Nigeria on ‘high alert’ amid surging cases of mpox in Africa
Abuja, Nigeria — Nigerian authorities on Thursday placed key entry points into the country on high alert following the outbreak of the mpox virus in Africa. Authorities have also put nine Nigerian states, including the commercial hub, Lagos, and the capital, Abuja, under serious surveillance. The…
Mpox virus now in Pakistan, health authorities say
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Pakistan's health ministry has confirmed at least one case of the mpox virus in a patient who had returned from a Gulf country, it said on Friday, as provincial health authorities reported they had detected three cases. A health ministry spokesperson said the…
Restaurant with robot servers causes excitement in Nairobi
In Nairobi, a new restaurant is generating business and buzz – not just because of the food, but because of the staff. Robots serving dishes is the main attraction of diners who flock to the Robot Cafe. Juma Majanga reports. Camera: Jimmy Makhulo. ...
August’s supermoon kicks off four months of lunar spectacles
cape canaveral, florida — The first of four supermoons this year rises next week, providing tantalizing views of Earth's constant companion. Stargazers can catch the first act Monday as the full moon inches a little closer than usual, making it appear slightly bigger and brighter in…
Pakistanis frustrated by slowdown in internet service
islamabad — From sharing memes to sealing deals, millions of Pakistanis are struggling to communicate digitally as internet and data services have slowed down across much of the country. Officials are blaming internet service providers for the slowdown, but media reports indicate the problem may stem…
Google says Iranian group trying to hack US presidential campaigns
NEW YORK — Google said Wednesday that an Iranian group linked to the country's Revolutionary Guard had tried to infiltrate the personal email accounts of roughly a dozen people linked to President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump since May. The tech company's threat intelligence…
Biden strikes $150M blow against cancer in campaign to slash deaths
washington — President Joe Biden on Tuesday visited Louisiana's infamous "Cancer Alley" to strike at what he identified as a top priority of his dwindling presidency: announcing $150 million in research funding toward the goal of dramatically reducing cancer deaths in the United States. The Cancer…
Nigerian invents crop disease detection drone
As Nigeria struggles with food insecurity, young Nigerians and startups are seeking to revolutionize the agricultural sector through technology. In the state of Kaduna, Shamsuddeen Jibril invented a drone that can detect crop diseases. Alhassan Bala has the report from Abuja, Nigeria. ...
Australian researchers herald new groundbreaking diabetes drug
SYDNEY — Researchers in Australia have developed a drug that could revolutionize treatment for millions of diabetes patients around the world. Scientists in the U.S., China and Australia are designing treatments that imitate the body’s natural response to changing blood glucose, or sugar, levels and…
New Zealand to loosen gene editing regulation, make commercialization easier
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The New Zealand government said Tuesday that it would introduce new legislation to make it easier for companies and researchers to develop and commercialize products using gene technologies such as gene editing. Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins said in a…
Zimbabwe government declares end to latest cholera outbreak
Harare — Zimbabwean authorities recently declared the end of a cholera outbreak which lasted nearly 18 months, but public health experts say the conditions which caused the waterborne disease still exist and need urgent attention. After battling a cholera outbreak which began in February of last…
China test-flies biggest cargo drone as low-altitude economy takes off
beijing — Engineers sent China's biggest-yet cargo drone on a test run over the weekend while a helicopter taxi took to the skies on a soon-to-open 100-km route to Shanghai, laying new milestones for the country's expanding low-altitude economy. Packing a payload capacity of 2 metric tons, the twin-engine…
Addictions on the rise in wartime Israel
Beersheba, Israel — At 19, Yoni, an Israeli man, has to put aside his plans to join the military and instead enter rehab for drug abuse that has worsened since Hamas' October 7 attack. Health professionals said Yoni's case is not an exception in wartime Israel,…
‘Miseries of the Balkhash’: Fears for Kazakhstan’s special lake
Balkhash, Kazakhstan — Seen from the sky, with its turquoise waters stretching out into the desert expanses in the shape of a crescent, you can see why they call Lake Balkhash the "pearl of Kazakhstan." But pollution, climate change and its overuse are threatening the existence…
Namibian occupational therapists assist children with mental health
Windhoek, Namibia — Poverty, family dysfunction, hopelessness and learning challenges are among the reasons children, sometimes as young as 9, take their own lives. The Namibia Association of Occupational Therapists on Saturday brought together children, parents, and health care workers to teach children how to cope…