Trump victory 'major setback' to climate action

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Donald Trump's return to the White House will have a hugely negative effect on climate change action in the short-term but the longer term impact is less certain, experts say. With world leaders meeting next week for the latest UN climate talks, COP29, the Trump victory will be seen as a huge roadblock to progress in both cutting emissions and raising cash for developing countries. The US president-elect is a known climate sceptic who has called efforts to boost green energy a "scam". But with renewable energy gaining a strong foothold in the US and popular support for wind and solar, Trump's efforts to ramp up oil and gas instead may be less effective.

Getty Images The intensity of hurricanes that recently hit the US has been linked to climate change

While climate change did not play much of a role in this year's campaign, Trump's likely actions in office this time could be far more significant than in 2017. Back then, he announced the US would pull out of the Paris climate agreement, the most important UN process to tackle climate change. The agreement saw almost all the world's nations - for the first time - agree to cut the greenhouse gas emissions which cause global warming. But the shock of Trump's decision was limited. The treaty's rules meant the US was not able to withdraw until November 2020, a few months before he left office. If Trump withdraws again, he will only have to wait a year before the US is completely out. That would give him three years to chart his own course without any need to report to the UN or be bound by its rules. While President Joe Biden's negotiators will at next week's COP talks in Azerbaijan, nothing they agree to will be binding for the Trump administration. "The US at this COP is not just a lame duck, it's a dead duck," said Prof Richard Klein of the Stockholm Environment Institute, an expert on climate change policy. "They can't commit to anything and that means that countries like China will not want to commit to anything." In recent years, richer countries such as the US, UK and EU states have tried to increase the funds available for developing countries to cope with climate change. But they also insist that big developing economies also contribute. "The US basically wanted to have China cough up some money for that fund as well. Now they won't be able to do that. That leaves China off the hook," Prof Klein said. Climate scientists say developing countries need billions of dollars of extra investment to become net zero, where they are not contributing to climate change, and stave off the effects of rising temperatures.

Getty Images President-elect Trump is likely to expand drilling for oil and gas in Alaska

A wildfire fanned by winds of up to 80mph (130km/h) is burning out of control in California's Ventura County.

The fire was first reported near Moorpark, 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles, early on Wednesday.

Within hours it had reached a suburb of Camarillo, a city of 70,000 people around 10 miles away.

Thousands of residents have been forced to flee and several have been reported injured.

Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said that the fire was moving "dangerously fast" and destroying everything in its path.

"Bushes are burning, grass is burning, hedgerows are burning, agricultural fields are burning, and structures are burning," he said.

The view from countries where Trump's win really matters

BBC

News of Donald Trump's return to power in the White House has made global headlines. His so-called 'America First' foreign policy could see a withdrawal of US involvement in areas of conflict around the world. Five BBC correspondents assess the effect it could have where they are.

Trump seen as respite on Ukraine frontlines

By James Waterhouse, Ukraine correspondent, Kyiv "Do not try to predict Trump's actions. No one knows how he is going to act." The words of one Ukrainian MP reflect the political challenge facing Kyiv. A Trump victory was widely feared here, over what it could mean for future US support. The Republican once vowed to end the war in a single day, and has repeatedly criticised US military aid for Ukraine. Now, it's anyone's guess what he could do. "He could ask Putin to freeze this war, and he says 'OK'," says a front-line soldier. "It's the worst scenario because in a couple of years the Russians will advance again and might destroy us." "The second scenario is if Putin refuses," he says. "There is a chance Trump will react radically. That is a more promising scenario." Ukraine hopes that means the US further upping its military support in the face of a likely Ukrainian defeat. For those close to the front lines who have had enough of Russian aggression, Trump is seen as a route to respite. Follow live updates

Election weighs on frontline soldiers in Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president once labelled by Trump as "the greatest salesman in history" sent an early message of congratulations. He talked up the political and economic opportunities a partnership could provide, and wants to be able to keep fighting in return. There's also another ingredient. Trump won't just have to consider further military support for Ukraine, but also how or whether to respond to North Korea's growing involvement in Russia's invasion.

No plans for Putin congratulations

By Steve Rosenberg, Russia editor, Moscow You might expect the Kremlin to be cock-a-hoop at Trump winning back the White House. After all, out on the campaign trail, he had avoided criticising Vladimir Putin. Kamala Harris meanwhile called the Russian president "a murderous dictator". Trump had also questioned the scale of US military assistance to Kyiv. Publicly, though, the Kremlin is going out of its way to give the impression that it's not excited by a Trump victory. "I'm not aware of any plans [for President Putin] to congratulate Trump," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. "Don't forget that [America] is an 'unfriendly country' which is directly and indirectly involved in a war against our state." The dampening down of expectations are the result of how Trump's first term turned out: the Kremlin had high hopes that a Trump presidency would transform US-Russian relations. It didn't. Moscow more cautious about Trump this time Nevertheless, at the political discussion club I'm attending in the mountains above Sochi, leading Russian political scientists seem to be looking forward to Trump the sequel. One pundit told me he thinks that under Trump the US will "retreat" from its global super power status. Another suggested the US election fitted the Kremlin's "overall vision of the world", in which "liberal globalism has depleted its efficiency".

Europe's leaders see security trouble ahead

By Paul Kirby, Europe digital editor When dozens of European leaders from the EU and beyond gather in Budapest on Thursday, those on the right will be celebrating Donald Trump's election victory, but the rest will be asking themselves what happens next. Hungarian host and Trump ally Viktor Orban was first on to Facebook with his delighted message: "It's in the bag!" But for many other EU leaders Trump 2.0 could signal trouble ahead on security, trade and climate change. Within minutes of congratulating the Republican candidate, France's Emmanuel Macron said he had agreed with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to work towards a "more united, stronger, more sovereign Europe in this new context". What Trump's win means for Ukraine, Middle East and China German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock gave an idea of that context. Just back from Ukraine, she said Europeans now had to "think big and make investments in our European security big", with the US as a partner. Her Polish and Nato counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski said he had been in touch with Trump's top team and agreed "Europe must urgently take greater responsibility for its security". The prospect of steep US tariffs on EU imports weigh heavily too. EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Trump but gave a timely reminder that "millions of jobs and billions in trade" relied on their transatlantic relationship.

Israel 'clear-sighted' about who Trump is

By Lucy Williamson, Middle East correspondent, Jerusalem Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, was one of the first to congratulate Trump and has previously called him Israel's best ever friend in the White House. Trump previously won favour here by scrapping a US nuclear deal with Iran that Israel opposed. He also upended decades of US policy by recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Trump's first term in office was "exemplary" as far as Israel is concerned, says Michael Oren, a former Israeli ambassador to the US. But he adds: "We have to be very clear-sighted about who Donald Trump is and what he stands for." The former president sees wars as expensive, Mr Oren notes, and Trump has urged Israel to finish the war in Gaza quickly. "If Donald Trump comes into office in January and says, 'okay, you have a week to finish this war', Netanyahu is going to have to respect that." How Israelis and Palestinians see the election In Gaza, where the Israeli military has been battling Palestinian group Hamas, desperation has narrowed the focus of some residents. Trump "has some strong promises", says Ahmed, whose wife and son were both killed when their house was destroyed. "We hope he can help, and bring peace." Another displaced resident, Mamdouh, said he didn’t care who won the US election - he just wanted someone to help.

Xi might see opportunity on world stage

2024 on track to be world's warmest year on record

EPA

It is now "virtually certain" that 2024 - a year punctuated by intense heatwaves and deadly storms - will be the world's warmest on record, according to projections by the European climate service. Global average temperatures across the year are on track to end up more than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, which would make 2024 the first calendar year to breach this symbolic mark. These high temperatures are mainly down to human-caused climate change, with smaller contributions from natural factors such as the El Niño weather pattern. Scientists say this should act as an alarm call ahead of next week's UN climate conference in Azerbaijan, COP29.

"This latest record sends another stark warning to governments at COP29 of the urgent need for action to limit any further warming," says Liz Bentley, chief executive of the Royal Meteorological Society.

Global temperatures have been so high through the first 10 months of 2024 that only an implausibly sharp drop in the final two months would prevent a new record from being set. In fact, it is likely that 2024 will end up at least 1.55C hotter than pre-industrial times, according to data from the European Copernicus Climate Change Service. "Pre-industrial" refers to the benchmark period of 1850-1900, which roughly equates to the time before humans started significantly heating up the planet, for example by burning large amounts of fossil fuels. The projection means that 2024 could surpass the current record of 1.48C, which was set only last year. "This marks a new milestone in global temperature records," says Samantha Burgess, deputy director of Copernicus.

This would also represent the first time that a calendar year has passed 1.5C of warming, according to Copernicus data. This would be symbolic, because almost 200 countries pledged to try to limit long-term temperature rises to that level under the Paris climate agreement in 2015, hoping to avoid some of the worst impacts of climate change. If the 1.5C limit is breached, that does not mean the Paris goal has been broken, because it refers to average temperatures over a period of 20 years or so, in order to smooth out natural variability. But every year-long breach brings the world closer to passing the 1.5C mark in the longer term. Last month, the UN warned that the world could warm by more than 3C this century based on current policies. The specifics of 2024 also offer cause for concern. Early 2024 warmth was boosted by the natural El Niño weather pattern. This is where surface waters in the east tropical Pacific Ocean are warmer than usual, which releases extra heat into the atmosphere. This latest El Niño phase began in mid-2023 and ended around April 2024, but temperatures have remained stubbornly high since. Over the past week, global average temperatures have set new records for the time of year every day, according to Copernicus data.

Sydney identifies 'disgusting' balls that shut beaches

The black objects were first spotted by lifeguards at Coogee Beach on 16 October

Testing by chemists has determined the balls were the result of a sewage spill, though their exact origin remains unknown.

Eight beaches including Bondi were closed for several days and a massive clean-up ordered after thousands of the black deposits started appearing from 16 October.

Initially believed to be tar balls, they were in fact a "disgusting" combination of human faeces, cooking oil, chemicals and illicit drugs, researchers say.

Australian scientists have solved a mystery which has gripped Sydney: what were the sticky dark blobs which washed up on some of the city's famed beaches last month?

Last month authorities in New South Wales (NSW) said they suspected the objects were a mixture of fatty acids, fuel oil and chemicals found in cleaning and cosmetic products.

But further testing found the material is unlikely to have originated solely from an oil spill or waste from a ship, as some had thought.

"We found the sticky spheres contained hundreds of different components," said Associate Professor Jon Beves from the University of NSW, who led the investigation.

The balls had a firm surface - hardened partially by accumulating sand and minerals like calcium - and a soft core.

Inside was everything from cooking oil and soap scum molecules, to blood pressure medication, pesticides, methamphetamine and veterinary drugs.

Professor William Alexander Donald said they resembled fat, oil, and grease blobs - often called fatbergs - which are commonly formed in sewerage systems.

Detecting this along with recreational drugs and and industrial chemicals had "pointed us to sewage and other sources of urban effluent", he explained.

The researchers said they had received unconfirmed reports of smaller but otherwise similar balls washing up over the past two years.

Sydney Water has reported that there are no known issues with waste systems in the city.

Push to improve air travel for disabled passengers

In September, BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner, who uses a wheelchair, had to crawl along the floor of a Polish Airlines LOT plane in order to reach the toilet.

"For too long, disabled passengers haven’t had the standard of assistance and service they need," said Transport Secretary Louise Haigh.

The Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group, announced by the government, will work to make flying accessible for all "from booking to baggage claim".

Paralympic champion Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is to lead a new group of experts tasked with improving air travel for disabled passengers.

Our correspondent, who has been paralysed since being shot by al-Qaeda gunmen in Saudi Arabia 20 years ago, described his ordeal as both physically deeply uncomfortable and degrading.

LOT, which flies in and out of Heathrow, said it was not its policy to have onboard aisle chairs, while British Airways, Easyjet and other airlines carry them as standard.

It was, our correspondent said, shameful that disabled passengers flying out of British airports should still be discriminated against in this way.

In August, Baroness Grey-Thompson was forced to "crawl off" a train arriving at London's King's Cross after waiting in vain for assistance for 20 minutes.

LNER said later it was investigating what had happened and was "sorry to understand" there had been "an issue" at the station.

The new group, which will also include Sophie Morgan, co-founder of global disability campaign body Rights on Flights, will meet for the first time later this month. It will deliver recommendations and proposed actions to the transport secretary next year, following a nine-month review.

"The taskforce will engage directly with individuals who have first-hand experience of flying with a disability, ensuring the group can act as a platform to advocate for disabled passengers and that consumer voices are at the heart of progress," the Department for Transport said.

The group "will run in partnership between industry and consumers and look at tackling the biggest barriers to air travel for disabled passengers", it added.

Issues under consideration may include:

Being left onboard aircraft without timely assistance

Poorly handled wheelchairs

Inadequate service

Lack of access to toilet facilities

Limited access to clear information

The group will have industry representation from Jet2, Virgin Atlantic, Ryanair, BA and travel association ABTA, as well as London Stansted, East Midlands, Manchester and Glasgow airports.

It will "agree short and long-term practical and achievable actions that can be implemented by the industry, the regulator or the government", the Department for Transport said.

"I am looking forward to working with disabled people, industry experts and the Department for Transport to improve access to flying," said Baroness Grey-Thompson.

"It is essential that the rights of each passenger are protected at every aspect of their journey, so they can travel with the respect they deserve."

Ms Morgan said: "This is an important milestone in the ongoing fight for rights on flights. For far too long disabled people have suffered when flying and enough is enough."

With the creation of the new group of experts, the government had "sent a powerful message to the community and airline industry that change is in the air", she added.

"Under the leadership of Baroness Grey-Thompson and with accomplished members like Sophie Morgan, this group will help break down barriers and deliver lasting and meaningful improvements to ensure passengers always comes first," Louise Haigh said.

Snow back on Mount Fuji after longest absence

Mount Fuji is one of Japan’s most popular tourist attractions and has inspired centuries of artwork.

It was met with celebration on social media, with locals sharing photos of the mountain.

Snow fell on Japan's highest peak about a month later than expected, as the country recovers from one of its hottest summers on record.

Japan's Mount Fuji has seen its first snowfall after going through the longest period without snow since records began 130 years ago.

The snow was spotted on Wednesday, 5 November, by the Japan Meteorological Agency’s branch in Shizuoka.

In 2023, snow was first seen on the summit on 5 October, according to AFP news agency. The previous record for the latest snowfall was 26 October, which was seen twice before in 1955 and 2016.

"Oh, I've been waiting for this," one X user commented.

"I've never been so excited for the first snowfall this year," another X user said.

“Finally … Makeup makes you look even more beautiful,” another X user said, referring to the snow-dusted peak.

The weather agency's Kofu office is expected to make an official announcement on the exact date the snow fell. It said it could not see the peak clearly on Wednesday.

However, Japanese news agency Kyodo was able to take photos of the snowy peak on Wednesday from a helicopter.

Located south-west of Tokyo, Mount Fuji stands at 3,776m (12,460 ft). It last erupted just over 300 years ago and is visible from the capital on a clear day.

Japan had its joint hottest summer on record this year with temperatures between June and August being 1.76C (3.1F) higher than an average.

In September, temperatures continued to be warmer than expected as the sub-tropical jet stream's more northerly position allowed a warmer southerly flow of air over Japan.

A jet stream is a fast-flowing current of air that travels around the planet. It occurs when warmer air from the south meets cooler air from the north.