Life

Canadian vaping study details danger from ‘popcorn lung’ chemical

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A 17-year-old Canadian nearly lost his lungs after five months of intensive vaping, but the ingredient suspected of doing the damage, diacetyl, is different from the substance US authorities blame for dozens of deaths. The case, described Thursday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), deepens the mysteries surrounding e-cigarettes, which have grown so popular US President Donald Trump earlier this week backed away from a proposed ban on certain […]

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New York sues e-cigarette firm Juul for targeting youngsters

  NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — New York on Tuesday became the second state this week to sue Juul, the United States’ largest electronic cigarette manufacturer, for illegally targeting minors with its marketing campaigns. The lawsuits come as the vaping industry faces intense scrutiny over an epidemic of lung ailments linked to e-cigarette use that has killed more than 40 people and sickened more than 2,000 in recent months. The New York action, which […]

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E-cigarettes: five things to know

  by Olivier THIBAULT Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — E-cigarettes have become hugely popular in the past decade but a rash of vaping-linked deaths and illnesses is feeding caution about a product, already banned in some places. On Thursday an 18-year-old man died in Belgium in a vaping-linked death, the first such case in the country. Here are five things to know about electronic cigarettes. – Around for two decades – Early designs […]

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Delhi suffocates under toxic smog but millions go without masks

  by Abhaya SRIVASTAVA Agence France Presse NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — A thick grey smog choked New Delhi for the fifth day Saturday, adding to a mounting pollution health crisis, but retired naval commander Anil Charan is one of the vast majority of the city’s 20 million inhabitants who do not wear a mask. Indian media is packed with warnings about the risk of premature death, lung cancer and particular danger to children from […]

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Renowned Polish jazz pianist touches on PHL connection to Polish mazurka in “Impromazurka” concert at the CCP

  (Eagle News) — Piano notes that relax and soothe the senses, and at the same time, bring you to an extraordinary exhilarating musical journey. This was what the audience at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Little Theater experienced as they listened to noted Polish jazz pianist and musician-composer Artur Dutkiewicz with his “ImproMazurka” concert on Tuesday night, Nov. 12. It was the first time for the world-renowned pianist to play in a […]

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China completes Mars lander test ahead of 2020 mission

HUAILAI, China (AFP) — China on Thursday completed a test of its Mars exploration lander ahead of Beijing’s first mission to the red planet slated for 2020. Beijing is pouring billions into its military-run space program, with hopes of having a crewed space station by 2022. Thursday’s hovering and obstacle-avoidance test, which took place in northern Hebei province, was conducted in a facility that simulated conditions on Mars. A red platform with steel cables attached […]

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Climate change poses ‘lifelong’ child health risk

by Patrick GALEY PARIS, France (AFP) — Climate change will damage the health of an entire generation unless there are immediate cuts to fossil fuel emissions, from a rise in deadly infectious diseases to surging malnutrition, experts warned Thursday. Children across the world were already suffering the ill effects of air pollution and extreme weather events said The Lancet Countdown in its annual report on the impact of climate change on human health. And far […]

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Two treated for deadly pneumonic plague in Beijing

BEIJING, China (AFP) — Two people in Beijing have been diagnosed with the pneumonic plague — a rare instance of the highly-contagious disease that is fatal if left untreated. The two individuals were being treated at a central hospital in China’s capital city — home to over 21 million inhabitants — on Tuesday, local authorities said. Pneumonic plague can prove fatal in 24 to 72 hours and is the “most virulent form of plague,” according […]

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Facebook nixes billions of fake accounts

by Glenn CHAPMAN SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook on Wednesday said it has taken down some 5.4 billion fake accounts this year in a sign of the persistent battle on social media against manipulation and misinformation. Amid growing efforts to create fraudulent accounts, Facebook said it has stepped up its defenses and often removes the accounts within minutes of being created. “We have improved our ability to detect and block attempts to create […]

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Flooding in Venice drowns Catholic cathedral’s priceless mosaics in sewage

by Ella IDE Agence France Presse VENICE, Italy (AFP) — Dirty water swirls around marble tombs inside the 12th century crypt of St Mark’s Basilica in Venice, which suffered untold damage when an unprecedented high tide swept through the city. Pumps work overtime to clear the seawater from around the altar and under the pink and white stone arches, as the historic monument’s custodians look on in sadness and anger. “We’re talking about millions of […]

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WHO prequalifies first Ebola vaccine

GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday said it had prequalified an Ebola vaccine for the first time, hailing a “critical step” towards its licensing, access and roll-out in countries most at risk of outbreaks. “This is the fastest vaccine prequalification process ever conducted by WHO,” it said in a statement, explaining that “prequalification means that the vaccine meets WHO standards for quality, safety, and efficacy.” The announcement comes hot on […]

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The voyage home: Japan’s Hayabusa-2 probe to head for Earth

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s Hayabusa-2 probe will leave orbit around a distant asteroid and head for Earth on Wednesday after an unprecedented mission, carrying samples that could shed light on the origins of the Solar System. Science and Education Minister Koichi Hagiuda told reporters on Tuesday that the long voyage home would begin soon, with the probe expected to drop off its precious samples sometime in late 2020. The mission took the fridge-sized probe […]

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