The second phase of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), was held Dec.7-19 in Montreal, Canada.
After nearly two weeks of negotiation, a deal officially known as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework aimed at reversing biodiversity loss was adopted at COP 15. The deal includes four goals and 23 targets for achievement by 2030.
Some 30 countries have reported cholera outbreaks this year, about a third higher than in a typical year, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported in mid-December.
Among the countries with outbreaks are those affected by poverty and conflict such as Haiti and Yemen, according to the UN health agency. However, the global stockpile of cholera vaccines the WHO helps manage is "extremely low."
In face of pressure from the United States to reduce import of Russian energy and to coordinate with the West to impose price caps on it, the Indian government has made decisions in accordance with its own national interests.
In contrast to global frenzy for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, there has been Western criticism against the host country on human rights issues since 2010, when it was chosen by FIFA to host the event.
As FIFA President Gianni Infantino pointed out, some criticism was "profoundly unjust" and it was a "double standard" by Europeans for criticizing Qatar's human rights record.
On Nov. 16, the 17th Group of 20 (G20) Summit was concluded with leaders reaffirming their commitment to cooperation to address serious global economic challenges.
In a declaration adopted at the end of the summit, the G20 leaders said that collectively they carry responsibilities, and their cooperation is necessary for global economic recovery, tackling global challenges and laying the foundation for strong, sustainable, balanced, and inclusive growth.
On Oct. 30, Lula da Silva of the Workers' Party won the second round of the Brazilian presidential elections, defeating current President Jair Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party by a narrow margin and was set to serve a third four-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2023.
Lula da Silva served as the Brazilian president for two terms between 2003 and 2010. He was jailed on corruption charges between 2018 and 2019.
In March 2021, Brazil's Supreme Federal Court annulled all the convictions on corruption charges against him.
At least 153 people were killed and 103 others injured in a stampede that occurred on Oct. 29 in the Itaewon district of Seoul, South Korea, during Halloween gatherings.
On Oct. 24, Rishi Sunak, Britain's former chancellor of the exchequer, won the ruling Conservative Party's leadership contest. He replaced Liz Truss as the British prime minister, the third this year, at a time of economic challenges and political turbulence.
On Oct. 20, Liz Truss resigned as prime minister after just a little over six weeks in office and thus became the shortest-serving prime minister in the country's history.
On Oct. 13, a deal formally known as Algiers Declaration, was signed by representatives of 14 Palestinian factions, including the Fatah party and Hamas, paving the way for elections to establish a national unity government.
After the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the United States and its allies imposed rounds of sanctions on Russia in hope of choking the country's energy and grain export channels and destroying its economy. However, those sanctions have backfired and hurt U.S. allies, and have triggered a worldwide energy and food crisis.
The United States has cashed in on the Russia-EU standoff with surging LNG export to the bloc at higher prices.
On Sept. 26, leaks were discovered in two natural gas pipelines, Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, which carry gas from Russia to Europe.
Preliminary investigations have confirmed that "powerful explosions caused extensive damage to Nord Stream 1 and 2 in Denmark's exclusive economic zone," the Copenhagen Police said in a press release.
The death toll from this season's monsoon rain and floods since mid-June has risen to 1,739 along with 12,867 injuries in Pakistan, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reported on Nov. 3.
Over 33 million people and 85 districts across Pakistan have been affected by the floods, it added.
On May 24, an 18-year-old gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, a small city in western Texas, the United States, triggering nationwide demonstrations against gun violence and political inaction.
Produced by Xinhua Global Service■
