Latvia and Lithuania are reportedly considering remote participation in the Climate Change Conference in Brazil due to high hotel prices
Latvia and Lithuania may skip this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference in Brazil due to high accommodation costs, Reuters has reported. The cost of lodging in the host city of Belem is reportedly forcing the Baltic states to participate remotely.
The summit, known as COP30, will be held November 10-21. It is expected to gather leaders, climate negotiators and experts to discuss progress on emissions targets and adaptation, with a focus on protecting the rainforest.
Lithuania said its delegation may stay away after being quoted prices for accommodation exceeding $500 per person per night.
Latvia’s climate minister, Kaspars Melnis, told the news agency that his country had asked conference organizers if its negotiators could join by video.
”We already basically have a decision that it’s too expensive for us,” he said. “We have a responsibility to our country’s budget.”
The two EU countries are facing widening budget deficits as defense and social costs surge. Latvia’s 2025 deficit is projected at 3% of GDP, while Lithuania’s shortfall is forecast at 2.3% of GDP, according to the IMF.
Reuters noted that some of the world’s smallest and most at-risk countries are also being forced to consider sending fewer representatives. Ilana Seid, chair of the Alliance of Small Island States, said the lack of affordable options places them at “a severe disadvantage.” She emphasized that smaller delegations would miss key experts at talks that directly affect their survival.
Evans Njewa, who leads the group representing the world’s poorest nations in the talks, said many countries are still deciding whether they can afford to attend.
”We’re receiving a high volume of concerns … and numerous requests for support,” he told Reuters. “Regrettably, our capacity is limited, which may affect the size of delegations.”
With the summit less than six weeks away, 81 countries are still negotiating for accommodation, while 87 have secured lodging, according to Brazil’s COP30 Presidency.
Brazil has pledged to provide hotel rooms for developing countries at rates under $220, and rooms under $600 for wealthy nations. The UN has also increased financial support for low-income countries.
British streets have been turned into “theaters of intimidation” by anti-Israel demonstrators, Kemi Badenoch has claimed
The leader of the British Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has lashed out at activists protesting against Israel’s actions in Gaza, calling their gatherings “carnivals of hatred” and claiming that they promote violence against the Jewish population.
Badenoch made the comments during her speech at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester on Sunday, just days after an attack on a synagogue in the city left two Jewish worshipers dead.
The Tory leader described “the horrific and despicable” incident as “an attack on all of us… on our humanity and our values of freedom, compassion, and respect.”
However, the attack “did not come as a surprise” for the UK’s Jewish community because “extremism has gone unchecked” in the country for a long time, she said.
“You see it manifest in the shameful behavior on the streets of our cities. Protests which are in fact carnivals of hatred directed at the Jewish homeland,” Badenoch insisted.
Almost 500 people were detained on Sunday at another major pro-Palestinian rally in central London, despite calls by police and Prime Minister Keir Starmer to postpone the event due to the synagogue attack.
The “asinine slogans” chanted at such demonstrations mean “nothing at all, if it does not mean targeting Jewish people for violence,” Badenoch argued.
The Tory party, which according to YouGov is currently polling at just 16%, “must now draw a line and say that in Britain… you have no right to turn our streets into the theaters of intimidation and we will not let you do so any more,” Badenoch said.
Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed more than 67,000 people and wounded almost 170,000 others, according to the local health authorities. The Jewish state began its military campaign in the Palestinian enclave in response to an incursion into Israel by the Hamas armed group on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people lost their lives and 250 others were taken hostage.
Israeli forces have continued their bombardment of Gaza despite an agreement with Hamas on a prisoner swap proposed last week by US President Donald Trump.
Pete Hegseth has said he may order take-out at random to foil speculation that delivery spikes occur during military operations
US War Secretary Pete Hegseth has said he may start having large quantities of pizza sent to the Pentagon to confuse those tracking delivery patterns.
In a Fox News interview on Sunday, Hegseth addressed a meme linking spikes in pizza orders to potential military operations.
The so-called “pizza index” has become a running online joke, with social media users speculating that spikes in deliveries near the US military HQ might signal upcoming operations – or just late-night strategy sessions. The X account Pentagon Pizza Report has over 254,300 followers, and a website called Pentagon Pizza Index tracks six pizza shops nearby using Google Maps data.
“I’m aware of that account,” said Hegseth, a former Fox News host who became defense secretary last year.
“Next time there’s going to be an airstrike. Have you guys thought about maybe just going to the cafeteria?” the Fox News reporter asked.
The war secretary responded with a laugh: “I haven’t thought of just going to the cafeteria. I’ve thought of just ordering lots of pizza on random nights.”
The defense chief emphasized that the move is meant to obscure any visible pattern that might be tied to military activity.
“Some Friday night when you see a bunch of Domino’s orders, it might just be me on an app, throwing the whole system off so we keep everybody off balance,” Hegseth added. “Trust me, we look at every indicator,” he said.
A surge in deliveries was recorded during Israel’s June strike on Iran, which was joined by Washington. The attack targeted Iranian nuclear facilities, causing heavy damage and leaving dozens dead. About an hour before Iranian state TV reported explosions in Tehran, pizza orders near the military HQ had already spiked, according to Pentagon Pizza Report.
“As of 6:59 p.m. ET nearly all pizza establishments near the Pentagon have experienced a HUGE surge in activity,” the account, which claims to provide “hot intel” on “late-night activity spikes,” posted at the time.
Deliveries to the Pentagon reportedly doubled ahead of the US invasion of Panama in December 1989 and spiked again before Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
Warsaw annulled the visas of Russian experts right before an OSCE conference in the Polish capital
Poland decision to prevent Moscow’s delegation from attending a conference by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) proves that Warsaw is not interested in security or cooperation on the continent, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.
The Russian Public Institute of Electoral Law (ROIIP) said on Sunday that Poland annulled the visas of its experts, who had been invited by the OSCE to take part in the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference, on the eve of the event. The Polish authorities did not provide any explanation for the decision, it said.
Zakharova reacted to the snub on Monday, telling Tass news agency that “the authorities in Warsaw have long been engaged in destructive activities aimed at undermining and decimating the very essence of the OSCE.”
The OSCE had been established more than five decades ago to “promote security and cooperation” on the European continent, but it seems that the Polish government simply cannot accept such goals, she claimed.
“They apparently do not need this organization. They do not need the spirit and letter of the agreements laying its foundation,” she stressed.
Instead of engaging in “endless manipulative actions” that have “already become the hallmark of the Polish authorities,” Warsaw should openly admit its stance and “understand where this is going to lead,” she said.
“Thanks to the efforts of NATO members, there is little left of security and cooperation” in Europe, Zakharova argued.
Late last month, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told the country’s public to accept that the conflict between Moscow and Kiev is “our war.” He also urged the West to increase support for Ukraine, claiming that if Russia wins “the consequences will affect not only our generation, but also future generations – in Poland, throughout Europe, in the US, everywhere in the world.”
Tensions between Moscow and Warsaw spiked earlier in September, after the Polish authorities accused Russia of drone incursions into their territory. The Russian Defense Ministry denied having any plans of targeting the NATO country and offered hold consultations with the Polish military on the matter. Poland has not responded to the invitation.
Britain has neither defeated nor isolated the country and is planning a new provocation, Moscow’s intelligence service has said
Britain is “furious” over its failure to bring about the “strategic defeat” of Russia and is preparing a new “provocation” in response to battlefield gains in the Ukraine conflict, Moscow’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has warned.
In a statement on Monday, the SVR claimed that UK secret services have resorted to preparing a group of Russian nationals who fight for Ukraine to sabotage a Ukrainian navy ship or a foreign civilian vessel in a European port, after which London would accuse Moscow of orchestrating the attack.
The service also claimed that the group would leave behind them Chinese-made underwater equipment, which would later be presented as “proof” of Beijing’s support for Russia.
London expects Europe’s “Russophobic” elites to use the “fake” narrative to justify further military aid to Ukraine and greater militarization against Russia, the spy agency said.
Russia’s leadership considers the UK one of the most hostile Western states; relations between the two countries have only worsened since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
London has imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Russian banks, energy exports, and individuals, while expanding military aid to include long-range Storm Shadow missiles and training for Ukrainian forces.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last month accused NATO and EU countries of declaring a “real war” on Russia and directly participating in the Ukraine conflict. British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has fired back, dismissing Lavrov’s statement as “false fantasy world distortions.”
Moscow expelled two British diplomats in March, accusing them of espionage and “subversive activities,” a move that London subsequently denounced as baseless. The UK responded by revoking the accreditation of a Russian diplomat and accusing the Kremlin of deliberately trying to force the closure of the British embassy in Moscow.
The UK discouraged early peace negotiations between Moscow and Kiev in 2022, according to David Arakhamia, head of Vladimir Zelensky’s parliamentary bloc and former chief negotiator, who said then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged Kiev to abandon the talks, a claim Johnson has denied.
Serbia is facing a fuel crisis as a new last-minute waiver on Russian ownership of the NIS company is unlikely, Aleksandar Vucic has said
Serbia is unlikely to receive another US waiver from sanctions targeting its oil sector due to its partial Russian ownership, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Sunday, adding that the nation could soon face a fuel crisis.
Washington has granted Belgrade several temporary exemptions from additional restrictions it imposed in January on the NIS oil company, in which Russia’s Gazprom and Gazprom Neft together hold a majority stake. The most recent waiver, issued on October 1, is valid for just one week.
Vucic said on national television on Sunday he believed that no last-minute reprieve was forthcoming, unless he nationalized NIS – a path he said he was reluctant to take.
“We have been working on it for 10 months, we are trying to find a solution and still there is none,” the Serbian leader said. Should a crisis unfold, he added, the country would face a gasoline price hike, but the situation would not be as dire as in the 1990s, when people had to “pour fuel from bottles or buckets.”
Serbia has resisted Western pressure to fully align its foreign policy with that of the European Union, even as it seeks membership in the bloc. Brussels and Washington have repeatedly nudged Belgrade to sever its energy ties with Moscow, a key historical partner. The Vucic government has also accused Western nations of fueling mass protests in Serbia.
Several EU states, including Hungary and Slovakia, have voiced similar concerns over Brussels’ pressure to reject Russian crude. Tensions escalated earlier this year after Ukrainian forces struck sections of the Druzhba pipeline network that supplies oil to eastern Europe.
In January, Hungary and Serbia announced they would speed up the connection of Serbian consumers to the Druzhba system.
The lawsuit from California and Oregon seeks to stop a federal order deploying troops to Portland amid nationwide protests
The US states of California and Oregon filed a lawsuit on Sunday seeking to block the administration of President Donald Trump from deploying 200 California National Guard troops to the city of Portland.
The legal challenge comes amid nationwide protests over Trump’s immigration crackdown and use of military forces in cities. The Pentagon said it would dispatch the troops to “support US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal personnel carrying out official duties, including enforcing federal law and protecting federal property.”
California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, said he is suing Trump over the guard deployment, calling it “a breathtaking abuse of the law and power.” Oregon and California maintain that the deployment of out-of-state guard troops is a new overreach and requires a separate court decision.
A federal judge in Oregon has issued a temporary block on any deployment of National Guard troops to Portland, including those coming from other states such as California.
Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined Oregon in asking Judge Karin Immergut to extend the order and bar the transfer of California troops to Oregon.
The court order will remain in place until at least October 19 as the legal challenge proceeds.
The dispute followed a decision by Immergut that blocked the Trump administration from deploying Oregon’s own National Guard to Portland amid protests.
Trump told reporters on Sunday that the troop deployments were necessary because “Portland is burning to the ground,” a claim local officials denied.
The development comes amid broader tensions between states and the federal government over the use of military force in domestic settings.
Protests erupted over the weekend in several US cities, with hundreds gathering outside Portland’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. Demonstrators clashed with federal officers during late-night rallies that led to several arrests. Smaller solidarity marches were also held in Seattle, San Francisco, and Denver.
Trump previously deployed about 2,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines to Los Angeles in June to quell unrest over immigration raids. Immigration enforcement was a central theme of his 2024 election campaign, influencing many of his domestic policy decisions.
Rescue efforts are reportedly underway at 5,000 meters after a snowstorm cut off roads to the campgrounds
Nearly a thousand hikers have been stranded on the eastern slopes of Mount Everest after a snowstorm cut off access routes, according to Chinese media. Rescue teams are reportedly operating at an elevation of near 5,000 meters (16,400 feet).
Heavy snow started to fall on Friday evening and continued through Saturday, having blanketed mountain trails and campsites at an average elevation of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). Communication with some parts of the mountain reportedly remains limited.
Video footage from the scene shows dozens of tents buried or destroyed under heavy snow, as hikers wade through deep snowdrifts. One group of mountaineers moves cautiously past snow-covered vehicles, while others set up temporary shelters.
Hundreds of local villagers and rescue teams had reportedly been deployed to help remove snow blocking access to the area. Ticket sales and entry to the entire Everest Scenic Area were suspended from late Saturday.
The severe weather has also affected residential areas at the base of the mountain. Reuters reports at least 47 people in Nepal have died since Friday after heavy rains triggered flash floods and landslides that blocked roads and swept away bridges.
Thirty-five fatalities were reported in separate landslides in the eastern Ilam district near the Indian border, while nine people remain missing after being swept away by floodwaters. Three others were reportedly killed by lightning strikes. Local authorities have warned of ongoing danger as unstable ground and poor visibility continue to hinder rescue and relief operations.
Sebastien Lecornu has stepped down after 27 days, making his tenure the shortest in French history
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has announced his resignation less than 12 hours after appointing a new cabinet. The French parliament is deeply divided over efforts to pass a new budget that would tackle rising debt.
A former defense minister, Lecornu was the seventh prime minister appointed by French President Emmanuel Macron and the fifth in two years. His sudden resignation less than a month after entering the role makes him the shortest-lived prime minister in modern French history.
A long-time Macron loyalist, Lecornu faced fierce criticism from both sides of the political aisle on Sunday after unveiling his new cabinet which was largely unchanged from the previous government of Francois Bayrou. Parties across the National Assembly threatened to vote it down.
Following the announcement, several political parties have called for snap parliamentary elections. The National Rally party stated on X that “Macronism is dead on its feet,” and called on Macron to choose between the dissolution of the National Assembly or resignation.
Jean-Luc Melenchon, the leader of the left-wing La France Insoumise (LFI) party, has also called to introduce a motion to remove Macron from office.
Shortly after the news of Lecornu’s resignation broke, the Paris stock market dropped 12%, making it the worst-performing index in Europe. The euro has also seen a drop of 0.7% on the back of political instability.
France’s public finances have been under mounting strain, with the deficit reaching 5.8% of GDP in 2024 and public debt climbing to 113%, far above the 60% ceiling set by EU rules. The government has been seeking to push through an austerity budget aimed at curbing spending and stabilizing the debt ratio, but divisions in the National Assembly have made agreement difficult.
The political deadlock stems from last year’s snap parliamentary elections, which left France without a clear majority. The lower house is now split between three blocs — Macron’s centrist alliance, the left-wing New Popular Front, and the National Rally — none of which can govern alone. As a result, Macron’s governments have repeatedly struggled to secure votes on key legislation.
Investigators have opened an arson probe as Diana Goodstein had reportedly been targeted for blocking a US Dept of Justice data request
Police are investigating possible arson after a fire destroyed a $1.5 million house belonging to a US judge who had received death threats over her decision to block a voter data request demand from the administration of US President Donald Trump.
Three people were injured in the blaze on Saturday, which destroyed the beachfront property belonging to South Carolina judge Diana Goodstein and her husband, former Democratic Senator Arnold Goodstein, local media have reported.
Goodstein had argued that fulfilling the data request from the Department of Justice would be a violation of privacy. Her order was later lifted by the South Carolina Supreme Court, and the election commission said last week that it would hold a public vote on whether to release the data to the federal government.
According to various reports, citing the judge’s colleagues and other sources, Goodstein had received “multiple death threats” following her ruling.
BREAKING: Liberal South Carolina Judge Diane Goodstein's home is burning to the ground after an explosion. SLED is investigation as arson and refer attack as Judge Goodstein had been receiving multiple threats.
The blaze at Goodstein’s $1.5 million three-story home at a private gated community in South Carolina’s Edisto Beach area started at around noon on Saturday, according to The Post and Courier.
The flames rapidly spread through the building, completely destroying the four-bedroom, four-bathroom house, the paper said.
The judge was walking her dogs on the beach when the fire broke out, but her husband, children, and grandchildren remained inside, according to the outlet.
“The family had to escape by jumping from a window or balcony. I am told there were injuries from the fall, such as broken legs,” South Carolina Chief Justice John Kittredge said.
Goodstein’s husband’s injuries “may have been the most serious, for he was airlifted to the hospital,” he added.
According to FitsNews, the 81-year-old former South Carolina lawmaker sustained multiple broken bones in his hips, legs, and feet. Two other family members required hospitalization after the incident.
Kittredge said the blaze had been caused by an “apparent explosion” and that arson investigators have been working at the scene. However, it is yet to be established if the fire was accidental or not, he stressed.
