• Record rainfall in UAE triggers severe flooding and waterborne illness outbreak

    On April 16, 2024, the United Arab Emirates experienced a historic weather event, receiving a year’s worth of rainfall in just 12 hours, leading to severe flooding across the nation, including disruptions at Dubai’s major international airport. Following the floods, health concerns have risen due to water contamination that has reportedly sickened residents with symptoms linked to contaminated water.

  • Worst flu season on record, Australia

    According to statistics, the 2019 flu season is Australia's worst in recorded history with over 257 359 confirmed cases so far this year. This record beat the previous one in 2017 with a total number of 251 163 influenza cases. Meanwhile, only 52 000 cases were…

  • Finland has the cleanest air in the world, WHO report finds

    More than 90% of humans breathe dangerously contaminated air, according to the World Health Organization. Citizens of Finland, however, are not among them, a comprehensive analysis by WHO found. It shows that Finland has the cleanest air quality in the world,…

  • Huge drop in men’s sperm levels confirmed by new study

    Sperm count in men from North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand declined by 50-60% between 1973 and 2011, according to a new study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Surprisingly, the study, which analyzed data on the sperm counts of 42 935 men, found…

  • Air pollution identified as top health hazard in Europe

    The European Environment Agency (EEA) released its annual report on air quality in Europe today, identifying air pollution as 'the single largest environmental health hazard in Europe.' Although air quality in Europe is slowly improving, EEA said it still…

  • Unprecedented “thunderstorm asthma” outbreak in Melbourne

    An unprecedented spike in a rare phenomenon called "thunderstorm asthma" was reported in Melbourne, Australia on November 21, 2016 after wild storms swept through the region, abruptly ending one of the city's hottest days of the year. By the day's…

  • Tehran in the grip of unprecedented air pollution, over 400 dead

    A thick layer of smog engulfed Tehran, Iran over the last week. The unprecedented pollution levels have set new records while more than 400 people were reported dead. The PM2.5 levels have reached values exceeding 150 micrograms per cubic meter, thus setting a new…

  • London’s 1952 killer fog mystery solved

    A new study finally revealed the exact cause of the 1952 killer fog which hovered over London for several days. The fog contained large amounts of pollutants which caused widespread breathing problems and killed thousands of city residents. The fog covered London…