More than 120 people die in Tokyo from heatstroke in July
TOKYO — More than 120 people died of heatstroke in the Tokyo metropolitan area in July, when the nation’s average temperature hit record highs and heat warnings were in effect much of the month, Japanese authorities said Tuesday. According to…
NASA delays next crew launch to buy more time at space station for Boeing’s troubled capsule
NASA is delaying its next astronaut launch to buy more time at the International Space Station for Boeing’s troubled new crew capsule. The space agency said Tuesday it is bumping SpaceX’s four-person flight from this month to next. It’s now…
WHO: Governments unprepared to combat global COVID-19 surge
Geneva — The World Health Organization is warning that governments throughout the world are unprepared to combat the global surge of COVID-19, which is putting millions of people at risk of severe disease and death. “COVID-19 is still very much…
US-Australia talks focus on China’s ‘coercive behavior,’ climate change
WASHINGTON/SYDNEY — The United States and Australia kicked off high-level talks Tuesday that will focus on China’s “coercive behavior,” as well as the AUKUS nuclear submarine project, mounting tensions in the Middle East and climate change, officials said. The annual…
Historic space mission commander tours South African schools
Esteemed American astronaut, geoscience professor and artist Sian Proctor is touring South African schools to emphasize the importance of education in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. Her goal is to inspire students to pursue careers in the sciences and…
UN agency raises 20% of needed African drought aid
HARARE, Zimbabwe — The U.N. World Food Program has faced challenges in raising $400 million for its Southern Africa drought response, collecting just one-fifth of what it needs to help seven countries in the region, a WFP spokesperson said on…
Fossils suggest even smaller ‘hobbits’ roamed Indonesian island 700,000 years ago
washington — Twenty years ago on an Indonesian island, scientists discovered fossils of an early human species that stood at about 1.07 meters tall — earning them the nickname “hobbits.” Now a new study suggests ancestors of the hobbits were…
Activists address reality of unsafe abortions in Kenya
Abortion is restricted in Kenya, but in Kilifi County on the southern coast many women and girls with unplanned pregnancies say they have no choice but to undergo dangerous abortions without the intervention of a nurse or doctor. Local activists…
As mpox cases surge in Africa, few treatments and vaccines available
BANGUI, Central African Republic — African health officials said mpox cases have spiked by 160% so far this year, warning the risk of further spread is high given the lack of effective treatments or vaccines on the continent. The Africa…
Heat deaths of people without air conditioning underscore inequity
PHOENIX, ARIZONA — Mexican farm worker Avelino Vazquez Navarro didn’t have air conditioning in the motor home where he died last month in Washington state as temperatures surged into the triple digits. For the last dozen years, the 61-year-old spent…