South Sudan closes schools after students collapse due to extreme heat February 21, 2025 at 12:14AM

South Sudan has closed all schools for two weeks due to an extreme heatwave, with temperatures reaching 42 degrees Celsius. The heat has caused students to collapse, prompting calls to amend the school calendar. Most schools lack cooling systems, worsening the crisis. The fragile health system and economic struggles, including disrupted oil exports, add to the challenges. Civil groups criticize the government for poor planning.

Another pandemic scare? Chinese scientists discover new bat coronavirus February 20, 2025 at 11:45PM

Scientists in China have identified a new bat coronavirus, HKU5-CoV-2, capable of infecting humans by binding to the ACE2 receptor, similar to SARS-CoV-2. The discovery raises concerns about potential spillover events, although the virus's efficiency in binding to human ACE2 is lower than SARS-CoV-2.