The U.S. Is Becoming POORER— Here's The Evidence

 World Affairs In Context

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Climate Threat Global Challenges

Americans Link Extreme Weather to Climate Crisis

The majority of Americans link extreme weather to climate change. This is shown by a new opinion poll from Data for Progress, writes The Guardian.

One in ten Americans states that extreme weather has increased in the past five years. But it also influenced the type of weather that was discussed.

67 percent believe that heat waves are getting worse, of which 58 percent were Republicans. This stands out because Donald Trump has often dismissed the climate threat as a hoax.

Forest fires came in second place, while hailstorms ended up at the bottom at 59 percent.

According to Grace Adcox, senior climate strategist at Data for Progress, this is because there are regional differences.

– Extreme heat happens to have the largest footprint in the American context compared to some of these other types of extreme weather.

Scientists: Media glamorizes images of extreme heat

Despite extreme heat being a major problem in many parts of the US, only a third of Americans are concerned, according to a new study from Yale, writes the Independent.

The researchers believe that this may be partly due to the media portraying the hot weather as something wonderful.

– The potential danger is that these images can make extreme heat seem pleasant, ordinary or manageable – especially to people who do not already see heat as a serious health risk.

Every year, about 2,000 people in the US die from the heat. During the Fourth of July celebrations alone, 19 people died in New Jersey.

Ebola outbreak

Scientist: Ebola is brutal and painful

People in Congo-Kinshasa are “working hard” to keep going and believe in a bright future despite the Ebola outbreak, says Jo Trevor, a researcher at the University of Oxford, to the BBC.

– It’s actually a really brutal disease. It’s quite painful and very distressing for family and friends, as well as for the person who has it, she says.

Trevor has been on the ground in three of Congo-Kinshasa’s eastern provinces where the outbreak is centered. She and her team have been working on issues around water and sanitation, which are important to prevent the spread of the infection. It is also very limited in the country.

But Trevor also wants to highlight another side of the country and praises both the food and nature.

Ebola vaccine to be tested on humans

A new vaccine against the Bundibugyo variant of Ebola is to begin testing on humans, writes the BBC.

Researchers at Oxford University have developed the vaccine, which will be the first of four to move on to clinical trials.

The university says that the first volunteers in the UK will be vaccinated within a couple of weeks, writes Ekot. A total of 50 people between the ages of 18 and 55 will be included in the study.

There are already vaccines against other variants of Ebola, but since the virus should be seen as “sisters more than twins,” the vaccine does not bite the new variant, writes the BBC. 

The Ebola outbreak — it matters

• The Ebola outbreak in Congo-Kinshasa has confirmed over 2,000 infected and 754 dead by mid-July 2026.
• The Ebola virus of the Bundibugyo variant, which has no vaccine, has spread rapidly in Congo-Kinshasa.
• The outbreak has been exacerbated by armed conflicts, distrust of authorities and attacks on healthcare workers and treatment centers.
• The WHO has declared an international emergency and warned that the true number of cases could be two to four times higher than reported.
• Several countries have introduced border controls and quarantines. Sweden has sent 45 million kronor in aid to Congo-Kinshasa.

Middle East Crisis Global Poverty

Iran War Pushes Children in Nigeria into Malnutrition

Since the Iran War began in late February, the situation for already vulnerable families in northern Nigeria has worsened, reports the AP.

The war has worsened the food supply for millions of people in one of the world's poorest regions.

Children are particularly vulnerable, and more and more are suffering from malnutrition.

If the war continues, up to 23.4 million additional children are at risk of falling into monetary poverty.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has led to rising oil prices worldwide, driving up the costs of everything from gasoline to food and fertilizers. It threatens the upcoming growing season and worsens the situation for farming communities in northern Nigeria.

- The longer the conflict goes on, the more serious the consequences will be, says Unicef ​​director Catherine Russell to the AP.

Maryam's Struggle: "I Can Barely Feed My Child"

More and more children are suffering from malnutrition in northern Nigeria as a result of the Iran-Iraq war. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has driven up the prices of everything from gasoline to food, exacerbating an already dire situation.

Maryam Aminu's daughter, who is one and a half years old, was treated for malnutrition in February. In April, she needed treatment again. Aminu says she can barely afford to feed her child, let alone nutritious food.

"When she was diagnosed for the second time, I was both sad and angry, even though I had expected it. Times are difficult and we don't always have food," she tells AP.

Meanwhile, her husband has lost his job as a taxi driver due to rising fuel prices.

 

Metanolförgiftning i Laos

Ilska i Australien: ”Anklagelserna måste återspegla allvaret”

Australien är rasande efter att myndigheterna i Laos meddelat att ingen kommer att åtalas för att ha orsakat sex turisters död för två år sedan, rapporterar flera medier.

Turisterna – varav två var från Australien – fick i sig metanol när de drack vodka. Tillverkaren åtalas, men inte för själva dödsfallen, utan för andra brott som kan resultera i totalt ett års fängelse.

– Vi har alltid varit tydliga med att vi förväntar oss att anklagelserna ska återspegla allvaret i denna tragedi, säger utrikesminister Penny Wong.

Australien har kallat Laos ambassadör och kräver en tydligare förklaring. 

Vodkaförsäljare i Laos åtalas inte för dödsfall

Ingen kommer att hållas ansvarig för metanolförgiftningen i turistorten Vang Vieng i Laos 2024, meddelade myndigheterna enligt flera medier.

Sex backpackers – en britt, en amerikan, två australier och två danskar – dog efter en utekväll där de druckit metanolhaltig vodka. Enligt myndigheterna har inga obduktioner utförts och det har därför inte varit möjligt att fastställa dödsorsaken och åtala någon för vållande till annans död.

Ägaren till det aktuella destilleriet riskerar upp till ett års fängelse, men endast för att ha sålt hälsoskadliga produkter och bedrivit olaglig försäljning. Detta trots att myndigheterna hittat "alltför höga halter" av metanol i tillverkarens vodka.