Cop27 ended in a now-traditional blur of last-minute horse-trading, resulting in the welcome agreement of a finance deal for developing countries affected by global heating. But progress on eliminating fossil fuel usage – the key to slowing climate change – again seemed beyond the international community.

Environment correspondent Fiona Harvey looks back at a Cop27 that had some successes, but overall felt like another missed opportunity. It’s a theme we take up in this week’s cover design, which contrasts world leaders’ willingness to be seen at climate conferences with their reluctance to agree much in the way of action.

“The world should be sprinting to rid itself of its fossil fuel addiction as if lives depend on it, because they do, but it is jogging on the spot,” says environment editor Damian Carrington, who argues that the world must retain hope, despite the vanishing likelihood of keeping global heating to within 1.5C.

As winter descends on Ukraine, we focus on some of the war’s ripples around Europe. Jennifer Rankin reports from Antwerp, where the continued trade in Russian diamonds shines a light on loopholes in EU sanctions on Moscow. And Emma Graham-Harrison is in eastern Poland, where people’s proximity to the war is helping people to put aside past differences.

Then, in features, Luke Harding speaks to the Ukrainian defenders of Snake Island – who famously sent an expletive-laden rebuttal to a Russian warship at the start of the conflict – and finds out what happened next.

Also in features, Hannah Jane Parkinson opens up about her addiction to gambling on tennis matches, which has left her £40,000 worse off. And, if you’ve ever wanted to get into a musical artist but don’t know where to begin, our critics give you the lowdown on the best classic albums.

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