Rich Chinese cities are suffocating poor ones
The smog in Beijing was once so thick that a local brewery began selling a bitter beer called the 'Airpocalypse', which was cheaper on polluted days. These days fewer people are chugging a discounted brew. Last year Beijing saw only two days of very severe smog, according to the government's method of measuring—down from 58 in 2013. The prevalence of a particularly dangerous class of pollutants called PM2.5, which comprises specks of dust and ash small enough to enter the bloodstream through the lungs, has fallen by two-thirds over a decade. Though levels are still well above what the World Health Organisation deems safe, city officials are proud of the progress they have made.
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The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Malaysia records first Covid death of 2025
Malaysia saw its first Covid death of 2025 earlier this month, health authorities said. The health ministry noted that this was the first Covid fatality since 26 May last year. The deceased had heart disease and diabetes and hadn't taken a second booster shot. 'This marks a significant decline compared to 57 Covid deaths reported in 2024, with the last fatality recorded on May 26 last year,' the ministry said in a statement on Thursday. From January to 15 June this year, Malaysia recorded 21,738 cumulative Covid cases, with the weekly average holding at about 900, The Rakyat Post reported. The ministry reported a sharp 68 per cent week-on-week increase with 3,379 cases from 8 to 15 June compared to 2,011 the week prior. Despite the rise, the ministry stressed the national situation remained stable and well below the alert threshold. At least six individuals with underlying health conditions had been admitted to ICU. 'All cases were closely monitored with care, with all patients discharged from the ICUs. Four were allowed to return home, with two transferred to normal wards,' the ministry said. The new Nimbus Covid strain (NB.1.8.1) is rapidly spreading around the world and is being closely monitored by the World Health Organisation. This strain is linked to a rise in infections in several parts of Asia, including India, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Singapore. First recognised in January 2025, NB.1.8.1, an omicron variant, is now the dominant variant in China and Hong Kong. It has also spread to the US and Australia. ' SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, and between January and May 2025, there were shifts in global SARS-CoV-2 variant dynamics,' a WHO spokesperson said earlier. 'At the beginning of the year, the most prevalent variant tracked by WHO at the global level was XEC, followed by KP.3.1.1. In February, circulation of XEC began to decline while that of LP.8.1 increased, with the latter becoming the most detected variant in mid-March. Since mid-April, the circulation of LP.8.1 has been slightly declining as NB.1.8.1 is increasingly being detected.' By late April, NB.1.8.1 comprised about 10.7 per cent of submitted sequences globally, according to the WHO, up from just 2.5 per cent a month before. The WHO has designated Nimbus as a Variant Under Monitoring. Preliminary data suggests that Nimbus spreads more rapidly than earlier variants. Reported symptoms commonly include a sharp, razor-like sore throat, fatigue, mild cough, fever, muscle aches, and nasal congestion. However, the public health risk posed by this variant is evaluated as low at the global level. 'Despite a concurrent increase in cases and hospitalisations in some countries where NB.1.8.1 is widespread, current data don't indicate that this variant leads to more severe illness than other variants in circulation,' the WHO said. Although it may not be particularly severe, Nimbus may infect people more easily than earlier variants. There's some evidence that the variant binds more tightly to human cells. The ministry of health urged all Malaysians to stay protected by adhering to the recommended vaccination schedules outlined in the National Immunisation Programme.
South Wales Argus
2 days ago
- South Wales Argus
Thousands of pupils in Wales exposed to unsafe air pollution
More than 65,000 young people across Wales are living in areas where air quality breaches World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, according to analysis by Friends of the Earth using Defra data from 2021 to 2023. The findings show that 79 per cent of Welsh neighbourhoods exceed recommended levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM2.5), with 203 schools affected. Joseph Carter, chair of Healthy Air Cymru and head of devolved nations at Asthma and Lung UK Cymru, said: "Schools should be safe places for young people. "It's shocking to discover thousands of school children in Wales are breathing in dangerous, polluted air that could damage their lungs." The top 10 worst-affected schools are in Cardiff, but high pollution levels were also recorded in Newport, Swansea, Caerphilly, Vale of Glamorgan, and Neath Port Talbot. Haf Elgar, vice-chair of Healthy Air Cymru and director of Friends of the Earth Cymru, said: "This data is a timely reminder that we must go further and faster to clean up our dirty air. 'Air pollution affects the most vulnerable in society the most, who are often doing the least to cause it."
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
Family of Brit killed by rabies share video of her dancing weeks before she died
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A British mum who died of rabies weeks after being scratched by a dog on holiday was dancing and carefree just a fortnight before her death. Yvonne Ford, from Barnsley in South Yorkshire, started feeling ill a couple of weeks ago. The 59-year-old had been scratched by a dog during a family holiday in Morocco in February – but nobody thought anything of it until she started showing symptoms earlier this month. Yvonne's family have shared a warning about the dangers of rabies, and shared a heartbreaking video of her dancing only a short time before she started showing symptoms to demonstrate just how quickly the virus took hold. The clip, filmed less than two weeks before Yvonne's death, shows her dancing around an umbrella surrounded by younger relatives, throwing her hands in the air and smiling. She was showing absolutely no signs that she was carrying the virus, which can take up to 12 weeks to start showing symptoms. Her daughter Robyn Thompson, 32, shared the video on social media and added: 'We never thought something like this could happen to someone we love. Please take animal bites seriously, vaccinate your pets and educate those around you.' Recalling the moment her mum was scratched by a dog, she added: 'At the time, she did not think any harm would come of it and didn't think much of it. 'Two weeks ago, she became ill, starting with a headache and resulted in her losing her ability to walk, talk, sleep, swallow. 'Mum was the heart of our family – strong, loving and endlessly supportive. 'No words can fully capture the depth of our loss or the impact she had on all of us.' Initial symptoms can include anxiety, headaches and fever There may be hallucinations and respiratory failure if it develops Spasms of the muscles used for swallowing make it difficult for the patient to drink The incubation period between being infected and showing symptoms is between three and 12 weeks If you are bitten, scratched or licked by an animal you must wash the wound or site of exposure with plenty of soap and water and seek medical advice without delay Once symptoms have developed, rabies is almost always fatal Before symptoms develop, rabies can be treated with a course of vaccine – this is 'extremely effective' when given promptly after a bite – along with rabies immunoglobulin if required Every year, more than 15million people worldwide receive a post-bite vaccination and this is estimated to prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths Pre-exposure immunisation is recommended for people in certain high-risk occupations and for travellers to rabies-affected, remote areas But effective treatment for rabies is not readily available to those in need UKHSA/World Health Organisation The UK Health Security Agency says it's assessing anyone who came into contact with Yvonne since she returned from Morocco. More Trending They say there is no risk to the wider public. Dr Katherine Russell said: 'If you are bitten, scratched or licked by an animal in a country where rabies is found then you should wash the wound or site of exposure with plenty of soap and water and seek medical advice without delay in order to get post-exposure treatment to prevent rabies.' Rabies, which is fatal in almost all cases, causes tens of thousands of deaths every year, mostly in Asia and Africa, according to the World Health Organisation, and dogs are responsible for 99% of cases. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Urgent recall for chicken fettuccine alfredo 'linked to three deaths and a pregnancy loss' MORE: Urgent recall of dark chocolate almonds over 'life-threatening' health risk MORE: MPs vote in favour of decriminalising abortions in free vote
