Washington (AFP) June 9, 2022 Lorando Duncan wears long-sleeved shirts because his arms bear scars he doesn’t like to show: those of the drugs he has been injecting into his veins for decades. Born in the US capital Washington 65 years ago, the slender African American has been using heroin almost all his adult life. But the advent of fentanyl, an ultra-powerful and addictive synthetic … Continue reading Black Americans bear the brunt of fentanyl ‘epidemic’ in Washington

Washington (AFP) June 8, 2022 The United States will phase out single-use plastics in national parks and other public lands over the next decade, President Joe Biden’s administration announced Wednesday as part of actions on World Oceans Day. This will include the sale and distribution of plastic bags and bottles as well as food wrappers, beverage cups and other tableware, according to an order by … Continue reading US to ban single-use plastics on public lands by 2032

Paris (AFP) June 8, 2022 Climate-vulnerable countries said disasters and weather patterns driven by global warming have wiped out around a fifth of their economic growth, in a report published Wednesday amid growing calls for funding to help nations hammered by weather extremes. The research, released by a consortium of 55 developing nations across Africa, Asia, the Americas and the Pacific, comes as UN climate … Continue reading Climate change erased a fifth of exposed nations’ growth potential: report

Berlin (AFP) May 20, 2022 Almost 40 people were injured, several seriously, on Friday in a “tornado” which hit the western German city of Paderborn, the police and fire brigade said. A police spokesman said the tornado also caused significant damage in the city in the North Rhine-Westphalia state, following abnormally high temperatures for the time of year. The city’s fire department said on Twitter … Continue reading ‘Tornado’ in western Germany injures dozens

Ashdod, Israel (AFP) May 20, 2022 An Israeli city is testing whether an artificial intelligence programme that detects drowning threats can help save lives off its beaches. The programme, developed by a company called SightBit, uses information collected from surveillance cameras to determine who is in the water – an adult or child, for example – if they are moving or limp, and the current’s … Continue reading Israeli firm hopes AI can curb drownings

Jadaa Camp, Iraq (AFP) May 22, 2022 Awatef Massud is longing to reunite with her Iraqi family after years spent in Syria, but first she must do time in a vetting camp to ensure she has no links to jihadists. The 35-year-old mother of five fled to neighbouring Syria in 2014 to escape violence at home after the Islamic State group swept across swathes of … Continue reading For Iraqis back from Syria, life on hold in ‘rehabilitation’ camp

Madrid (AFP) May 20, 2022 An unusually early heatwave brought extreme temperatures Friday to a large swath of Spain, putting the whole month of May on track to be the hottest this century. Spain’s meteorological agency AEMET said the heatwave, caused by a mass of hot air coming from North Africa, had produced high temperatures up to 15 degrees Celsius above the seasonal average. The … Continue reading Spain sizzles under unusual early heatwave

Ouagadougou (AFP) May 21, 2022 Five soldiers and 30 “terrorists” were killed in fighting in northern Burkina Faso after the suspected jihadists attacked a military base in large numbers on Saturday, the army said. Troops in Bourzanga, a town in the northern region which has been bearing the brunt of a jihadist revolt, “vigorously retaliated against an attack on its base on Saturday”, the army … Continue reading Five soldiers, 30 ‘terrorists’ killed in Burkina Faso clash

Geneva (AFP) May 19, 2022 The World Health Organization on Thursday gave the green light to Chinese manufacturer CanSinoBIO’s Covid-19 vaccine – the ninth jab to get the WHO seal of approval. The WHO granted emergency use listing (EUL) authorisation to the single-shot Convidecia vaccine as China battles a resurgence of the virus triggered by the Omicron variant. It is the third Chinese-made vaccine to … Continue reading WHO authorises China’s CanSinoBIO Covid-19 vaccine

Rio De Janeiro (AFP) May 19, 2022 Coats and scarves have come out prematurely in Brazil, as the south of the tropical country experiences a record-breaking cold spell, a menace for both homeless people and crops. With 1.4 degrees Celsius, the capital Brasilia recorded the coldest temperature in its history on Thursday, with more than a month to go until the official start of winter. … Continue reading Record-breaking cold in Brazil threatens homeless, crops