Police in Ho Chi Minh City have launched an investigation into a suspected case of methanol poisoning that occurred at a local restaurant, affecting eight young people, of whom two died, officers said on Saturday. Among the eight victims, six are employees of Mr Bao Restaurant in Thu Duc City, including a woman, while the other two are outsiders, both female, local police said. These victims, aged 19 to 24, opened a party at the restaurant late on Wednesday evening, after the facility closed, N.D.B., the owner, reported on Saturday. They ate food bought from outside and drank a can of five liters of alcohol available at the restaurant during the feast which ended at 4:00 am the next morning. B. said his restaurant, which started operations on June 1, recently bought five 5-liter cans of bottled water from a supplier but one of them was later found containing alcohol. This can had been kept in the eatery’s storage until it was consumed at the party, B. said, adding that the … [Read more...] about Police probing suspected alcohol poisoning that killed two in Ho Chi Minh City
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Another doctor attacked at Ho Chi Minh City hospital
A doctor at the emergency department of a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City was recently attacked by a family member of a patient, just about 10 days after another medical practitioner at the same facility was assaulted. Police in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City confirmed on Saturday they were working with 29-year-old V.H.H. to verify his alleged attack on a doctor at Gia Dinh People’s Hospital. H. said he took his mother, who suffered severe respiratory failure, to the infirmary’s emergency department at around 6:00 am on the same day. On breathing support, H.’s mother needed to go to the toilet. However, doctors stated that it would be dangerous to let the patient go to the toilet in such a condition. Although a nurse had brought necessary sanitary equipment to the bed, H. underlined that he would take his mother to the restroom. A doctor tried to talk to H. once again, but the conversation then escalated to a row. H. left the room and later returned with a nail … [Read more...] about Another doctor attacked at Ho Chi Minh City hospital
From coffee to toothpaste, Nigerians buy small as hardships bite
From five grams of toothpaste to 10 millilitres of cooking oil, many Nigerians struggling with soaring prices now buy their basic necessities in small quantities packed in tiny plastic bags to be consumed on the same day. Consumer brands behind this "sachetisation of the economy" see it as a creative innovation, allowing consumption for all Nigerians, the majority of whom live on less than $2 a day. But critics see the development as an economic and ecological aberration, even as Africa's largest economy struggles with the inflationary fallout from Russia's war in Ukraine. In the streets of Lagos, the vibrant economic capital of Africa's most populous country, small sachets are now part of the decor: they colour its streets, packing the wood and tin shops found on the corner of most streets. Sitting on a stool, Ibrahim Atahire has been running his small grocery store for 30 years in a busy area of Obalende, a popular district of the megalopolis. "At my place, you can buy … [Read more...] about From coffee to toothpaste, Nigerians buy small as hardships bite
Austrian scientists race to reveal melting glaciers’ secrets
Jumping from rock to rock to rock over a creek formed off Austria's Jamtal glacier, scientist Andrea Fischer worries that precious scientific data will be irreversibly lost as the snow and ice melt faster than ever. "I couldn't have imagined that it would ever melt as dramatically as this summer... Our 'archive' is melting away," says the glaciologist. Fischer -- vice director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research at the Austrian Academy of Sciences -- has spent more than 20 years surveying Jamtal and four other Alpine glaciers across Austria's highest peaks for the oldest areas of ice. For scientists looking to reconstruct the Earth's climate in the distant past, such ice formations are a unique time capsule stretching back thousands of years. The glaciers contain an invaluable treasure trove of data -- as they grew, the ice encapsulated twigs and leaves, which can now be carbon-dated, Fischer explains. And based on the age of such material and the depth … [Read more...] about Austrian scientists race to reveal melting glaciers’ secrets
Visa launches eco-friendly payment solutions in Asia Pacific
Digital payment service provider Visa announced earlier this week the launch of Visa Eco Benefits in the Asia-Pacific region in order to meet increasing demand for sustainable financial services. Eco Benefits is a suite of sustainability-focused solutions that will help Visa cardholders across the region better understand the environmental impact of their day-to-day payments, the multinational company said in a press release on Wednesday. They can calculate the carbon footprint generated by their Visa transactions, and access options for carbon offsetting or charitable donations from their bank’s website or app. Banks in Asia Pacific that sign up for Eco Benefits will be able to offer these solutions to their Visa cardholders and meet a growing demand for sustainable financial services. Sixty-six percent of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region expect their bank to offer eco-friendly payment solutions, according to a new Visa/YouGov survey. Over half (52 percent) would switch … [Read more...] about Visa launches eco-friendly payment solutions in Asia Pacific
Ten Hag era at United begins with defeat to Brighton
MANCHESTER, England -- New manager Erik ten Hag saw the depth of the crisis at Manchester United when his side fell to a 2-1 Premier League defeat by Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford on Sunday, with German Pascal Gross scoring twice. United fans' hopes that the off-season would mark a turning point have faded, with the club failing to make major moves yet in the transfer market and there was a grim familiarity to the club's opening match. The former Ajax coach witnessed a performance that was every bit as disjointed as those produced under his predecessors Ralf Rangnick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last season. The sense that this was a continuation of last year's decline began before kick-off where there were yet more loud and angry protests against United's owners, the American Glazer family, under the South Stand If that felt familiar, then the sight of Scott McTominay and Fred in midfield as United laboured against Graham Potter's superbly drilled side was verging on … [Read more...] about Ten Hag era at United begins with defeat to Brighton
Five-color ‘hu tieu’: New twist on traditional noodle in southern Vietnam
Hu tieu (rice noodles) have long been a must-try dish on any visit to Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, but the five-colored hu tieu in Can Tho City offers visitors a fun twist on the long-standing local specialty. The Cai Rang floating market is one of Can Tho’s most popular tourist attractions, and those who choose to take a boat ride through Cai Rang rarely pass up the opportunity to try the hu tieu sold by Huynh Huu Hoai (Sau Hoai) and his family on the banks of the Rau Ram Canal in the city’s An Binh Ward. What makes Sau Hoai’s hu tieu so popular is his family's unique takes on the dish -- a pizza-inspired version and naturally-dyed one featuring five vibrant colors. Sau Hoai leads three generations of family members each day as they produce hu tieu for hungry tourists and locals alike. Each and every noodle thread produced by Sau Hoai and his family is handmade and sun-dried until their texture reaches the perfect balance of soft and chewy. To ensure that his noodles … [Read more...] about Five-color ‘hu tieu’: New twist on traditional noodle in southern Vietnam
German consul arrested in Brazil over husband’s death
A German diplomat in Rio de Janeiro, Uwe Herbert Hahn, was arrested on Saturday night in connection with the death of his Belgian husband, police said. Hahn said that his husband, Walter Biot, had died on Friday when he fell from their apartment in the Ipanema neighborhood after suffering a sudden illness. But police arrested him on suspicion of murder after their forensics found bloodstains in the apartment and the autopsy of Biot's body showed multiple wounds. Television images showed police taking Hahn away in a police car. "The circumstances of the death are evident. We realized there was a violent death from the traces of injury in different parts of the body," police investigator Camila Lourenco told reporters. The foreign ministry in Berlin said its embassy in Brazilia and consulate in Rio de Janeiro were in close contact with the Brazilian authorities investigating the case. It declined to give any further details due to ongoing investigations and to protect … [Read more...] about German consul arrested in Brazil over husband’s death
‘Time against us’ in bid to rescue 10 Mexican miners after 3 days underground
Large pumps sucked water from a flooded coal mine in Mexico on Saturday as authorities weighed whether to send divers to try to save 10 miners who have been trapped underground for more than three days. The miners became trapped at a mine in the northern border state of Coahuila on Wednesday afternoon when their excavation work caused a tunnel wall to collapse, triggering flooding in three wells. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Saturday would be "decisive" in determining whether divers could safely enter the mine. But by afternoon, Coahuila Governor Miguel Riquelme said water levels were still too high. "Time is against us," he told families at the site, Mexican media reported. Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador visits a coal mine that collapsed leaving miners trapped in Sabinas, Coahuila state, Mexico August 7, 2022. Photo: Mexico Presidency/Handout via Reuters Relatives keeping vigil outside said they were pinning their hopes on the … [Read more...] about ‘Time against us’ in bid to rescue 10 Mexican miners after 3 days underground