TRANSCRIPT
In this bulletin;
- 2024 is on track to be the warmest year on record as the COP29 climate conference gets underway in Azerbaijan
- The Treasurer says Australia's partnership with the US stronger than ever despite expected economic shocks
- Former Australia captain Michael Clarke lashes out after shock ODI loss to Pakistan
—
The World Meteorological Organization says 2024 is on track to be the hottest year on record after an extended streak of exceptionally high monthly temperatures globally.
It says global average temperatures from January to September this year reached 1.54 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
The organisation says the past ten years are the warmest on record and ocean heat has increased.
In its latest update, it has issued a red alert at the sheer pace of climate change in a single generation, turbo-charged by increasing greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere.
—
The 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference is underway in Azerbaijan with Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen leading the Australian delegation.
The conference, commonly known as COP29, comes amid uncertain times for the climate movement in the wake of the re-election of Donald Trump as United States President.
Trump's campaign, fuelled by $21 million from the oil and gas industries, promised to rollback environmental protections and expand fracking projects.
Minister Chris Bowen says the US election doesn't change the dire threat of a climate catastrophe nor the economic benefits of clean energy.
"Cooperation on climate is more important than ever before. Elections can change a lot of things but they can't change this: global warming will continue. They can't change the fundamental rules of economics that more renewable investment in Australia is a good thing for our economy. The right thing for the planet and a good thing for our own economy. It's the cheapest form of energy ever known in history and it's also a massive job creation opportunity for Australia. The world's climate emergency is Australia's job opportunity, no election oversees changes that fundamental point."
—
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has re-affirmed Australia's commitment to the United States despite the potential trade tensions that a Donald Trump presidency could bring.
Dr Chalmers addressed the Australian Institute of International Affairs last night, outlining some of the projections Australian economists have made about the change in US leadership.
President-elect Trump has promised to levy heavy tariffs on goods coming from China, a move that could escalate trade tensions between the two superpowers.
Treasurer Chalmers says Australia's efforts to ease tensions with its largest trading partner China will not change but he expects Trump's leadership to have other wide-ranging impacts.
"Of course we expect the US administration to bring a different suite of policies. We're confident in our ability to navigate that change as partners and nobody should underestimate our ability to make that work. We should expect additional price pressures. Globally, we'd expect the impact to be much more substantial. The timing of this, the responses, the ramifications that might follow are difficult to predict. We wouldn't be immune, as Australians, to escalating trade tensions that might ensue."
—
Israeli forces have killed at least 30 people in central Gaza, with tanks opening fire as they rolled into Nuseirat refugee camp.
In another attack on a hospital, Palestinian medics say Israeli airstrikes on a hospital killed at least 20 people.
With the war in Gaza now in its 14th month, concerns for the potential of an ethnic cleansing in the north are mounting with the devastating impacts of disease, hunger and daily bombings felt acutely across the whole of the strip.
Louise Wateridge is the senior emergency officer for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
"So people in these areas that have been besieged have not had food or water for 30 days, not from humanitarians, not from commercial supplies. They have been trapped. They have been fleeing from bombs. They have been fleeing for their lives. And this is why we have seen such a huge amount of displacement into Gaza City and other areas of northern Gaza because there is simply no way life can exist in these northern areas."
—
In cricket, former Australia captain Michael Clarke has lashed the resting of Test stars for the shock ODI series defeat to Pakistan, saying the reigning world champions didn't care about losing.
After the Aussies narrowly won the first match, Pakistan then recorded two commanding victories to seal their first series win in Australia since 2002.
Friday's nine-wicket capitulation in Adelaide was Australia's heaviest loss by wickets in an ODI at home since 1992.
