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Open secret at climate talks: The top temperature goal is mostly gone

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:59 GMT

Leading scientists worldwide delivered a striking dose of reality to the United Nations on Sunday: it’s “becoming inevitable” that countries will miss the ambitious target they set eight years ago for limiting the warming of the Earth.The ominous estimate points to the growing likelihood that global warming will shoot past 1.5 degrees Celsius before the end of this century, inflicting what scientists describe as an overwhelming toll from intensifying storms, drought and heat on people and the economy. It also injects an urgent message into global climate talks in Dubai, where the debate over ramping down fossil fuels is set to flare over the next two weeks.Surpassing the temperature threshold — even temporarily — would be a major blow to the international Paris climate agreement from 2015, which called for nations to keep global temperatures well within 2 degrees Celsius of their preindustrial levels, and within 1.5 degrees if at all possible. The findings come amid climate talks th...

The international court prosecutor says he will intensify investigations in Palestinian territories

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:59 GMT

EDE, Netherlands (AP) — The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said Sunday that his office will “further intensify its efforts to advance its investigations” in the occupied Palestinian territories, after he visited the region for this first time since his appointment.There have been widespread claims of breaches of international law by Hamas and Israeli forces since war erupted after the deadly Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas and other militants that killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in southern Israel. Around 240 more were taken hostage.The Hague-based court has been investigating crimes in the Palestinian territories committed by both sides since 2021 but has yet to announce any charges. Israel is not a member state of the court and does not recognize its jurisdiction.Prosecutor Karim Khan said in a written statement issued after his visit that he witnessed “scenes of calculated cruelty” at locations of the Oct. 7 attacks.“The attacks against innocent Israeli...

It’s Kennedy Center Honors time for a crop including Queen Latifah, Billy Crystal and Dionne Warwick

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:59 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The newest group of Kennedy Center honorees, including comedian Billy Crystal and actor Queen Latifah, are being feted Sunday night at a star-studded event commemorating their lifetime achievement in arts and entertainment.Opera singer Renée Fleming, music star Barry Gibb and prolific hitmaker Dionne Warwick also are being honored at the black-tie gala. Each will receive personalized tributes that typically include appearances and performances that are kept secret from the honorees themselves. In announcing the recipients earlier this year, the Kennedy Center’s president, Deborah F. Rutter, called this year’s group of inductees “an extraordinary mix of individuals who have redefined their art forms.”Crystal, 75, came to national prominence in the 1970s playing Jodie Dallas, one of the first openly gay characters on American network television, on the sitcom “Soap.” He went on to a brief but memorable one-year stint on “Saturday Night Live” before starring in ...

Heavy snow in northern England causes havoc on highways and knocks out power

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:59 GMT

AMBLESIDE, England (AP) — Heavy snow in northern England forced motorists to seek shelter or spend the night in their cars and knocked out power to more than 2,500 customers, officials said Sunday.Trucks jackknifed in the snow, blocking highways, as drivers reported taking hours to complete short trips while others were forced to find a place to stay along their routes or in their vehicles.“It really feels like you’re walking through the Alps or some ski resort at the moment,” Harrison Ward said in the Lake District community of Ambleside. “Once a few cars have stopped or crashed or been abandoned, then it all comes to a halt.”Ant Brett said he had been stuck in his car for 19 hours since Saturday afternoon while driving from Essex to Cumbria, a journey that should have taken just over 5 hours. “I was heading up to a family wedding — it’s fair to say I didn’t make it,” he told the BBC. “I’m down to my last bit of water and having to ration it. I know the emergency ...

Pope Francis says he’s doing better but again skips his window appearance facing St. Peter’s Square

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:59 GMT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — For a second Sunday, an ailing Pope Francis skipped his popular window appearance to the public in St. Peter’s Square, but in televised remarks said he’s doing better even though his voice wouldn’t let him read all his comments aloud. As he did a week earlier, Francis delivered very brief remarks from the chapel of the Vatican hotel where he lives and where he is recovering from what he has said is infectious bronchitis. Thousands of people in the square followed his words from giant screens set up outdoors.Francis, whose 87th birthday is later this month, also said he is following from afar the workings of the U.N. climate conference in Dubai. The pontiff was due to go to the COP28 conference on Friday to address the gathering. During his first chapel appearance on Nov. 26, he insisted he would make the trip despite his illness. He instead canceled it following his doctors’ orders and stayed at the Vatican, where he has received antibiotics intravenously. ...

Earth is running a fever as UN climate talks focus on the contagious effect on human health

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:59 GMT

With Planet Earth running a fever, U.N. climate talks focused Sunday on the contagious effects on human health.Under a brown haze over Dubai, the COP28 summit moved past two days of lofty rhetoric and calls for unity from top leaders to concerns about health issues like the deaths of at least 7 million people globally from air pollution each year and the spread of diseases like cholera and malaria as global warming upends weather systems.World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it’s high time for the U.N. Conference of Parties on climate to hold its first “Health Day” in its 28th edition, saying the threats to health from climate change were “immediate and present.”“Although the climate crisis is a health crisis, it’s well overdue that 27 COPs have been and gone without a serious discussion of health,” he said. “Undoubtedly, health stands as the most compelling reason for taking climate action.”After two days of speeches by dozens of president...

Indian premier Narendra Modi’s party set for victory in 3 states ahead of 2024 national vote

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:59 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s Hindu nationalist party was headed for a clear win in three out of four states Sunday, according to the election commission’s website. The crucial poll has pitted India’s opposition against the ruling party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of next year’s vital national vote. Ballot counting showed Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, was poised to wrest control of the states of Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan from the Indian National Congress, India’s main opposition party. The BJP was also likely to be re-elected in Madhya Pradesh in for a record fifth term.The Congress was comfortably leading in Telangana state which is ruled by the strong Telangana Rashtra Samithi, known for opposing BJP in the state.Final results are expected later Sunday. Vote counting in a fifth state, Mizoram, is set for Monday where BJP’s regional ally, Mizo National Front, is in power. Elections in the five states were held last month where more than 160 million people, or a sixth...

APD officer injured in suspected intoxicated driver crash on SH 71

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin Police officer was injured early Sunday morning in a crash on State Highway 71, according to APD. The crash happened around 2:30 a.m. Sunday on SH 71 near the Austin airport. Police said the crash was between an APD police car and another vehicle with a suspected intoxicated driver. The driver was taken into custody. The APD officer was taken to the hospital with injuries, according to police. The officer's injuries were not known. Eastbound SH 71 was closed due to the crash but is expected to reopen soon, according to police. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport officials said the exit to Spirit of Texas Drive was open for passengers and drivers to get to the terminal. This is a developing story. Check back with KXAN for updates.

Busy Atlantic hurricane season ends with 20 storms

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The beginning of December marked the end of the Atlantic hurricane season for 2023. In total, there were 20 named storms, including an "Unnamed Storm" that was posthumously determined to have needed a name. According to NOAA, this makes the 2023 Atlantic hurricane hurricane season the 4th busiest on record.Of the 20 named storms, seven became hurricanes, and three were major Category 3 hurricanes or greater.A typical Atlantic hurricane season has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes. Hurricane Idalia was the only landfalling storm to strike the United States as a hurricane during the 2023 season. That storm was a Category 3 storm at landfall in late August near Keaton Beach in Florida. According to a NOAA news release, storm surge reached 7-12 feet of inundation.Ophelia made landfall in North Carolina as a tropical storm in late September on Emerald Isle. Heavy rain, river and storm surge flooding were reported in some areas with that storm.H...

A nice stretch of unseasonably warm temps

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Happy Sunday! Expect another beautiful day today. Ahead of a Monday morning cold front we'll notice a much warmer day today with highs jumping into the mid 70s, roughly 5-8 degrees warmer than Saturday was.Sunday afternoon highsWe'll have sunshine and high clouds on Sunday with the majority of our clouds in the eastern sky. It'll be a bit breezy as winds shift to the southwest and gust up to 20 mph.Our next cold front is a dry one and comes in Monday morning with a wind shift and cooler temperatures. Highs are back in the 60s on Monday, but with plenty of sunshine.Highs next few days70s return Tuesday and we'll stay in the 70s for the rest of our forecast. Our only chance of rain for the next week comes as we head into next weekend. Winter Weather Outlook: What a strong El Niño could mean for rainfall and ice risk Austin Interactive Weather Stats (2023) FIRST WARNING WEATHER: Stay up to date with your Central Texas forecast, sign up for our weather newsletter a...