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…
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…
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…
In a first such case in the entire world, two Pakistani brothers become paralyzed when the Sun sets, and are unable to speak or move until the Sun rises again. The strangest part is that the boys seem totally unaffected during the day time. This is the first known…
Three cases of the paralysis have occurred in Oregon since August 2016. The episodes are the first since series of such events were reported in 2014 across the US. The disease, named acute flaccid myelitis, has affected two children and one adult, from the eastern…
Hurricane "Matthew" hit Haiti on October 4, 2016, causing widespread flooding and landslides, major damage to roads, buildings and infrastructure, and power and water shortages. So far 546 deaths and 438 injured people were confirmed, according to the…
More than 200 people in Kyushu, southern Japan are suffering from earthquake sickness, a state linked to a loss of balance that can cause nausea and panic. The state was reported over two months after Japan was hit by two major earthquakes, only several days apart….
The Peruvian government has declared a 60-day state of emergency for 11 towns in Madre de Dios, a region in southeastern Peru’s Amazon Basin, after officials found alarmingly high levels of mercury. This highly toxic metal comes from illegal gold mines and…
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an international public state of emergency on the Zika virus currently spreading across South and North America. Despite uncertainties about the disease, the WHO decided to take prompt action on the rising issue. The…
Over the past ten years in the United States, unconventional gas and oil drilling using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has experienced a meteoric increase. Since well drilling requires an influx of water, materials and workers into yotherwise rural and remote
