Boston MA (SPX) Dec 14, 2022 For many of us, the act of breathing comes naturally. Behind the scenes, our diaphragm – the dome-shaped muscle that lies just beneath the ribcage – works like a slow and steady trampoline, pushing down to create a vacuum for the lungs to expand and draw air in, then relaxing as air is pushed out. In this way, the … Continue reading MIT engineers design a soft, implantable ventilator

Niamey (AFP) Dec 13, 2022 The Sahel state of Niger is urging former soldiers and police to get back into uniform to help the years-long battle against jihadists, security sources said on Tuesday. The authorities began an operation on Monday aimed at mustering a thousand men, “who won’t go directly to the front, but will be used to secure important sites”, one source said. Colonel … Continue reading Jihadist-hit Niger brings back former soldiers, police

Beijing (AFP) Dec 12, 2022 Covid cases are surging in the Chinese capital, officials said Monday, as the country navigates a rapid turn away from its zero-tolerance coronavirus strategy. Just a few days after China began loosening restrictions, Beijing authorities said more than 22,000 patients had visited hospitals across the city in the previous day – 16 times the number a week ago. “The current … Continue reading China faces soaring Covid cases as hardline policy eases

Hong Kong (AFP) Dec 13, 2022 Hong Kong announced Tuesday it would no longer require residents to use a scanning app to enter venues and that overseas arrivals could now visit bars and restaurants from the moment they land in a further easing of Covid restrictions. But authorities confirmed they were keeping a host of other rules including mandatory PCR checks for overseas arrivals, daily … Continue reading Hong Kong further eases Covid curbs, but many rules remain

London (AFP) Dec 12, 2022 Three boys aged eight, 10 and 11 have died and another boy remains in critical condition after they fell into an icy lake near Birmingham, central England, police said Monday. “Three boys have tragically died after falling into the lake at Babbs Mill Park in Solihull yesterday afternoon,” West Midlands Police said in a statement. The boys suffered a cardiac … Continue reading Three boys die after falling into frozen lake in UK: police

Hong Kong (AFP) Dec 13, 2022 The national security trial of pro-democracy Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai was pushed to September 2023 by a court on Tuesday, as authorities seek to have his overseas lawyer barred from the defence. Lai, the 75-year-old founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper, is facing up to life in prison for “colluding with foreign forces”, a crime under … Continue reading Hong Kong court delays Jimmy Lai security trial by ten months

Ife, Nigeria (SPX) Dec 09, 2022 President Joe Biden is hosting the Second US-Africa Leaders Summit in mid-December 2022. The focus will be on eight areas: economic engagement; peace, security and good governance; democracy and human rights; regional and global health security (including recovery from COVID-19 and pandemic preparedness); food security; climate change; diaspora ties; and education and youth leadership.http://dlvr.it/SfG3r5 Continue reading Outer space talks are a welcome addition to the US-Africa Leaders Summit

Washington (AFP) Dec 9, 2022 The US Treasury Department on Friday announced sanctions against China-based fishing firms Dalian Ocean Fishing Co and Pingtan Marine Enterprise, along with affiliated entities, over alleged human rights abuses. This marks the first time the Treasury Department has designated an entity listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange, Pingtan Marine, it said in a statement. “Treasury condemns the prahttp://dlvr.it/SfBKy9 Continue reading US sanctions China-based fishing firms over rights abuses

Paris (AFP) Dec 9, 2022 Dozens of scientists, experts and campaigners called for a ban on the release of genetically-edited organisms into the wild, in a statement Friday warning of potentially severe risks to the world’s pollinators. The appeal was launched at crunch biodiversity talks in Montreal, where delegates from almost all the world’s countries were meeting to negotiate a strategy to halt human environmentahttp://dlvr.it/SfBKxd Continue reading Experts urge caution over biotech that can wipe out insect pests

Santiago (AFP) Dec 10, 2022 A volcano in the Andes in Chile’s north rumbled to life early Saturday, triggering minor earth tremors and sending a plume of smoke and ash 6,000 meters (nearly 20,000 feet) into a clear sky. Chile’s National Geology and Mining Service reported that at 12:36 am (15:36 GMT) the Lascar volcano stirred. The volcano sent “an eruptive column” comprising volcanic ash … Continue reading Lascar volcano in Chile stirs, sending plume skyward