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Global Warming deniers #conspiracy #dunning-kruger #pratt indy100.com

As a heatwave take over much of America and Europe, with seawater in Florida reaching 100 degrees or more, much of Greece on fire, and July set to be the hottest month in living memory, some are still putting their head in sand about climate change and what the heatwave means for our Earth.

Some right-wing conspiracy theorists have suggested that the heatwave is in fact a hoax and the numbers being reported are false.

GB News presenter Neil Oliver has accused the BBC "and others" of "driving fear" by using "supposedly terrifying temperatures", in a clip that has been viewed over 2 million times. Oliver claims that the reported temperatures of "40 this and 40 that... were obtained using satellite images of ground temperatures," he said. "That's never been the temperature that's used in weather reporting and forecasting."

Many conspiracy theorists have latched onto the temperature reported by BBC from the interior of Sicily (47C) and a weather station in sea-side Palermo (37C) from the BBC weather app, as proof that the BBC is faking its data. The BBC disputed the claims, stating that ground temperatures "are not used in the BBC's weather reporting and forecasting" unlike Oliver's false claim.

Oliver also retweeted other claims that climate data is manipulated and false, showing he is just one of many who are promoting such conspiracies.

Former Fox News commentator Steven Milloy called it the "heat wave hysteria hoax".

Some conspiracy theorists in the UK have argued that the heatwave and climate change are a hoax due to most of the country facing heavy wind and rain during the summer.

Imran Khan #fundie #kinkshaming #pratt #sexist indy100.com

Pakistan’s prime minister, Imran Khan, is facing backlash after he blamed victims of rape for wearing “very few clothes”.

Speaking to Axios about the “rape epidemic” in Pakistan, he made comments that led to huge criticism from women’s rights groups. He said: “If a woman is wearing very few clothes, it will have an impact on the man unless they are robots. It’s common sense.”

Reacting to his statement, more than a dozen women’s rights groups, including the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, released a statement demanding an apology. “This is dangerously simplistic and only reinforces the common public perception that women are ‘knowing’ victims and men ‘helpless’ aggressors,” they said.

Meanwhile, Maryam Nawaz, the vice-president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and daughter of the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, said Khan was a “rape apologist” and that people who validated rape had the same mindset as the perpetrators.

Kanwal Ahmed, a campaigner for women’s rights, tweeted: “Makes my heart shudder to think how many rapists feel validated today with the prime minister backing their crime.”

And weekend protests have been organised in the cities of Karachi and Lahore.

It comes after Khan was accused of “baffling ignorance” earlier this year after he advised women to cover up to prevent rape. At the time, his team said his comment had been misinterpreted.

Speaking to Axios, he said these comments were “nonsense” and claimed he was referring to Islam’s “concept of purdah” which is to “avoid temptation of society”, often done through covering oneself.