- Wednesday, 20 August 2025
Reuters
The health risks of extreme heat
The more serious version is heatstroke when the body's core temperature goes above 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.6 degrees Celsius). It is a medical emergency and can lead to long-term organ damage and death. Symptoms include rapid breathing, confusion or seizures, and nausea.
WMO warns of risk of heart attacks, deaths as heatwave intensifies
The heatwave engulfing the northern hemisphere is set to intensify this week, causing overnight temperatures to surge and leading to an increased risk of heart attacks and deaths, the World Meteorological Organization said on Tuesday.
With 735 million people hungry, UN says world is 'off track' to meet its 2030 goal
By Leah Douglas, July 13: About 735 million people worldwide faced chronic hunger in 2022, a figure much higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic and which threatens progress towards a global goal to end hunger by 2030, said the United Nations.A multi-year upward trend in hunger rates levelled off last year as many countries recovered economically from the pandemic, but the war in Ukraine and its pressure on food and energy prices offset some of those gains, the U.N. said in its annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report.The result is that an estimated 122 million more people were hungry in 2022 than in 2019 and the world is "far off track" to meet the U.N.'s Sustainable Development Goal of ending hunger by 2030, said the report. Instead, the report projects that 600 million people will be undernourished in 2030."We are seeing that hunger is stabilizing at a high level, which is bad news," said Maximo Torero Cullen, chief economist of the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in an interview with Reuters.The main drivers of global hunger in recent years were conflict-driven disruption to livelihoods, climate extremes that threatened agricultural production, and economic hardship exacerbated by the pandemic, the report said.Some parts of the world have seen hunger decline, including South America and most regions in Asia. But in the Caribbean, Western Asia, and Africa, hunger is rising.To change the trend, nations must pair humanitarian aid with strengthening local food supply chains, said Kevin Mugenya, the food systems director for Mercy Corps, an international aid group, in an interview with Reuters."Countries need to have localized solutions," he said.The report was compiled by the U.N.'s International Fund for Agricultural Development, Children's Fund, World Health Organization, World Food Programme, and FAO.The proportion of people hungry in Africa and Oceania likely increased last year to 19.7% and 7%, respectively, contributing to rising global hunger since before the pandemic, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization.
Thailand prime minister Prayuth retires from politics, nine years after his coup
Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha announced on Tuesday his retirement from politics, nine years after he took power in a military coup, and promised to stay in charge only temporarily.
Heavy rain in southern Japan leaves up to six dead, 3 missing
Torrential rain over Japan's southwestern island of Kyushu triggered floods and landslides that left up to six people dead and rescuers searching for three missing, officials said on Tuesday.
Antarctic ice levels undergo 'massive decrease', data shows
Antarctic sea ice levels reached record lows last month, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Monday, a development climate change experts described as worrisome. WMO said that Antarctic sea ice levels last month - the hottest June ever recorded -- were at their lowest since satellite observations began, at 17% below average.
McDonald's drops tomatoes from India offerings
Restaurants of fast food chain McDonald's have dropped tomatoes from their burgers and wraps in many parts of India, hit by supply shortages and quality concerns after prices of the vegetable soared to records. In some regions, wholesale prices of the staple of traditional Indian cuisine have surged 288% in a month to a high of 140 rupees ($1.7) a kg on Friday, with retail prices still higher, spurring many people to cut back on consumption.
Deadly India rail crash caused by faulty signal connections made during repair
Workers repairing a rail-road barrier in India made faulty connections in the automated signalling system on the network, leading to the country's worst rail disaster in two decades, an official probe has found.
'Alarming' rise in diabetes expected globally by 2050, study says
Every country in the world will see rates of diabetes rise in the next 30 years without action, according to a new global study.
Extreme heat 'disproportionately' impacts people with disabilities - report
People with disabilities in Spain and other European countries have been disproportionately affected by unprecedented heat extremes, a leading human rights watchdog said on Monday, urging authorities to provide adequate support.
No direct evidence COVID started in Wuhan lab, US intelligence report says
U.S. intelligence agencies found no direct evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic stemmed from an incident at China's Wuhan Institute of Virology, a report declassified said.
Missing Titanic sub running out of oxygen
Five people aboard a missing submersible near the wreck of the Titanic had just hours left of their presumed air supply on Thursday, the fifth day of a massive multinational search across thousands of square miles in the remote North Atlantic.
Seven dead as India steps up evacuations ahead of Cyclone
Four boys drowned after venturing into rough seas in Mumbai as Indian authorities began evacuating people from western coastal areas on Tuesday, two days before a powerful cyclone approaches Gujarat state and neighbouring southern Pakistan.
India study estimates 11% of population is diabetic
Some 11% of Indians are diabetic, a government study found, adding that diabetes, hypertension and obesity are much more common in India than previously estimated. The study of more than 113,000 people also found that around 15% of Indians were pre-diabetic and around 35% have hypertension.
Pakistan's Imran Khan appealing to courts to avoid second arrest
Ousted Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan was on Thursday due to appeal to several courts for bail on a growing list of charges against him in a bid to avert his arrest, which could risk a repeat of violent protests by his supporters.
