Coral reefs are vital lines of defence against hurricanes. But their future is in doubt

Coral reefs are vital lines of defence against hurricanes. But their future is in doubt

The hurricane season is off to a roaring start, with Beryl the earliest Category 5 storm ever to form in the Atlantic Ocean. Beryl has since been downgraded to a Category 4, yet as of Wednesday, it was still expected to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge to Jamaica. Typically, coral reefs serve as a … Read more

Hurricane Beryl grows to Category 5 strength as it razes southeast Caribbean islands

Hurricane Beryl grows to Category 5 strength as it razes southeast Caribbean islands

Hurricane Beryl strengthened to Category 5 status late Monday after it ripped doors, windows and roofs off homes across the southeastern Caribbean with devastating winds and storm surge fuelled by the Atlantic’s record warmth. Beryl made landfall on the island of Carriacou in Grenada as the earliest Category 4 storm in the Atlantic, then late … Read more

Ransomware attack on England’s health system highlights life-threatening impact of cybercrime

Ransomware attack on England’s health system highlights life-threatening impact of cybercrime

The National Health Service in England is urging people with universal blood types to donate after a ransomware attack disrupted hospitals’ ability to match patients — underlining how cyberattacks can have serious and potentially life-threatening impacts. On June 3, hackers targeted pathology services provider Synnovis with ransomware. Ransomware attacks encrypt a company’s computer system, rendering it inoperable … Read more

Gene therapy may slow progression of a life-threatening cardiac ailment: Study

Gene therapy may slow progression of a life-threatening cardiac ailment: Study

WASHINGTON DC: A new study in mice suggests that replacing a dysfunctional gene may improve survival in some people with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), a rare inherited disorder in which the heart’s muscular walls gradually weaken, putting patients at risk of dangerous irregular heartbeats.The investigational treatment targets the loss of function of a gene … Read more

Laura Lynch, founding member of country band The Chicks, dies in car crash

Laura Lynch, founding member of country band The Chicks, dies in car crash

Laura Lynch, a founding member of the U.S. country band The Chicks, died in a head-on car crash on a Texas highway, law enforcement officials said on Saturday. “We are shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Laura Lynch,” the band, known as the Dixie Chicks until 2020, wrote in a statement on social media.  … Read more