Saturday, December 14, 2019

Vladimir Putin: 20 years in 20 photos


Vladimir Putin is about to mark 20 years of leading his country as president and prime minister, navigating geopolitical crises and major sporting events.
Bill Clinton was in the White House when the former KGB agent first became Russia's president on 31 December 1999. In the 20 years since, there have been three more US presidents and five UK prime ministers.
From global conflicts and domestic scandals to sporting triumphs and propaganda photos, we look at the images that define Mr Putin's two decades in power
Vladimir Putin was appointed prime minister in August 1999 before taking over from Boris Yeltsin as president on 31 December 


The former KGB officer had already been appointed prime minister when Russia launched the second Chechen war in October 1999, in response to a series of deadly bombings on apartment blocks.
The start of his presidency was shaped by the conflict in Russia's restive southern republic. Russian forces besieged the Chechen capital, Grozny. In 2003, the UN described Grozny as the most destroyed city on Earth in the wake of the siege.

Mr Putin flew to Chechnya in March 2000, months after launching the second Chechen war 

For years Russia was hit by militants attacks such as the 2004 Beslan school siege in which 330 people died, most of them children.
President Putin did not officially end combat missions in Chechnya until 2009.

Russia's cabinet members observe a minute of silence in September 2004 after the Beslan school siege, in which militants killed more than 330 people 

Mr Putin was confirmed in office in presidential elections in March 2000, and within months was at the centre of a PR crisis.
The Kursk submarine disaster left 118 crew members dead.

Mr Putin met the family of the Kursk submarine commander but was sharply criticised at the time for his response to the disaster 

When the Kursk sank in August 2000, it took days for Russia to inform relatives and the president initially did not return home from his Black Sea holiday.

US President George W Bush invited Mr Putin for a state visit in 2001. The pair travelled to Mr Bush's home state of Texas during the trip 


In his first decade in office, Vladimir Putin was on generally good terms with Western leaders despite his criticism of their foreign policy,


Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (right) visited Russia in 2003 to discuss the situation in Iraq 

And the Queen invited Mr Putin for a state visit in 2003 - the first by a Russian leader since 1874 

Russia hosted its first G8 summit in 2006, confirming its membership of the economic group. 

Angela Merkel, Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac, Vladimir Putin and George W Bush stand for a photo at the 2006 G8 summit in St Petersburg 


Under Russia's constitution, Mr Putin could not stay on as president for a third consecutive term, so in 2008 became prime minister for four years.
Few saw President Dmitry Medvedev as anything more than a Putin protege standing in for his boss.

As prime minister, Mr Putin visited casualties when war broke out with Georgia

When Georgia sent its forces to regain control of the breakaway region of South Ossetia in 2008, Russia invaded deep into Georgia.
The brief, August war was an alarm call to the West, but it was Russia's move into eastern Ukraine in 2014 that turned Mr Putin's relations with Western leaders sour.
Russia's seizure and annexation of Crimea from Ukraine prompted EU and US sanctions and brought a suspension of its membership of the G8.

President Putin's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014 brought him a spike in the opinion polls
When Mr Putin attended a motorcycle rally in annexed Crimea in August 2019, Ukraine said it was a "blatant violation of Ukraine's sovereignty" 

Talks resumed this month, five years after the start of the conflict in Ukraine, with President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a bid to end the fighting 

Four years into the Syrian civil war, Russia intervened to back its ally, President Bashar al-Assad, whose government was on the brink of collapse. Mr Putin's decision to send in Russian planes and armour changed the balance of power on the ground.

Mr Putin's backing for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad changed the course of the Syrian Civil War 

After Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election in 2016, US intelligence services concluded that Russia had interfered in the campaign.

US intelligence services say that Russia interfered in the 2016 US election




And in 2018, the UK accused Russia of poisoning its former military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal in Salisbury.
Relations with the UK's then Prime Minister, Theresa May, were clearly tense after the poisoning of Sergei Skripal 
Throughout his time in office the Russian president has sought to control his image and that of his country. A number of photos released by the leader over the years have tried to show him as a strong man.

A topless Vladimir Putin walking with a sniper rifle near the border with Mongolia in 2007 

Mr Putin has also showed his fuzzy side, releasing photos in 2013 of himself playing in the snow with his dogs Buffy and Yume 
He has also tried to showcase his sporting ability, taking part in games of ice hockey and judo matches during his presidency 



He has also sought to boost Russia's sporting profile by hosting the Winter Olympics in 2014 and the World Cup in 2018.
The Sochi Games were a success but the repercussions of a doping scandal continue to be felt.
The World Anti-Doping Agency handed Russia a four year ban from all major sports event last week. A 2015 report said Russia had operated what amounted to a state-sponsored doping programme in track and field athletics. This month it was found to have tampered with laboratory data provided in January.

President Putin played a prominent role in Russia's hosting of the 2018 World Cup 

While the 2018 Fifa World Cup was an international success, the doping scandal means Russia will not be able to take part in the next competition, in Qatar in 2022.
All photos subject to copyright.



The Rise of Skywalker is almost here and Star Wars trolls are lurking in the shadows


When Disney bought Lucasfilm for more than $4 billion in 2012, there were lofty expectations of reviving Star Wars in spectacular hyper-speed fashion with a new trilogy that continued the story of Luke Skywalker and other beloved characters.
The space saga has been a smart investment, starting with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which in 2015 became the fastest movie to reach $1 billion. Despite the financial success, there’s been a dark side — fierce criticism of the new trilogy amplified by social media.


Some fans have attacked the story lines, which have shifted away from Skywalker toward a new generation of characters. The new films are more inclusive and feature a diverse cast and a focus on a female protagonist, Daisy Ridley’s Rey, leading to volleys of racist and sexist remarks directed at the franchise’s newest stars.
With Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opening in theaters Dec 20, director J.J. Abrams expects more backlash. Especially since the new film — which he calls the “aftermath of Luke Skywalker and his sister Princess Leia” — is the final installment of a nine-part movie series that began 42 years ago.
“There are some people who, in this age of outrage, need to be vitriolic and hurtful, and that’s not right,” said Abrams, who returns after directing The Force Awakens. He co-wrote and directed Rise of Skywalker after handing over the reins to Rian Johnson for 2017′s The Last Jedi, a blockbuster that received mostly positive reviews from movie critics but remains divisive among hardcore fans.
Several thousand fans signed a petition for Disney to remake The Last Jedi, which showed Luke Skywalker as a surly recluse disillusioned with his powers. Even Mark Hamill, who played Skywalker in five films, said it was tough for him to comprehend the story’s arc and see his character’s idealism fade. Johnson has said he received death threats from online trolls.
Abrams is a longtime Star Wars fan and understands fans are passionate. But he draws the line when comments attempt to demoralise the film’s cast or production, which he says is a cultural issue, not a Star Wars one.
“That in no way is a Star Wars phenomenon,” Abrams told The Associated Press. “That is a cultural phenomenon. If you’re not in the right political party, you’re against us. If you’re not doing exactly what they want, then you’re an abomination. It’s sort of par for the course in everything right now.”
Abrams said Rise of Skywalker is no way an apology for the previous film. The director said he’s not worried about potential backlash or feeling any pressure heading into the release.
“If you’re being crushed by a car and an elephant stands on the car, it’s irrelevant,” he said. “Like, it doesn’t matter. There’s a point at which the insanity of what it means to be working on a ‘Star Wars’ movie blinds you. Anything past that threshold is just additional light, noise and weight. I know it’s a lot. But you have to embrace and accept the responsibility that you’ve got. You want people to laugh and cry. That emotion can’t come if you’re constantly looking over your shoulder of what the studio might feel or the logistics or what the fans are saying. All you can do is the best job you can.”
Rise of Skywalker faces galactic expectations. The filmmakers have promised it will be the conclusion of the Skywalker saga, a lineage that traces from Darth Vader through his grandson, the powerful Dark Side enforcer Kylo Ren.
The Force Awakens marked the first time the original trilogy’s characters, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and his sister Leia, would return to the big screen, though the focus has now shifted to new characters.
Ridley said she doesn’t feel the weight of expectations mostly because she’s not on social media. However, she said she intends to shut her cellphone off when the film premieres.
The actress learned when she signed on to play in The Force Awakens that she needed to find ways to block out the noise. Ridley said it helped that she didn’t know much about Star Wars before joining the franchise.
“I wasn’t questioning all of these small things that mega fans pick up,” said Ridley, whose character was criticised for being unrealistically perfect. Some also questioned why Rey was able to obtain Jedi-like abilities much quicker than Luke Skywalker.
“I think if I had, I would’ve never gotten through the day,” she said. “I had not thought about people comparing me to anyone, then suddenly they are. I guess Rey’s story is similar to Luke’s, but that part never computed. ... Social media does good things. It spreads the word. But I do think in general that people are so quick to be super cruel.”
While Ridley avoided social media, her cast mate Kelly Marie Tran — who made her debut in The Last Jedi as Rose Tico — deleted her Instagram photos after some took aim at her performance, her physical appearance and made racial comments about her. She was the first Asian woman to play a leading role in a Star Wars film.
After she removed her posts, Tran published an essay in The New York Times about the racism she endured online. Tran said the essay was hard to write, but one of the “best things she created.”
“I don’t think you know what to expect,” said Tran, who admitted she didn’t know much about Star Wars before joining the franchise.
Now, Tran is well aware and told the AP she tries not ”to read things or let things into my ether that are not positive.″
“What surprised me is just the depth of which people are passionate about this thing,” she said. “But I just remind myself to protect myself creatively. Do things that feel good.”
Actor John Boyega said he’ll miss cashing in those Star Wars checks and sometimes verbally sparing with fans online. He’s known for speaking his mind on Twitter.
“Sometimes you ignore, sometimes you verbally say something,” said Boyega, who plays Resistance fighter Finn and was among the first cast members to be criticised when a trailer revealed his character was a black Stormtrooper.
“Things can be quite rude,” Boyega said. “But I’m from southeast London. If you give me a spike here, I’ll give you a spike back. You take what you give. That’s my rule. But apart from that, it’s normal. You want them to continue that dialogue, because that’s the original origin of their passion.”

Humans 'sole culprits' in US parrot extinction

The genome comes from a specimen held in a private collection in Spain 
A genetic study of the US's only native parrot appears to confirm its extinction was down to humans alone.
Scientists sequenced the genome of a stuffed Carolina parakeet held in a private collection.
The colourful bird's DNA showed none of the signs of inbreeding characteristic of animals that have been in decline for many years.
Instead, its genetic sequence suggests populations were buoyant until the expansion of European settlers.
The parrots then disappeared abruptly, with the last captive specimen dying in Cincinnati Zoo on 21 February 1918. The bird was once found from New England in the east to Colorado in the west.
The bird had green plumage with a yellow head, and measured about 13ins (33cm) long. They lived in old-growth forests along rivers and in swamps.
  • The dream of de-extinction
Carolina parakeets in a plate from John James Audubon's The Birds of America, published in sections between 1827 and 1838 


"Many endangered species have been sequenced and what seems to be a pattern is that when populations are small and declining for a long period of time, this leaves some signals in their genomes that can be recognised," co-author Carles Lalueza-Fox, from the University of Barcelona, explained.
"Even if you have a single specimen, as here, we have a genome from the father and a genome from the mother; two copies of each chromosome. If the population has been small for thousands of years, these two copies will be very similar to each other and over long stretches sometimes they will be identical."
When a population is large, Dr Lalueza-Fox explained, the two chromosome copies will be more different genetically. Indeed, this is exactly what the team saw in the Carolina parakeet (Conuropsis carolinensis).
"The inference is that this bird was not subjected to a very long demographic decline for thousands of years, it was something very quick," the University of Barcelona geneticist explained. 
Spanish TV journalist Pere Renom with Carles Lalueza-Fox. The process of extracting and analysing the bird's genome was filmed for a documentary in Spain


Dr Lalueza-Fox noted that the extinct bird's closest living relative, the Sun parakeet (Aratinga solstitialis), which is native to South America, has much less genetic variation.
The precise mechanism of the Carolina parakeet's extinction remains mysterious, however.
Deforestation, along with hunting and trapping, must both have played roles in its demise. Disease and even competition with non-native honeybees may also have been factors.
The birds congregated in large, noisy flocks and were gregarious in their behaviour. Contemporary observers noted that they would return to the locations of dead or dying birds, which made the wholesale slaughter of flocks even easier for hunters.
The American naturalist John James Audubon had commented on the birds' declining numbers in 1832. The birds had disappeared from the wild by the early 20th Century.
A Carolina parakeet is shown in an engraving from the late 18th Century 
The researchers also found signs of a genetic adaptation to the bird's toxic diet. The Carolina parakeet had a liking for eating cockleburs, a coarse flowering plant that contains a powerful toxin called carboxyatractyloside.
The toxin accumulated in the bird's tissues, and there are records of cats that ate Carolina parakeets being found dead.
The researchers uncovered genetic changes in two proteins known to interact with carboxyatractyloside that could underlie a dietary adaptation to the poison.
The birds are one target for de-extinction, the scientific discipline which seeks to bring lost species back from the dead.
One approach might be to take the Sun parakeet, and use genome editing to modify its DNA code to look like its extinct relative. But despite the similarities between the two species, this will be far from straightforward.
Hundreds of specimens of the extinct bird remain in museums 

 "If we compare both genomes, we can easily see there is a list of several hundred protein coding genes that have changes, that also seem to be functionally important," Prof Lalueza-Fox told BBC News.
"It's an enormous task. But even if we wanted to do that, as far as I know, nobody has been able to clone a bird... nobody knows how to modify something before it becomes an egg.
"If anything, this genome illustrates the enormous difficulties behind the de-extinction ideas. I am not saying it's impossible, but it is incredibly difficult."
The last captive Carolina parakeet died in the same cage that the last passenger pigeon had died in four years earlier. The decline of both birds parallels the rapid expansion of people across the United States over the 19th Century.
The genome-sequencing project began when a journalist discovered a specimen was held in a private collection in Espinelves, North-Eastern Spain. The stuffed bird had been acquired by an ancestor of the current owners.

Why women are fighting back against hair oppression

Woman with Afro-texture hairstyle
Recent efforts to ban hair discrimination have amplified the struggle for women of colour and their natural hair, particularly in the workplace.
Last week, Senator Cory Booker proposed the first bill in history to ban hair discrimination at the federal level.
The CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural hair) was first introduced in California, making it the first state to pass a law that makes this form of discrimination illegal. This move was followed by the State of New York, and New Jersey became the latest state to pass this legislation.
"Implicit and explicit biases against natural hair are deeply ingrained in workplace norms and society at large. This is a violation of our civil rights, and it happens every day for black people across the country," said Senator Booker.

While many incidents of discrimination in schools and the workplace have recently surfaced on the news and on social media, this deep-rooted issue has unfortunately been a common reality for many black men and women.

How are women of colour discriminated against?

A recent study by soap brand Dove found that a black woman is 80% more likely than a white woman to change her natural hair to meet social norms or expectations at work.
Tameka Amado, a young African American woman in Boston, says she has changed her hair "plenty of times" for work and school.
"When I was on the competitive cheerleading team, I was never allowed to wear my hair in its natural state. My coach made sure our hair was up and straight.
  • US set for first state ban on hair discrimination
  • Empowering black women to embrace their natural hair
The repeated ironing of her hair caused it to start falling out in a her junior year, she says.
"For centuries our hair has been attacked. It's uncomfortable to know you have no control of how your hair grows, the only thing you can control is how you wear it and how you protect it, and to not have that freedom is discrimination. It only happens with us."
Laws like those proposed by Senator Booker give her hope, she says.

"It's long overdue. Policing our hair is just another systematic oppression," she says. "There is an entire industry that has become successful on the backs of hair discrimination. Chemical treatments like relaxers, hair extensions, wigs, were all created because this disgust for our hair texture."

Tameka Amado gets her hair straightened by teammates for high school cheerleading squad


Ms Amado's struggle between embracing her natural roots and being more susceptible to criticism and disfranchisement is a continuous battle.
"I want black women to enjoy their hair and whatever hair they choose to have but there will always be some kind of critique."

What are hairstylists saying?

Salon owner Wanda Henderson breaks down natural hair as "the state in which hair is not chemically treated to alter afro-texture hair" and includes many different styles.
"Natural hair is so wonderful to work with. The thicker it is, the stronger it is, and the longer it grows. It's stylish, more convenient and healthier."
Henderson promotes natural styles in her shop in Washington DC. She explains that taking the hair from its natural state is not healthy, and there can be long-term consequences.
"I've been doing hair over 40 years, and we did a lot of relaxers back in the 70s, 80s and 90s and with that came a lot of breakage, balding, and shedding when you apply chemicals to black hair and you don't keep it up."
Henderson says that many of her clients have experienced some sort of discrimination against their hair, but recent efforts and discussion have had a ripple effect.
  • 'My hair is symbol of pride'
"We get a lot of people now who want no chemicals, they just want all natural. We've gotten a large increase of that." She largely attributed this to more attention to incidents, legislation, and a push for black men and women to embrace their natural beauty.
The struggle between natural hair and acceptance transcends class and the corporate America realm. Current national anti-discrimination laws don't mention hair. This has caused many black men and women to attempt to push back against this form of discrimination on their own in schools, workplaces, and even Hollywood. 

copyright Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images
Actress Gabrielle Union made headlines recently because she says she was fired as a judge on NBC's hit reality show America's Got Talent because the hairstyles she wore were considered "too black" for the show.
NBC responded by saying saying they remained "committed to ensuring a respectful workplace for all employees" and take questions about workplace culture seriously.
Many other celebrities have also spoken out about their own experiences with their natural hair in the industry and the daily pressures they face.

How did we get here?

The policing of black hair dates back to slavery in the US.
Black women have always adapted in attempts to be accepted in society. When Africans were first enslaved and brought to the US, many of their heads were shaved to prevent the spread of lice but also erase their culture and identity as a form of assimilation. This stigma continued through the years. 
Woman putting in hair relaxer to straighten hair

The invention of products like hair relaxers, chemical treatment and hot-combs were used to straighten Afro-texture hair, in order to mimic Eurocentric hair.
In fact, many jobs and public spaces didn't accept hairstyles mainly worn by black people. And in several cases that ended up in court, rulings were made in favour of employers. Dress codes would not mention race but would ban hairstyles mainly worn by black people in the workplace.
Until 2017, women in the military were restricted from wearing natural hairstyles including "twists, dreadlocks Afros and braids" because they were labelled "unkempt". Those who did not follow these guidelines were forced to cut their hair or wear wigs.
But this year, things have started to change. specifically, as individual states like California, New York and New Jersey have brought more attention to this issue.
Alongside this legal progress, the conversation on the subject has widened, amplified on social media.
"My black hair has defined me because systematic oppression has allowed that," says Ms Amado.
"My hair is empowering and through all the relaxers, flat irons, weaves, and braids, my hair tells a story. It's going to continue telling these stories through every kink and curl." 

New Zealand volcano: Krystal Eve Browitt named as victim

Ms Browitt was reportedly an Australian veterinary student

Police have officially named the first victim of the White Island volcano eruption in New Zealand, as recovery efforts continue.
Krystal Eve Browitt was a 21-year-old Australian from Melbourne who was visiting the island with her family.
Father Paul and sister Stephanie are both in hospital with serious injuries.
Fifteen deaths have been now been confirmed from Monday's eruption, while about 20 people are in intensive care with severe burns.
Police said on Saturday that the latest victim died at Waikato Hospital.
The authorities released Ms Browitt's name on Saturday after informing her family.
While friends and families have announced the loss of their loved ones, the 21-year-old Australian is the first victim formally identified by the police.
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Police divers meanwhile resumed their search in the area around White Island, also known by its Maori name of Whakaari.
Conditions in the water were "not optimal", with visibility between zero and two metres (6.5ft) in some places.
"The water around the island is contaminated, requiring the divers to take extra precautions to ensure their safety, including using specialist protective equipment," Deputy Commissioner John Tims said in a statement. "Each time they surface, the divers are decontaminated using fresh water."

Divers are searching the waters around White Island volcano 

The divers, Mr Tims added, also reported seeing a number of dead fish and eels washed ashore and floating in the water.
The retrieved bodies will be examined in Auckland by experts including a pathologist, a forensic dentist and a fingerprint officer. "This is a long and complex process and we are working as quickly as possible to return loved ones to their families," Mr Tims said.
Police will gather information about possible victims, such as descriptions of appearance, clothing, photos, fingerprints, medical and dental records and DNA samples. These details will then be matched to the evidence gathered in the post-mortem examination.

How did Friday's operation unfold?

The remains of six bodies were recovered in an operation on Friday and sent to Auckland to be identified.
Police launched a "high-speed" retrieval even though the risk of another eruption remained. Going in, authorities knew the location of six of the missing and those bodies were airlifted off the island.
A team of eight specialists from the New Zealand Defence Force flew by helicopter to the island and spent four hours retrieving the bodies. They were taken to a naval patrol boat and then brought back to the mainland.
Volcanologists had warned that if the volcano erupted while they were on the island, the team could face magma, superheated steam, ash and rocks thrown at high speed. The specialists who went to the island wore protective clothing and breathing apparatus.

Speaking to reporters after the bodies were retrieved, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said questions over why people were allowed to visit the active volcano "must be answered, and will be answered".
But she said "we also need to respect the phase we're in now, with families only just getting their loved ones back".

How were the others saved?

Out of the 47 people on the island when the eruption happened, 24 were from Australia, nine from the US, five from New Zealand, four from Germany, two from China, two from the UK, and one from Malaysia.
After the eruption, most of the visitors were taken off the island in dramatic rescue efforts. Some tourist boats already on the way to the mainland turned back to take in those stranded.
Meanwhile, commercial pilots headed back to the island - as the eruption was ongoing - to look for survivors. Many of those who made it off the island were severely injured and burnt. 


Climate change: UN talks in Madrid hit rough waters


UN climate talks appear to be in trouble as they head into extra time.
Fault lines have re-appeared between different negotiating blocs, with one delegate describing a new draft text as "totally unacceptable".
Alden Meyer, from the Union of Concerned Scientists said the situation in Madrid was unprecedented since climate negotiations began in 1991.
Negotiators are working towards a deal that would see countries commit to make new climate pledges by the end of 2020.
Saturday saw the release of a new draft text from the meeting, designed to chart a way forward for the parties to the Paris agreement.
The Paris pact came into being in 2015, with the intention of keeping the global average temperature to well below 2C. This was regarded at the time as the threshold for dangerous global warming, though scientists subsequently shifted the definition of the "safe" limit to a rise of 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.
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But Mr Meyer commented: "The latest version of the Paris Agreement decision text put forward by the Chilean presidency is totally unacceptable. It has no call for countries to enhance the ambition of their emissions reduction commitments.
"If world leaders fail to increase ambition in the lead up to next year's climate summit in Glasgow, they will make the task of meeting the Paris Agreement's well below 2C temperature limitation goal - much less the 1.5 degrees Celsius goal - almost impossible."
Hi view was echoed by David Waskow, international climate director for the World Resources Institute (WRI). "If this text is accepted, the low ambition coalition will have won the day," he said.
The conference in the Spanish capital has become enmeshed in deep, technical arguments about a number of issues including the role of carbon markets and the financing of loss and damage caused by rising temperatures.
Responding to the messages from science and from climate strikers, the countries running this 26th conference of the parties (COP) meeting are keen to have a final decision here that would see countries put new, ambitious plans to cut carbon on the table.
According to the UN, 84 countries have promised to enhance their national plans by the end of next year. Some 73 have said they will set a long-term target of net zero by the middle of the century.
But earlier in the meeting, negotiators from the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) pointed the finger of blame at countries including Australia, the United States, Canada, Russia, India, China and Brazil.
Protests led by young delegates have seen up to 200 protestors ejected from the talks 
They had failed to submit revised plans that would help the world keep the rise in global temperatures under 1.5C this century.
At a "stock-taking" session on Saturday morning, Tina Stege, a negotiator with the Marshall Islands delegation, said: "I need to go home and look my kids in the eye and tell them we came out with an outcome that will ensure their future."
She added: "The text must address need for new and more ambitious NDCs and long-term goals. We can't leave with anything else."
Reinforcing the sense of division, India, supported by China, Saudi Arabia and Brazil, has been taking a hard line on promises made by richer countries in previous agreements before the Paris pact was signed in 2015.
The deal saw every country, India included, sign up to take actions.
This was a key concession to the richer nations who insisted that the deal would only work if everyone pledged to cut carbon, unlike previous agreements in which only the better off had to limit their CO2.


Some visitors have other things to do at the COP

But India now wants to see evidence that in the years up to 2020, the developed world has lived up to past promises.
For many delegates, the deadlock is intensely frustrating in light of the urgent need to tackle emissions.
"I've been attending these climate negotiations since they first started in 1991. But never have I seen the almost total disconnect we've seen here at COP25 in Madrid between what the science requires and the people of the world demand, and what the climate negotiations are delivering in terms of meaningful action," said Alden Meyer.
"The planet is on fire and our window of escape is getting harder and harder to reach the longer we wait to act. Ministers here in Madrid must strengthen the final decision text, to respond to the mounting impacts of climate change that are devastating both communities and ecosystems all over the world."
Jake Schmidt, from the US-based Natural Resources Defense Council, said: "In Madrid, the key polluting countries responsible for 80% of the world's climate-wrecking emissions, stood mute, while smaller countries announced they'll work to drive down harmful emissions in the coming year.
"The mute majority must step up, and ramp up, their commitments to tackle the growing climate crisis well ahead of the COP26 gathering

N Korea conducts 'crucial test' - state media

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has stepped up his rhetoric against the US in recent weeks 
North Korea has conducted a "crucial test" at a satellite launch site to boost its nuclear deterrent, state media reports.
A spokesman told KNCA news agency it took place late on Friday at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground, but did not give specific details.
This is the second test to take place at the Sohae site in less than a week.
Talks between the US and North Korea about its nuclear programme remain stalled.
US President Donald Trump has refused to lift biting sanctions until North Korea fully abandons its nuclear programme.
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But leader Kim Jong-un has instead been asking for new concessions from the US by the end of the year.
Pyongyang has said it will adopt a "new way" if that does not happen - saying the US can expect an ominous "Christmas gift" if it does not comply.

What was the test?

It is not clear exactly what North Korea tested at the site.
Ankit Panda, North Korea expert at the Federation of American Scientists, told the BBC it could be a ground test for a ballistic missile engine. South Korea's defence minister had previously said this was the purpose of the test earlier in December.
North Korea had previously promised to dismantle the Sohae site.



 North Korea has stepped up its weapons tests and its strong rhetoric in recent weeks.
Japan condemned the country for "repeated launches of ballistic missiles" after two projectiles were fired in November.
The North however said it was testing a "super-large multiple-rocket launcher", and threatened that Japan "may see what a real ballistic missile is in the not distant future".

Why is North Korea conducting a test now?

The test comes amid heightening tensions in the region.
The UN Security Council met on Wednesday at the request of the US to discuss North Korea's weapons programme - a move North Korea called a "serious provocation".
And on Sunday, US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun plans to visit South Korean capital Seoul. US President Donald Trump has said he still hopes to reach an agreement with North Korea.
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The president made pursuing diplomacy with North Korea a centre-piece of his foreign policy agenda in 2018 but has failed to extract significant concessions on denuclearisation despite holding two summits with leader Kim Jong-un and even setting foot in North Korea.
The US tested a medium-range ballistic missile over the Pacific Ocean on Thursday - a weapon that would have been prohibited under the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty which President Trump left earlier this year.
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