6:34 am, December 2, 2023
King tells Cop28 world remains ‘dreadfully far off’ climate goals
The King has warned that the world remains ‘dreadfully far off track’ in key climate targets and called for meaningful change in an opening address at Cop28 in Dubai.
Charles said at the opening of the World Climate Action Summit on Friday that despite some progress, ‘transformational action’ was needed as the dangers of climate change are ‘no longer distant risks’.
The monarch told heads of state, heads of government and business and climate delegates at Expo City Dubai that nature was being taken into ‘dangerous, uncharted territory’ by human activity, and called for ‘nature-positive’ change.
Bentley global relay celebrates 20 years of Continental GT
Bentley has completed a ‘unique global relay’ to mark 20 years of its Continental GT.
Reaching its conclusion at the luxury car maker’s home in Crewe, Cheshire, the route has seen a specially-made baton travel to stops in Europe, the Middle East, China, Asia Pacific, the US and the UK.
In the process, it has visited 20 journalists and content creators who have completed 20 ‘memorable’ drives to mark each year of Continental GT production.
Johnson to reportedly admit pandemic mistakes
Former prime minister Boris Johnson is reportedly set to tell the UK Covid-19 Inquiry that he ‘unquestionably made mistakes’ in his handling of the pandemic.
But according to The Times, the British leader during the coronavirus outbreak will argue that decisions he took, including ordering three lockdowns in England, ended up saving ‘tens if not hundreds of thousands of lives’.
He is expected to say that without such restrictions, thousands more people would have had ‘miserable and unnecessary deaths, some of them in hospital car parks and corridors’ due to the health service becoming overwhelmed by the virus.
Johnson is due to appear next week before the inquiry, which he set up while still in Downing Street.
England urged to take train to Euro 2024
The England football team is being urged to travel to Euro 2024 by train rather than plane to cut carbon emissions.
Pressure group Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) called for the team to “change the way people think about travelling”.
The draw for next year’s Euro 2024 tournament in Germany takes place on Saturday.
A9 dualling could take more than a century
The completion of dualling the A9 will be more than a century late if the current pace of progress continues, analysis by the Scottish Conservatives suggests.
Graham Simpson, the party’s transport spokesman, said research which estimates it will take decades for the programme of work to be finished is “shameful”.
The estimated time-frame for the work on the trunk road linking Perth and Inverness was calculated on the basis that Transport Scotland’s annual expenditure rate of £37.9 million since 2012 continues annually until the initially promised completion date of 2025.
According to the Tory research, the A9 will now not be fully dualled until 2134, based on the rate of investment seen between 2012 and 2023.
Local authority warns of its ‘financial peril’
A council has warned it is in ‘financial peril’ and will have to cut millions of pounds in spending next year to balance its books.
Brighton and Hove City Council leader Bella Sankey said the authority has a £31m budget gap to meet for next year after the government’s autumn statement fell ‘disastrously short’ on meeting inflation costs and rising demand for services.
Ms Sankey said: ‘The council’s finances are in an extremely perilous position.
‘There was absolutely nothing in the autumn statement to provide relief for this council or local authorities who have faced a decade of heartless central government austerity, or any real-world financial help for struggling families.’
FTSE starts December up
London’s top share index started December in a buoyant mood, as upgrades from UBS put a spring in the step of some of the index’s miners.
The FTSE 100 rose 75.6 points, or 1.01%, to end the day at 7529.35.
It came as Anglo American, Antofagasta, Rio Tinto and Glencore all crowded towards the top of the index.
‘European markets have got off to a solid start to the month with Anglo American and Antofagasta leading the FTSE 100 higher after being upgraded to buy by UBS who argued that 2024 was likely to be a better year for copper prices and as such these two miners should benefit the most from that from a valuation point of view,’ said CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson.
Snowy weather warnings in place
Scattered weather warnings for snow and ice are in place across the UK as temperatures plunged below freezing overnight.
The Met Office has issued yellow warnings through Saturday morning for the northern coast and southwest of Scotland, as well as southwest and the eastern coast of England.
Forecasters warn the snowy conditions could affect some roads and railways, while there is an increased risk of injury from icy surfaces.
