The World

The first day of the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow was loaded with urgent warnings and a slew of pledges from developed countries to help mitigate the effects of climate change. Also, at least 5 million people have died from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center. We hear from a health expert who helps contextualize this number. Plus, Ado Campeol, the so-called “father of tiramisu,” died on Saturday aged 93. Campeol was a restaurant owner in Treviso, Italy, close to Venice, and is given co-credit for inventing the dessert back in 1969. But Alda Di Pollo, his wife, originally came up with the idea.

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The 26th UN climate summit, or COP26, begins on Sunday. It's frequently called the “last, best chance” to stave off the worst impacts of climate change. In Sudan, civil disobedience continues against the military coup and arrest of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. Doctors have gone on strike along with other professionals. Mass protests are planned for Oct. 30. Also, thousands of homes have been destroyed on La Palma, one of the Canary Islands in Spain, due to the Cumbre Vieja volcano which has been erupting for more than a month.

The World Meteorological Organization is warning that sub-Saharan Africa could see a 3% drop in the gross domestic product by 2050 as a result of climate change. The UN agency says changing precipitation patterns, rising temperatures and more extreme weather will contribute to mounting food insecurity in Africa. And Sudan's ambassador in Washington, Nureldin Satti, says he will "resist the military coup" back home. The Sudanese military seized control of the government in Khartoum on Monday, detaining top government officials. Plus, as President Donald Trump’s top Russia adviser, Fiona Hill had a ringside seat for G20 gatherings in Rio de Janeiro, Hamburg, Germany, and Osaka, Japan. Hill joins The World to preview this year’s G20 gathering and discusses the significance of “no-shows” like China and Russia.

Haiti is running out of fuel. The severe fuel shortage has intensified because gangs are blockading fuel supplies at ports located in areas controlled by them. And we hear from Osama, who grew up in the West Bank during the first and second intifadas. A chance encounter with a group of Jewish people made him question his own prejudices and he now works for peace. Plus, a court in Madrid has ruled that a couple, now separated, will have joint custody of their dog. The ruling recognized the people as "co-carers” so that Panda, the dog, will now alternate between two homes.

Demonstrators have taken to the streets of Khartoum, Sudan, in an attempt to bring down the top military generals who seized power Monday. And, we hear from Dean Issacharoff, who could hardly wait to join the Israeli army at age 18. The beatings of Palestinians made him question his allegiances, but when he spoke out against the attacks, the military turned against him. Also, later this month, the United States will challenge a UK judge's ruling on Julian Assange's extradition to the US. The judge originally rejected the extradition over concern for Assange's mental health.

The armed forces in Sudan have detained the country's prime minister along with other top officials and dissolved the joint civilian-military government that was steering the country toward democratic reform in an apparent military coup. And Afghanistan will restart nationwide polio vaccinations after more than three years. The new Taliban government agreed to assist the campaign and will allow women to participate as front-line workers. Also, jump-rope contests are popular entertainment on Chinese TV. Now, parents are sending their kids to jump-rope cramming schools for another reason — gaining an edge on their test scores.

Over the past decade, the Israeli government has been cozying up to Moscow. On Friday, new Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett traveled to Russia for the first time and met with President Vladimir Putin at a resort in Sochi, Russia, to discuss Israel and Russia's “special relationship.” Also, the Netflix series “Squid Game” is a dark comedy about a competition that emerges from Korean culture, but has widespread appeal. We speak to a psychiatrist who explains why the new show resonates so far and wide beyond South Korea. And, since the summer, Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko has been sending Syrian and Iraqi migrants across its borders into EU countries such as Lithuania, Latvia and Poland. The Lukashenko regime has also continued to clamp down on political dissent, this week raiding one of the few independent news outlets, Novy Chas.

So far, many have considered France's presidential election next April a close race between President Emmanuel Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. But recently, far-right columnist and TV commentator Eric Zemmour has been soaring in opinion polls, throwing the race wide open. And, court battles are keeping the Biden administration from completely undoing the Trump-era "Remain in Mexico" policy. It's kept thousands of asylum-seekers waiting in Mexican border towns while their asylum petitions move through US courts. Plus, blues-rock musician Pascal Danaë and his trio, "Delgrès," has a new album called “4 a.m.” Danaë tells us about how his ancestors in Guadeloupe, and seeing his great-great-grandmother's affidavit of her freedom from slavery in 1841, influenced the trio's new album.

A Brazilian Senate Commission investigating President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the COVID-19 crisis in Brazil issued its final report on Wednesday, accusing him of crimes against humanity. The 1,200-page report details malfeasance, the blocking of needed health measures, and the illegal use of public funds. And in Syria, two roadside bombs that detonated under a bridge hit a bus in Damascus on Wednesday, killing 14 people. It’s a sign that despite the Assad government’s recent efforts to normalize relations abroad, Syria’s civil war still rages. Also, after days of speculation, North Korea says it had test-fired a ballistic missile from a submarine in order to enhance its undersea capabilities. It's the first such launch since 2016, and it comes as the US, South Korea and Japan meet to discuss restarting talks with Pyongyang.

Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad spearheaded the Trump administration’s negotiations with the Taliban that forged an agreement for the withdrawal of US forces. Critics say the talks were a fig leaf, offering cover for a quick US withdrawal. And Russia is ending its diplomatic engagement with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The move by Moscow is in retaliation for NATO's expulsion of Russian diplomats from its Brussels office earlier this month. Plus, filmmakers Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin tell us about "The Rescue," their documentary about the massive effort to save 12 boys and their soccer coach trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand.