With recent wastewater detection of Covid-19 in Tauranga and Mount Maunganui, community spread in the region has seemingly arrived. But are Ministry of Health guidelines of social distancing, signing-in and wearing masks being…
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Morrison government backs COP26 Glasgow outcomes
The Australian Government has released a statement announcing its support for the new climate action deal adopted at the COP26 Glasgow summit this weekend.
The Morrison Government has called the results of the finalisation of the Paris Rulebook "positive", saying it is particularly in favour of the outcomes on international carbon markets (Article 6) and a standardised transparency framework.
"Transparency is the key to accountability and to translating ambition into achievement," the statement from Senator the Hon Marise Payne and The Hon Angus Taylor MP reads.
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"This goes to the heart of the Paris Agreement, which relies on all countries delivering on their commitments to achieve a global net zero outcome."
"Australia's emissions reporting and transparency is the gold standard and we expect all major emitters to display similar levels of transparency."
Australia has doubled its climate finance commitment to $2 billion over the next five years, with more than 70 per cent to be focused on climate resilience and adaptation.
At the summit Australia also joined the Glasgow Breakthroughs Initiative, which sets global goals to make clean technologies the most affordable and accessible option before 2030.
"This initiative is a strong international endorsement of our practical, technology-led approach," the statement reads.
"A focus on reducing the cost of low emissions technologies to parity with existing approaches is the only way to make net zero practically achievable for all countries. "
The Australian Government has therefore committed to investing more than $21 billion in the next generation of low emissions technologies, to drive up to $120 billion of total public and private investment in Australia by 2030.
"Under our Plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, we will act in a practical, responsible way to reduce emissions and build on our track record of achievement – reducing emissions while growing our economy, maintaining affordable, reliable energy and ensuring our regions remain strong."
"That's the Australian way."
At COP26 Australia updated and enhanced its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement to include the net zero emissions by 2050 target, the latest emissions projections to 2030 that will see Australia achieve up to a 35 per cent reduction by 2030, and seven new targets in the form of our low emissions technology stretch goals, which the government says will be critical to achieving our 2030 and 2050 targets through our technology not taxes strategy.
"Australia's 2030 target is fixed and we are committed to meeting and beating it, as we did with our Kyoto-era targets."
Australia's support for the results of the summit come after several countries have said they are deeply disappointed by the move to "phase down," rather than "phase out" coal power.
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Man back in police custody after escaping from hospital in cuffs
A man who allegedly went on the run after he escaped police custody while in handcuffs overnight in South Australia has been found.
Police will allege the man was under guard at Murrary Bridge Hospital, east of Adelaide, when he escaped just before 6.30pm yesterday.
Police said he was handcuffed to the front.
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A search was launched in the Murray Bridge earlier, with police saying they had arrested him shortly after 11am (ACDT).
Police thanked the public for their assistance.
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Alleged gunman hit by police car on the Mornington Peninsula
An alleged gunman has been hit by a police car after he tried to run from police on the Mornington Peninsula.
The 27-year-old Blairgowrie man has been hospitalised following the dramatic arrest in Rosebud yesterday.
According to police, detectives were trying to arrest the man over his alleged involvement in two shooting incidents in Tootgarook in the past three weeks when the man ran in front of a police car and was struck.
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The man suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Police will allege he was behind an attempted home invasion that took place on Kareela Drive, Tootgarook on October 26.
The victim went outside his home about 4am after hearing noises before the Blairgowrie man allegedly demanded the victim hand over keys to his vehicle.
When the victim refused, the man allegedly threatened him with a gun, then fired a shot towards the victim as he ran inside his home.
The shot shattered glass at the front of the home, which hit the victim, who had to be treated for minor injuries.
The man is also alleged to have shot into a moving vehicle on Summerhill Road in Tootgarook on Friday night.
No one was physically injured during the incident and police believe both parties were known to each other.
The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
Russia's daily COVID-19 death toll sets new record
Russia is reporting a new daily high number of COVID-19 deaths, while the total number of coronavirus infections during the pandemic in the country has topped nine million.
The surge in daily deaths and infections that began in mid-September appeared to plateau over the past week, but the national coronavirus task force said Saturday that a record 1241 people died from the virus over the past day, two more than the previous record reported on Wednesday.
The task force said 39,256 new infections were recorded, bringing the country's case total to 9.03 million.
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Russia imposed a "non-working" week in early November, closing many businesses, with the aim of stemming the virus's surge.
Two bills outlining new restriction measures were introduced in parliament on Friday, with the aim of their taking effect next year.
They would restrict access to many public places, as well as domestic and international trains and flights, to those who have been fully vaccinated, have recovered from COVID-19 or are medically exempt from vaccination.
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The surge in infections and deaths comes amid low vaccination rates, lax public attitudes toward taking precautions and the government's reluctance to toughen restrictions.
Fewer than 40 per cent of Russia's nearly 146 million people have been fully vaccinated, even though the country approved a domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine months before most of the world.
In total, the coronavirus task force has reported more than 254,000 deaths — by far the highest death toll in Europe. Some experts believe the true figure is even higher.
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Reports by Russia's statistical service, Rosstat, that tally coronavirus-linked deaths retroactively reveal much higher mortality: 462,000 people with COVID-19 died between April 2020 and September of this year.
Russian officials have said the task force only includes deaths for which COVID-19 was the main cause, and uses data from medical facilities.
Rosstat uses wider criteria for counting virus-related deaths and takes its numbers from civil registry offices where registering a death is finalized.