Month: April 2024

ICYMI: I’d love to feel the beautiful mysteries of the universe. But I have other interests

The total solar eclipse, visible in parts of Mexico, the US and Canada yesterday, was experienced in the UK only as a “small grazing” (that’s what the astronomers call it), and then only in the north and west of the country. Happily, I went to Lewis in the Outer Hebrides for the eclipse of 2015, where coverage was 98% and people (not just me) had travelled for it from all over the country.

It was news to me that people even existed who were that into eclipses. In further news: it doesn’t even have to get that dark to fill “eclipse-heads” with wonder, and it duly didn’t – it just looked like a sad, wintry day. People talk of eclipse winds, whipping up at no notice and going in weird directions; it was quite windy, but that turned out to be normal for March. I’d heard tell that animals take on an expression of intense concentration – some call it wonder – and this I couldn’t verify, as there were only dogs there and not enough of them (two). But fair play, there are never enough dogs for me anywhere. Continue reading…
http://dlvr.it/T5LvlC

The PM told an inquiry that results were not affected and it was ‘improbable’ that Beijing preferred one party over another

China tried to meddle in the past two Canadian elections but the results were not affected and it was “improbable” Beijing preferred any one party over another, prime minister Justin Trudeau has told an official inquiry.

In sworn testimony before a commission conducting a public inquiry into alleged foreign interference in the 2019 and 2021 Canadian elections, Trudeau answered questions about intelligence briefings he had received and asserted the elections were “free and fair”. Continue reading…
http://dlvr.it/T5LvQz

ICYMI: G20 countries spent $142bn in three years to expand operations despite a G7 pledge to stop doing so, study finds

The world’s biggest economies have continued to finance the expansion of fossil fuels in poor countries to the tune of billions of dollars, despite their commitments on the climate.

The G20 group of developed and developing economies, and the multilateral development banks they fund, put $142bn (£112bn) into fossil fuel developments overseas from 2020 to 2022, according to estimates compiled by the campaigning groups Oil Change International (OCI) and Friends of the Earth US. Continue reading…
http://dlvr.it/T5JRCp

I’d love to feel the beautiful mysteries of the universe. But I have other interests

The total solar eclipse, visible in parts of Mexico, the US and Canada yesterday, was experienced in the UK only as a “small grazing” (that’s what the astronomers call it), and then only in the north and west of the country. Happily, I went to Lewis in the Outer Hebrides for the eclipse of 2015, where coverage was 98% and people (not just me) had travelled for it from all over the country.

It was news to me that people even existed who were that into eclipses. In further news: it doesn’t even have to get that dark to fill “eclipse-heads” with wonder, and it duly didn’t – it just looked like a sad, wintry day. People talk of eclipse winds, whipping up at no notice and going in weird directions; it was quite windy, but that turned out to be normal for March. I’d heard tell that animals take on an expression of intense concentration – some call it wonder – and this I couldn’t verify, as there were only dogs there and not enough of them (two). But fair play, there are never enough dogs for me anywhere. Continue reading…
http://dlvr.it/T5JQzg

ICYMI: Rare celestial event on Monday will see the moon block out the sun for a few minutes and day turn to night, with fans hoping the clouds don’t spoil the view

Across the US, Mexico and Canada, people have rushed to stake out spots to witness a rare total solar eclipse, while forecasts for cloudy skies worry some hopeful spectators.

The phenomenon happens when the moon lines up perfectly between the Earth and the sun, blocking out the sunlight. The eclipse will be visible in the three countries on 8 April. Continue reading…
http://dlvr.it/T5G061