A new IUCN report finds that an estimated 229,000 tonnes of plastic is leaking into the Mediterranean Sea every year, equivalent to over 500 shipping containers each day. Unless significant measures are taken to address mismanaged waste, the main source of the leakage, this will at least double by 2040. Based ... Read More »
Study team says Covid-19 patients in intensive care should be asked about hearing loss Covid-19 may cause sudden and permanent hearing loss, experts have found, adding that such problems need early detection and urgent treatment. The coronavirus has been found to affect the body in myriad ways, from a ... Read More »
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cites lack of understanding of virus and lasting health effects The head of the World Health Organization has warned against deliberately allowing coronavirus to spread in the hope of achieving so-called herd immunity, saying the idea is unethical. “Herd immunity is a concept used for vaccination, in ... Read More »
Governments from the UK, USA, Australia, Japan, India, and more are seeking the ability to read users’ messages The governments of the UK, USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, India, and Japan have signed a statement asking technology companies to provide a backdoor into encrypted services. End-to-end encryption lets users use messaging services without the owners of those services ... Read More »
Scientists have watched a rare blast of light from a star as it was eaten by a black hole. The unusual “tidal disruption event” was visible in telescopes across the world. It appeared as a bright flare of energy, the closest of its kind ever recorded, at just 215 million light-years away. Such ... Read More »
The virus that causes COVID-19 can survive on banknotes, glass and stainless steel for up to 28 days, much longer than the flu virus, Australian researchers said on Monday, highlighting the need for frequent cleaning and handwashing. Findings from the study by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, appear to show ... Read More »
A new discovery, just 30 miles west of London, may help transform historians’ understanding of the long process that led to the birth of England. Archaeologists from the University of Reading have begun an investigation into a Dark Age military leader whose grave has been discovered on a hill overlooking the Thames near the ... Read More »
Egypt on Saturday put on show dozens of coffins belonging to priests and clerks from the 26th dynasty nearly 2,500 years ago, with archaeologists saying tens more were found in the vast Saqqara necropolis just days ago. The 59 coffins were discovered in August at the UNESCO world heritage site ... Read More »
Africa’s overburdened public health systems, dearth of testing facilities and overcrowded slums had experts predicting a disaster when COVID-19 hit the continent in February. The new coronavirus was already wreaking havoc in wealthy Asian and European nations, and a United Nations agency said in April that, even with social-distancing measures, ... Read More »
The mortality rate for COVID-19 is also “significantly higher” than for flu and pneumonia this year. Coronavirus caused three times more deaths than pneumonia and flu combined in the first eight months of this year, according to new figures. There were 48,168 deaths due to COVID-19, 13,619 due to pneumonia and ... Read More »
Lebanese Ministry of Information