The Taliban have suspended polio vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan, the UN says

The Taliban have suspended polio vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan, the UN says

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The Taliban have suspended polio vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan, the U.N. said Monday. It’s a devastating setback for polio eradication, since the virus is one of the world’s most infectious and any unvaccinated groups of children where the virus is spreading could undo years of progress. Afghanistan is one of … Read more

Florida officials pressure schools to roll back sex ed lessons on contraception and consent

Florida officials pressure schools to roll back sex ed lessons on contraception and consent

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Some Florida school districts are rolling back a more comprehensive approach to sex education in favor of abstinence-focused lessons under pressure from state officials who have labeled certain instruction on contraception, anatomy and consent as inappropriate for students. Officials from the Florida Department of Education, led by an appointee of Republican Gov. … Read more

AP PHOTOS: Hallmarks of climate change seen in floods, fires and drought around the globe

AP PHOTOS: Hallmarks of climate change seen in floods, fires and drought around the globe

The hallmarks of climate change — extreme heat and drought; larger, more intense wildfires and supercharged hurricanes, typhoons and rainstorms that lead to catastrophic flooding — are being seen and felt around the globe. Drought in Brazil. Wildfires in Portugal, Peru and the Western U.S. Severe flooding swamping Central Europe, Southeast Asia and Western Africa. … Read more

An ancient African tree is providing a new ‘superfood’ but local harvesters are barely surviving

An ancient African tree is providing a new ‘superfood’ but local harvesters are barely surviving

K0TWA, Zimbabwe — Since childhood, Loveness Bhitoni has collected fruit from the gigantic baobab trees surrounding her homestead in Zimbabwe to add variety to the family’s staple corn and millet diet. The 50-year-old Bhitoni never saw them as a source of cash, until now. Climate change-induced droughts have decimated her crops. Meanwhile, the world has … Read more