Ayoola Atitebi

International scientists have identified significant price increases across global food markets following extreme climate events since 2022, affecting products ranging from South Korean cabbage to Brazilian coffee. Research released Monday documented numerous examples of climate-related food price surges, including a 280 percent spike in global cocoa prices in April 2024 after heatwaves struck Ghana and the Ivory Coast, and a 300 percent increase in Australian lettuce prices following 2022 floods. Most price increases occurred shortly after heatwave events. South Korea experienced a 70 percent cabbage price increase in September 2024, while Japan saw rice prices jump 48 percent in the same month. India faced an 81 percent potato price surge in early 2024, all following extreme heat conditions. Drought conditions also triggered significant price movements. A 2023 Brazilian drought preceded a 55 percent increase in global coffee prices the following […]

At least 19 people have died and 164 were injured when a Bangladeshi air force training jet crashed into a school campus in Dhaka. The incident occurred at Milestone School and College in the northern suburb of Uttara, where footage shows a massive fire and thick smoke after the aircraft struck a two-storey building. The armed forces reported that the F-7 jet experienced a mechanical fault shortly after taking off for a training exercise at 13:00 local time. The pilot was among the fatalities, according to the air force statement posted on Facebook. Over 50 people, including children and adults, were hospitalized with burns, a doctor at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery confirmed. The school serves students aged four to 18 years old. Rezaul Islam, a college teacher, told BBC Bangla he witnessed the plane hit the […]

A 61-year-old man died after being pulled into an MRI machine while wearing a heavy metal necklace at a Nassau County medical facility. The incident occurred at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, Long Island, when the man entered the MRI room without authorization while the machine was operating, according to Nassau County Police Department. His wife told local media she had called him into the room following her scan. When he entered wearing a chain necklace, the magnetic force pulled him toward the machine, officials said. Police stated the incident "resulted in a medical episode" and the man was later pronounced dead. The department is investigating the circumstances. MRI machines utilize powerful magnetic fields to create detailed medical images. Standard protocol requires patients to remove metal items and change clothing before scans or entering the machine area. "The male victim […]

Chinese authorities have commenced construction of what will become the world's largest hydropower dam in Tibetan territory, generating concerns from India and Bangladesh about downstream impacts. Chinese Premier Li Qiang oversaw a ceremony marking construction's beginning on the Yarlung Tsangpo river Saturday, according to local media reports. The river traverses the Tibetan plateau, and the project has drawn criticism regarding potential effects on millions of Indians and Bangladeshis living downstream, plus environmental and local Tibetan impacts. Beijing states the scheme, estimated at 1.2 trillion yuan ($167bn), will prioritize ecological protection while boosting local prosperity. Upon completion, the Motuo Hydropower Station will surpass the Three Gorges dam as the world's largest and could generate three times more energy. Experts and officials have raised concerns that the dam would enable China to control or redirect the trans-border Yarlung Tsangpo, which flows south […]

The United States has announced visa restrictions for Brazilian judicial officials and their families following escalating tensions over former President Jair Bolsonaro's legal cases. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the measures Friday, accusing Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes of orchestrating a "political witch-hunt" against Bolsonaro. Rubio claimed Moraes created a "persecution and censorship complex" that "violates basic rights of Brazilians" and "extends beyond Brazil's shores to target Americans." "I have therefore ordered visa revocations for Moraes and his allies on the court, as well as their immediate family members, effective immediately," Rubio stated, without specifying who would be affected. Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported that seven additional Supreme Court justices had their visas revoked, potentially leaving only Bolsonaro-appointed justices Andre Mendonca and Nunes Marques, plus Judge Luiz Fux, unaffected. The visa restrictions follow Brazil's Supreme Court […]

President Donald Trump has filed a defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and its owners, including media magnate Rupert Murdoch, seeking at least $10bn in damages over a report concerning his relationship with deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump filed the lawsuit in federal court in the Southern District of Florida on Friday, while simultaneously instructing the Justice Department to file a motion in Manhattan federal court to unseal grand jury transcripts related to Epstein and his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 of five federal charges connected to Epstein's abuse of underage girls. The defamation lawsuit accuses Dow Jones, News Corp, Murdoch, and two Wall Street Journal reporters of acting with malicious intent, causing significant financial and reputational harm. Dow Jones serves as the newspaper's parent company under News Corp. Prior to filing, Trump posted […]

A US technology company has placed its CEO on administrative leave following widespread attention surrounding a viral video from a Coldplay concert that allegedly shows two company executives in an intimate moment. The incident occurred at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where concert cameras captured two individuals embracing during the performance. When their faces appeared on the venue's large screen visible to thousands of attendees, both people immediately ducked and attempted to hide from view. The moment gained significant traction after Coldplay frontman Chris Martin noticed their reaction and commented to the audience: "Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy." This remark fueled speculation about the nature of their relationship and the circumstances surrounding their behavior. The initial TikTok video documenting the incident garnered millions of views and quickly spread across multiple social media platforms. The content […]