Life

‘Collapsology’: Is this the end of civilisation as we know it?

by Stéphane ORJOLLET Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — “The world will never be the same again,” has been the oft-repeated refrain since the coronavirus brought the global economy to a juddering halt. For many it has shown how fragile our civilization is. The crisis has come as a new movement called “collapsology” — which warns of the possible collapse of our societies as we know them — is gaining ground. With climate change exposing how […]

Troops returning to Hawaii experience unique homecoming amid pandemic

Eagle News — Last week a group of US Army soldiers based in Hawaii returned home after their year-long deployment in Afghanistan and Iraq. Soldiers arrived at Honolulu International Airport after being quarantined in Texas for a few days to screen soldiers for COVID-19. Once touched down in the Aloha state, the homecoming was different from what these soldiers are used to. “It is what it is. We understand that there are limitations that there are […]

US starts contact tracing the old-fashioned way, but ‘it’s late’

by Ivan Couronne Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON DC, United States (AFP) — Taiwan and South Korea have led the world in digital contact tracing for the COVID-19 pandemic — an example the US with its emphasis on personal privacy and decentralized system of government is unlikely to be able to follow. Instead, states and cities are opting to hire thousands of public health workers who will have to carry out the laborious task of phoning everyone with […]

Daimler, Volvo in 1.2-bn-euro deal to make hydrogen batteries: statement

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany (AFP) — German automobile group Daimler said Tuesday it was partnering with Sweden’s Volvo to make hydrogen batteries for trucks, as car giants accelerate a push to wean vehicles from fossil fuels. The joint venture between the two, valued at 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion), is “a milestone in bringing fuel cell powered trucks and buses onto our roads,” said Daimler Truck chairman Martin Daum. “By forming this joint venture, we […]

EBC photography: A view of the Rhine River this spring amid the pandemic

“So ein herrlicher Tag!” What a glorious day as the Germans say. Keeping upbeat amid the coronavirus pandemic is necessary for one’s mental and emotional health. In Germany, where one is still allowed to go out to take a walk provided you maintain the required social or physical distancing, enjoying spring can indeed lift up your spirits. This is what couple Daisy and Olaf Prodigalidad did, taking a walk along the river Rhine, mindful of […]

No benefit, higher death rate for malaria drug in coronavirus study

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A malaria drug widely touted as a potential cure for COVID-19 showed no benefit against the disease over standard care — and was in fact associated with more deaths, the biggest study of its kind showed Tuesday. The US government-funded analysis of how American military veterans fared on hydroxychloroquine was posted on a medical preprint site and has not yet been peer-reviewed. The experiment had several important limitations but adds […]

Filipino restaurant in New South Wales helps those affected by COVID-19

  (Eagle News) —  A Filipino restaurant in New South Wales is helping those affected by COVID-19 restrictions by donating food for those in need. The owners of A-Team’s Kitchen, Arvin and Rose Acosta, said they are giving food to people, mostly international students who don’t have a means of livelihood. One of those they were able to help said that the donations — consisting of rice, fruits and vegetables are already good for two […]

Humans to blame for spread of coronavirus and other ‘zoonoses’

by Stéphane ORJOLLET Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Whether it came from a bat or a pangolin is not certain, but one thing is: the coronavirus outbreak that has killed tens of thousands and turned the world upside down comes from the animal world. It is human activity enabled the virus to jump to people, and specialists are warning that if nothing changes many other pandemics of this nature will follow. The name given to […]

China fish farmers harvest troubled waters with floating villages

by Lianchao LAN Agence France Presse XIAPU, China (AFP) — Fishermen like Zhu Chunfu have hauled their living from the seas off the Chinese province of Fujian for generations, but what happens when over-harvesting causes fish stocks to collapse? In the case of coastal Xiapu county, you turn to raising the fish yourself, a shift that has made it one of China’s most important aquaculture sites and spawned communities floating at sea. The water in […]

Italy mulls psychological tests to gauge lockdown impact

ROME, Italy (AFP) — Italian scientists want the government to conduct psychological tests on a sample of the population to determine how long people can stay confined to their homes, a report said Monday. The Corriere della Sera newspaper said scientists want to understand how long Italians “are able to endure a lockdown” in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte will announce a new set of social guidelines this week that […]

DOH issues circular telling public to “avoid spraying and misting at this time”; no evidence it can kill virus

  (Eagle News) — The Department of Health has issued a department circular advising the public “to avoid spraying and misting at this time” saying that there is no evidence to support that this actually kills the COVID-19 virus. In Department circular no. 2020-0172, DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III said that misting or spraying in fact poses an additional health and safety concerns. “There is no evidence to support that spraying surfaces or large scale […]

Eurasian ice sheet collapse raised seas eight meters: study

by Patrick GALEY Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — The melting of the Eurasian ice sheet around 14,000 years ago lifted global sea levels by about eight meters, according to new research published Monday that highlights the risks of today’s rapid ice cap melt. Earth’s last Glacial Maximum period began around 33,000 years ago, when vast ice sheets covered much of the Northern Hemisphere. At the time, the Eurasian ice sheet — which covered […]