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U.N. talks aimed at halting the degradation and desertification of vast swathes of land started in Saudi Arabia on Monday after scientists fired a stark warning over unsustainable farming and deforestation. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called it a "moonshot moment": a 12-day meeting for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), looking to protect and restore land and respond to drought amid the onslaught of climate change. The last such meeting, or "Conference of the Parties" (COP) to the convention, held in Ivory Coast in 2022, produced a commitment to "accelerating the restoration of one billion hectares of degraded land by 2030". But the UNCCD, which brings together 196 countries and the European Union, now says 1.5 billion hectares (3.7 billion acres) must be restored by decade's end to combat crises including escalating droughts. A day before the COP16 talks in Saudi Arabia, home to one of the world's biggest deserts, a new U.N. report warned that forest loss and degraded soils were reducing resilience to climate change and biodiversity loss. "If we fail to acknowledge the pivotal role of land and take appropriate action, the consequences will ripple through every aspect of life and extend well into the future," UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw said in the report. Land degradation disrupts ecosystems and makes land less productive for agriculture, leading to food shortages and spurring migration. Land is considered degraded when its productivity has been harmed by human activities like pollution or deforestation. Desertification is an extreme form of degradation. Activists accused Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, of trying to water down calls to phase out fossil fuels at last month's COP29 U.N. climate talks in Azerbaijan. However, desertification is a perennial issue for the arid kingdom. "We are a desert country. We are exposed to the harshest mode of land degradation, which is desertification," deputy environment minister Osama Faqeeha told AFP. Saudi Arabia is aiming to restore 40 million hectares of degraded land, Faqeeha told AFP, without specifying a timeline. He said Riyadh anticipated restoring "several million hectares of land" by 2030. So far 240,000 hectares have been recovered using measures including a ban on illegal logging and expanding the number of national parks from 19 in 2016 to more than 500, Faqeeha said. Other ways to restore land include planting trees, crop rotation, managing grazing and restoring wetlands. "We found ourselves caught in a vicious cycle that we must break," UNCCD executive secretary Ibrahim Thiaw told the conference in Riyadh. "We can only achieve this if we move beyond the silos that hinder our collective action and if we adopt a holistic approach that recognizes the constant interaction between desertification, biodiversity loss, and the acceleration of climate change." Thousands of delegates have registered to attend the December 2-13 COP16 talks in Riyadh, including "close to 100" government ministers, Thiaw said. The event comes at a parlous time for the COP environmental meetings, which bring together the signatories to various treaties to try to strike new agreements. Last week the COP29 climate talks in Azerbaijan came to a contentious end, as a pledge of $300 billion to help poorer countries transition to cleaner energy was slammed as too low by developing nations. On Sunday in Busan, South Korea, deeply divided negotiators missed a deadline to reach a landmark global treaty to curb plastic pollution. And last month, talks in Colombia -- also called COP16 -- ended without a roadmap to ramp up funding for species protection. They will resume in Rome in February. Matthew Archer, assistant professor in the Department of Society Studies at Maastricht University and author of "Unsustainable: Measurement, Reporting and the Limits of Corporate Sustainability", was dismissive of the Saudi meeting. It is part of the "COP charade (that) is totally incapable of facilitating the kind of political action that might sufficiently address the socioecological crises we are facing", he told AFP. "I wouldn't hold my breath for COP16 to yield a tenable solution to desertification," added Archer.What to know about Kash Patel, Trump's pick to lead the FBIsky sports football 。

EVERY girl knows the frustration of leaving the house without anything to tie up your hair. This can be particularly annoying if you were planning a workout but don't worry, your gym gear might hold the answer. In a Reddit post , one user shared their shock at learning that there are hair bands hidden on most fitness tops. The poster used an emoji to show how mind-blown they were by the discovery. Available on most workout jumpers or jackets, the hidden hair band is actually right under your nose. In fact, you've likely fidgeted with it between sets or on your way home from a run. However, most people don't even know that the handy feature is available. The Redditor revealed that the zipper pull on your jacket likely contains a small elastic. This is designed to be easily removed from your jacket and repurposed as a hair tie. You can then re-tie it to your zipper once you are finished using it in your hair. While the poster shared an example on their Scuba gear, the hidden hair tie is available on a variety of brands, including Lululemon. "I'm sure most of y'all already knew this and I'm super late to the game," the Redditor wrote. "But I just saw on the website, as I happened to be wearing my Scuba half-zip, that one of the features of all the scuba hoodies are the emergency hair tie." The unnamed user went on to describe the design feature as "so cool." Reddit users shared their thoughts on the hack in the comments section. "And the hair ties can be purchased as a replacement zipper pull if yours ever break," wrote one reader. "Oh wow. I was today year's old when I learned this," said another person. "It’s the same on Define jackets! Such a cute little feature!" commented a third Redditor. "Lots of the jackets and some of the bags come with these emergency ties! It’s great," wrote another commenter. "Oh my God! Thanks for sharing it. Great to know that," said one reader. "Oh my God, I had no idea! I’m going to check my bags and hoodies now," commented another person. "This has been around since the early 2000s," wrote one Reddit user.

NVDL: Pain Still AwaitsA teenage West Ham academy goalkeeper has died aged 15 after suffering from cancer. Oscar Fairs from Benfleet, Essex, was diagnosed with a rare 7cm ependymoma brain tumour in August 2023 and underwent seven surgeries, one round of chemotherapy and one round of radiotherapy to be told palliative care was the only option. A GoFundMe page was set up to help the family raise £100,000 towards a treatment trial in France. It is with deep and profound sadness that West Ham United confirm the tragic passing of our U15s Academy goalkeeper Oscar Fairs, following his brave battle with cancer. Rest in peace, brave Oscar. — West Ham United (@WestHam) December 13, 2024 West Ham footballers donated £27,000, chairman David Sullivan donated £10,000 and Arsenal footballer and former West Ham star Declan Rice gave £5,000, according to Ms Fairs. On Friday, West Ham announced that the 15-year-old had died. Sporting director Mark Noble said: “Oscar was adored by everyone at the Academy – not only was he a great goalkeeper, he was a true Hammer and a fantastic young person, who will be deeply missed by everyone who had the pleasure to know him. “I have wonderful memories of Oscar playing in my garden – (my son) Lenny and his teammates all loved him. “He was a friendly, happy, well-mannered and polite young man, who had such a bright future ahead of him, and it is just so unimaginably devastating that he has been taken from his family and friends at this age. “The thoughts and sincere condolences of everyone at the Club are with Oscar’s parents, Natalie and Russell, and his brother Harry, and we kindly ask that the family’s privacy is respected at this extremely difficult time.” All scheduled Academy fixtures over the weekend have been postponed as a mark of respect. We do not moderate comments, but we expect readers to adhere to certain rules in the interests of open and accountable debate.

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A lawyer who is currently helping Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pick federal health officials once petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to revoke its approval for multiple critical childhood vaccines, including the polio vaccine. Aaron Siri, managing partner at Siri & Glimstad LLP, has a history of challenging the FDA to pause or completely withdraw various vaccines – a move which raises concerns given Kennedy’s historic anti-vaccine rhetoric. In 2022, Siri asked the FDA Commissioner, on behalf of the Informed Consent Action Network, to cease its use of the polio vaccine in infants and toddlers. The petition claimed the vaccine was not properly tested to ensure it was safe, despite its decade-long use protecting millions of children from contracting the disease which can cause paralysis. He filed a similar petition to withdraw a hepatitis B vaccine in children in 2020. In 2021, Siri asked the FDA, again on behalf of the Informed Consent Action Network, to pause its use of six childhood vaccines that protect against tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis and hepatitis A until they disclosed information about aluminum in them. It appears Siri already possesses a strong influence on Kennedy because he is helping him question and choose potential leaders for top federal health jobs. One person familiar with conversations told the New York Times , that the two have questioned potential candidates about their views on vaccines. The revelation, first reported by the New York Times , is alarming due to Kennedy’s status as the Health and Human Services secretary nominee. Kennedy already faces an uphill battle to get his nomination approved by the Senate because he has made anti-vaccine statements in the past and elevated health-related conspiracy theories. Many, including 75 Nobel Prize winners, have urged senators not to confirm him due to his criticisms of mainstream medicine. In the past, Kennedy has linked vaccines to autism – a debunked theory with no scientific or medical proof. He’s claimed that “no vaccine” is safe and effective – which is also false. He has also attributed mental health issues, like those that drive people to commit mass shootings, to pharmaceuticals. Both antidepressant use and mass shooting occurrences have increased in the last several decades, the scientific community has found “no biological plausibility” to back a link between the two, according to Ragy Girgis, an associate professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University, per the New York Times . Vaccines are proven to be a crucial and effective way to prevent the spread of deadly diseases. Kennedy has assured people he will not “take away” vaccines, as does Siri, and claims he is not anti-vax. But it is unclear what he will do with vaccines should he be confirmed. A spokesperson for Kennedy told the New York Times , “Mr. Kennedy has long said that he wants transparency in vaccines and to give people choice.”

Teenage West Ham goalkeeper dies aged 15 after cancer battle

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