Madrid (AFP) June 13, 2022 Spain was on Monday in the grips of a heatwave expected to reach “extreme” levels with France set to follow suit as meteorologists blame the unusually high seasonal temperatures on global warming. The “unusual” temperatures in the first-half of June come after Spain experienced its hottest May in at least 100 years, Ruben del Campo, spokesman for the Spanish Meteorological … Continue reading Heatwave grips Spain as France braces for soaring temperatures

Guatemala City (AFP) June 14, 2022 At least 15 people have died in a dozen mudslides caused by heavy rains that have fallen since early May in Guatemala, where more than 500,000 people have been affected, officials said Monday. Among the 15 fatalities were a woman and her six children, as well as three brothers, all minors, from two indigenous villages, said the office of … Continue reading 15 dead, half million impacted by heavy rains in Guatemala

Kigali (AFP) June 13, 2022 Rwanda on Monday accused the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, known by its French acronym MONUSCO, of “taking sides” and supporting Kinshasa as relations between the neighbours plummet. Recurring tensions between the DRC and Rwanda flared anew last month amid violent clashes near the joint border, which have accused each other of supporting armed groups and even, … Continue reading Rwanda accuses UN of ‘taking sides’ in DR Congo conflict

Okayama, Japan (SPX) Jun 10, 2022 Asteroids and comets represent the material that was left over after the formation of the planets that orbit the Sun. Such bodies would have initially formed in a vast disk of gas and dust (protosolar nebular) around what would eventually become the Sun (protosun) and thus can preserve clues about the processes that operated during this period of the … Continue reading What happened before, during and after solar system formation

Beijing (AFP) June 15, 2022 Authorities in central China allegedly used the country’s powerful Covid tracking system to stop an anticipated protest, state media reported, sparking furious condemnation online on Wednesday. China relies on a vast coronavirus surveillance infrastructure to carry out rigorous contact tracing as part of its zero-Covid strategy to stamp out all outbreaks. Residents are required to scan chttp://dlvr.it/SSDcdQ Continue reading China Covid pass system allegedly used to block protest

Durban, South Africa (AFP) June 12, 2022 Nearly 90 people are still missing two months after the worst floods in living memory swept through South Africa’s third largest city of Durban and surrounding areas, killing hundreds, government said Sunday. The death toll from the raging floods and landslides has climbed to 461, with 87 people still unaccounted for, southeastern KwaZulu-Natal provincial government premier Sihle Zikalala … Continue reading Dozens still missing two months after S.Africa’s worst floods

Juban, Philippines (AFP) June 12, 2022 A volcano in the Philippines spewed a huge column of ash into the sky on Sunday, blanketing a region still recovering from last week’s eruption. The blast from Bulusan volcano lasted 18 minutes, the Philippine seismological agency said, impairing road visibility and forcing airlines to cancel flights. On June 5, Mount Bulusan sent a grey plume shooting up at … Continue reading Volcano ash blankets Philippine towns after second eruption this week

Baghdad (AFP) June 12, 2022 Iraqi lawmakers from firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr’s bloc resigned Sunday, the parliamentary speaker said, in a move ostensibly designed to up pressure to end an eight-month political paralysis. Sadr on Thursday had urged the MPs from his bloc – the biggest in parliament – to ready resignation papers, in a bid, he said, to break the parliamentary logjam and … Continue reading Iraqi MPs from firebrand cleric Moqtada Sadr’s bloc resign: official

London, UK (SPX) Jun 14, 2022 New research has shown that normal human brain temperature varies much more than we thought, and this could be a sign of healthy brain function. In healthy men and women, where oral temperature is typically less than 37C, average brain temperature is 38.5C, with deeper brain regions often exceeding 40C, particularly in women during the daytime. Previously, human brain … Continue reading Healthy human brains are hotter than previously thought, exceeding 40 degrees

Singapore (AFP) June 12, 2022 Fiji faces its biggest threat from “devastating climate change” rather than conflict, the country’s defence minister warned Sunday at a high-level security summit that has been dominated by geopolitical tensions. This weekend’s Shangri-La Dialogue, which brings together defence ministers from around the world, has seen sparring between Washington and Beijing over Taiwan while delegates alsohttp://dlvr.it/SS7YsV Continue reading Fiji’s biggest threat ‘climate change, not conflict’