Month: January 2024

At least 39 people were killed after a fire broke out in a commercial building in China‘s southeastern Jiangxi province on Wednesday afternoon, according to state media. The fire broke out around 3.30pm local time in the basement floor of a store in a shopping area, in Xinyu City, according to a statement by officials for the Yushui district of Jiangxi province. Officials said the rescue workers, firefighters, police, and city and district leaders were deployed to the scene to carry out rescue. Several people were trapped inside the building, state broadcaster CCTV said, adding the building where the fire ... Read more

British Gas customers can now use some clever technology from Samsung to help reduce their monthly energy bills. The two companies have confirmed a joint partnership which uses Samsung’s SmartThings app to alert homes about the cheapest times to switch on the cooker or power up the tumble dryer. British Gas already has a service called PeakSave which offers discounted prices during less busy times of the day – there’s even half-price usage on Sundays until the end of February. Now it’s possible to get instant alerts about cheaper energy pricing via smartphones and TVs thanks to that SmartThings integration. ... Read more

A few days later, a report by German publication Bild revealed the German army is preparing for a potential hybrid attack to be carried out by Russia on the eastern flank of NATO. Given the founding principle of collective defence shared by members of the military alliance, an attack at the NATO border may well drag the West into a conflict with Russia. But Russia isn’t the only player currently posing a threat to international security. In recent months, North Korea and Russia have found common ground as they continue to antagonise the West. Since the late summer of 2023, ... Read more

Jan. 23, 2024 — Loneliness has been known to be a serious health problem, and a new report makes the case that the suffering is worse for people who are obese. “To date, dietary and lifestyle factors are the major focus in preventing obesity related illness,” said Lu Qi, MD, lead author of the study published Monday in JAMA Network Open to CNN. “Our study highlights the importance of taking social and mental health into account in improving health for people with obesity,” said Qi, a professor at Tulane University. CNN reported that “all causes of death for people classified as obese was ... Read more

Jan. 23, 2024 – Kasey Vaillancourt and her husband were trying to get pregnant when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 36. Her oncologist told her she may not be able to safely carry a pregnancy due to the risk of her cancer coming back. Vaillancourt and her husband used a fertility clinic to create and freeze embryos, and they started researching surrogacy, possibly with Vaillancourt’s sister carrying the pregnancy. Amid the abrupt turn in her family planning vision, Vaillancourt had a rare complication during egg retrieval where her belly and lungs became filled with fluid that later ... Read more

Jan. 23, 2024 – You’ve got the symptoms, but your test for COVID-19 isn’t positive. You’re not alone.  JN.1, the now-dominant variant that accounts for nearly 86% of all circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains, may take longer to show a positive result on home antigen tests. Some infectious disease doctors and patients have reported that tests taken days after symptoms appear turn up negative, then a couple of days later are positive.  It’s triggered uneasiness about the value of the tests. “Are the at-home tests able to detect JN.1?” tweeted one user on X, formerly known as Twitter, echoing concerns of others on ... Read more

Brutal Nottingham attacker ‘believed he was being spied on by his housemates and MI6’ (Image: NC) The killer of university students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar and school caretaker Ian Coates had previously been detained in hospital four times under mental health laws and was arrested in September 2021 for assaulting a police officer. Nottingham Crown Court was told Valdo Calocane, who has admitted three counts of manslaughter and three of attempted murder, has no previous convictions or cautions despite being involved in incidents of criminal damage and trying to force his way into flats. It also emerged that he ... Read more

At least eleven people, including a young girl, have been rushed to hospital after a man went on a stabbing spree on the streets of Istanbul, Turkey. Reports from the Turkish city say the perpetrator has been identified but his identity has not been made public. The victims were taken to nearby Esenyurt Necmi Kadıoğlu State Hospital for treatment. Their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. One of the victims, Mehmet Üstel, claimed the knifeman launched his frenzied attack on Monday morning and continued until at least noon, when he was targeted. He said: “He started stabbing me in ... Read more

All iPhone owners would be wise to make sure their devices are running the very latest version of iOS. The US technology giant has released an urgent update overnight which fixes over 10 security glitches affecting its popular brand of smartphones. That’s bad enough but to make matters worse, one of the bugs – which has been found within Apple’s WebKit software – has been given the worrying ‘zero day’ rating. That stamp basically means hackers and cyber crooks are now aware of the issue and could be actively exploiting it right now. That’s one of the reasons Apple has ... Read more

Brits keen on visiting the authentic holiday hotspot of Dubai have been warned to “remain vigilant at all times” as the risk of a terrorist attack happening against UK citizens has “increased”. The United Arab Emirates’s most populous city, Dubai, welcomes thousands of tourists every year, including A-list celebrities, to wander round its skyscrapers and manmade lakes and water features. It is especially welcome for lots of people who seek a bit of warmth during the cold winter months in the UK. However, the UK Foreign Office has recently issued an urgent travel warning for people travelling to the UAE, ... Read more