TRANSCRIPT
- COP29 delegates will continue to work until the last possible moment for a climate agreement
- Trump to name two further cabinet members in his administration
- The Netherlands make history as they reach the Davis Cup final for the first time
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Brazil's climate minister has said the COP29 delegation will continue to work for an agreement until the last possible moment, to uphold the credibility of the UN climate talks in Azerbaijan.
It comes as lower income nations rejected an initial $385 billion offer from wealthy nations to help tackle climate change.
The COP16 talks on biodiversity, hosted by Colombia in October, similarly went into unplanned overtime as countries failed to determine how they would mobilise $307 billion annually in conservation funding by 2030.
Brazil's Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Marina Silva says in the face of climate-induced devastation globally, an agreement must be reached.
"The total imbalance of the climate globally with great suffering for humanity. And the means of implementation, which is the central goal of this COP, I cannot conceive that it is not being properly addressed here. So we are willing, even if with this text, which we received at the overtime of the second half (of the COP), but we will work until the last minute so that we do not lead to render the multilateral climate regime less credible."
Brazil will host COP30 in 2025.
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President-elect Donald Trump is expected name two further cabinet members in his administration.
It's believed former US Senator Kelly Loeffler will be selected as agriculture secretary and hedge fund CEO Scott Bessent as treasury secretary, American news outlets have reported.
If confirmed, Loeffler would lead a 100,000-person agency to oversee farm and nutrition programs, forestry, and home and farm lending.
Meanwhile, Trump's pick of Bessent will see him assert huge influence over America’s gigantic economy and financial markets.
Bessent has long advocated for tax reform and deregulation, with Democratic strategist Julie Roginsky telling ABC America the pick may signal a backtrack on some of Trump's election promises.
"I think, from a markets perspective and a wall street perspective, though not from a MAGA perspective, this is a pick that's going to make conservatives with a small 'C' happier than they will the MAGA die hards who, of course, truly believe that Trump is going to do what he said he was going to do. Whatever it takes whatever cost he was going to put tariffs on China, put tariffs on Mexico, would deport 15 million people, and of course, we all know what that would do to the stock market, that would actually take place."
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A jury in a civil trial has found that Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor must pay nearly $400,000 in damages for sexually assaulting a woman in 2018.
Plaintiff Nikita Hand alleged that Mr McGregor, one of the world's highest paid athletes, raped her in a Dublin hotel room in December 2018 leaving her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
A guilty verdict was reached at the conclusion of a two-week trial in Ireland's high court, by a jury of eight women and four men.
Ms Hand says she would never forget what happened to her but would now be able to move on with her life.
"To all the victims of sexual assault, I hope my story is a reminder that no matter how afraid you might be, speak up. You have a voice and keep on fighting for justice. I know this has impacted not only my life, my daughter's, my family and friends tremendously, and it's something that l'll never forget for the rest of my life."
Ms Hand also alleged a second man, James Lawrence, had assaulted her but the jury did not find him guilty.
If you or someone you know has experienced domestic, family and sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au for online chat and video call services.
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A grieving Melbourne community will turn their suburb blue and yellow in memory of two teens who died from suspected methanol poisoning while on holiday in Laos.
Holly Bowles, aged 19, died on Friday in a Bangkok hospital, one day after her best friend Bianca Jones, also 19, died in another hospital in the Thailand capital.
Both girls were heavily involved with the Beaumaris Football Club which on Saturday posted a tribute to the pair, showing ribbons of blue and yellow, the club's colours, tied to a signpost of their home ground at Banksia Reserve.
They are among six foreign tourists that have died in the suspected mass poisoning.
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In tennis, the Netherlands made history as they reached the Davis Cup final for the first time with a 2-0 defeat of Germany.
Singles wins for Botic Van de Zandschulp and Tallon Griekspoor sparked a party amongst the orange-clad Dutch fans inside the Jose Maria Martin Carpena arena.
They will face either defending champions Italy or Australia in Sunday's final.
Van de Zandschulp, the player who ended Spanish great Rafael Nadal's career on Tuesday, held his nerve to beat Daniel Altmaier 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 although he required 10 match points to give his side the edge in the semi-final.
Meanwhile, Griekspoor produced a stunning fightback against Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff to win 6-7, 7-5, 6-4 sealing the decisive win with his 25th ace.
