Science

Politics Decisive in Ending AIDS as Health Threat, Says UN
Politics Decisive in Ending AIDS as Health Threat, Says UN

Decisions political leaders take this year will be decisive whether a target to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 can be reached, the United Nations said on Monday. Figures from 2023 show a global improvement in the number of new infections, the treatment of HIV-positive patients and a fall in the number of fatalities, but UNAIDS warned ...

Smoking and Life Expectancy: Do the Math!
Smoking and Life Expectancy: Do the Math!

A recent study indicates that smoking significantly reduces life expectancy. However, it emphasizes that quitting this habit at any age can greatly improve life expectancy. “Smoking kills.” Despite this clear warning on cigarette packs, many people continue to smoke. According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) report on the global ...

Ariane 6 Reignites Europe's Hope of Sovereignty in Space
Ariane 6 Reignites Europe's Hope of Sovereignty in Space

Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket successfully blasted off for the first time on Tuesday, releasing satellites into orbit and restoring the continent's independent access to space. European space efforts have suffered a series of blows, including four years of delays to Ariane 6, that have robbed the continent of its own way to launch missions into ...

Boeing’s New Spacecraft’s First Manned Flight Delayed
Boeing’s New Spacecraft’s First Manned Flight Delayed

Troubled aerospace giant Boeing has again had to postpone the launch of its first crew to the International Space Station aboard a Starliner spacecraft on Saturday, after the latest attempt was cancelled just hours before liftoff. Liftoff of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft was canceled on Saturday with less than four minutes to go, due to a ...

Syrian Migrant Camps: Insalubrious Conditions and Resurging Epidemics
Syrian Migrant Camps: Insalubrious Conditions and Resurging Epidemics

The precarious sanitary conditions in which Syrian migrants live in Lebanon have contributed over the past decade to the re-emergence and exacerbation of certain epidemics. With no effective solutions in sight, Lebanon is nearing a breaking point. The recent outbreak of several infectious diseases in Syrian migrant camps in Lebanon, including ...

High Blood Pressure: The Genome’s Hidden Potential
High Blood Pressure: The Genome’s Hidden Potential

  The discovery of new genomic regions related to blood pressure offers crucial insights for understanding and treating hypertension. May 17 is International Hypertension Day and on this occasion, This is Beirut provides an update on the latest developments. Arterial hypertension (AHT) is a major worldwide public health issue. Without early ...

AstraZeneca Vaccine Withdrawal: Lingering Questions…
AstraZeneca Vaccine Withdrawal: Lingering Questions…

  AstraZeneca has announced the withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to “decreasing demand.” However, given the events that have taken place since 2021, one can tend to believe that this move could be dictated by other factors. One year after the global health emergency linked to the Covid-19 pandemic was lifted, controversies ...

Spectacular Celestial Lights Appear After Extreme Solar Storm
Spectacular Celestial Lights Appear After Extreme Solar Storm

A powerful solar storm struck Earth on Friday, producing brilliant auroras visible from many regions while also raising concerns about potential disruptions to satellites, power grids, and other infrastructure due to fluctuating magnetic fields. The most powerful solar storm in more than two decades struck Earth on Friday, triggering spectacular ...

Covid-19 and Olfaction: A Troubling Scent 
Covid-19 and Olfaction: A Troubling Scent 

The long-term effects of Covid-19 continue to pique researchers’ interests. A recent study delves into the enduring loss of smell and taste, one year after exposure to SARS-CoV-2. The Covid-19 pandemic is far from over, and it seems this reality won't change anytime soon. Scientific studies are continuously yielding new insights into the virus' ...

Progress on Plastic Pollution Treaty, but Without Key Commitment
Progress on Plastic Pollution Treaty, but Without Key Commitment

UN negotiations to tackle plastic pollution made progress on Tuesday, but without instituting plastic production limits, which environmental groups claim are key. A fourth and penultimate round of UN-led negotiations to solve global plastic pollution wrapped up in Ottawa early on Tuesday with a world-first pact, said to be within reach by year's ...

Hepatic Transplantation: A Therapeutic Victory
Hepatic Transplantation: A Therapeutic Victory

Transplantation offers a crucial hope for patients facing end-stage liver failure. Despite its challenges, it remains the last lifeline to prolong life and restore health. Let's delve into it with Professor Francis Navarro. Organ transplantation stands as one of the major breakthroughs in modern medicine, offering a glimmer of hope for many ...

Australia's Great Barrier Reef Struggles to Survive
Australia's Great Barrier Reef Struggles to Survive

Due to climate change, Australia's famed Great Barrier Reef is becoming a watery graveyard of bleached reef. It is suffering one of the most severe coral bleaching events on record. Australia's famed Great Barrier Reef is suffering one of the most severe coral bleaching events on record, leaving scientists fearful for its survival as the impact ...