welcome to bbc news — broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. i'm reged ahmad. our top stories: a stark warning about climate change. as a key un summit opens, experts say the threat posed by rising temperatures has never been worse. after some of the worst riots in paris for decades, president macron‘s government promises tough action against anyone who resorted to violence. the fashion group ted baker says there will be an independent investigation into claims its chief executive forced staff to let him hug them. and down on one knee, then down the drain. new york police reunite the couple with their engagement ring, that fell down a grate in times square. hello and welcome.

this year is going to be one of the four hottest on record. that's the warning from the united nations climate chief patricia espinosa, who was speaking in poland at the start of an international conference on tackling climate change. she says global warming is posing a greater threat to humanity than ever before and called for everyone to grasp the reality of the situation. the effects that are happening are being — are affecting communities around the world, casualties, destruction in so many places, suffering, a lot of suffering derived from the consequences of climate change, just make it — really make our work more urgent. a very tough message there from the united nations, but it seems it isn't necessarily getting through. cutting back on the use of fossil

fuels like oil and coal is seen as vital if we want to reduce emissions which contribute to climate change. but in poland — the host for this summit — that's just not happening. our science editor david shukman reports. a mountain of coal lies freshly dug at a mine, one of many here in southern poland at the centre of arguments over what to do about global warming. ok, so we're on our way down. and i'm starting to feel the air pressure on my ears now. we arrive in an underworld, nearly one kilometre down. our first sight of the mining process. this coal is used to make steel, but most is burned to generate electricity. we're led through a series of long, dark tunnels, picking our way very carefully. we reach a tangle of cables and pipes, and the rock above us keeps shifting. that sound of rock cascading comes with the odd very loud crack.

it's incredibly unsettling. we're told, don't worry, it's just the rock working, as they call it. this is literally the coal face, and despite that spray of water, it's amazingly dusty down here, and very noisy. a really hostile place to work, and because coal can be so polluting, many countries, including britain, have moved away from it, but here in poland, thousands of people work in the coal mines. coal is a mainstay of the polish economy. so while climate scientists say the world should move away from coal, here, it looks set to last for decades. the miners are worried because the un climate conference is discussing a future without coal. but back at the surface, one green campaigner offers

a different vision, of clean solar power. he knows he's outnumbered here. burning coal, burning fossilfuels, using fossil fuels in the energy sector, it is a source of huge co2 emissions, and it hurts our climate, it hurts our planet. this region has some of the dirtiest air in europe, something that'll focus minds as the climate talks get under way. david shukman, bbc news, in poland. mark howden is the director of the climate change institute at the australian national university in canberra. he also shared the nobel peace prize with the ipcc and al gore in 2007 for his contribution to climate change research. to. as we were just hearing, this conference is being held in a

country that is still committed to coal powered energy. —— thank you for your time. given some of the challengers, how optimistic you feel that this particular conference can bring about any sort of consensus about how we can make the changes we need to tackle climate change? thank you. i guess it is a classic example of the challenge that the paris agreement has in terms of being operationalised, in terms of making ita operationalised, in terms of making it a reality, we have a country which has a heavy dependence on fossilfuel, so which has a heavy dependence on fossil fuel, so there which has a heavy dependence on fossilfuel, so there is which has a heavy dependence on fossil fuel, so there is a which has a heavy dependence on fossilfuel, so there is a lot which has a heavy dependence on fossil fuel, so there is a lot of industry, a lot of governments which actually related to that and a lot of community support for that, and so of community support for that, and so changing that around is a classic case study of the things that we need to do. how do we have a just transition from where we have been in terms of our energy sources where we need to be to meet the paris agreement? given that this conference is about how to make the paris agreement a reality, isn't there a real issue that they may not

be able to come up with a result at such a divided time? look, i think that that actually is a real challenge, so it is very complex set arrangements in terms of essentially establishing the rule book for the paris agreement, that is how we can actually put that into practice on the ground. it also, how to build up the ground. it also, how to build up the ambition for future emissions targets, so how do we increase emissions reductions that have already been agreed on in the paris agreement? and to do that, there are lots of different components are related to each other, so the elements in relation to say adaptation relate to what happens in terms of loss damage, and what happens in loss and damages related to what happens in the finance systems. and so, this is a set of negotiations with many moving parts in many different components, many of which are not necessarily agreed across the different countries there. a lot of the focus has been

on the united states are drawing from the paris agreement, the us is a big polluter. at a crucial part of this or can the world change without? i think what we have already seen this many countries and groups of countries stepping up to the mark. —— are they. and saying at the mark. —— are they. and saying at the us is stepping out, we are going to step in. it is notjust the eu, it is not just to step in. it is notjust the eu, it is notjust china that is doing that, but also many governments and businesses and communities and cities in the us are saying the same thing. if the federal government, the us government is not going to step in and live up to the paris agreement commitments, they will. so we are seeing agreement commitments, they will. so we are seeing very agreement commitments, they will. so we are seeing very much a change in the geopolitics of power within our systems, but also happening at the domestic level. so we are seeing governments and local governments and others stepping in and starting to ta ke

and others stepping in and starting to take over where arguably, it is the national government should be acting best. talking about the domestic agenda, as in australia, i have to ask you about the australian government, which very much the conservatives appear to almost deny climate change is happening, and australia is a very rich country. given we are seeing that on a particular level, doesn't that mean it is going to be really hard to get any sort of consensus? well, it is very interesting you raise that. so the vast majority of australians, over three quarters of australians, when survey, say they want more action on climate change, even if it cost them personally some money. to the vast majority of australians say yes, we want more action at the politics has been really problematic and polarises several years, and thatis and polarises several years, and that is actually slowing down action on climate change. —— polarised for several years. recently there was a un emissions a port but actually assessed our policies and said those

policies are not adequate to actually meet our national paris agreement targets, and in fact, even the government's own projections say we are going to fall short of our paris agreement commitments. there isa paris agreement commitments. there is a really interesting gap in australia where the gap between public opinion and public policy is growing, and at some stage, that will have to close. always, thank you very much for your time. thank you. -- all right. the french president emmanuel macron has held emergency talks, following some of the worst rioting in paris in recent years. police say they arrested more than 400 people and more than 100 were injured, after protests against high fuel taxes and rising prices erupted into violence. from paris, lucy williamson reports. france's scars are visible today, burnt into its most exclusive streets. the cost of economic conflict, long felt outside the city centres, now being scrubbed inch—by—inch from the capital's face. last night's violence showed this

movement changing, anarchists and agitators nowjoining in. but even some peaceful protesters say france's institutions are not working and rebellion is overdue. mr macron met his government for a crisis meeting today. one option on the total, a state of emergency. —— table. the president was booed as he arrived to thank the fireman on duty for the protest. fresh in the battles of the g20 summit in argentina, he is facing even tougher diplomacy at home. —— fresh from. the most popular demand at protest sites around the country, president macron resigned. they are cleaning off the graffiti now that the discontent that sparked this movement is harder to wipe away.

president macron has cast himself as an economic reformer, who stands firm against protestors, but when protestors simply the french people? this man will be 70 next month that he was at the protests too. possession back the proteas had gone smoothly, but it would have come back from argentina and that it is all fine, back from argentina and that it is allfine, i back from argentina and that it is all fine, i will not change anything, i will stay into my position. —— stay with my position. sad to say, but it is the truth. among the targets last night was yasmin‘s car. she's not a government representative, but a single parent, with five children. translation: i understand the protestors, but the way they are acting right now, no. we are not dying from hunger, we have social care. it's not perfect, but i also work and raise my kids, i suffer from the tax rises too. mr macron build his presidency and a

divided opposition. this new movement is united for now, led by social media, not by politicians. how much will it damage the man who leads france? lucy williamson, bbc news, paris. in regional elections in southern spain, a far—right party has won seats for the first time since military rule under general franco. in a resurgence of nationalism that has marked elections in other parts of europe, the vox party won 12 seats in andalusia — making it a potential kingmaker in any future right—wing coalition. the governing socialist party gained more seats than any other party, but with a reduced majority. it may try to form a coalition with the left—wing podemos, to fend off a challenge from the centre—right. the international fashion brand ted baker has promised an independent investigation into allegations of what's described as "forced hugging" by its chief executive. ray kelvin is pictured here. he usually chooses to be photographed not showing his face. staff have begun an online petition

accusing the 62—year—old founder of verbal, physical and sexual harrassment — claims they say are entirely at odds with the company's values. our business correspondent joe miller has the details. an anonymous petition was posted online just a few days ago and it's already garnered around 2000 signatures. and in it, employees at ted baker, accused the compa ny‘s boss, ray kelvin, who took it from glasgow selling shirts to a globalfashion phenomenon, not only engages employees in unwanted embraces, but has also asked female workers to sit on his knee and whether they could masssage their ears. they also say he engages in sexual innuendo and the creator of the petition said when they went to hr to complain, they were told that this is just what he is like.

ted baker has issued a statement, saying that these allegations are not in line with the values of but they do say that hugging has become part of the culture at ted baker, even though they say it is always voluntary and they say that the boss often greets people, whether they are shareholders or business partners, or colleagues, with a hug. do stay with us on bbc news, still to come: less cheers for beers — are australians falling out of love with alcohol? it's quite clear that the worst victims of this disaster are the poor people living in the slums which have sprung up around the factory. i am feeling so helpless that the children are dying in front of me and i can't do anything. charles manson is the mystical leader of the hippie cult suspected of killing sharon tate and at least six other people in los angeles. at 11am this morning,

just half a metre of rock separated britain from continental europe. it took the drills just a few moments to cut through the final obstacle. then philippe cozette, a minerfrom calais, was shaking hands and exchanging flags with robert fagg, his opposite number from dover. this is bbc news, the latest headlines: the un warns the threat posed to all of us by climate change has never been this serious as a global climate summit opens with a push to cut emissions. the french government says it will use the full force of the law to pursue those who resorted to violence during anti—government protests. with nine days to go

until the british prime minister's brexit deal is put to a parliamentary vote, mps have been warned that a failure to support her could lead to leaving without an agreement, or no brexit at all. michael gove, who was one of the leaders of the leave campaign in 2016, said on sunday that while the deal was not perfect, voting it down could result in another referendum. labour has said it will push for a no—confidence vote if theresa may loses on the 11th of december. 0ur political correspondent ben wright reports. after meeting world leaders in argentina, theresa may returns to the harsh political realities of westminster where she has nine days to sell her brexit deal to a deeply sceptical parliament. the area in which i have the greatest concern... ministers accept the agreement on the table is a compromise but today received a punchy sales pitch from a key brexit—supporting member of the cabinet. this deal, of course, is not perfect. but it does provide those of us

who campaigned to leave with an opportunity to take back control of our borders and have control of immigration policy. it means we end the huge automatic sums that go to the eu every week, and it gives us the capacity in huge sectors of our economy to diverge, if we think that's right. one of the leading figures in the leave campaign, michael gove, has stuck by the prime minister, —— michael gove has stuck by the prime minister, refusing to follow other brexiteers out of the cabinet, and mr gove says tory mps who want to leave the eu have no choice but to vote for the deal. i reflected long and hard about this deal but i concluded, like lots of people, that while it is imperfect, it is the right thing to do. but former allies in the brexit cause have split, and dozens of tory mps who hate the compromise deal remain determined to defeat it in the commons. it is hugely difficult. this is an important issue, it is a big step to vote against something

that your government, your prime minister is advocating, and i don't really believe the sort of the fanciful numbers about 100 conservative mps voting against it. but there will be at least 40, i think, who have such grave reservations willjust have to vote against it. the withdrawal deal contains a mechanism for guaranteeing no checks on the irish border after brexit. it would kick in if a trade deal between the uk and the eu can't be agreed on time. —— if a trade deal between the uk and the eu can't be agreed in time. theresa may's critics warn the uk could be stuck in this arrangement indefinitely, and want to see the government's full legal advice. that will be the battle in the house of commons tomorrow, when the attorney—general makes a statement to mps. it will be the first skirmish in what will be a compelling and profoundly important few days in parliament, leading up to the big vote on december 11th. theresa may has very little time to persuade her mps to back her plan, and the question then, that nobody can answer, is what happens

if a deal is rejected? —— is what happens if her deal is rejected? if she loses that vote, the legislation we have passed says she must come back to the house and make a statement about what she's going to do next. now, technically, she has 21 days to do that but she will probably come back the next day, so we'll see what that is, but it seems to me if the prime minister has lost a vote of that sort of significance, then there has to be a question of confidence in the government. and labour hopes that might lead to a general election. some tory mps will urge the government to leave the eu with no deal, but pressure will continue to build too, for the whole issue to be put back to voters. —— but pressure will continue to build for the whole issue to be put back to voters. that's a choice parliament's clearly struggling to come to terms with and can't agree on, so i think it's the best thing now, given we had a referendum in the first place, let's go back to the public — they can give their informed consent on the way forward. last week, theresa may plugged her brexit on a tour of the country. -- last week, theresa may

plugged her brexit plan on a tour of the country. but it's mps she needs to convince. her future, the country's future, will be decided during a critical winter in politics. ben wright, bbc news. of course here on bbc news that will bring you all the details on that folk in nine days, a crucial vote and if you want more explanation on brexit, there is a lot to explain, a lot ofjargon and it is all on our website. now, for something different. australians have a reputation for being rather fond of alcoholic drinks, but it seems that claim might not be rooted in reality — at least, not if you look at officialfigures, which suggest consumption has fallen to their lowest levels in decades. according to the research, the average australian will, each year, knock back 224 cans of beer and 38 bottles of wine but the same statistics also suggest that one fifth of the australian population are tee—total, meaning they never drink any alcohol at all. phil mercer has the story. believe it or not,

alcohol consumption in fun—loving australia is at its lowest since the early 1960s. beer, wine and spirits are still a big part of life here, but in a land with a busy reputation, —— but in a land with a boozy reputation, it is young people who are drinking less. i think it is really interesting. i think we have turned a corner. over the last decade, we have recently seen an improvement with less binge drinking, less accidents with alcohol—related risk among younger people. i think we are seeing issues related to lifestyle and being healthier coming to play. australia's tastes are changing. small craft brewers say that beer made with more native ingredients is becoming more popular, as drinkers choose quality over quantity. people drinking less, but drinking better. so instead of taking their $30 into a pub and saying "i want to get as many beers as i can out of this," they are actually saying

"i want to have the best experience that i can." so i might go in and i might only get two beers out of this, but i will have an experience. iam going i am going to take something, i am going to hear a story, i am going to be transported by this be up. —— beer. australians do love to party. for many, drinking is a national pastime, especially on days where there are major sporting events. alcohol here is widely available and is relatively cheap. foremost, it's just a bit of fun, —— for most, it'sjust a bit of fun, a social lubricant that helps them to relax. but for others, alcohol has a far darker side. this march in sydney has celebrated those trying to conquer their addictions. alcohol is still australia's most lethal drug, killing more people this year than all illicit substances put together. for some, it is a demon that is hard to overcome. ijust knew that ijust needed alcohol to make me feel good, keep me that confidence, allow me to

get out of bed or whatever. just not wanting to live anymore. so recovery has really given me a new gift of life and just the opportunity to be that mother and that person i am meant to be. the australia government recommends no more than two standard drinks each day. that plea for moderation appears to be working. although australia's love affair with booze might be fading, it is still a place that loves to party. phil mercer, bbc news, sydney. this story has enchanted many people. police in new york say they have found a couple who lost an engagement ring downa drain, thanks to people sharing the story on twitter. the man had proposed to his girlfriend on friday night but shortly afterwards, they dropped the ring in times square. lebo diseko has the details. a moment to remember but for the wrong reasons. the couple lose their

engagement ring down a grate in new york. they were walking through times square after the groom had p°pped times square after the groom had popped the question earlier in the day when the ring slipped off the bride—to—be finger and down the trailfor bride—to—be finger and down the trail for grate. bride—to—be finger and down the trailfor grate. the bride—to—be finger and down the trail for grate. the couple searched for two hours, to no avail and eventually gave up, thinking it was lost for ever and in the new york public police. it opened up the covering and continued the search after the couple had gone. when it had not been retrieved that evening, these offices came back the next day and found it. a very lucky break. these offices came back the next day and found it. a very lucky breakm is like finding a needle in a haystack because we have been plenty of these searches were we have come up of these searches were we have come up with nothing unfortunately u nfortu nately up with nothing unfortunately unfortunately this one has a good ending. the only problem was they did not have the couple ‘s details to the next challenge was to find them. the nypd put up a twitter call to action in asking new yorkers to help track the couple down. twitter worked its magic and the two were found. their names arejohn and

daniela and they were told the good news by friends moment after landing backin news by friends moment after landing back in the uk. they say they are overjoyed and have promised the police a special mention on their big day. lebo diseko, bbc news. it isa it is a lovely ring and she tweeted afterward she was proposed to in central park but it fell off over the drain which is unfortunate but we are so happy they have their lovely ring back. a reminder of our top story: the united nations climate chief has warned that global warming is posing a greater threat to humanity than ever before. patricia espinosa was speaking at the start of an international conference in poland on tackling climate change. she said this year was going to be one of the four hottest on record and everyone needed to grasp the reality of the situation. stay with us here on bbc world news. hello.

more rain for parts of england and wales in the day ahead. tuesday, quieterforall, but then the weather gets pretty busy again from wednesday, as we will see. a chilly start the further north you are as monday begins and in scotland, the risk of ice on untreated services because we had wet weather overnight clearing away, allowing temperatures to dip away. as we go on through the day, this is the area of cloud. showers and outbreaks of rain moving through england and wales, producing heavy bursts, squally winds, south wales and south—west england too. northernmost counties of northern england and northern ireland and much of scotland will stay dry and sunny. 0n the northerly breeze, quite chilly and further showers running into northern scotland. wintry in nature to relatively low ground as we go through the late afternoon evening, but a big range of temperatures, very mild across south wales and southern england, with temperatures approaching the mid—teens. 0n the northerly flow, that colder air filters southwards across all parts into monday night and tuesday morning. we noticed showers around scotland, wintry in nature and a dusting of snow possible and icy patches again, as tuesday begins. but it does look like a widespread frost

is going to be the most noticeable part of tuesday morning and there could be a few fog patches around as well. we know it is going to be cold as tuesday begins, but there will be plenty of sunshine around. temperatures will be held down into single figures, despite the sunshine, after that cold, frosty start and this looks to be the coldest day of the week, more widely speaking. then the weather is about to change once more. notice an area of cloud or rain pushing into the far south—west, while many stay dry during daylight hours, it seems rain approaching in cornwall and devon. this next weather system, the busy part of the week starts to take its wet weather northwards across part of england and wales into northern ireland through tuesday night into wednesday morning. it hasn't finished there either. still some uncertainty about the northern extent, but it could wish into parts of scotland, we know there is a cold air in place, we could see snow on the hills out of that and still big a range of temperatures north to south across the uk, northern scotland

more likely to stay dry and avoid this weather system. there will be another one coming in from the atlantic as we go through thursday, the rain does not look perfectly happy and by the end of the week, a deepening area of low pressure system weather but also stronger wind, gales or severe gales in places as we go into friday. yes, looking pretty busy from wednesday onwards, but it is particularly on friday that there is a risk of seeing some disruptive winds. still chilly in the north, mild in the south. bye bye. this is bbc news. the headlines: the united nations climate chief has warned that global warming is posing a greater risk to humanity than ever before. she told an international conference on climate change that this year was going to be one of the four hottest on record. the frenchjustice minister has promised that the courts will be tough on people who resorted to violence in anti—government protests on saturday. the paris police chief said ball bearings and hammers were thrown

at the security forces. nearly 400 people were arrested. in regional elections in southern spain, a far—right party has won seats for the first time since military rule under the dictator general franco. the vox party won 12 seats in andalusia — making it a potential kingmaker in any future right—wing coalition. those are the latest headlines. it's about 2:30am. now on bbc news, the week in parliament.