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The world's most climate-imperilled nations stormed out of consultations in protest at the deadlocked UN COP29 conference Saturday, as simmering tensions over a hard-fought finance deal erupted into the open. Diplomats from small island nations threatened by rising seas and impoverished African states angrily filed out of a meeting with summit hosts Azerbaijan over a final deal being thrashed out in a Baku sports stadium. "We've just walked out. We came here to this COP for a fair deal. We feel that we haven't been heard," said Cedric Schuster, the Samoan chairman of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). An unpublished version of the final text circulating in Baku, and seen by AFP, proposes that rich nations raise to $300 billion a year by 2035 their commitment to poorer countries to fight climate change. COP29 hosts Azerbaijan intended to put a final draft before 198 nations for adoption or rejection on Saturday evening, a full day after the marathon summit officially ended. But, in a statement, AOSIS said it had "removed" itself from the climate finance discussions, demanding an "inclusive" process. "If this cannot be the case, it becomes very difficult for us to continue our involvement here at COP29," it said. Sierra Leone's climate minister Jiwoh Abdulai, whose country is among the world's poorest, said the draft was "effectively a suicide pact for the rest of the world". An earlier offer from rich nations of $250 billion was slammed as offensively low by developing countries, who have demanded much higher sums to build resilience against climate change and cut emissions. UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the revised offer of $300 billion was "a significant scaling up" of the existing pledge by developed nations, which also count the United States, European Union and Japan among their ranks. At sunset, a final text still proved elusive, as harried diplomats ran to-and-fro in the stadium near the Caspian Sea searching for common ground. "Hopefully this is the storm before the calm," said US climate envoy John Podesta in the corridors as somebody shouted "shame" in his direction. Earlier, the EU's climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said negotiators were not out of the woods yet. "We're doing everything we can on each of the axes to build bridges and to make this into a success. But it is iffy whether we will succeed," he said. Ali Mohamed, the Kenyan chair of the African Group of Negotiators, told AFP: "No deal is better than a bad deal." South African environment minister Dion George, however, said: "I think being ambitious at this point is not going to be very useful." "What we are not up for is going backwards or standing still," he said. "We might as well just have stayed at home then." The revised offer from rich countries came with conditions in other parts of the broader climate deal under discussion in Azerbaijan. The EU in particular wants an annual review on global efforts to phase out fossil fuels, which are the main drivers of global warming. This has run into opposition from Saudi Arabia, which has sought to water down a landmark pledge to transition away from oil, gas and coal made at COP28 last year. "We will not allow the most vulnerable, especially the small island states, to be ripped off by the new, few rich fossil fuel emitters," said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. Wealthy nations counter that it is politically unrealistic to expect more in direct government funding. The US earlier this month elected former president Donald Trump, a sceptic of both climate change and foreign assistance, and a number of other Western countries have seen right-wing backlashes against the green agenda. A coalition of more than 300 activist groups accused historic polluters most responsible for climate change of skirting their obligation, and urged developing nations to stand firm. The draft deal posits a larger overall target of $1.3 trillion per year to cope with rising temperatures and disasters, but most would come from private sources. Even $300 billion would be a step up from the $100 billion now provided by wealthy nations under a commitment set to expire. A group of developing countries had demanded at least $500 billion, with some saying that increases were less than met the eye due to inflation. Experts commissioned by the United Nations to assess the needs of developing countries said $250 billion was "too low" and by 2035 rich nations should be providing at least $390 billion. The US and EU have wanted newly wealthy emerging economies like China -- the world's largest emitter -- to chip in. China, which remains classified as a developing nation under the UN framework, provides climate assistance but wants to keep doing so on its own voluntary terms. bur-np-sct/lth/givIt started as an evening of celebration for Manchester City. It ended with the four-time defending Premier League champion conceding four goals and falling to a fifth-straight loss in all competitions as it faces a deepening crisis in a season that is threatening to unravel. A 4-0 defeat to Tottenham on Saturday left City five points behind league leader Liverpool, having played a game more, and with manager Pep Guardiola questioning whether he could get its title challenge back on track. “I would say when you lose three Premier League (games) in a row, the wrong thing to say is we are going to be champion,” Guardiola said. “But the reality is here, we have to do it guys. We have to break (the run), start to win games.” Two goals from James Maddison inside 20 minutes at the Etihad Stadium stunned the home crowd, which had been treated to a light show before kickoff to mark midfielder Rodri winning the Ballon d’Or award for the best soccer player in the world. With Guardiola also having signed a two-year contract extension this week, there was double reason to celebrate. But City's latest loss highlighted onfield problems that he is struggling to stop . Pedro Porro scored a third for Tottenham after halftime and substitute Brennan Johnson added a fourth in the third minute of stoppage time. Defeat extended what was already Guardiola's worst losing streak in a glittering coaching career at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City. It also handed Liverpool a perfect opportunity to tighten its grip on the title race when it plays last-place Southampton on Sunday. City plays Liverpool at Anfield next weekend. Rivals are also closing in on second-place City, with Chelsea, Arsenal and Brighton all winning on Saturday to move within a point of Guardiola’s team. “If in the end we don’t win (the title) it’s because we don’t deserve it," Guardiola said. "We won it in the past because we deserved it.” After losses to Tottenham, Bournemouth, Sporting Lisbon and Brighton, City was looking to get the season back on track with a win that would have closed the gap to Liverpool to two points. But a flying start from Spurs soon put the home team on course for another loss as Maddison volleyed in from close range in the 13th minute and produced a delicate finish to lift the ball over Ederson for his second in the 20th. Porro blasted in a third after a swift counter in the 52nd and Johnson completed City’s misery and leave Guardiola admitting his players were “fragile” after the latest loss. Chelsea, Arsenal and Brighton are six points behind Liverpool after taking the chance to keep the pressure on Arne Slot’s team. Third-place Chelsea beat Leicester 2-1 in the early kickoff and Arsenal, in fourth, won 3-0 against Nottingham Forest. Fifth-place Brighton won 2-1 at Bournemouth to maintain its outstanding start to the season under new coach Fabian Hurzeler . Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez put Chelsea on course for victory at King Power Stadium, with Jordan Ayew scoring for Leicester with a second-half stoppage-time penalty. Jackson showed good close control in the box before firing Chelsea in front with a clever finish in the 15th minute. It was the Senegal striker’s seventh goal in 13 appearances this season. Fernandez headed in Chelsea’s second in the 75th after Jackson’s header was saved by goalkeeper Mads Hermansen. Ayew’s penalty came too late for Leicester to mount a fightback. Mikel Arteta celebrated his 250th game in charge of Arsenal in style with victory against Forest. It was his 147th win in all competitions — more than any Arsenal manager after the same number of games. Club great Arsene Wenger won 136 of his first 250 games. Bukayo Saka put Arsenal ahead in the 15th at the Emirates Stadium and Thomas Partey added a second seven minutes into the second half. The 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri scored his first Premier League goal for the club in the 86th. Brighton’s impressive run continued with victory at Bournemouth to keep it just outside the Champions League places on goal difference. U.S.-born Hurzeler was hired in June and has made an immediate impact. Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma put Brighton 2-0 up at the Vitality Stadium, with David Brooks pulling a goal back for Bournemouth in stoppage time. Aston Villa’s winless run was extended to six games after a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace. And it could have been worse for Unai Emery’s team, which twice came back from a goal behind at home. Palace, which is third from bottom of the standings, twice led in the first half through Ismaila Sarr and Justin Devenny. Ollie Watkins and Ross Barkley leveled for Villa on each occasion. Villa hasn’t won since beating Bologna 2-0 in the Champions League on Oct. 22. It has lost four of its last six games in all competitions and is seventh in the standings. Trailing 1-0 at Fulham, Wolves powered back to win 4-1 at Craven Cottage and climb out of the relegation zone. Wolves is in 17th place and one point above the drop zone after its second league win of the season. Alex Iwobi put Fulham ahead, but two goals from Matheus Cunha and strikes from Joao Gomes and Goncalo Guedes saw Wolves secure back-to-back wins in the league and extend the team’s unbeaten run to four games. Everton drew 0-0 with Brentford. ___ James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerOMAHA, Neb. — Investor Warren Buffett renewed his Thanksgiving tradition of giving by announcing plans Monday to hand more than $1.1 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four of his family’s foundations, and he offered new details about who will be handing out the rest of his fortune after his death. Buffett has said previously that his three kids will distribute his remaining $147.4 billion fortune in the 10 years after his death, but now he has also designated successors for them because it’s possible that Buffett’s children could die before giving it all away. He didn’t identify the successors, but said his kids all know them and agree they would be good choices. “Father time always wins. But he can be fickle – indeed unfair and even cruel – sometimes ending life at birth or soon thereafter while, at other times, waiting a century or so before paying a visit,” the 94-year-old Buffett said in a letter to his fellow shareholders. “To date, I’ve been very lucky, but, before long, he will get around to me. There is, however, a downside to my good fortune in avoiding his notice. The expected life span of my children has materially diminished since the 2006 pledge. They are now 71, 69 and 66.” Buffett said he still has no interest in creating dynastic wealth in his family — a view shared by his first and current wives. He acknowledged giving Howard, Peter and Susie millions over the years, but he has long said he believes “hugely wealthy parents should leave their children enough so they can do anything but not enough that they can do nothing.” The secret to building up such massive wealth over time has been the power of compounding interest and the steady growth of the Berkshire conglomerate Buffett leads through acquisitions and smart investments like buying billions of dollars of Apple shares as iPhone sales continued to drive growth in that company. Buffett never sold any of his Berkshire stock over the years and also resisted the trappings of wealth and never indulged in much — preferring instead to continue living in the same Omaha home he’d bought decades earlier and drive sensible luxury sedans about 20 blocks to work each day. “As a family, we have had everything we needed or simply liked, but we have not sought enjoyment from the fact that others craved what we had,” he said. If Buffett and his first wife had never given away any of their Berkshire shares, the family’s fortune would be worth nearly $364 billion — easily making him the world’s richest man — but Buffett said he had no regrets about his giving over the years. The family’s giving began in earnest with the distribution of Susan Buffett’s $3 billion estate after her death in 2004, but really took off when Warren Buffett announced plans in 2006 to make annual gifts to the foundations run by his kids along with the one he and his wife started, as well as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Warren Buffett’s giving to date has favored the Gates Foundation with $55 billion in stock because his friend Bill Gates already had his foundation set up and could handle huge gifts when Buffett started giving away his fortune. But Buffett has said his kids now have enough experience in philanthropy to handle the task and he plans to cut off his Gates Foundation donations after his death. Buffett always makes his main annual gifts to all five foundations every summer, but for several years now he has been giving additional Berkshire shares to his family’s foundations at Thanksgiving. Buffett reiterated Monday his advice to every parent to allow their families to read their will while they are still alive — like he has done — to make sure they have a chance to explain their decisions about how to distribute their belongings and answer their children’s questions. Buffett said he and his longtime investing partner Charlie Munger, who died a year ago, “saw many families driven apart after the posthumous dictates of the will left beneficiaries confused and sometimes angry.” Today, Buffett continues to lead Berkshire Hathaway as chairman and CEO and has no plans to retire although he has handed over most of the day-to-day managing duties for the conglomerates dozens of companies to others. That allows him to focus on his favorite activity of deciding where to invest Berkshire’s billions. One of Buffett’s deputies who oversees all the noninsurance companies now, Greg Abel, is set to take over as CEO after Buffett’s death.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ inconsistent form shows why tweaks are needed to turn the current roster into a championship-winning team. What we have seen from the LA Lakers this season suggests JJ Redick’s team are not good enough to win the NBA Championship. But there is hope, with Anthony Davis and LeBron James now helped by young shooter Dalton Knecht , who is one of the most impressive rookies in the NBA. According to HoopsHype , the Lakers are monitoring three different names around the NBA, while ready to let three different players leave to try and acquire one of them. Day’Ron Sharpe Brooklyn Nets centre Day’Ron Sharpe is close to a return from injury and is of interest to teams around the league. It is claimed the Lakers are one of five teams interested in Sharpe, along with the Grizzlies, Clippers, Pelicans and Raptors. Sharpe was a 2021 draft pick on the Nets but the 23-year-old has struggled with injuries. He would potentially come cheap for the Lakers. Kyle Kuzma Former LA Laker Kyle Kuzma is stuck on one of the worst teams in the NBA, the Washington Wizards, who failed to win a single game in November. The Wizards are likely to want to make trades, and Kuzma is described as a player the Lakers have ‘kept tabs’ on. The Bucks, Warriors, Cavaliers and Heat are also interested. Kuzma put up 23 points in the Wizards recent loss to the Bulls. He was a first round draft pick on the Lakers in 2017 before being traded away in 2021 as part of the deal to acquire Russell Westbrook . Jonas Valanciunas The Lakers are said to hold ‘most diligent interest’ in Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas. He is one of five players we picked out as potential trade targets . Center is a position of need for the Lakers, it would allow Anthony Davis to change position. The Wizards have been using Valanciunas to help the development of rookie Alex Sarr. Valanciunas only joined the Wizards earlier this year, having previously played for the Raptors, Grizzlies, and Pelicans. On the trade block In order to potentially acquire players, the Lakers would have to balance salary, and there are three players the team are reportedly open to trading. D’Angelo Russell , Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent are all players the Lakers would be willing to part with. A potential deal including Vincent and future second round picks has been touted for Valanciunas. Another name linked has been Nikola Vucevic, with the Warriors and Lakers tipped as potential suitors for the Chicago Bulls center. This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.