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Philippines ‘prepares for worst’ after oil spill

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The Philippine Coast Guard has deployed floating barriers and suction hoses to contain an oil spill and prevent it from reaching the capital, Manila.

Authorities are racing to stop the oil spill from the 65-metre-long (213 feet) MT Terra Nova, which capsized on Thursday as monsoon rains battered large swathes of the country.

The leak appeared to be coming from the ship’s engine, not its cargo tank, which was carrying close to 1.5 million litres of industrial fuel, officials said.

There are fears that the spill, which stretches out over several kilometres, could be the worst in the country’s history if it is not contained.

The coast guard is “preparing for the worst”, said Rear Admiral Armand Balilo, the coast guard spokesman.

The area is also popular with fishermen and there are fears the spill could affect both the fishing industry and marine life.

“We are talking about industrial fuel here… It will definitely affect the marine environment and could even reach us here in Manila,” said Rear Adm Balilo.

Hernando Bacosa, an environmental sciences expert at the Mindanao State University, told the BBC that the amount of oil the MT Terra Nova was carrying would warrant the issuance of the country’s highest oil spill alert.

“Manila Bay is where the Port of Manila is, the biggest port in the Philippines and the center of trade and economic activity. This could possibly paralyse the capital and the neighbouring areas,” he said.

Rear Adm Balilo estimated that it would take a week to drain oil from the ship, which capsized in an area with a depth of 34 metres (111 feet), according to initial assessments.

However, Mr Bacosa said the relatively shallow terrain could make it easier to siphon oil from the sea.

He compared it with an incident last year where an oil tanker sank off the coast of another Philippine province at a depth of almost 400 metres (1,312 feet) – stating that the deep waters made it more different to clean up the oil.

The MT Princess Empress had been carrying 800,000 litres of industrial fuel oil – coating beaches in black sludge when it spilt.

(BBC News)

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Snow back on Mount Fuji after longest absence

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Japan’s Mount Fuji has seen its first snowfall after going through the longest period without snow since records began 130 years ago.

Snow fell on Japan’s highest peak about a month later than expected, as the country recovers from one of its hottest summers on record.

It was met with celebration on social media, with locals sharing photos of the mountain.

Mount Fuji is one of Japan’s most popular tourist attractions and has inspired centuries of artwork.

The snow was spotted on Wednesday, 5 November, by the Japan Meteorological Agency’s branch in Shizuoka.

In 2023, snow was first seen on the summit on 5 October, according to AFP news agency. The previous record for the latest snowfall was 26 October, which was seen twice before in 1955 and 2016.

“Oh, I’ve been waiting for this,” one X user commented.

“I’ve never been so excited for the first snowfall this year,” another X user said.

“Finally … Makeup makes you look even more beautiful,” another X user said, referring to the snow-dusted peak.

The weather agency’s Kofu office is expected to make an official announcement on the exact date the snow fell. It said it could not see the peak clearly on Wednesday.

However, Japanese news agency Kyodo was able to take photos of the snowy peak on Wednesday from a helicopter.

Located south-west of Tokyo, Mount Fuji stands at 3,776m (12,460 ft). It last erupted just over 300 years ago and is visible from the capital on a clear day.

Japan had its joint hottest summer on record this year with temperatures between June and August being 1.76C (3.1F) higher than an average.

In September, temperatures continued to be warmer than expected as the sub-tropical jet stream’s more northerly position allowed a warmer southerly flow of air over Japan.

A jet stream is a fast-flowing current of air that travels around the planet. It occurs when warmer air from the south meets cooler air from the north.

(BBC News)

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Australia plans social media ban for under-16s

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Anthony Albanese says his government consulted with parents, social media platforms and experts about the age limit

Australia’s government says it will introduce “world-leading” legislation to ban children under 16 from social media.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the proposed laws, to be tabled in parliament next week, were aimed at mitigating the “harm” social media was inflicting on Australian children.

“This one is for the mums and dads… They, like me, are worried sick about the safety of our kids online. I want Australian families to know that the government has your back,” he said.

While many of the details are yet to be debated, the government said the ban will not apply to young people already on social media.

There will be no exemptions on the age limit for children who have consent from their parents. The government says that the onus will be on social media platforms to show they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access.

Albanese said there would be no penalties for users, and that it would be up to Australia’s online regulator – the eSafety Commissioner – to enforce the laws.

The legislation would come into force 12 months after it passes and be subject to a review after it’s in place.

While most experts agree that social media platforms can harm the mental health of adolescents, many are split over the efficacy of trying to outlaw them all together.

Some experts argue that bans only delay young people’s exposure to apps such as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, instead of teaching them how to navigate complex online spaces.

Previous attempts at restricting access, including by the European Union, have largely failed or faced backlash from tech firms. And questions remain over how implementation would work given there are tools which can circumvent age-verification requirements.

One of Australia’s largest advocacy groups for child rights has criticised the proposed ban as “too blunt an instrument”.

In an open letter sent to the government in October, signed by over 100 academics and 20 civil society organisations, the Australian Child Rights Taskforce called on Albanese to instead look at imposing “safety standards” on social media platforms.

The group also pointed to UN advice that “national policies” designed to regulate online spaces “should be aimed at providing children with the opportunity to benefit from engaging with the digital environment and ensuring their safe access to it”.

But other grassroots campaigners have lobbied Australia’s government for the laws, saying bans are needed to protect children from harmful content, misinformation, bullying and other social pressures.

A petition by the 36Months initiative, which has over 125,000 signatures, argues children are “not yet ready to navigate online social networks safely” until at least 16, and that currently “excessive social media use is rewiring young brains within a critical window of psychological development, causing an epidemic of mental illness”.

When asked whether there should be broader efforts to educate children about how to navigate the benefits and risks of being online, Albanese said that such an approach would be insufficient because it “assumes an equal power relationship”.

“I don’t know about you, but I get things popping up on my system that I don’t want to see. Let alone a vulnerable 14-year-old,” he told reporters on Thursday.

“These tech companies are incredibly powerful. These apps have algorithms that drive people towards certain behaviour.”

(BBC News)

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Trump declares victory

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Donald Trump declares victory in the US election as he addresses jubilant supporters in Florida.
“America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate,” he says to cheering crowds.

The Republican has picked up the battleground states of Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia, leaving Kamala Harris with only a narrow path to victory.

Just before Trump began speaking, Fox News projected that he had won the election.

(BBC News)

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