Negotiators from 195 countries yesterday finalised the most comprehensive scientific assessment yet of how the land we live off affects climate change, after marathon talks in Geneva, sources told AFP. The land use report from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), running over 1,000 pages compiled by 108 scientists drawing from thousands of data points, is expected to spell out the stark choices facing a warming planet with a growing, hungry population. Experts from around the world have spent the last few days poring over the report’s summary for policymakers -- a concise run-down of the science containing a range of possible solutions and trade-offs. A key sticking point during negotiations was the role of bioenergy -- power derived from burning plant matter -- and to what extent such schemes should be rolled out to combat climate change.

Twitter reveals unauthorised data use for ad purposes

The social network Twitter said overnight that user’s personal data had been used for advertising purposes, without their consent and despite dedicated settings to counteract such events. A Twitter statement said the fault was corrected Monday and that an investigation was being conducted to determine how many people had been affected, while advising users to verify their data sharing settings. The situation involved two cases, the first one arising if users clicked or viewed an advertisement for a mobile application and then interacted with it since May 2018. “In that case, we may have shared certain data (e.g., country code, if you engaged with the ad and when, information about the ad, etc) with trusted measurement and advertising partners, even if you didn’t give us permission to do so,” the statement said.

Nato needs to address China’s rise: Stoltenberg

Nato needs to understand the implications of China’s rise as Beijing expands its power around the world, including areas that may challenge members of the North Atlantic security body, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday. China’s increasing assertiveness, including in the South China Sea, has raised concerns about its intentions, and the United States has called on Nato to recognise and adapt to new emerging threats, including China. “This is not about moving Nato into the Pacific, but this is about responding to the fact that China is coming closer to us,” Stoltenberg told Reuters in an interview in Sydney. “Investing heavily in critical infrastructure in Europe, increased presence in the Arctic and also increased presence in Africa, and in cyberspace,” he added.

SOURCE: AFP, Reuters