BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) – The World Health Organization warned Tuesday of a “very high” risk of cholera spreading across Syria after the country recorded its first cases since 2009. “The risk of cholera spreading to other governorates is very high,” the WHO said, after cases were recorded in at least five of the country’s 14 provinces. “The source of infection could be linked to people drinking water from untreated sources,” or “food contamination due to […]
Life
Hong Kong September heat record broken twice
HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Hong Kong has broken two heat records for September in a little over a week, the city’s weather observatory said Tuesday, as the crowded financial hub swelters through one of its hottest summers. The Hong Kong Observatory said a temperature of 35.4 degrees Celsius (95.7 Fahrenheit) was recorded on Tuesday afternoon, “once again breaking the record for highest temperature in September” since the city started keeping records in 1884. The […]
The ‘majestic’ Singapore orchid named in honour of Queen Elizabeth
SINGAPORE (AFP) — Elizabeth is majestic, hardy and “very fashionable”, said a top Singapore flower curator — referring not to the late monarch, but to an orchid named after the queen when she visited the former British colony. After Queen Elizabeth II’s death last week, the city-state’s Botanic Gardens loaned a towering sprig of Dendrobium Elizabeth to the British high commissioner’s residence, to be displayed alongside pictures of the monarch. The orchid hybrid, with […]
Thai pop-up wins fans with crunchless cricket burgers
BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) – There’s no crunch or crackle, but crickets are on the menu at one Bangkok pop-up serving fusion bug burgers, demonstrating the latest way to incorporate the protein-rich meat into food — direct from Thailand’s farms. Already catching headlines as a meat alternative, the edible insect market is expected to grow into a billion-dollar global industry in the coming years with many adopting creepy-crawlies into their diets as a result of climate […]
Child art show draws parallel between WWII, Ukraine war
by Anna Maria Jakubek Agence France-Presse WARSAW, Poland (AFP) — A new exhibition of child art from post-war Poland and present-day Ukraine shows that armed conflict is always the same for the world’s smallest citizens — no matter the where and the when. “How children perceive war, what they feel, what they convey through their drawings… is quite similar,” curator Dorota Sadowska told AFP. “What you see is suffering, plain and simple.” The outdoor exhibition […]
Ex-Google CEO says Ukraine proves value of IT in war
by Sylvie LANTEAUME Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Ukraine has been a very effective proving ground for the use of contemporary information technology in war, from satellite dishes to smartphone apps, Eric Schmidt, the former Google chief executive, said Monday. Schmidt, now a US government consultant on artificial intelligence, told reporters after a 36-hour visit to the country that the civilian tech sector has been crucial to Kyiv’s defense. The proof came the […]
NASA’s Moon mission pushed back, again
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – NASA is now targeting September 27 as the earliest possible launch date for its uncrewed Artemis 1 mission to the Moon, the agency said in a blog post Monday. The date would depend on engineering teams successfully carrying out a test to fuel up the Space Launch System rocket, and receive a waiver to avoid retesting batteries on an emergency flight system that is used to destroy the rocket if […]
African leaders demand funds to adapt to climate change
CAIRO, Egypt (AFP) — The leaders of two dozen African countries Friday urged wealthier nations to uphold their aid pledges so the continent can tackle climate change impacts for which it shares little blame. They made the call after African leaders on Monday lashed out at industrialised nations for failing to show up to a summit in the Netherlands on helping African nations adapt to these changes. We urge “developed countries to fulfil their […]
New malaria vaccine results raise hopes of mass rollout
PARIS, France (AFP) – A booster dose of a new malaria vaccine maintains a high level of protection against the disease, researchers said Thursday, expressing hopes the cheap jab could be produced on a massive scale in a matter of years. The international research team suggested the vaccine, developed by Britain’s Oxford University, could represent a turning point in the fight against the mosquito-borne parasitic disease, which killed 627,000 people — mostly African children — […]
Sweeteners may be linked to heart disease risk, study suggests
PARIS, France (AFP ) – A large study suggested Thursday that artificial sweetener could be associated with a higher risk of heart disease, however experts urged caution about the findings. Sweeteners are consumed by millions every day in products like diet soda, partly as a way to avoid weight gain from sugar — but the healthiness of these substitutes has long been a matter of controversy. Aiming to assess the heart disease risk of sweeteners, […]
Obamas get their White House portraits after Trump snub
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – Former president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama finally got their official White House portraits Wednesday, after four years of being snubbed by Donald Trump, in an emotional ceremony doubling as a rousing defense of American democracy. The paintings, destined to hang alongside those of generations of previous first couples in the White House, were unveiled by the Obamas themselves. Deafening cheers sounded through the packed East Room as […]
Countries growing 70% of world’s food face ‘extreme’ heat risk by 2045
PARIS, France (AFP) — Blistering crop-withering temperatures that also risk the health of agricultural workers could threaten swathes of global food production by 2045 as the world warms, an industry analysis warned Thursday. Climate change is already stoking heatwaves and other extreme weather events across the world, with hot spells from India to Europe this year expected to hit crop yields. Temperature spikes are causing mounting concern for health, particularly for those working outside in […]