UN steps up climate change warning as Trump mulls Paris Agreement

Donald Trump refers to amounts of temperature change as he announces his decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement [Joshua Roberts/Reuters]Reaction to President Donald Trump's announcement that the United States would withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement came fast and furious with nations and individuals denouncing the move as dangerously shortsighted.

While ecological and human catastrophe from climate change was highlighted by critics, many also pointed out the economic fallout for the US as the world shifts to a clean-energy economy. They also noted in geopolitical terms, the United States' traditional role as a global leader has been seriously diminished by Trump's decision on Thursday.

Former president Barack Obama, who ratified the 2015 Paris Accord along nearly 200 other countries, said the move by the Trump administration goes against the "low-carbon future" that is already fully under way, and the United States will ultimately lose over the move.

"The Paris agreement opened the floodgates for businesses, scientists, and engineers to unleash high-tech, low-carbon investment and innovation on an unprecedented scale. The nations that remain in the Paris agreement will be the nations that reap the benefits in jobs and industries created," Obama said in a statement.

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It is now up to governments of US states and cities "to lead the way and help protect for future generations the one planet we've got", Obama added.

UN steps up climate change warning as Trump mulls Paris Agreement
The European Union's top climate change official said Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris accord makes it "a sad day for the global community".

Miguel Arias Canete, the EU's climate action commissioner, said in a statement the bloc "deeply regrets the unilateral decision by the Trump administration".

He said the 2015 agreement will endure and he pledged "the world can continue to count on Europe for global leadership".

Canete also predicted the EU would seek new alliances from the world's largest economies to the most vulnerable island states, as well as US businesses and individuals supportive of the accord.

"We are on the right side of history," Canete said.

China, the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gasses, vowed to continue combatting global warming.

"We realise that this is a global consensus agreement and that as a big developing nation we should shoulder our international responsibility," Premier Li Keqiang said.

The United States' decision to withdraw from the landmark Paris climate agreement was a "major disappointment for global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote global security", UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Thursday.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "remains confident that cities, states and businesses within the United States - along with other countries - will continue to demonstrate vision and leadership by working for the low-carbon, resilient economic growth that will create quality jobs and markets for 21st century prosperity", Dujarric said.

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Meanwhile, Germany, France and Italy issued a joint statement rejecting Trump's demand that the Paris climate agreement be re-negotiated.

"We deem the momentum generated in Paris in December 2015 irreversible and we firmly believe that the Paris agreement cannot be renegotiated, since it is a vital instrument for our planet, societies, and economies," the leaders of the three countries said.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who made a televised address in French and English, said Trump had "committed an error for the interests of his country, his people, and a mistake for the future of our planet".

"I tell you firmly tonight: We will not renegotiate a less ambitious accord. There is no way," said Macron.

Neil Hirst, from the Imperial College of London, told Al Jazeera Trump's decision marks the decline of American leadership on the world stage.

"Now we're seeing the withdrawal of American leadership. Donald Trump is basically tearing up the whole basis of the climate convention and saying, 'No, I want to take a narrow' - and misguided I would say - 'nationalistic view on what we're going to do,'" Hirst said.

China may be poised to fill the leadership breach. Beijing is already making rapid progress towards its Paris goal of stopping emissions growth by 2030. It has overtaken the US in transitioning to renewable energy, generating one-fifth of its electricity from renewable sources. The US only sources about 13 percent of its electricity from renewables.




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Trump also lost the support of a top billionaire business leader over his decision.

Elon Musk - the founder of SpaceX and Tesla among other companies - wrote on Twitter he is "departing presidential councils", something he had vowed to do if Trump took this step.

"Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world," Musk said.

General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt, another member of Trump's business councils, wrote on Twitter he is "disappointed" with Trump's decision on Paris.

"Industry must now lead and not depend on government," Immelt wrote on Twitter.

Former secretary of state John Kerry said Trump's decision was "a self-destructive step" that puts America last.

Kerry - who signed the agreement at the UN in 2016 with his granddaughter seated on his lap - called it "an unprecedented forfeiture of American leadership, which will cost us influence, cost us jobs, and invite other countries to walk away from solving humanity's most existential crisis".

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Kerry described the move as "an ignorant, cynical appeal to an anti-science, special-interest faction far outside the mainstream".

"That is no basis for a decision that will affect billions of lives," Kerry said in a statement.

Among the scientific community, Britain's prestigious Royal Society said Trump's move would hamper US innovation in cleaner technology.

"The future is in newer, cleaner and renewable technologies, not in fossil fuels," its President Venki Ramakrishnan said.

"Such technologies will also help in our fight against air pollution and ensure greater energy security globally. President Trump is not putting America first, he is tethering it to the past."

Russian President Vladimir Putin hails Donald Trump as 'straightforward person'

Vladimir Putin has praised Donald Trump as "a straightforward person" and claimed the current "Russo-phobic hysteria" in the US was aimed at preventing them working together.

The Russian leader also denied the Kremlin had ever engaged in hacking, but acknowledged some "patriotic" individuals may have carried out cyberattacks.

US intelligence agencies have accused Russia of hacking into and leaking Democratic Party emails, helping Mr Trump to victory in last year's presidential election.

Congressional and FBI investigations are under way into links between the Kremlin and Mr Trump's campaign.

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The Russian President criticised what he branded "Russo-phobic hysteria" in the US and said it made it "somewhat inconvenient to work with one another or even to talk" and added "someday this will have to stop".

The aim was to "establish an atmosphere that is going to prevent us from addressing common issues, say with regard to terrorism," he claimed.

He said Moscow had been encouraged by Mr Trump's campaign promises to improve Russia-US relations and expressed hope this could still happen.

"We are patient, we know how to wait and we will wait," Mr Putin said.

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The Russian leader hailed Mr Trump as "a straightforward person, a frank person" and said he viewed his US counterpart's lack of political background as beneficial because "he has a fresh set of eyes".

Image:Donald Trump's lack of political background gives him 'a fresh set of eyes', says Mr Putin

Speaking at a meeting with senior editors of leading international news agencies in St Petersburg, Mr Putin denied state involvement in hacking insisting "we never engage in that at the state level".

However, he said it was "theoretically possible" heightened tensions between Moscow and the West could lead some people to launch cyberattacks.

Mr Putin said: "Hackers are free people, just like artists who wake up in the morning in a good mood and start painting.

"The hackers are the same. They would wake up, read about something going on in interstate relations and if they feel patriotic, they may try to contribute to the fight against those who speak badly about Russia."

He also argued hackers could not influence the outcome of elections as public opinion was not that easy to manipulate.

Giant satellite-carrying Stratolaunch aircraft unveiled in California

A giant aircraft capable of launching satellite-laden rockets into space has been unveiled at a hangar in the Mojave desert in California.

Stratolaunch, said to be the largest airliner ever built, weighs 500,000lbs (226,796kg) and has a wingspan measuring 385ft (117 metres) - the world's biggest.

Image:Pic: Stratolaunch Systems Corp

Backed by billionaire Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, the project has been worked on for the last six years and could see its first launch demonstration as early as 2019.

In a blog post, Stratolaunch Systems Corporation chief executive Jean Floyd said: "This marks a historic step in our work to achieve Paul G Allen's vision of normalising access to low Earth orbit.

Image:Pic: Stratolaunch Systems Corp

"This is a first-of-its-kind aircraft, so we're going to be diligent throughout testing."

The aircraft will begin testing its fuel systems and engines on the ground at its air and space port in the California desert in the next few weeks.

Image:Pic: Stratolaunch Systems Corp

Support structures were recently removed from the plane, allowing it to rest on its 28 wheels for the first time.

Powered by huge passenger jet engines, Stratolaunch will be able to carry a rocket and will be capable of launching satellites and possibly even humans into low-Earth orbit, Mr Allen said at its launch six years ago.

Image:Pic: Stratolaunch Systems Corp

He added the project would lead to a greater flexibility than ground-based rocket launches and offer better cost effectiveness for cargo and human missions to space.

Olivia Newton-John confirms breast cancer

Olivia Newton-John has revealed her breast cancer has returned - 25 years after her first successful battle made her an advocate for fighting the disease.

The British-born star has postponed a tour of the United States and Canada following her new diagnosis.

The 68-year-old said she will undergo a short course of radiation, as well as natural therapies, upon the advice of specialists at a cancer research center named after her in her adopted home of Melbourne, Australia.

The singer "is confident she will be back later in the year, better than ever, to celebrate her shows", a statement by her management said.

She is best-known for starring in the 1978 musical comedy Grease alongside John Travolta.

Newton-John was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, forcing her to halt her schedule.

The experience had a major impact on Newton-John who became an advocate for research into cancer and for early detection.

Kabul bombing: Afghans blame Haqqani network and Pakistan

Afghan intelligence officials have blamed Taliban-affiliated militants with the help of Pakistani security services for a truck bombing in Kabul that killed 90 people.

Up to 400 others were injured when the suicide attacker drove into the capital's diplomatic quarter during the morning rush-hour before setting off explosives.

The blast left a 16ft-deep crater near Zanbaq Square in the Wazir Akbar Khan district, where foreign embassies are located, including the German premises which was badly damaged.

Most of the fatalities were civilians, including women and children. Nine Afghan security guards at the US embassy also died as well as another guard at the German equivalent.

The embassies of China, Turkey, France, India and Japan also reported damage, while the BBC said one of its drivers was killed and four of its journalists were wounded. Eleven US contractors were also hurt.

Image:The German embassy was badly damaged in the attack

More than 50 cars were destroyed or damaged in the area which was considered Kabul's safest neighbourhood, with buildings protected by dozens of 10ft-high blast walls.

The Afghan intelligence service, NDS, said early findings showed the Afghan Haqqani militant network with the assistance of the Pakistani intelligence service, ISI, carried out the attack.

In a statement, the NDS said: "These terrorists once again proved they don't represent any religion and they only carry out such coward attacks to please their Pakistani masters which is against all Islamic and human rights principals."

The Haqqani group is fighting US-led NATO forces and the Afghan government.

Image:Cars ablaze at the site of the bombing

Shop owner Mohammad Haroon said of the bombing: "I've never seen such a powerful explosion in my life," adding all the windows in his store and others nearby were shattered.

The Taliban and Islamic State have carried large-scale assaults in the capital in the past, though a Taliban spokesman denied it was behind the latest atrocity and condemned the blast.

Afghanistan has seen a rise in violent attacks this year, as the Taliban pushes to overthrow the US-backed government and reimpose Islamic law 16 years after it was removed from power following the 9/11 attacks.

Since the withdrawal of most international troops in 2014, the extremists have gained ground and now control about 40% of the country, according to US estimates.

Image:An Afghan man near the site of the truck bomb

However, President Ashref Ghani's government still holds all the main provincial centres.

There are currently 8,500 US troops in Afghanistan and Donald Trump is due to decide soon on a recommendation to send 3,000 to 5,000 more soldiers to bolster the NATO training force and US counter-terrorism mission.

The commander of US forces in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, told a congressional hearing earlier this year that he needed several thousand more troops to help Afghan forces break a "stalemate" with the Taliban.

Obamas purchase D.C. house for $8.1 million, new report says

Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle have bought a D.C. home for more than $8 million, according to a new report. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have purchased the home they’ve been renting in Washington, D.C. for $8.1 million, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.


The Obamas reportedly closed on the home Wednesday.

“Given that President and Mrs. Obama will be in Washington for at least another two and a half years, it made sense for them to buy a home rather than continuing to rent property,” Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis told the Sun-Times.

BARACK AND MICHELLE OBAMA HAVE BOOK DEALS

The 8,200-square-foot home in the Kalorama neighborhood, which was previously sold for $5.295 million in 2014, was once owned by former Clinton White House press secretary Joe Lockhart and his wife.

The Obamas elected to remain in Washington after leaving the White House until their daughter Sasha can finish high school. Sasha will start her junior year of high school at Sidwell Friends in the fall.

The former first family will also continue to own their Chicago home in the South Side Kenwood community, a source told the Sun-Times.

Labour: Rail passengers would be £1k better off under renationalisation

Labour has returned its focus to the railways after claiming that passengers would be £1,000 better off" if they were to win the General Election.

The party has already said that it would renationalise the network were it to be in Government, bringing franchises back into public ownership as they run out.

It has also said that it would bring in new caps on how much fares could rise, using a different measure of inflation that, says Labour, would result in lower increases.

"Under the Conservatives, rail fares have sky-rocketed and tickets are some of the most expensive in Europe," said leader Jeremy Corbyn.

"Labour will take Britain's railways back into public control and put more money into people's pockets by capping fares. This will save commuters £1,014 on their rail season tickets over the next Parliament."

However, the party is likely to face claims that it has distorted the figures, after quoting a "potential cost" to commuters if a Conservative Government raised fares by more than inflation - a system that was actually scrapped four years ago.

Under existing rules, certain train fares - known as "regulated" fares - can only rise by a measure of inflation known as the retail price index (RPI).

This figure includes housing costs and is calculated in a slightly different, and much more complicated, way.

It normally produces a significantly higher figure than the consumer price index (CPI) statistic, which is the one normally used to measure the price of living.

For example, at the moment RPI is running at 3.5% while inflation measured by CPI is 2.7%.

Labour says it will change the system so fares can only go up by the lower CPI figure, protecting passengers from painful increases.

According to its figures, that would mean a cumulative saving of £551 over the five years of the next Parliament, compared to increases based on RPI.

But Labour has gone a step further, assuming that a Tory Government would go back to the previous system of allowing increases of 1% more than RPI.

That is how the party has reached the figure of £1,000, but there's no mention of such a change in the Conservative manifesto.

Labour's shadow transport secretary, Andy McDonald, said: "Theresa May's failure to commit to freezing rail fares shows just how out of touch they are.

"Privatised rail has failed and it will take more than tinkering around at the edges to deliver much needed improvements for passengers."

A Conservative spokesman said: "Renationalising the railways will either add billions of pounds to our national debt or hit ordinary working people in the pocket with higher taxes.

"It's yet more economic shambles from Labour."

There is little doubt that the train network does need huge investment, but there is also disagreement about how that can be delivered.

For one thing, critics of Labour's policy are likely to claim that curtailing increases in rail fares will less money being available for investment. That, in turn, is likely to mean the Treasury being asked to make up the shortfall.

Some will portray this as a subsidy for train users. Popular, perhaps, with commuters, but not so attractive for voters who never use the network.

Also, the great bulk of Britain's daily train journeys happen around London and the South-East - the idea of capping train fares would be welcomed in London's commuter belt, but that is also one of the most fiercely Conservative regions of the whole country.