Worsening outdoor air pollution and toxic lead poisoning have kept global deaths from environmental contamination at an estimated 9 million per year since 2015 – countering modest progress made in tackling pollution elsewhere, a team of scientists reported Tuesday. Air pollution from industry processes along with urbanization drove a 7% increase in pollution-related deaths from 2015 to 2019, according to the scientists’ analysis of data on global mortality and pollution levels. "We're sitting in the stew pot and slowly burning," said Richard Fuller, a study co-author and head of the global nonprofit Pure Earth. But unlike climate change, malaria, or HIV, "we haven't given (environmental pollution) much focus." An earlier version of the work published in 2017 also estimated the death toll from pollution at roughly 9 million per year — or about one of every six deaths worldwide — and the cost to the global economy at up to $4.6 trillion per year. That puts pollution on par with … [Read more...] about Pollution killing 9 million people a year, Africa hardest hit: study
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U.S.-Vietnam Cooperation Center opens in Hanoi
The U.S.-Vietnam Cooperation Center made its debut in Hanoi on Tuesday and will function as a place for anyone interested in learning more about the two countries’ diplomatic relations. The U.S.-Vietnam Cooperation Center is located on the campus of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam in the capital city. It is an output of the partnership between the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi and the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam. The space, open to academics, researchers, faculty, students, and the public, is set to be a platform for educational and cultural programming, research support, and academic services. It will support the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam’s American studies program, English language studies, and leadership development, as well as provide information about the U.S. and its foreign policy. Students at the U.S.-Vietnam Cooperation Center in Hanoi, May 24, 2022. Photo: Tuoi Tre The center is the second American Spaces partnership in northern Vietnam alongside … [Read more...] about U.S.-Vietnam Cooperation Center opens in Hanoi
Ho Chi Minh City to add at least 10ha of public parks this year
The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has set a goal to build at least 10 hectares of public parks across the metropolis in 2022, the Vietnam News Agency reported. The city will add at least 10 hectares of public parks and two hectares of green space, as well as plant and renovate 6,000 trees, this year, according to a plan recently issued by the municipal People’s Committee. Authorities in every district and Thu Duc City were tasked with making a list of land plots originally zoned for building public parks. If these land lots are currently leased for other purposes, the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment will suggest a road map to reclaim them to prepare for the park construction. The city administration also highlighted the addition of parks and green trees to housing development projects, as well as the expansion of land banks for public parks across the metropolis. District-level authorities will also be in charge of completing the database of … [Read more...] about Ho Chi Minh City to add at least 10ha of public parks this year
Greek president talks cooperation with Ho Chi Minh City chairman
Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou laid a wreath at the statue of President Ho Chi Minh in the namesake city and joined talks with the city chairman on Wednesday. Within the framework of her official visit to Vietnam from May 15 to 19, President Sakellaropoulou laid a wreath at the statue of President Ho Chi Minh on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in District 1 at 5:00 pm on Wednesday. The Greek leader later joined talks with chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Phan Van Mai at the Reunification Palace. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou lays a wreath at the statue of President Ho Chi Minh in Ho Chi Minh City, May 18, 2022. Photo: T.T.D. / Tuoi Tre During the conversation, chairman Mai stated that Ho Chi Minh City, as a socio-economic and cultural hub of Vietnam, is willing to act as a bridge to bring the cooperation between Hanoi and Athens to a higher level. The city hopes to receive the exchange of experience, technology transfer, … [Read more...] about Greek president talks cooperation with Ho Chi Minh City chairman
Tooth from Laotian cave sheds light on enigmatic extinct humans
A young girl's tooth excavated from a cave wall in northeastern Laos is providing new insight into the mysterious extinct human species called Denisovans and revealing their resourcefulness in adapting to both tropical and chilly climes. The tooth is one of the few physical remains known of Denisovans, a sister lineage to Neanderthals who until now had been known only from scrappy dental and bone fossils from a single site in Siberia and one in the Himalayas. The molar, between 164,000 and 131,000 years old, belonged to a girl about 4-6 years old and had not yet erupted. The humid Laotian conditions meant ancient DNA was not preserved in the molar, unlike other Denisovan remains. The researchers determined it was Denisovan based on its shape - short and heavily wrinkled - and enamel characteristics. Ancient proteins indicated the molar came from a girl. It was unearthed in a limestone cave called Tam Ngu Hao 2, known to locals as Cobra Cave, in the Annamite Mountains. "This … [Read more...] about Tooth from Laotian cave sheds light on enigmatic extinct humans
‘Copycat’ mass shootings becoming deadlier, experts warn after New York attack
An 18-year-old white man suspected of fatally shooting 10 people in a Black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York, appears to be the latest in a line of "copycat" gunmen carrying out deadlier mass shootings inspired by previous attackers, experts warned on Sunday. Payton Gendron, who surrendered to police on Saturday after the attack, apparently publicized a racist manifesto on the internet and broadcast the attack in real time on social media platform Twitch, a live video service owned by Amazon.com. Authorities called the mass killing an act of "racially motivated violent extremism." Experts say the trend of mostly young white men being inspired by previous racist gun massacres is on the rise, citing recent mass shootings, including the 2015 attack at a Black church in Charleston, South Carolina, a 2018 shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh and a 2019 attack at a Walmart in an Hispanic neighborhood of El Paso. Adam Lankford, a criminology professor at the University of Alabama, … [Read more...] about ‘Copycat’ mass shootings becoming deadlier, experts warn after New York attack
China withdrawal could see 2023 Asian Cup heading west
China's withdrawal from hosting the 2023 Asian Cup could see the showpiece shift west to the Gulf, where new infrastructure and voracious demand for major events has made the region a magnet for international tournaments. Having planned to hold the Asian Cup across 10 cities in June-July next year, China dropped the 24-team tournament due to "exceptional circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic", the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said over the weekend. The AFC said it would name a new host in due course but provided no detail and declined to provide immediate comment to Reuters . AFC member nations were in the dark on Monday about the next steps. "This is quite an unusual situation and so there’s no specific process that we are aware of on how things could go," a spokesperson for the Korean Football Association (KFA) told Reuters . "We just know that China has given up." The AFC has little time to appraise candidates and may not have a diverse set to choose … [Read more...] about China withdrawal could see 2023 Asian Cup heading west
Shanghai achieves ‘zero COVID’ status but normal life is weeks away
Shanghai achieved on Tuesday the long-awaited milestone of three consecutive days with no new COVID-19 cases outside quarantine zones but most residents will have put up with confinement for a while longer before a return to more normal life. For other cities in China that have been under lockdown, a third day with no new cases in the community usually means "zero COVID" status and the beginning of the lifting of restrictions. The commercial hub of 25 million set out on Monday its clearest timetable yet for exiting a lockdown now in its seventh week, but the plan was met with scepticism by many residents who have seen isolation extended time and again. Shanghai plans to resume outdoor activities in stages, with some convenience stores and pharmacies reopening this week, but with most restrictions on movement remaining in place until May 21, after which public transport and other services will resume gradually. By June, the lockdown should be lifted, but residents will still be … [Read more...] about Shanghai achieves ‘zero COVID’ status but normal life is weeks away
Shanghai finds cases after five days of ‘zero COVID’ but end of lockdown on track
Shanghai announced its first new COVID-19 cases outside quarantined areas in five days on Friday, triggering stricter curbs and mass testing in one district but plans to end a prolonged city-wide lockdown on June 1 appeared on track. The commercial hub of 25 million found three new cases in the same family in Qingpu district. All had taken three doses of vaccine and their infections were discovered during regular testing, authorities said. The three had not left their district town over the past 14 days but had visited at least four places, including a supermarket, all of which were sealed off and were being disinfected, authorities said. The area's more than 200,000 people had been re-tested and all results were negative. "Our district will follow the precise prevention and control measures, do a good job in epidemic prevention and control and achieve dynamic clearing as soon as possible," Zhang Yan, deputy head of Qingpu district, told an online news conference. Other … [Read more...] about Shanghai finds cases after five days of ‘zero COVID’ but end of lockdown on track
Historic roundabout ready for restoration in downtown Ho Chi Minh City
Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City have approved a plan to restore a roundabout that was demolished eight years ago in the center of District 1 for the construction of a metro station system . News of its comeback was lauded by longtime citizens who cherish the city’s traditions. ‘The Willow Roundabout,’ named for the willow trees planted around the roundabout’s fountain in the past, sat at the intersection of Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street and Le Loi Street in the heart of the southern city. Memories of old Saigon According to feng shui, a road should not lead to a building’s main entrance, hence the roundabout, which lay in front of the People’s Committee edifice, was thought to prevent bad luck. Those who believe in feng shui also reckon that the trees and water featured in the roundabout could facilitate air circulation and purification. A 1880 urban map of Saigon features the Charner-Bonard roundabout and its fountain. Not everyone wants to see the … [Read more...] about Historic roundabout ready for restoration in downtown Ho Chi Minh City