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Month: May 2024

More money going to African climate startups, but huge funding gap remains

NAIROBI, Kenya —  When Ademola Adesina founded a startup to provide solar and battery-based power subscription packages to individuals and businesses in Nigeria in 2015, it was a lot harder to raise money than it is today. Climate tech was…

Texas veterinarian helps crack the mystery of bird flu in cows

The first calls that Dr. Barb Petersen received in early March were from dairy owners worried about crows, pigeons and other birds dying on their Texas farms. Then came word that barn cats — half of them on one farm…

Mammograms should now start at 40, US panel says

Regular mammograms to screen for breast cancer should start younger, at age 40, according to an influential U.S. task force. Women ages 40 to 74 should get screened every other year, the group said. Previously, the task force had said…

AI scams could become ‘growth industry of all time,’ warns Buffett

omaha, nebraska —  Warren Buffett cautioned the tens of thousands of shareholders who packed an arena for his annual meeting that artificial intelligence scams could become “the growth industry of all time.” Doubling down on his cautionary words from last…

Iraq rainstorm flooding kills hikers, officials say

Sulaimaniyah, Iraq —  Floods caused by torrential rainstorms have killed four hikers in the Sulaimaniyah region of northern Iraq, local officials told AFP. “Four members of a hiking team drowned because of heavy rains and flooding in Awaspi village” in…

Pakistan records its wettest April since 1961 with above average rainfall

ISLAMABAD —  Pakistan has recorded its wettest April since 1961, with more than double the usual rainfall for the month, the national weather center said. The country experienced days of extreme weather in April that killed scores of people and…

Tropical cyclone threatens to worsen humanitarian crisis in flooded East Africa

GENEVA —  The World Meteorological Organization warns that Tropical Cyclone Hidaya, which is projected to make landfall in Tanzania and Kenya this weekend, threatens to worsen the humanitarian crisis triggered by torrential rains in these and other heavily flooded countries…

‘Our voices need to be included’: Trinidadian youth make case for strong role in climate negotiations

Small island developing States are particularly vulnerable to climate change consequences, such as rising sea levels and heavy rains that cause flooding, increasing ocean temperatures that affect coral reefs and fishing and frequent hurricanes destroying homes and livelihoods. These countries…

Russian drones injure 6 in Ukraine’s Kharkiv, Dnipro regions

KYIV, UKRAINE —  Russia launched an overnight drone attack on Ukraine’s Kharkiv and Dnipro regions, injuring at least six people and hitting critical infrastructure, commercial and residential buildings, regional officials said on Saturday. The Ukrainian Air Force said the Russian…

Sanctions, hobbled economy hit Iran’s traditional carpet weavers hard

KASHAN, Iran —  The historic Kashan bazaar in central Iran once sat on a major caravan route, its silk carpets known the world over. But for the weavers trying to sell their rugs under its ancient arches, their world has…