Delhi grapples with water woes amid heat wave
New Delhi — Mushrat Parveen, a resident of a low-income neighborhood in the Indian capital, New Delhi, perches atop a tanker truck delivering water to her neighborhood to escape the chaos that ensues. “Everyone keeps fighting for water, so I…
Nigeria declares cholera crisis, launches emergency measures
Nigerian authorities have declared a national emergency and activated response operations to control the spread of a cholera outbreak that has killed more than 50 people. The Nigerian Center for Disease Control, or NCDC, said Tuesday that its decision to…
WHO: 3 million die each year from drugs, alcohol
The World Health Organization (WHO) says there are more than 3 million drug- and alcohol-related deaths annually, most of which are among men. A report released Tuesday says 2.6 million people (2 million of them men) die from something related…
Experts: Northern Gaza spared famine, but ‘sustained risk’ remains
New York — The situation in the Gaza Strip remains catastrophic and there is a high and sustained risk of famine across all of Gaza as long as the Israel-Hamas war continues and humanitarian access is restricted, a United Nations-backed…
US Surgeon General declares firearm violence a ‘public health crisis’
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy declared gun violence a public health crisis on Tuesday, calling for greater gun control, including the banning of assault rifles. Murthy issued the first Surgeon General’s Advisory on Firearm Violence to address his concerns….
2 years after Roe overturned, abortion decision reverberates
Monday marks two full years since the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion. In that time, access to the process across the United States has shifted dramatically, with large parts of the country effectively banning the procedure,…
Senegal tightens anti-COVID controls after Mecca deaths
Dakar, Senegal — Senegal said Monday it had implemented voluntary COVID-19 screening tests and reimposed the wearing of masks at Dakar’s international airport for returning pilgrims fearing the virus was linked to the deaths of some Mecca pilgrims. Dakar suspects…
Death toll at Hajj pilgrimage tops 1,300 amid scorching temperatures
Cairo — More than 1,300 people died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia as the faithful faced extreme high temperatures at Islamic holy sites in the desert kingdom, Saudi authorities announced Sunday. Saudi Health Minister Fahd bin Abdurrahman…
In South Africa, traditional healers join fight against HIV
BUSHBUCKRIDGE, South Africa — The walls of Shadrack Mashabane’s hut in the rural South African town of Bushbuckridge are covered with traditional fabrics, with a small window the only source of light. What stands out among the herbs and medicines…
Conservation efforts bring Iberian lynx back from brink of extinction
MADRID — Things are looking up for the Iberian lynx. Just over two decades ago, the pointy-eared wild cat was on the brink of extinction, but as of Thursday the International Union for Conservation of Nature says it’s no longer…