The above graph compares global surface temperature changes (red line) and the Sun’s energy received by Earth (yellow line) in watts (units of energy) per square meter since 1880. The lighter/thinner lines show the yearly levels while the heavier/thicker lines show the 11-year average trends. Eleven-year averages are used to reduce the year-to-year natural noise in the data, making the underlying trends more obvious.

The amount of solar energy Earth receives has followed the Sun’s natural 11-year cycle of small ups and downs with no net increase since the 1950s. Over the same period, global temperature has risen markedly. It is therefore extremely unlikely that the Sun has caused the observed global temperature warming trend over the past half-century.

No. The Sun can influence Earth’s climate, but it isn’t responsible for the warming trend we’ve seen over recent decades. The Sun is a giver of life; it helps keep the planet warm enough for us to survive. We know subtle changes in Earth’s orbit around the Sun are responsible for the comings and goings of the ice ages. But the warming we’ve seen in recent decades is too rapid to be linked to changes in Earth’s orbit and too large to be caused by solar activity.

One of the “smoking guns” that tells us the Sun is not causing global warming comes from looking at the amount of solar energy that hits the top of the atmosphere. Since 1978, scientists have been tracking this using sensors on satellites, which tell us that there has been no upward trend in the amount of solar energy reaching our planet.

A second smoking gun is that if the Sun were responsible for global warming, we would expect to see warming throughout all layers of the atmosphere, from the surface to the upper atmosphere (stratosphere). But what we actually see is warming at the surface and cooling in the stratosphere. This is consistent with the warming being caused by a buildup of heat-trapping gases near Earth’s surface, and not by the Sun getting “hotter.”

READ MORE

• The Causes of Climate Change
• What Is the Sun’s Role in Climate Change?
• There Is No Impending ‘Mini Ice Age’
• Climate Change: Incoming Sunlight (NOAA)
• Earth’s Energy Budget Remained Out of Balance Despite Unusually Low Solar Activity

No, the UK isn’t threatening to seize babies over digital ID

WHAT WAS CLAIMED

The UK government is introducing mandatory digital ID for babies and parents who refuse will face having their children seized.

OUR VERDICT

False. The UK government has not announced plans to extend digital ID to babies under the penalty of child seizure.

AAP FactCheck – The United Kingdom has not threatened to seize babies from parents who refuse to sign their children up for a digital ID scheme, despite social media claims.

While British tabloid The Daily Mail recently reported¹ on cabinet talks about extending digital ID to babies, it is not UK government policy and there are no suggestions that officials are threatening to seize children under a mandatory scheme.

The UK government announced plans² for a mandatory digital ID scheme for right-to-work checks last year to curb illegal employment. However, it has since said the scheme won’t be compulsory.

The false claims have spread across Facebook and Instagram.

A widely shared Instagram video³ posted on January 6 shows a man describing the purported policy.

It includes a partially cropped caption suggesting the digital ID scheme is mandatory for newborns and that the UK government will seize children if parents don’t comply.

“They’re literally saying if you have a child and you don’t get them a digital ID then they will take your child,” the Instagram user says in the video.

“The nerve that these people have to say that they will do that is absolutely astonishing and the sad thing is that so many people are gonna fall for it.”

The cropped caption in the Instagram video matches one contained in a viral Facebook post⁴ from January 4 that claimed the UK announced digital ID for babies.

“UK plans mandatory digital ID for newborn parents who refuse face jail and child seizure,” the caption reads.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans to introduce a digital ID system in September last year, with the government originally saying⁵ it will be required for right-to-work checks.

However, in January media reports said⁶ digital ID will not necessarily be mandatory for employment, but that existing ID requirements will be moved online by 2029.

This means people will still be able to use documents like passports for right-to-work checks, but they will need to upload them to the internet, according to a BBC report.⁷

The government hasn’t unveiled plans to expand the scheme to newborns, though a report in The Daily Mail⁸ on January 1 cited an unnamed source saying that proposal was discussed in a cabinet meeting.

There was no suggestion in the story that the government discussed seizing the children of parents who refused to sign their babies up to an expanded digital ID.

A government spokesperson told the tabloid it only proposed mandatory digital ID for right-to-work checks and in a hypothetical situation where children may be able to obtain digital ID, it would not be mandatory.

AAP FactCheck is an accredited member of the International Fact-Checking Network⁹. To keep up with our latest fact checks, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads¹⁰, X, BlueSky¹¹, TikTok¹² and YouTube¹³.

Sources

1. https://web.archive.org/web/20260101075712/https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15409993/Newborn-babies-given-Digital-ID-deeply-sinister-expansion-controversial-Labour-policy.html
2. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-digital-id-scheme-to-be-rolled-out-across-uk
3. https://archive.md/NoyOf
4. https://archive.md/wip/PMDDO
5. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-id-scheme-explainer/digital-id-scheme-explainer#:~:text=It%20will%20also%20be%20required%20for%20right%20to%20work%20checks%20to
6. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/13/government-rolls-back-digital-identity-card-plans#:~:text=UK%20government%20rolls,will%20launch%20shortly.
7. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3385zrrx73o
8. https://web.archive.org/web/20260101075712/https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15409993/Newborn-babies-given-Digital-ID-deeply-sinister-expansion-controversial-Labour-policy.html
9. https://www.poynter.org/ifcn/
10. https://www.threads.net/@aapfactcheck
11. https://bsky.app/profile/aapfactcheck.bsky.social
12. https://www.tiktok.com/@aapfactcheck
13. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI1hQghM1xMcPnn2UOZ1hBqBqurt9GT4I

Fact-checking is a team effort

Every AAP FactCheck article is the result of a meticulous process involving numerous experienced journalists and producers. Our articles are thoroughly researched, carefully crafted and rigorously scrutinised to ensure the highest standard of accuracy and objectivity in every piece.

But with so many different tools available, how can you find the ones that match your needs?

To help you make an informed choice, we will show you some essential tools for developers and explain why they’re crucial.

Understanding these tools will fast-track your progress and allow you to build remarkable websites or applications.

Let’s get started!

10 Best Web Development Tools to Optimize Your Workflow

Whether you’re building a website yourself or planning to hire a web development agency, this section will reveal some of the best web development tools with various functions.

From code editors and browser development tools to API testing tools, read on to find the complete list:

1. Sublime Text

Sublime Text is a widely acclaimed text editor known for its simplicity, speed, and versatility.

It’s a popular choice among both beginners and experienced developers for its robust features and user-friendly interface.

Despite its lightweight design, Sublime Text offers advanced features like simultaneous editing.

This allows users to edit multiple lines of code at once, which enhances productivity without sacrificing performance.

Whether you’re using Windows, macOS, or Linux, Sublime Text will seamlessly integrate into your workflow.

While Sublime Text can be downloaded for free, purchasing a license will unlock additional features.

The pricing is reasonable too, $99 for personal and $65/year for business.

2. Chrome Developer Tools

Chrome Developer Tools (DevTools) are a set of web development and debugging tools seamlessly integrated into the Google Chrome browser.

It helps developers efficiently debug JavaScript code, manipulate CSS styles, analyze website performance, and optimize web pages directly within the browser environment.

DevTools also includes a suite of network tools for monitoring HTTP requests, analyzing network activity, and optimizing resource loading.

This way, developers can identify slow-loading resources, minimize latency, and improve overall website performance.

And the best part is? All Google Chrome users can use the tool for free, which makes it accessible to new developers with limited budget.

3. Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio (VS) Code is an open-source code editor designed to provide a seamless coding experience for developers

It offers a wide array of features, including syntax highlighting, auto-complete, and Git integration, all aimed at enhancing productivity and accelerating development process.

Also, it supports a diverse range of web development languages, making it suitable for a wide variety of development tasks.

Those include frontend development with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as well as backend development with Python, Java, and C#.

Visual Studio Code is completely free to use. Additionally, users can download the Insiders version to access the latest releases and features.

4. GitHub

GitHub is a code hosting platform that enables developers to store, manage, and collaborate on software projects using Git, a distributed version control system.

It provides a centralized repository for storing code, tracking changes, and coordinating collaboration among team members.

With this tool, you can use features such as pull requests, code reviews, and team discussions when collaborating with other developers.

As such, every member of your team can easily share feedback in a structured and transparent manner.

GitHub offers a free plan with unlimited repositories and collaborators.

But you can also purchase the paid plans to access advanced features such as advanced auditing and GitHub Codespaces for those requiring additional capabilities.

5. jQuery

jQuery is another tool you can download and use for free.

It’s a lightweight, open-source JavaScript library designed to simplify HTML document traversal and manipulation, event handling, and animation.

This tool also delivers a concise and expressive syntax for common JavaScript tasks, allowing developers to write less code while achieving the same results.

To top it off, jQuery has an API that works seamlessly across different web browsers.

What this feature does is allowing developers to write code that behaves consistently across various browsers, without the need for extensive browser testing and debugging.

6. Node Package Manager

Node Package Manager (npm) is a package manager for JavaScript, primarily used within the Node.js runtime environment.

It provides a vast ecosystem of open-source libraries and tools that streamline the development process.

With a simple command, developers can add dependencies to their projects, eliminating the need to manually manage and integrate third-party code.

This tool offers a free tier with unlimited access to public packages.

There are also paid plans (starting at $7/month) for those seeking enhanced functionality and support options.

7. Bootstrap

Bootstrap is a popular open-source CSS framework that facilitates frontend web development by providing a comprehensive set of pre-styled components and utilities.

With this framework, web developers can create responsive and mobile-first websites and web applications with ease, since it offers a wide range of features and tools to enhance the development process.

For example, it comes with a responsive grid system that allows developers to create flexible and adaptive layouts for their web pages.

The grid system is based on a 12-column layout, making it easy to design layouts that adapt to different screen sizes and devices.

It also provides a set of CSS utility classes that enable developers to apply common styles and adjustments with minimal effort.

Need support? Bootstrap boasts a large and active community of developers too, in which you can get resources, and third-party plugins to help you succeed in your projects.

8. Postman

Postman is a popular API development and testing tool that can simplify the process of building, testing, and documenting APIs.

This web development tool provides a user-friendly interface for sending HTTP requests, inspecting responses, and automating workflows.

That’s why it’s essential for API development and collaboration.

You’ll be able to inspect API responses in detail, including headers, status codes, and response body content.

Moreover, it allows you to view responses in various formats, such as JSON, XML, and HTML, making it easy to debug and troubleshoot API issues.

Postman also offers a range of pricing plans to cater to the diverse needs of developers.

The free version provides basic functionality, while paid plans offer additional features such as custom domains, single sign-on (SAML), and advanced analytics tools.

9. Webpack

Webpack is a module bundler that processes JavaScript, CSS, and other assets, and generates optimized bundles for deployment in web applications.

It allows web developers to modularize their codebase, manage dependencies, and bundle assets efficiently.

In addition, you can process various types of files, such as CSS, images, and JSON.

Applying transformations like compilation, minification, and optimization is also easy.

By bundling and optimizing assets, Webpack helps improve the performance of web applications, resulting in faster page loading times and better user experiences.

10. Marvel

Marvel stands out as one of the leading wireframing and prototyping tools, which offers a user-friendly platform to create high-quality mockups and prototypes for web and mobile applications.

With its intuitive interface, features, and collaborative capabilities, Marvel allows designers and developers to streamline the design process and facilitate efficient collaboration.

It also includes user testing features that enable designers to gather feedback early in the design process.

This helps identify potential issues and improve the usability of the final product.

The good news is, its free plan already has some of Marvel’s powerful features.

You can also choose one of the paid plans to create more projects, access more features, and get premium support.

Conclusion

Having the right web development tools can make all the difference.

From organizing code to enhancing the design process, each tool plays a crucial role.

Let’s recap all the tools we’ve discussed in this article:

1. Sublime Text provides a lightweight yet powerful text editor, ideal for coding and markup, with advanced features to boost productivity.
2. Chrome DevTools offers web development and debugging tools built into the Google Chrome browser, which enable developers to inspect, edit, and optimize web pages with ease.
3. Visual Studio Code is a versatile and extensible code editor developed by Microsoft, offering intelligent code completion, debugging, and version control integration.
4. GitHub serves as a cloud-based Git repository hosting service, facilitating collaboration, version control, and project management for development teams.
5. jQuery simplifies front-end development with its fast and lightweight JavaScript library, and provides a wide range of pre-designed components.
6. Node Package Manager (npm) is a JavaScript software registry for sharing and deploying code packages.
7. Bootstrap offers a comprehensive CSS framework for building responsive and mobile-first websites, featuring a collection of pre-designed components and layouts.
8. Postman simplifies API development and testing with its user-friendly interface, automation features, and collaboration tools.
9. Webpack streamlines JavaScript module bundling and asset optimization, which improves performance and maintainability in web applications.
10. Marvel helps designers with wireframing and prototyping tools, also facilitates collaboration and iteration in the process.

Do you need reliable web development services for your business?

However, despite a growing awareness of the threat of cybercrime, organizations and individuals continue to lose ever greater sums. The Internet Crime Complaint Center, led by the FBI, received 351,936 complaints in 2018 with losses in excess of $2.7 billion — the highest annual totals yet recorded.

Why is cybercrime still growing, and how are criminals succeeding?

1. By targeting people

While many of us focus on software and security tools to keep malware out, the real weakest link is often the least obvious, bypassed by IT members who believe technology alone is the answer. The majority of successful cyberattacks start with a person intentionally or unintentionally fooled into clicking somewhere they shouldn’t. Cybercriminals are adept at taking advantage of social engineering, and successful phishing attacks can serve as models for a variety of similar scams.

Enticements to volunteer information have the potential to dupe people, especially when the scammers put considerable effort into making the message and the website it directs you to look legitimate. Even the smartest people, when busy and distracted, may click on a link embedded in a plausible-looking message and unwittingly download malware.

2. By doing their homework

As phishing attacks grow ever more sophisticated, criminals have grown more discerning about their potential victims. They may research and target specific executives to gain access to a wider network. They may collect and collate publicly available data from social media to lend their approach an air of authenticity. While well-researched attacks, or spear phishing attacks, are growing more common, the sad truth is that even transparent attacks have a success rate, which brings us to the next point.

3. It’s a numbers game

There are billions of people online, and they can be exposed to an incredibly wide array of scams. While a vague email with a CV in it or a request to review an attached invoice may appear clumsy, if it lands in your inbox at the right time, there’s a real risk you’ll click before you think. Emails and instant messages are cheap and easy to send in bulk. If criminals send thousands, they only need a very small percentage of victims to bite to make the exercise worthwhile.

4. Scams keep evolving

While many online scams have originated out of older schemes, scammers are always finding new ways to play them out. Scammers love to pose as legitimate organizations like banks, hoping to trick you into handing over details, but as we’ve become accustomed to dealing with organizations online, the potential for trickery has grown exponentially.

How creative have bad actors grown in boldness and innovation? With the popularity of touchscreens, our own team of cybersecurity experts has even seen instances of what appears like a digitized human hair follicle — or flea or dust particle — on a screen; once it gets swiped away, malware is downloaded unwittingly.

Criminals have had a lot of success posing as official government agencies or throwing up fake warnings that indicate you have a virus on your system and need to download and install a specific program to get rid of it. Drive-by downloads delivering malware can be triggered simply by visiting the wrong webpage and may occur in the background without any notification.

5. Criminals sell stolen information

If a scam is successful, it will be copied quickly. Criminals don’t just share knowledge; they sell malware kits, sometimes even with their own tech support. Some cybercriminals insulate themselves by selling crime kits or brokering data deals, leaving more desperate criminals to take the bigger risks. Lists of personal details and potential victims are frequently traded online.

6. Patience and persistence pay off

There’s a tendency to assume cybercriminals are impatient and lazy, but many have learned that they can harvest more by being patient. Many breaches take weeks to be discovered, and criminals use that time to spread malware and steal as much data as possible without raising suspicions. It’s not unusual for breaches to hibernate and go unnoticed for months.

A persistent criminal may start with some apparently innocuous information they’ve gathered from social networks and use that to leverage more sensitive credentials. People have a bad habit of reusing the same passwords in multiple places. There’s also the possibility of using a social media account to pose as someone and trick colleagues, family or friends into sending more sensitive data or even cash.

7. Criminals can operate from anywhere

Law enforcement is handicapped by the fact that cybercriminals can operate from anywhere with internet access. Scammers working in countries with limited digital crime laws or just lax enforcement standards can operate with impunity. If there’s little risk of being punished for online fraud, it’s bound to attract criminals.

Some of the drivers behind cybercrime are difficult to address. But everyone would be a lot safer if they’d keep the first item on our list in mind and simply stop to think before clicking on any links in emails or messages, no matter how authentic they may appear. A little forethought and natural suspicion can save you from a world of financial hurt.