Microbial ecology (the study of how tiny microbes interact with each other and their environment) underpins the health of every ecosystem on Earth. The microbes living in soil recycle nutrients, support plant growth and help ecosystems respond to environmental change. In this explainer, microbial ecologist Marc Van Goethem tells us why microbes are critical to…
Three lions at a Tokyo zoo have died from suspected heatstroke and others are under treatment, a spokeswoman said on Tuesday, with the big cats struggling with high humidity. Japan sweltered through its hottest summer on record last year and parts of the country have hit 40 degrees Celsius in recent weeks, qualifying for the…
Two Greek firefighters have died after they became trapped tackling a wildfire that swept through the Rethymno area of Crete. Gale-force winds whipped up the flames prompting the evacuation of several villages, in the latest summer wildfire to break out in southern Europe. In southern Turkey, the main Fethiye to Antalya highway had to be…
At least 12 people have died in a wildfire in Los Gallardos in the southeastern province of Almería, according to the Andalusian regional government, while six have been injured. Some of the victims were found inside vehicles which had been engulfed by the flames. Witnesses say the fire was caused by a downed power line,…
Mombasa, Kenya — For decades, the outlook for the coral reefs has been increasingly bleak. Corals are some of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems, which have faced an existential threat due to rising temperatures that cause increased incidences of bleaching. This makes it inevitable that reefs will experience rapid decline. However, scientists’ latest findings seem…
An Iranian woman who now lives in the U.S. told CBS News that she feared for the safety of her family members in Iran when President Trump threatened in April that “a whole civilization will die tonight” as Washington sought to make a deal with Tehran. “They were scared too,” Setareh, who didn’t want to…
The country has recorded more than 60,000 suspected cases of measles in just over two months.
The Lagos State Government has intensified surveillance and border health screening following the worsening Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in Central and East Africa, where at least 177 deaths have been recorded from about 700 suspected cases. Meanwhile, the state government has advised Lagosians who have contact with travellers from affected areas and are experiencing symptoms,…
Geneva — History has repeatedly shown us that women are more likely than men to die during an Ebola outbreak, the chief of humanitarian action of UN Women has said in Geneva. “This is not because the disease is more deadly for women once they are infected,” Sofia Calltorp addressed journalists at a UN press…
Three people have died following an outbreak of a rare infectious disease aboard the MV Hondius, a cruise ship travelling across the Atlantic, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The outbreak occurred during a voyage from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Cape Verde. The WHO confirmed that one case of hantavirus — a disease typically transmitted…
