute for the job. Her nomination marks the end of a whirlwind - and sometimes dramatic - spree of nominations to lead executive agencies - BBC

Canada will be increasing security measures for people travelling to India. A government official says the additional measures will be conducted by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), the agency responsible for screening passengers and their baggage before entering the restricted areas of airports in Canada. Among the screening are hand swabs when a trace of a person is required, sending carry-on bags through X-ray machines, and physically screening passengers - CBC

The escalating conflict in the Middle East is endangering is endangering aircraft in some of the world’s busiest skies. The number of missiles crisscrossing the region has surged since the start of Israel’s war with Hamas. An average of 162 missiles have been fired each month so far this year, up from 10 a month in 2023. This has led to warnings from airlines, crews, security experts and families of air crash victims that an airliner could inadvertently be shot out of the sky. Missiles have been spotted in-flight by pilots and passengers, struck near airports and been fired by militaries and militias without warning to airlines - WSJ

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