| |  |  | The Reuters Daily Briefing | Monday, November 1, 2021 by Linda Noakes and Katy Daigle | Hello Here's what you need to know. The G20 leaves COP26 with an uphill task, Britain gives France 48 hours to back down, and Barclays' CEO resigns after a probe into his Epstein ties | | | | | Today's biggest stories  An employee cleans before the arrival of leaders for the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, November 1, 2021 COP26 World leaders will be arriving for the U.N. climate conference. But after what was seen as lackluster commitment to climate action coming from the weekend G20 summit, delegates to the COP26 summit in Glasgow, Scotland, are questioning what can be achieved in the next two weeks that couldn’t be negotiated over the last year of climate diplomacy. There’s a high bar for success.
Nevertheless, expect strong speeches from U.S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among others. Many leaders are expected to urge rich nations to make good on pledged finances to help them decarbonize their economies and cope with climate impacts.
While China’s president, Xi Jinping, isn’t expected at the summit, the country’s special envoy for climate change will meet with journalists to answer questions. China formally updated its emissions-cutting plans last week, but offered little beyond what it has pledged in the past – still overshooting the 2050 goal of net-zero emissions by a decade.
In the evening, the British Royal family led by Prince Charles and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (aka Will & Kate) will be hosting a reception for leaders, with Queen Elizabeth offering a speech by video. The Queen had initially planned to attend, but was advised by doctors to skip the appearance.
Elsewhere around the Glasgow conference venue, there will be speeches and appearances by environmentalists including Sir David Attenborough and Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. Activists and journalists also will still be arriving in the city, after weekend train disruptions and cancellations forced many to scramble for transportation alternatives.
See our full coverage of the climate talks |  Republican gubernatorial nominee Glenn Youngkin speaks during a campaign event in Old Town Alexandria’s Farmers Market in Alexandria, Virginia, October 30, 2021
U.S.
Republican Glenn Youngkin is within striking distance of Democrat Terry McAuliffe in a Virginia governor's election that will test a strategy of trying to woo suburban moderates without alienating the hard-liners who backed Donald Trump.
In an indication of the opposition to the Biden administration's sweeping COVID-19 vaccine mandate, ordinary Americans are using a little-known procedure to get meetings with government officials to try to undermine the required shots for workplaces. New York is preparing for the fallout from the mandate resisted by many police and firefighters.
The trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, the American teenager charged with killing two men and wounding a third with a military-style rifle during protests in Wisconsin last year, will kick off today with jury selection in the politically charged case.
The U.S. government aims to raise $400 billion in new revenue over a decade by making rich Americans respect the Internal Revenue Service once again as part of Biden's slimmed-down, $1.75 billion social and climate spending plan.
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in challenges by Biden's administration and abortion providers to a Texas law that imposes a near-total ban on the procedure and lets private citizens enforce it - a novel design that has shielded it from being blocked by lower courts.
WORLD
Thailand, Australia and Israel eased international border restrictions significantly for the first time in 18 months, offering a broad test of the demand for tourism and travel worldwide amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Britain told France that it must back down within 48 hours in a fishing row that threatens to spiral into a wider trade dispute or face tortuous legal action under the Brexit trade deal.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, invigorated by a surprisingly strong election victory, signaled he would pursue defense policies aimed at deterring China, address climate change and accelerate recovery from the pandemic. We look at the dark horse right-wing party that emerged as the third-largest in Japan's lower house.
South Korea and the United States kicked off joint aerial drills, a military official in Seoul said, amid tensions over North Korea's recent missile tests and calls for a restart of denuclearization talks.
Ethiopia's government accused rebellious Tigrayan forces of killing 100 youths in the key town of Kombolcha, as the United States expressed concern about Tigrayan advances a year into the fighting. Read our special report on Ethiopia's civil war and how Eritrea's army exacted deadly vengeance on old foes.
| BUSINESS Barclays chief executive Jes Staley is to step down following a probe by British regulators into his ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, ending a controversial six year reign at the lender marked by his successful backing of its investment bank against an activist investor.
China's property sector woes could spell trouble for prestige mega-projects in London, New York, Sydney and other top cities as the developers behind them scramble for cash.
Asia's manufacturing activity grew in October as emerging economies saw COVID-19 infections subside, but rising input costs, material shortages and slowing Chinese growth cloud the outlook, business surveys showed.
Sega Sammy Holdings said it is exploring a strategic alliance with Microsoft to develop big budget titles using the Xbox maker's cloud gaming tech, driving anticipation the move could signal a deeper tie-up.
Ryanair reported its first quarterly profit since before the onset of COVID-19, but it downgraded its annual forecast to a loss of up to $231 million as it sells discounted tickets to fill its planes over the winter. The Irish airline operated more flights this summer than any European rival.
| | | | | | | | | Video of the day  COP26 is "last-chance saloon", says Prince Charles "We must now translate fine words into still finer actions," the prince said in a speech to G20 leaders in Rome. | | | Thanks for spending part of your day with us. | | | | | |
