Disease, extreme weather push up orange juice prices
MOGI GUACU, Brazil — Orange juice prices have always been volatile, falling when bumper harvests create an oversupply of oranges and rising when frost or a hurricane knocks out fruit trees. But the record-high prices the world is seeing for…
Contraception, in-vitro fertilization become key campaign issue
The debate over the right to an abortion has divided U.S. politics for decades. But two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, sending that decision back to the states, a new front has opened — the debate…
US Supreme Court rejects bid to restrict access to abortion pill mifepristone
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against restricting access to the abortion pill mifepristone on Thursday, turning back a challenge from anti-abortion advocates. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the pill in 2000, and it’s currently used in more than…
South African authorities warn of mpox after 2 deaths
Two people have died after contracting mpox, or monkeypox, South African health authorities said Thursday. Six recent mpox cases have been confirmed in South Africa, all among men in their 30s. Officials say the two deaths are among the six…
Kenyan group uses old ATMs to dispense free sanitary pads to students
A public-private partnership in Kenya provides female students with free sanitary napkins dispensed from converted ATMs at school. The goal is to provide pads to young women from poor families so they don’t miss school because they are menstruating. Victoria…
Despite war, surrogacy in Ukraine keeps flourishing
Before Russia’s invasion, Ukraine was an international surrogacy hub. Relatively low cost and a favorable legal framework led to thousands of babies born every year thanks to Ukrainian surrogate mothers, many of them for overseas parents. Despite the war and…
Australian-led study issues food security warning over plant breeding skills shortage
Sydney — Australia’s national science agency warns a lack of scientists specialized in plant breeding could lead to ‘dire’ food security implications around the world. Researchers say plant breeding is a critical science that underpins the global production of food,…
Thousands of children in Gaza at risk of dying from lack of food, medical care
The United Nations children’s agency says the lives of thousands of children in southern Gaza are at risk because of the escalation of the Rafah offensive. “Horrific images continue to emerge from Gaza of children dying before their families’ eyes…
Australia locks down farms as avian influenza spreads
Sydney — Bird flu continues to spread in the Australian state of Victoria, where more than 500,000 chickens have been euthanized. Strict quarantine zones restricting the movement of birds and equipment have also been put in place. Australian health authorities…
Alzheimer’s drug that slows disease gets backing from FDA advisers
WASHINGTON — A closely watched Alzheimer’s drug from Eli Lilly won the backing of federal health advisers Monday, setting the stage for the treatment’s expected approval for people with mild dementia caused by the brain-robbing disease. Food and Drug Administration…