Fast-moving wildfire in the Canadian Rockies ravages the picturesque resort town of Jasper
25 July 2024 - A fast-moving wildfire in the Canadian Rockies that had prompted 25,000 people to flee roared into the near-deserted town of Jasper overnight with flames higher than treetops, devastating up to half of its structures, officials said Thursday [25 July]. (more)

Olympic demand for 'unproven' ice therapy is unsustainable, scientists say
25 July 2024 - From cold-water swimming to ice baths, deliberately freezing yourself has been hailed as a panacea for everything from menopause symptoms to arthritis, headaches, and immunity conditions. And for sportspeople, ice is widely used to aid recovery after exercise. But now researchers have said the clinical benefits of ice therapy are not evidence-based and its popularity is bad for the environment. (more)

Wildfire smoke chokes parts of Canada and western US, with some areas under air quality alerts
24 July 2024 - Fires burning in California, Oregon, Arizona, Washington, and other western states, as well as Canada, have filled the skies in regions of the western U.S. with smoke and haze, forcing some affected areas to declare air quality alerts or advisories. As of Wednesday morning, there were 79 large active wildfires across the country being managed that have burned 1,431,460 acres (579,292 hectares), according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Evacuation orders are in effect for 15 fires in the Northwest, where fires continue to show active to extreme behavior. Communities near several fires in California, the Northern Rockies, and the Great Basin are also under evacuation orders. (more)

Highly infectious poliovirus found in Gaza sewage samples
23 July 2024 - The Gaza ministry said tests carried out with the UN children's agency, Unicef, 'showed the presence of poliovirus' in the territory that has endured a devastating Israeli military offensive since the 7 October Hamas attacks. ...The poliovirus has been found in sewage samples from Gaza putting thousands of people living in crowded displaced persons' camps at risk of contracting the highly infectious disease that can cause deformities and paralysis. It highlighted 'severe overcrowding' and 'scarce water' that is becoming contaminated with sewage and the accumulation of rubbish. (more)

Sharks in Brazil test positive for cocaine, say scientists
23 July 2024 - Sharks living off the coast of Brazil have tested positive for cocaine, according to new research, the first time that the drug has been detected in free-ranging sharks. Scientists tested 13 Brazilian sharpnose sharks in the waters off the city of Rio de Janeiro and found cocaine present in both the liver and muscle tissue of all 13 specimens ...Cocaine consumption has risen massively around the world in recent decades, according to the study. ...[Study co-author Rachel Ann] Hauser Davis said that it is 'very likely' that crustaceans, fish, and other animals that the sharks prey on are also contaminated with cocaine. (more)

How a faulty CrowdStrike update crashed computers around the world
20 July 2024 - Airlines, banks, hospitals, and other risk-averse organizations around the world chose cybersecurity company CrowdStrike to protect their computer systems from hackers and data breaches. But all it took was one faulty CrowdStrike software update to cause global disruptions Friday [19 July] that grounded flights, knocked banks and media outlets offline, and disrupted hospitals, retailers, and other services. (more)

Malicious actors trying to exploit global tech outage for their own gain
20 July 2024 - As the world continues to recover from massive business and travel disruptions caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, malicious actors are trying to exploit the situation for their own gain. Government cybersecurity agencies across the globe and CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz are warning businesses and individuals about new phishing schemes that involve malicious actors posing as CrowdStrike employees or other tech specialists offering to assist those recovering from the outage. (more)

A faulty software update causes havoc worldwide for airlines, hospitals, and governments
19 July 2024 - A faulty software update caused technological havoc worldwide on Friday [19 July], grounding flights, knocking down some financial companies and news outlets, and disrupting hospitals, small businesses, and government offices. The breadth of the outages highlighted the fragility of a digitized world dependent on just a few providers for key computing services. (more)