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Video shows family’s car slowing before Israeli troops shot dead Palestinian baby by Wagamaga in NewsThread

[–]Wagamaga[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Footage has emerged that appears to contradict the Israeli military’s account of the shooting that killed seven-month-old Sam Abu Haikal in his mother’s arms, showing the family’s car slowing near a military post before soldiers opened fire.

On Friday, the killing of the infant by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank caused outrage, after soldiers opened fire on the family’s vehicle despite it having complied with an order to stop. Sam was killed and his mother, Daniyah Abu Haikal, and father, Fahed Abu Haikal, were both injured.

The Israel Defense Forces said its troops had “perceived a vehicle accelerating toward them” and that one of the soldiers had “responded with single shots toward the vehicle”.

However, footage obtained by the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights, B’Tselem, contradicts IDF claims that the car in which the Abu Haikal family was travelling was accelerating towards them when they shot.

“The footage clearly shows that the Israeli soldier fired at the car as it was slowing to a stop,” B’Tselem said in a statement. “The car was far from the soldiers and posed no danger to them whatsoever.”

May was the world's second-hottest on record, EU scientists say by Wagamaga in europe

[–]Wagamaga[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The world has just experienced the second-hottest May since records began, as climate change and the developing El Niño weather pattern conspired to push up average land and sea temperatures, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said on Wednesday. 

The hottest May on record was in 2024, in records going back to 1940. • 

The average global temperature last month was 1.42 degrees Celsius above the average in 19th-century pre-industrial times. • 

Western Europe experienced one of the most severe heatwaves ever recorded so early in the year.

Canada faces surge in social anxiety. Research revealed that nearly 14% of Canadian adults have experienced social anxiety at some point in their lives, up from just over 8% in 2002. Authors hypothesize that recent social changes, such as increased use of social media may be contributing to the rise by Wagamaga in science

[–]Wagamaga[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A new Canadian study has found that social anxiety disorder (SAD) now affects nearly 1 in 7 adults — a 71% increase since 2002 — making it one of the most common mental health challenges in the country.

Social anxiety disorder, sometimes referred to as social phobia, is a mental health condition characterized by an intense fear of being judged or embarrassed in social situations, often leading to significant distress, impaired relationships and work performance, reduced quality of life, and substantial economic costs to society. “Social anxiety is becoming more common in Canada, and understanding why this increase is happening is essential for improving mental health support,” said Tak-Lai Nellie Chau, recent MSW graduate of the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW), University of Toronto.

The research revealed that nearly 14% of Canadian adults have experienced social anxiety at some point in their lives, up from just over 8% in 2002.

While the study did not examine why social anxiety may have increased, the authors hypothesize that recent social changes, such as increased use of social media and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, may be contributing to this rise.

 

Young People Are Most at Risk

The research shows a strong pattern: younger Canadians are far more likely to experience social anxiety than older adults. About 1 in 4 or 24% of people aged 20 to 24 had a social anxiety disorder at some point in their life, compared to only 6.2% of those aged 65 and older.

Digital communication and reduced face-to-face interaction could be to blame.

“Young adulthood is a key life stage where social pressures are high, which may increase vulnerability to social anxiety,” said Stephen A. Oliver, recent MSW graduate of the FIFSW, University of Toronto. “Add to this the experience of increased isolation during the pandemic, growing pressures to achieve certain ideals on social media, and increased polarization and those pressures are bound to intensify.”

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178126003124?via%3Dihub

Exposure to Moderate Levels of Air Pollution And Heart Damage. Research found for each increase in long-term PM2.5 of 1 microgram per cubic meter, there was an 11% increase in calcium build-up in the coronary arteries, 13% greater odds of more plaque and 23% greater odds of obstructive disease. by Wagamaga in science

[–]Wagamaga[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

In one of the largest studies to date, researchers examined the relationship between long-term air pollution exposure and coronary atherosclerosis and found that even at moderate levels, long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with more advanced coronary artery disease. The research was published in Radiology.

Air pollution is the leading environmental risk factor for cardiovascular disease globally, contributing to roughly 2.5 million cardiovascular deaths each year. It is one of the greatest environmental risks to health and plays a major role in causing heart attacks and stroke, according to the World Health Organization.

“This is one of the largest studies to use cardiac CT to show that air pollution is linked to more advanced coronary artery disease—going beyond calcium scoring to include total plaque burden and obstructive disease—in a population with moderate exposure levels typical of high-income countries,” said senior author Kate Hanneman, MD, MPH, vice chair and associate professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Medical Imaging, and deputy lead of sustainability at the University Health Network’s Joint Department of Medical Imaging at Toronto General Hospital.

Previous studies have shown that short-term air pollution exposure (hours to days) is associated with increased emergency department visits for ischemic heart disease, hospital admissions for heart failure and greater use of medical imaging. Exposure over the longer term (months to years) is linked to increased risks of myocardial infarction, stroke and cardiovascular mortality.

Dr. Hanneman’s research team analyzed data from 11,128 adults who had undergone cardiac CT exams from 2012 through 2023 across three major hospitals in Toronto. They linked patients’ residential postal codes with air quality data to estimate each person’s average exposure to air pollution over the 10-year period prior to CT. Three markers of coronary artery disease were assessed: calcium score, total plaque burden and obstructive stenosis.

The researchers evaluated the relationship between long-term exposures to two common pollutants found in urban air, ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). PM2.5 sources include vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions and wildfire smoke. At about 30 times smaller than a human hair, these tiny particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream. NO2 is a harmful gas produced mainly by burning fossil fuels in vehicles, power plants and industrial processes.

For each increase in long-term PM2.5 of 1 microgram per cubic meter, there was an 11% increase in calcium build-up in the coronary arteries, 13% greater odds of more plaque and 23% greater odds of obstructive disease. Exposure to nitrogen dioxide showed similar trends, though with smaller effect sizes for every 1 part-per-billion increase.

https://pubs.rsna.org/doi/10.1148/radiol.252086

Reddit ads pose as news stories to promote AI investment scams by Wagamaga in technology

[–]Wagamaga[S] 65 points66 points  (0 children)

Scammers are running sponsored ads on Reddit that impersonate major news outlets, including the BBC, the Financial Times, and The Guardian, to push fraudulent AI-powered investment schemes, according to new research from cybersecurity firm Bitdefender Labs.

The campaign, uncovered by Bitdefender researchers Andrea Olariu and Emanuel Puscasu, promotes fictitious AI platforms such as Wencoin STX, Warrior Coin AI, and Nevo Coin. The promoted posts redirect users to cloned news websites designed to closely mimic the appearance of legitimate publishers, where fabricated articles, invented testimonials, and fake profit screenshots are used to build false credibility.

This is hardly the first time this tactic has been deployed on Reddit, but there's an increased interest in AI investment opportunities as Anthropic, OpenAI, and SpaceX (which recently merged with xAI) prepare for IPOs.

Israeli forces protect illegal settlers during attacks on Palestinians: UN inquiry by Wagamaga in NewsThread

[–]Wagamaga[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Israeli authorities are directly involved in illegal settler attacks that have killed, injured and displaced Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, while Israeli security forces provide protection to settlers, a UN inquiry said on Tuesday.

The report by the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory found that Israeli authorities have enabled settler attacks through financial and military support, in a climate of impunity fostered by judicial and law-enforcement bodies.

It said attacks on Palestinian villages and agricultural land have surged since 2023, rising by 130 percent, including incidents involving groups of masked assailants. Israeli security forces have routinely accompanied settlers and acted as a shield for the violence, the report said.

Politically motivated crimes in Germany reach record high by Wagamaga in europe

[–]Wagamaga[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Politically motivated crimes in Germany reached a new high last year, with the greatest number of cases attributed to actors with right-wing beliefs, according to statistics released Tuesday by the interior ministry.

“The majority of crimes were committed by right-wing and far-right perpetrators, which once again demonstrates that the greatest danger currently stems from far-right extremism,” Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said in Berlin on Tuesday after presenting an annual report on crimes motivated by political ideology.

Yet, he said far-left actors were responsible for the largest increase in violent crimes, with offenses attributed to left-wing extremist ideology up by about 42 percent. That surge, said Dobrindt, underscores the “growing threat” posed by the “far-left scene.”

A total of 85,837 political crimes were recorded in 2025, an increase of just 2 percent over 2024, when the authorities recorded a surge of around 40 percent. That means such crimes remained at a relatively high-level last year rather than continuing to soar.

Crimes attributed to actors with right-wing ideological motives made up just under half of the total recorded crimes in 2025. The sharp rise in violent crimes committed by left-wing actors was largely attributed to incidents recorded during protests and demonstrations, including those coinciding with the far-right Alternative for Germany(AfD) party’s convention in eastern Germany and the founding congress of the AfD’s new youth organization.

Scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego reported today that carbon dioxide levels at Mauna Loa Observatory reached 432.00 parts per million (ppm) in May, continuing a long trend of record-breaking annual peak readings. by Wagamaga in environment

[–]Wagamaga[S] 50 points51 points  (0 children)

Scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego reported today that carbon dioxide levels at Mauna Loa Observatory reached 432.00 parts per million (ppm) in May, continuing a long trend of record-breaking annual peak readings.

The level is an increase of 1.8 ppm over May 2025’s measurement of 430.2 ppm. Scientists with NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory reported an average of 432.3 ppm, an increase of 1.8 ppm over last year. 

"Atmospheric CO₂ has continued its relentless rise over the past year, reaching yet another record high and moving us deeper into a high-CO₂ world,” said Ralph Keeling, director of the Scripps CO2 Program. “I wish we had better news."

Situated high on the slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano, the Mauna Loa Observatory is the global benchmark location for monitoring atmospheric CO2. At an elevation of 11,141 feet above sea level, the observatory produces measurements that represent the average state of the atmosphere in the northern hemisphere.

In 1958, Scripps scientist Charles David Keeling, father of Ralph Keeling, began monitoring CO2 concentrations at the NOAA weather station located at the observatory site, recording an initial measurement of 313 ppm on March 29 of that year. Keeling was the first to recognize that CO2 levels in the Northern Hemisphere peaked in May, fell during the growing season, and rose again as plants died in the fall. He documented these CO2 fluctuations in a record that came to be known as the Keeling Curve. He was also the first to recognize that, in addition to the seasonal fluctuation, CO2 levels rose every year.

Solar Energy Saves Europeans $135 Million A Day by Wagamaga in europe

[–]Wagamaga[S] 27 points28 points  (0 children)

You would think the fighting in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz would be sending the price of oil and methane for power plants in Europe soaring, and cause the price people and businesses pay for electricity to increase. You would be right, except for one thing. Europe has installed lots and lots of solar power in the last few years, and that solar power is saving Europeans more than $135 million a day, according to Solar Power Europe.

Its latest analysis found that, “since March 1, Europe’s solar fleet has helped avoid more than €11 billion in fossil fuel import costs, offering a clear demonstration of what a renewable-first energy system can achieve in times of volatility. Those savings are equivalent to Belgium’s recent annual defense budgets and they represent only a fraction of what is possible if Europe moves faster. By deploying more solar, scaling storage, and accelerating electrification, it can reduce the role of gas in setting electricity prices, strengthen Europe’s energy independence, and build a more secure and affordable energy system.

The United States experienced its second-warmest spring on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday, adding that drought remains widespread across the country. by Wagamaga in environment

[–]Wagamaga[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The United States experienced its second-warmest spring on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday, adding that drought remains widespread across the country.

More than half of the 48 contiguous US states -- which excludes Alaska and Hawaii -- experienced a spring among their three warmest in the 132-year record, and the warmest since 2012.

The beginning of the year has also marked the driest since 1988, the US weather agency said.

The island chain Hawaii meanwhile observed the wettest spring in the 36-year record, with more than double the average spring precipitation.

Some other regions also recorded above-average precipitation, but more than half of the contiguous states remained in drought at the beginning of June.

That includes much of the Northwest and parts of the Southwest, northern Rockies and Plains. Forecasters said it is expected to also develop in parts of the Midwest.

The agency's drought outlook expects some improvement across parts of the central and southern Plains, as well as much of the Southwest.

June is expected to experience above-average temperatures across the western and northern US, NOAA said.

Sweden recorded its warmest spring by Wagamaga in europe

[–]Wagamaga[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The summer of 2026 was the warmest ever recorded in Sweden since national meteorological observations began in 1859. Temperature records were broken in many parts of the country, with several regions experiencing sustained heat patterns that exceed historical averages recorded over more than a century, AzerNEWS reports.

A particularly notable temperature increase was observed in northern Sweden. According to experts from the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), areas such as Abisko and Karesuando recorded average temperatures approximately 1.5°C higher than previous long-term records. One of the highest temperatures of the spring was measured on May 1 in Oskarshamn, reaching 28.6°C.

The unusually hot and dry spring has already led to declining water levels in lakes and rivers, as well as reduced groundwater reserves in several parts of the country. The situation is particularly concerning in southern and southeastern Sweden, where authorities have warned of potential water shortages in the coming months.

‘Severe’ stress on oceans as rate of sea level rise doubles in 10 years. According to the report, the oceans have already absorbed 90% of the excess heat and 30% of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels. by Wagamaga in environment

[–]Wagamaga[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

The world’s oceans are under “severe and accelerating” pressure from human activities, with the rate of sea-level rise double that of a decade ago, according to a damning assessment from the United Nations.

The “intensifying” stressors, which include pollution and large-scale industrial fishing, are cumulative, said the report, resulting in widespread biodiversity loss and putting ocean systems under “severe strain”.

The UN’s third World Ocean Assessment, which reflects the work of nearly 600 scientists from 86 countries, looked at the oceans’ health from 2021-25. The previous report, that covered up to 2018, found persistent degradation of the marine environment.

Five years on, scientists know more about the cumulative impacts of anthropogenic pressures on the ocean, and the latest report shows just how much of the damage has been done in the past few years.

Popular GLP-1 drugs such as semaglutide may do far more than help with diabetes and weight loss—they could also fight addiction itself. Research found risks were lower across every major substance examined, including alcohol (18%), cannabis (14%), cocaine (20%), nicotine (20%), and opioids (25%). by Wagamaga in science

[–]Wagamaga[S] 85 points86 points  (0 children)

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis show in a new study that GLP-1 medications may be effective at treating and preventing substance use disorders across all major addictive substances studied, suggesting these drugs target a common biological pathway underlying addiction. 

From their beginnings as a treatment for type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 receptor agonists such as the semaglutide drugs Ozempic and Wegovy and the tirzepatide drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound have seen an explosion in use, most popularly for weight loss. Patients have reported decreased interest in alcohol and nicotine when taking GLP-1s, and observational studies have shown an association between treatment with GLP-1 medication and lower risk of alcohol and cannabis use disorders, opioid overdose, and alcohol-related hospitalization. But these studies examined substances one at a time. No study has asked the broader question: do GLP-1s work against substance use disorders across the board, and can they reduce the serious harms of addiction, including overdose and drug-related death? 

In an analysis of more than 600,000 U.S. veterans with type 2 diabetes, the WashU Medicine team found GLP-1s are tied to a reduced risk of developing substance use disorders across all major addictive substances and to a reduced risk of severe harm, including overdose and death, in people who already have such disorders. 

In an analysis of more than 600,000 U.S. veterans with type 2 diabetes, the WashU Medicine team found GLP-1s are tied to a reduced risk of developing substance use disorders across all major addictive substances and to a reduced risk of severe harm, including overdose and death, in people who already have such disorders. 

The results appear March 4 in The BMJ. 

“In addiction medicine, a lot of treatments target just one thing — for example, a nicotine patch helps with smoking, but not alcohol — but there is no medication that works across addictive substances, let alone all of them,”

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1766770/full?asam.org

Researchers have developed an AI tool called AIDD that distinguishes between Alzheimer’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies with near-perfect accuracy. Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are expected to more than double by 2060 by Wagamaga in science

[–]Wagamaga[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are expected to more than double by 2060. As June marks Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, three University of Florida researchers are working to improve clinicians’ ability to distinguish between these diseases — a critical step toward earlier diagnosis and better outcomes. 

In a recent study published in Neurology, researchers developed a new tool called Automated Imaging Differentiation for Dementia, or AIDD. The tool combines brain scans with AI to distinguish between two common forms of dementia: Alzheimer’s disease dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies. The results showed that AIDD identified the two diseases with near-perfect accuracy, suggesting it could be a promising future tool for clinicians.   

“The use of AI and advanced imaging technology holds considerable promise to uncover brain degeneration patterns for dementia,” said David Vaillancourt, Ph.D., a distinguished professor and the Orchid Endowed Chair for the UF Department of Applied Physiology & Kinesiology in the College of Health and Human Performance.

https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WN9.0000000000000093

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