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2017 'very likely' in top three warmest years on record
Globally, temperatures in 2017 look set to be the third highest on record The year 2017 is "very likely" to be in the top three warmest years on record, according to provisional figures from the World Meteorological Organization. The WMO says it will likely be the hottest year in the absence of the El Nino phenomenon. The scientists argue that the long-term trend of warming driven by human activities continues unabated. They say many of the "extraordinary" weather events seen this year bear the hallmarks of climate change. On the opening day of this year's key UN climate talks, researchers from the WMO have presented their annual State of the Global Climate report. It follows hot on the heels of their greenhouse gases study from last week which found that concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere were the highest on record. Record surge in atmospheric CO2 in 2016 UN: Emissions gap is 'alarmingly high' What is climate change? While the new study only covers January to September, the WMO says the average global temperature was 1.1C above the pre-industrial figure. This is getting dangerously close to the 1.5 degrees threshold that many island states feel temperatures must be kept under to ensure their survival. The analysis suggests that 2017 is likely to come in 0.47C warmer than the 1981-2010 average. This is slightly down on 2016 when the El Nino weather phenomenon saw temperatures that were 0.56C above the average. According to the WMO, this year vies with 2015 to be the second or third warmest mark yet recorded.
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Mugabe sacks 'disloyal' Vice-President Mnangagwa
Mr Mnangagwa, 75, displayed "traits of disloyalty", Information Minister Simon Khaya Moyo said. His removal makes it more likely that President Robert Mugabe's wife Grace will follow in her husband's footsteps as leader of Zimbabwe. She had earlier called on her husband to remove his vice-president. "Mr Mnangagwa's conduct in discharge of his duties is inconsistent with the responsibilities," Information Minister Simon Moyo said. "The vice-president has exhibited traits of disloyalty", he added. Mr Mnangagwa, a former intelligence chief, had been a leading candidate to succeed President Mugabe. His sacking means Grace Mugabe is expected to be appointed Vice-President at a special congress of the ruling Zanu-PF party next month.
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Plastic problem being discussed
There's 8 million tonnes of plastic in the world's oceans so now experts are talking about what to do.