Forest fires push up greenhouse gas emissions from war in Ukraine

Emissions estimated at 55m tonnes in 2024 and nearly 230m tonnes in three years of war

The burning of Ukraine’s forests at unprecedented rates over the past year has helped push the total greenhouse emissions from the war since Russia’s full-scale invasion to almost 230m tonnes, analysis shows.

The study, published on the third anniversary of the invasion, found the fighting and its consequences had led to 55m tonnes of emissions in the past 12 months.

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Antioxidants in fruits and flowers seem to counteract harmful effects of microplastics, study shows

Anthocyanins in nuts, fruits and vegetables seem to lesson harmful effects of microplastics on reproductive systems

Antioxidants that give fruits and flowers their vibrant colors seem to counteract some of the most dangerous reproductive system effects of exposure to microplastics, such as decreased fertility, and could ultimately be used in developing treatments, new peer-reviewed research shows.

The paper focused on microplastics’ reproductive toxicity and plant compounds called anthocyanins, which are widely found in nuts, fruits and vegetables. The new review of scientific literature on anthocyanins found that the compounds are probably protective against a range of plastic-induced impacts on hormones, reductions in testosterone and estrogen, decreased sperm counts, lower sperm quality, erectile dysfunction and ovarian damage.

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UN ‘gravely concerned by rising violence’ in West Bank; Gaza ceasefire in doubt as first phase nears end – Middle East crisis live

Israeli tanks in West Bank for first time in more than two decades amid tensions over ceasefire agreement with Hamas

Hamas official Basem Naim has been talking to Al Jazeera about the precocious Gaza ceasefire deal which looks increasingly like it will collapse. As a reminder, Benjamin Netanyahu has delayed the handover of 620 Palestinians indefinitely as he is demanding Hamas stop what he called its “cynical use of hostages for propaganda”.

Naim – a member of Hamas’s political bureau - said the Israeli prime minister is “intentionally sabotaging” the truce agreement. He told Al Jazeera:

Before going to the next step, we have to be sure that the past step, which was releasing 620 prisoners, are already released.

Because Netanyahu is clearly sending strong messages that he is intentionally sabotaging the deal; he is preparing the atmosphere for returning back to the war.

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Confusion at US agencies over whether to comply with Elon Musk email demanding workers justify their jobs – US politics live

Government agencies give conflicting advice after email from Elon Musk demanding employees list accomplishments from past week

Elon Musk said on Monday that starting this week, government workers would be put on administrative leave if they fail to return to the office.

Musk, who is leading a downsizing effort at the US government wrote on X:

Those who ignored President Trump’s executive order to return to work have now received over a month’s warning.

Starting this week, those who still fail to return to office will be placed on administrative leave.

French President Emmanuel Macron will meet with Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, saying he will present “proposals for action” to counter the “Russian threat” in Europe and ensure peace in Ukraine.

Conservative podcaster Dan Bongino has been appointed as FBI deputy director. Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and NYPD officer turned conservative radio host, puts a second Trump ally at the top of the agency. Trump announced the appointment on Sunday night in a post on his Truth Social platform, praising Bongino as “a man of incredible love and passion for our country”.

The Trump administration on Sunday said it was placing all but a handful of USAid personnel around the world on paid administrative leave and eliminating about 2,000 of those positions in the US, according to a notice sent to agency workers and posted online.

More than 150,000 people from Canada have signed a parliamentary petition calling for their country to strip Elon Musk’s Canadian citizenship because of the tech billionaire’s alliance with Donald Trump, who has spent his second US presidency repeatedly threatening to conquer its independent neighbor to the north and turn it into its 51st state.

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Starmer announces ‘UK’s largest packet of sanctions’ against Russia since early days of war with Ukraine – UK politics live

​PM says Trump has ‘changed global conversation on Ukraine’ as he pledges more military aid and sanctions

Keir Starmer called for support for Ukraine to be boosed in three ways in his virtual speech to the conference in Kyiv.

First, military support should increase, he said.

The UK is doing that, providing £4.5bn pounds in military aid this year, more than ever before. We’re doing more than ever to train Ukrainian troops helping Ukraine to mobilise even further. And we are proud to have taken on the leadership of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

So today, we’re announcing the UK’s largest packet of sanctions since the early days of the war, going after Russia’s shadow fleet and going after companies in China and elsewhere who are sending military component.

Later day, I will be discussing further steps with the G7. But I am clear that the G7 should be ready to take on more risk, including the oil price cap, sanctioning Russia’s oil giants and going off the banks that are enabling the evasion of sanctions.

President Trump has changed the global conversation over the last few weeks, and it has created an opportunity.

Now we must get the fundamentals right if we want peace to endure. Ukraine must have a seat at the table, and any settlement must be based on a sovereign Ukraine backed up with strong security guarantees.

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First Thing: Zelenskyy hails ‘three years of resistance’ on anniversary of Russian invasion

It follows Russia’s biggest ever aerial attack on Ukraine. Plus, far-right AfD doubles support in German election

Good morning.

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, hailed “three years of resistance … three years of absolute heroism of Ukrainians”, as foreign leaders arrived in Kyiv to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

What’s the latest war news? Russia launched its biggest drone attack on Ukraine, using 267 drones and killing at least four people.

What did Zelenskyy say about US demands? He claimed the Trump administration was asking Ukraine to pay back $2 for every $1 of military aid the US provides going forward.

What do we know about the death toll after three years of war? Zelenskyy said in December that 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed, with 370,000 injured. US officials estimated last October that 600,000 Russian troops had been killed or wounded. In November, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights verified 12,162 civilians killed, including 659 children, though the total is likely much higher.

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UK delays plans to regulate AI as ministers seek to align with Trump administration

Exclusive: Government reluctant to take action that could weaken UK’s attractiveness to AI firms, says Labour source

Ministers have delayed plans to regulate artificial intelligence as the UK government seeks to align itself with Donald Trump’s administration on the technology, the Guardian has learned.

A long-awaited AI bill, which ministers had originally intended to publish before Christmas, is not expected to appear in parliament before the summer, according to three Labour sources briefed on the plans.

Ministers had intended to publish a short bill within months of entering office that would have required companies to hand over large AI models such as ChatGPT for testing by the UK’s AI Security Institute.

The bill was intended to be the government’s answer to concerns that AI models could become so advanced that they pose a risk to humanity, and were different from separate proposals to clarify how AI companies can use copyrighted material.

Trump’s election has led to a rethink, however. A senior Labour source said the bill was “properly in the background” and that there were still “no hard proposals in terms of what the legislation looks like”. “They said let’s try and get it done before Christmas – now it’s summer,” the source added.

Another Labour source briefed on the legislation said an iteration of the bill had been prepared months ago but was now up in the air because of Trump, with ministers reluctant to take action that could weaken the UK’s attractiveness to AI companies.

Trump has torpedoed plans by his predecessor Joe Biden for regulating AI and revoked an executive order on making the technology safe and trustworthy. The future of the US AI Safety Institute, founded by Biden, is uncertain after its director resigned this month. At an AI summit hosted in Paris, JD Vance, the US vice-president, railed against Europe’s planned regulation of the technology.

The UK government chose to side with the US by refusing to sign the Paris declaration endorsed by 66 other countries at the summit. Peter Mandelson, the UK’s ambassador to Washington, has reportedly drafted proposals to make the UK the main hub for US AI investment.

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Pope Francis in critical condition with early kidney failure but remains alert as prayers pour in – The Associated Press

  1. Pope Francis in critical condition with early kidney failure but remains alert as prayers pour in  The Associated Press
  2. Pope Francis Suffering From Kidney Failure in Addition to Pneumonia  The New York Times
  3. Pope Francis in critical condition with early kidney failure but remains alert, AP explains  Yahoo
  4. Pope Francis in critical condition with pneumonia and kidney issues, Vatican says  NBC News
  5. Pope Francis shares written message while continuing hospitalization  Fox News
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How Trump could be derailing a major global climate report – The Washington Post

  1. How Trump could be derailing a major global climate report  The Washington Post
  2. Outcry as Trump withdraws support for research that mentions ‘climate’  The Guardian
  3. Trump bars federal scientists from working on pivotal global climate report  CNN
  4. Scoop: U.S. to pull delegation from UN climate science meeting  Axios
  5. Countries warn against delaying global climate assessment after US exit  Reuters
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German AfD sees record gains but still shut out from power – DW (English)

  1. German AfD sees record gains but still shut out from power  DW (English)
  2. Alice Weidel took the German far right to new heights. Here’s how she did it.  POLITICO Europe
  3. Meet Germany’s Far-Right Leader, a Study in Contradictions  The New York Times
  4. Alice Weidel: The far-right leader shaping Germany’s AfD  Al Jazeera English
  5. Far-Right AfD Rises in Germany, Boosted by Trump Backing  TIME
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Three years on, Ukraine’s extinction nightmare has returned – BBC.com

  1. Three years on, Ukraine's extinction nightmare has returned  BBC.com
  2. Ella Baron on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – cartoon  The Guardian
  3. Demonstrators in Detroit call for end to Russia-Ukraine war at rally  CBS News
  4. On the third anniversary of Russian invasion, Ukraine supporters march through Detroit  Detroit Free Press
  5. Dozens rally in Pack Square to support Ukraine on eve of invasion anniversary  WLOS
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Massive funeral held for Hezbollah leader 5 months after his killing – POLITICO

  1. Massive funeral held for Hezbollah leader 5 months after his killing  POLITICO
  2. Masses of mourners attend the funeral of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah, 5 months after his killing  The Associated Press
  3. Huge crowds gather in Lebanon for funeral of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah  NPR
  4. Anti-Israel activists hold funeral event for terror chief Nasrallah in NYC  The Times of Israel
  5. IDF releases footage of assassination of Nasrallah on day of funeral  The Jerusalem Post
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German election: Friedrich Merz urges ‘independence’ from US – DW (English)

  1. German election: Friedrich Merz urges 'independence' from US  DW (English)
  2. Germany’s Merz offers hope for Ukraine amid the Trump nightmare  POLITICO Europe
  3. CNBC Daily Open: Europe-U.S. relationship takes center stage  CNBC
  4. Germany’s election winner pledges ‘independence from US’  Financial Times
  5. Trudeau presses Trump on Ukraine peace deal ahead of Kyiv summit.  Kyiv Independent
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Australia news live: Victoria threatens to strip planning powers from councils that don’t approve more homes; BoM tracks new cyclone in Coral Sea

Allan warns councils that fail to pull weight towards goal of building 2.24m new homes by 2051 that she intends to ‘shake things up’. Follow today’s news live

How will the bulk-billing increase be paid for?

There’s been criticism of the opposition that their support of the $8.5bn package hasn’t come with a plan to pay for it.

We’ve been very clear about the things that we don’t think that the federal government should be investing in. I mean, we’ve done things like, you know, we don’t believe [in] the federal government’s rewiring the nation, as an example, the national reconstruction fund, all of these things we’ve voted against, you know, we believe that public servants in Canberra are not what we need. We actually need frontline services, service workers, like doctors, like nurses which this policy addresses.

We are going to have to expect, unfortunately, a scare campaign. I mean, yesterday, at the launch, the prime minister and [Mark] Butler spent more time talking about Peter Dutton and the Liberal party than they did about themselves. So I think we can expect a scare campaign. But the facts don’t lie. The truth of all of this is quite clear in the statistics – under their watch, the health system in Australia has been significantly diminished.

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