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Scores of sick, starving pelicans found along California coast

NEWPORT BEACH, California —  Scores of sick and starving pelicans have been found in coastal California communities in recent weeks and many others have died. Lifeguards spotted a cluster of two dozen sick pelicans earlier this week on a pier…

Electricity from clean sources reaches 30% of global total

Billions of people are using different kinds of energy each day and 2023 was a record-breaking year for renewable energy sources — ones that don’t emit planet-warming pollutants like carbon dioxide and methane — according to a report published Wednesday…

Nigerians turn to unproven asthma treatments as inhaler costs rise

ABUJA, NIGERIA —  In Nigeria, soaring inhaler costs pose a significant challenge for asthma patients, especially as the world marked Asthma Day this week. The departure of multinational firms like GSK, coupled with inflation, has driven prices skyward, rendering essential…

NASA’s historic Boeing flight set to launch

The Boeing Starliner spaceship is set to launch astronauts to the International Space Station on Monday night, ten years after its commission by NASA. NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams will pilot the flight test to the space station,…

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…

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…

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…

What could a woman president in Mexico mean for abortion rights?

MEXICO CITY —  If a woman wins Mexico’s presidency on June 2, would she rule with gender in mind? The question has been raised by academics, humans rights organizations and activists ahead of the voting that will likely elect Mexico’s…