UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as a 'code red for humanity'.
The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) latest report says that without "immediate, rapid and large-scale" cuts to record high levels of greenhouse gas emissions then hopes of containing global warming to even 2 degrees would be "beyond reach".
The UN chief urged an immediate end to coal energy and other high-polluting fossil fuels.
"The alarm bells are deafening," Guterres said in a statement. "This report must sound a death knell for coal and fossil fuels, before they destroy our planet."
Meanwhile firefighters have battled a massive forest fire on Greece's second largest island for a seventh day. Flames have decimated vast tracts of pristine forest, destroyed homes and businesses and sent thousands fleeing.
Most of NSW in lockdown
More than 80 per cent of the NSW population - six million-plus people - is now in lockdown as the state struggles to curb the spread of the Delta COVID-19 strain beyond Greater Sydney and into the regions.
Meanwhile, Moderna has been given Therapeutic Goods Administration provisional approval, joining Pfizer and AstraZeneca in Australia's vaccine armoury.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was approved in June, but is not included in Australia's program.
The government has secured 25 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, including the supply of 10 million doses in 2021 and 15 million doses of its updated variant booster vaccine in 2022.
Everything done to avert fresh Census fail
Australia's bean counters and cyber detectives hope to avoid the embarrassment of another bungled census.
After trusting tech giant IBM with crucial infrastructure last time, which spectacularly crashed, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has rebuilt the census system with consultancy firm PwC Australia and Amazon Web Services.
"All information collected in the census will be securely hosted in Australia and encrypted end-to-end," Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar said.
Failure to fill out the compulsory form will attract a polite reminder and then a fine.
Surge in adopted Victorian pets being returned
The number of people returning adopted pets to the Lost Dogs Home in Victoria has surged by 67 per cent in the past year.
While 481 pets were adopted in July, 30 pets were returned that same month, some within hours, days or weeks of being adopted.
Janine Graham
Onetime sports reporter, chief-of-staff, editor and national digital news editor. Email me: janine.graham@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Onetime sports reporter, chief-of-staff, editor and national digital news editor. Email me: janine.graham@austcommunitymedia.com.au
