Its mission is to protect the world’s health. But the WHO is beholden to its 194 member nations and lacks enforcement powers. By Dylan Carlson-Sirvent The COVID-19 pandemic has thrust the World Health Organization (WHO) onto center stage as nations around the...
Most cases of the new coronavirus disease are mild. Those most at risk have underlying health conditions. Why all the fuss then? A microscopic image of the new coronavirus, made available by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIAID-RML via AP) Why is everyone...
Azerbaijan blames Armenia for a massacre of civilians in the South Caucasus. Armenia denies the charge. Meanwhile, lasting peace proves elusive. Victims of the Khojaly massacre, 1992 (Ilgar Jafarov/Wikimedia Commons) Azeris around the world this week mourn the 28th...
The World Heath Organization has declared the new coronavirus a global public health emergency. What does that mean? And what are the dangers? A man stands along a river in Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, 20 January 2020 (AP Photo/Arek Rataj,...
Coronavirus headlines are taking readers on a roller coaster of fear, hope and confusion. Here are tips for telling what’s true and what’s not. Medical staff check the temperature of passengers at Nanjing South Railway station in Nanjing, China, 27 January...
What’s more harmful to your health — sugar or fat? Is it most important to exercise? The answers can depend on who’s paying for “scientific” research. Cans of soda and bottled water in New York, 7 May 2018 (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) “I love...
Sea levels are rising quickly due to global warming. If the trend continues — or accelerates — entire coastlines will be threatened. Scientists walk on ice in Antarctica, 25 November 2018. (EPA-EFE/FELIPE TRUEBA) Sea levels are rising ever faster around...
A microbiologist checks on a bacterium’s resistance to an antibiotic at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, 25 November 2013 (AP Photo/David Goldman). By Alan Wheatley What could be killing millions of people a year by 2050? What...
Vaping has exploded in popularity with young people. But the case against e-cigarettes — for smokers and non-smokers — is mounting. A man exhales while vaping, Dallas, Texas, 6 September 2019 (EPA-EFE/LARRY W. SMITH) Vaping can sound so pleasant — a small device that...
The U.S. used a drone, controlled from an Air Force base thousands of kilometers away, to kill Iran’s top general. Are drones reshaping war? A U.S. MQ-4 Predator drone at Balad Air Base, north of Baghdad, Iraq, 21 June 2007 (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo) The death of...