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Barack Obama called on world leaders to “step up and step up now” to avoid climate degradation, targeting China and Russia as the top countries failing to cut global warming emissions fast enough.
Obama said that while progress has been made in the Glasgow climate talks – including important commitments made by countries to reduce methane emissions and end deforestation – “we are a long way from where we are. have to be “into reducing emissions and that” most nations have not been as ambitious as they should be “.
“It was particularly disheartening to see the leaders of two of the world’s biggest transmitters, China and Russia, refuse to even attend the debates,” the former US president said in a speech to delegates at Cop26, saying echoing criticism of Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin by Joe Biden at the summit last week.
What else did he say? He said that “there are times when I feel discouraged, there are times when the future looks somewhat bleak”, adding that “images of dystopia begin to creep into my dreams”.
What did Obama say to young activists and indigenous people who were disappointed with the promises made at Cop26? He said “imperfect compromises” will be needed to deal with the climate emergency. “Belt for a marathon, not a sprint. “
Trump ‘throws sand’ in probe into Capitol attack amid legal setbacks
Donald Trump has suffered a series of legal setbacks and other looms, as he fights a court battle to prevent a House committee from obtaining the White House files for its investigation into the assault on the Capitol January 6 and a new grand jury begins to hear evidence of possible crimes by his real estate company.
Former justice officials and legal scholars say Trump’s long-standing penchant for using prosecutions to push back investigations and opponents appears weaker now that he’s out of the White House and facing legal threats on several fronts.
The list of significant legal setbacks is long for the former president and real estate mogul who has long had a reputation for threatening to sue his enemies.
Meanwhile, the panel investigating the attack on the Capitol has issued subpoenas to six of Donald Trump’s associates involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results from a “command center” at the hotel. Willard in Washington DC.
Who was subpoenaed? Lawyer John Eastman, Trump Campaign Manager Bill Stepien, Trump Advisor Jason Miller, Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, Trump Campaign Aide Angela McCallum and Former Police Department Commissioner of New York Bernard Kerik.
Astroworld disaster fuels wave of Satanic conspiracy theories on TikTok
Videos of the Astroworld mob crash that killed eight people flooded TikTok over the weekend. But conspiracy theories have also flourished alongside graphic images, accusing rapper Travis Scott, who founded and performed at the festival, of orchestrating a massive satanic ritual.
“It’s not a festival, it’s a sacrifice,” one comment read. “The music industry is evil and collects souls,” read another comment with 34,000 likes.
Despite its absurdity, the theory has steadily gained traction – with phrases like “demonic astroworld”, “astroworld illuminati” and “astroworld upside down” trending among other AstroWorld content on the platform. .
Experts say the viral disinformation illustrates how increasingly sensitive young social media users are to fringe conspiracy theories, despite their reputation as savvy “digital natives”.
Why do people believe in theories? Internet users have seized several wacky “symbols” present at the concert, including images of flames and doves on fire.
What else has happened since the disaster? Scott and Drake have both been prosecuted for “instigating chaos,” a law firm has confirmed.
In other news …
Two Californian couples gave birth to each other after confusion at fertility clinic and spent months raising children who weren’t their own before swapping the infants, according to a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles.
A North Dakota Republican who staged a rally to oppose Covid-19 vaccination warrants said he would not attend the event – because he was infected with Covid-19. State Representative Jeff Hoverson posted on Facebook on Sunday that he was “in quarantine and every day is getting better.”
Head of Canada’s largest airline faces public outrage and calls for resignation after delivering speech in English to Quebec business leaders – a misstep that ignited long-standing grievances over language rights where French is the only official language.
Singapore to No Longer Pay Covid-19 Medical Bills for People ‘Not Vaccinated by Choice’, Government Says, as the country grapples with an increase in the number of cases. He said unvaccinated people “contribute disproportionately to the strain on our health resources.”
Statistics of the day: people who go to bed at midnight are linked to a 25% higher risk of heart disease
When it comes to sleep, Goldilocks may have argued that the trick is to finding a ‘right’ bed, but research suggests that there may also be an optimal time to fall asleep – at least. when it comes to heart health. Neither too early nor too late, the sweet spot being between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. The study, based on data from more than 88,000 UK Biobank participants, suggests that falling asleep at 10 p.m. or soon after is associated with a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared to falling asleep earlier or later in the night.
Don’t miss this: why don’t we dump toxic friends?
A toxic friend can seem like an oxymoron: unlike families or co-workers, where we might be forced to maintain bonds, most friendships end with us. Yet almost everyone has someone on their social network that they have mixed feelings about, says Julianne Holt-Lunstad, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. “The distinction seems to be that there are some people who just have more than others,” she says. Holt-Lunstad started a study on “ambivalent relationships” and found that study participants’ interactions with these kinds of friends were associated with increased stress and cardiovascular responsiveness.
Climate balance: around 26,000 tonnes of Covid plastic waste pollutes the world’s oceans – study
Plastic waste from the Covid-19 pandemic weighing 25,900 tonnes, the equivalent of more than 2,000 double-decker buses, has spilled into the ocean, research has found. Poorly managed plastic waste, consisting of personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves, far exceeded countries’ ability to handle it properly, researchers said. Since the start of the pandemic, around 8.4 million tonnes of plastic waste has been generated in 193 countries, according to the report released on Monday.
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Last thing: a collector exhibits the world’s worst album art
There is the album cover with the band in rabbits, or the one with a harmony duo emerging from the water wearing only their underwear and ties, but the most confusing is surely the concert guitarist. shown in a tuxedo and without pants. Why? “I have no idea, sorry,” says Steve Goldman, who owns around 300 records that can claim to have some of the worst covers in the world. Goldman, 55, has obsessively collected the records for the past five years and this week shares them with the public at an exhibit raising funds for charity.
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