Rishi Sunak shuns pleas for climate crisis reparations

The Independent's Morning Headlines email [View online]( November 08, 2022 [Morning Headlines]( 1 / [Blow to vulnerable states as Rishi Sunak shuns calls for climate reparations]( Rishi Sunak has dealt a blow to the developing countries hardest-hit by climate change by shunning appeals for the UK to contribute towards reparations for the natural disasters caused by hundreds of years of industrial pollution. Thirty-year-old demands for a fund to pay for the permanent loss and damage caused by extreme weather were discussed for the first time on the floor of the Cop27 climate change conference in Egypt, with calls for the UK and other rich nations to join Belgium, Denmark and Scotland in committing cash. But the prime minister made no reference to the topic in his five-minute speech in the resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, instead recommitting to a 2020 pledge of £11.6bn for climate funding over five years and tripling to £1.5bn the UK’s contribution towards measures to boost resilience against future disasters.   2 / [UK deal with France to tackle small boat crossings in ‘final stages’, says No 10]( Sunak full of ‘optimism’ about closer co-operation with Macron on migration 3 / [Gavin Williamson reportedly told civil servant ‘slit your throat’]( PM under fresh pressure over decision to bring ally back into government 4 / [Elon Musk urges Twitter followers to vote Republican for ‘shared power’]( Twitter owner says independent voters will decide who controls Congress 5 / [Most schools facing ‘unavoidable’ redundancies due to funding crisis, poll finds]( ‘Headteachers are having to look at every possibility given the current funding situation,’ school leader says     The Big Question Has astrology led to an acceptable kind of bigotry? According to the internet, if you want your partner to be an unpredictable, chaotic supervillain, you ought to date a Gemini. Donald Trump, Kanye West and Draco Malfoy (yes, really) are among some of pop culture’s most notorious Geminis, and current internet logic stipulates that it’s not down to their individual personalities that they’ve ended up the way they have. Rather, it’s down to their birth charts. Venture online or on a dating app today, and you will find many making sweeping judgments about swathes of people based on the “typical” traits of their [star signs](. “Geminis are evil”, reads one recently viral tweet. “Virgos are extremely judgmental, which makes them terrible friends and people – they can’t even hide it,” reads another. What warrants prejudging an entire group of people based on some loose interpretations of [astrology](? The popularity of astrology on the internet might be a good place to start. Over the past decade, the corny magazine horoscopes of old have been replaced with digital astrologers – some of whom are legit, many of whom are not. Astrology vernacular is everywhere. Mercury being “in retrograde” gets used as an explanation whenever everything seems to go completely wrong for someone at a given time – Liz Truss came into office just two days after mercury last went into retrograde in September, for example. In addition, the horoscope app Co-Star has been downloaded more than three million times since its launch in late 2017. Dating app Bumble now has an advanced filter allowing you to decide what star signs you want to be matched with, while on Hinge you can make your star sign visible on your profile. Even a new astrology-based matchmaking app, Stars Align, claims to help people find romantic connections through horoscope-based compatibility predictions. [For the full story click here >](   Watch/ [The White Lotus & Blockbuster | Binge or Bin](   NUMBER OF THE DAY £11.6bn – Prime minister Rishi Sunak has recommitted to a 2020 pledge of £11.6bn for climate funding over five years and tripling to £1.5bn the UK’s contribution towards measures to boost resilience against future disasters   QUOTE OF THE DAY “I believe that the world is beyond the tipping point in terms of climate change, a point from which there is no going back.” – [‘Birdgirl’ Mya-Rose Craig](has explained why she won't be going to climate summit Cop27       Other stories you might like   [Camilla reveals new cypher co-designed by former Benedictine monk](   [Conservative Party accused of being in ‘denial’ about ‘Islamophobia’ within its own ranks](   [Brexiteers must ‘face reality’ of leaving EU, says Macron ally](       Articles available exclusively to subscribers //link.e.independent.co.uk/click/29623908.37698/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvYXV0aG9yL3NhbG1hLXNoYWgtMA/583d2887487ccd777a8b7489Bf282ffdeSean O'Grady, The Independent -[Is it time for Gavin Williamson to ‘go away and shut up’?](   Other newsletters you might like [The Race Report] The Race Report Fortnightly, 7am (UK time) Written by Nadine White [Sign up]( [Inside Politics] Inside Politics Weekdays, 8am (UK time) Written by Matt Mathers [Sign up](   If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. [The Independent]( Join the conversation or follow us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter. Add us to your safe list of senders. If you do not want to receive The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter, please [unsubscribe](list_name=IND_Headlines_Masterlist_CDP). If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent, you can unsubscribe [here](. This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AH. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345. Read our [privacy notice]( and [cookie policy](.