Heads of state are due to start arriving in the Amazonian city of Belém in a month’s time for the United Nations climate summit, yet much of the infrastructure intended to welcome them remains incomplete.
Next to what has been called the “leaders’ village” — a collection of low-rise buildings that will accommodate many visiting presidents — stands another three-storey structure that is still far from finished.
The building’s white, glass-fronted façade topped with a helipad overlooks the complex that will host the 197-nation climate summit known as COP30. However, behind it, away from the main road, the rear remains a bare shell of concrete and exposed brick.
The government of Pará state has stated that it does not regard the unfinished structure as part of the leaders’ village or the broader public works programme for COP30, although it confirmed that the helipad “will be made available to meet the needs of the conference.”
Nevertheless, the active construction site reflects the city’s frantic final push in the remaining month before the summit.
According to the state government, more than 30 public works projects — worth 4.5 billion reais (£700 million) — are progressing on schedule. These include new roads, drainage channels, parks, and refurbished tourist attractions.
The noise of construction echoes through Belém’s international airport and its hotels, several of which are still under construction ahead of the event.
Work is also continuing on a pier designed to host large cruise ships that will provide thousands of additional berths for visiting delegations. Another terminal intended to receive “floating hotels” was supposed to open in July but was only 79% complete as of last month.
With a shortage of hotel rooms pushing prices to record highs, delegations have been forced to get creative with accommodation plans, fuelling friction between diplomats, U.N. organisers, and the Brazilian government.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva brushed aside concerns during a recent visit to Belém.
“I’m going to want to sleep on a boat,” he joked during a local television interview. “We don’t have the boat yet, but I’ll find one.”
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French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday (25 November) that France, together with other European Union member states, will finalise a mechanism in the coming days to provide financial support to Ukraine, using frozen Russian assets as a key component.
French police arrested four further suspects on Tuesday as part of the investigation into the audacious Louvre jewel heist last month, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said in a statement.
A major fire continues to rage at a warehouse in Southall, west London, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky hours after it first broke out.
The Hayli Gubbi volcano in north-eastern Ethiopia erupted on Sunday for the first time in over 12,000 years, before halting on Monday, according to the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center.
Cameras from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) on Saturday (22 November) captured Hawaii's Kilauea volcano spewing flowing lava from its crater in its latest eruption.
Italy captured a remarkable third consecutive Davis Cup title on Sunday, with Matteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli securing singles victories in a 2-0 triumph over Spain in Bologna.
U.S. President Donald Trump has told his advisers that he plans to speak directly with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro according to Axios, as Washington designated him as the head of a terrorist organisation on Monday. A claim Maduro denies.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has once again expressed strong support for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, condemning foreign interference and criticising U.S. actions in the region.
Galatasaray suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise in the fifth round of the UEFA Champions League.
Beijing on Tuesday denied claims that it “detained or harassed” a resident from the disputed India-China border region at Shanghai airport, while reaffirming its claim over Arunachal Pradesh, which China refers to as Zangnan.
The Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region erupted on Sunday morning (23 November), covering nearby villages in ash.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday that Ukraine needs “more support now” and confirmed that the UK will send additional air defence missiles in the coming weeks.
On Monday (24 November), the U.S. formally designated Venezuela’s “Cartel de los Soles” as a foreign terrorist organisation and imposed additional terrorism-related sanctions on its members, including President Nicolás Maduro and other senior officials.
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