At least 13 people have died after a boat carrying migrants sunk off Yemen's coast, IMO official says — 25 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 23 media reports (LINK)

Islamic State claims responsibility for knife attack in Germany's Solingen — 25 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 282 media reports (LINK)

Hurricane Hone continues to strengthen as Hawaii's Big Island gets slammed with flooding rain, damaging wind — 25 August 2024 (LINK)

Scientists alarmed by poor state of biodiversity in Switzerland — 25 August 2024 (LINK)

— Swiss citzens are due to vote on a biodiversity initiative on 22 September.

Coating clothes with chalk-based innovation could cool your body by up to 8 degrees — 25 August 2024 (LINK)

— The coating developed at the University of Massachusetts Amherst was able to both reflect the sun's energy back into the atmosphere, as well as allow the wearer's natural body heat to escape. The coating can be applied to nearly any commercially available fabric and can also be put through the washing machine, the scientists say.

— "We start with your cotton T-shirt and we just apply this coating on either one or both faces of the fabric," Trisha L. Andrew, a chemist and materials scientist at UMass, told CNN. "The coating is entirely surface level. It does not penetrate or change the cotton fibers," she added.

Swiss is famed for having the absolute best first class meals — 25 August 2024 (LINK)

Uganda confirms two more cases of mpox, 4 in total — 24 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 14 media reports (LINK)

NASA says astronauts stuck in space will not return on Boeing capsule, will wait for SpaceX craft next February — 24 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 208 media reports (LINK)

Kuwait welcomes ALPS joint statement after Sudan talks in Geneva: the Ministry commended the agreement to open the crossings and secure routes to ensure the delivery of international humanitarian aid — 24 August 2024 (LINK)

Swiss finance minister chides US, Europe over 'time bomb' debt levels — 24 August 2024 (LINK)

— In an interview with Swiss daily Blick, Karin Keller-Sutter extolled Switzerland's "disciplined" finances, which she said had enabled the country to deal with the economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. By contrast, other countries are "so indebted they're hardly able to act any more", she said, giving France as an example. "Or take a look at America. That's a time bomb. The mini-crash on the stock markets at the start of August was a warning shot," the minister was quoted as saying. "It was an expression of investors' fear of a recession. Debt levels in the U.S. and Europe are a risk to international financial stability and a risk for Switzerland," she added.

Nutritionist debunks three common supplement myths: on vitamin D, multivitamins and magnesium — 24 August 2024 (LINK)

WHO boss calls for $135 mln to stop mpox outbreak — 23 August 2024 (LINK)

Libya armed mobilization and threats related to a crisis over the Central Bank control causes concern, UN Libya mission says — 23 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 15 media reports (LINK)

20 kidnapped Nigerian medical students freed — 23 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 13 media reports (LINK)

ICC prosecutor insists the court has the power to issue warrants for Israeli leaders linked to Gaza — 23 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 13 media reports (LINK)

Third Party U.S. Presidential candidate RFK Jr. suspends campaign and supports Trump — 23 August 2024 (LINK)

Fed Chair Powell indicates interest rate cuts ahead: 'The time has come for policy to adjust' — 23 August 2024 (LINK)

Economist and gold advocate Peter Schiff warns of looming US dollar crisis and economic collapse — 23 August 2024 (LINK)

As more floods batter Bangladesh and India, death toll rises to 30 — 23 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 55 media reports (LINK)

27 killed and 16 injured after a bus with Indian pilgrims drives off a Nepal highway and crash — 23 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 81 media reports (LINK)

Cambodia's prime minister welcomes 70 artifacts returned by New York's Met and other collections — 23 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 26 media reports (LINK)

Jannik Sinner says he is no longer working with physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi and fitness trainer Umberto Ferrara following an investigation into his positive tests for a banned substance. — 23 August 2024 (LINK)

— The world number one twice tested positive for clostebol — a steroid that can be used to build muscle mass — in March. The Italian was cleared of fault or negligence by a tribunal last week, with the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) finding Sinner had been inadvertently contaminated with the substance by Naldi. Naldi had been applying an over-the-counter spray — given to him by Ferrara — to a cut on his own hand before then carrying out treatments on Sinner.

Human brains contain surprising levels of plastic, study says — 23 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 43 media reports (LINK)

— Human brain samples collected at autopsy in early 2024 had more tiny shards of plastic than those from eight years earlier, according to a preprint posted online in May. "We think the brain is pulling in the very smallest nanostructures, like 100 to 200 nanometers," said researcher, noting larger particles go to the liver and kidneys.

Jordan Chiles bronze medal controversy takes a new turn as latest evidence shows FIG at fault — 23 August 2024 (LINK)

Europe's stunning high-tech luxury train: the GoldenPass Express — 23 August 2024 (LINK)

Evaluation of 1500 climate policy measures over two decades finds many have failed to achieve necessary emissions reductions, identifies the 63 most effective — 22 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 18 media reports (LINK)

• Carbon pricing works for developed countries — but not developing ones
• Carbon pricing and incentives work together
• Subsidies are most effective when combined with pricing, regulation or both

US government report says fluoride at twice the recommended limit is linked to lower IQ in kids — 22 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 55 media reports (LINK)

Venezuela's Supreme Court certifies Maduro's claims that he won presidential election, stating that online tallies showing his loss were forged — 22 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 177 media reports (LINK)

Mexico convicts 11 cartel gunmen in killings of 122 bus passengers near US border over 2 years — 22 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 27 media reports (LINK)

At least 17 dead after explosion at southern India pharma plant — 22 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 66 media reports (LINK)

Takeaways from the final night of the Democratic National Convention — 22 August 2024 (LINK)

• Harris offers a return to pre-Trump normalcy
• Gaza war opponents denied speaking spot by DNC
• etc.

Kamala Harris fact-check: How accurate was her 2024 DNC speech in Chicago? — 22 August 2024 (LINK)

• Trump "plans to create a national anti-abortion coordinator and force states to report on women's miscarriages and abortions." Mostly False.That's Project 2025
• "I … helped pass a homeowner bill of rights, one of the first of its kind in the nation." True.
• Trump "intends to enact what, in effect, is a national sales tax — call it a Trump tax — that would raise prices on middle-class families by almost $4,000 a year." Half True.
• "The United States Supreme Court just ruled he would be immune from criminal prosecution." The court did not grant Trump — or any president — full immunity.

Hamster AI: this is the best free all-in-one AI generator I've used: here's why — 22 August 2024 (LINK)

— That's 250 credits a month for images and 250 for texts, 5 credits a day. Unlimited use is $3 a month. You're not blocked with watermarks or terrible quality, as is often the case with other free AI tools.

— "The text-based AI tools are where Hamster really shines. I'm most impressed by Hamster AI's extra AI tools, such as the coding generator, the DnD AI tools, and the educational AI tools."

Mpox is 'not the new Covid' and the disease can be stopped, WHO director says — 21 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 94 media reports (LINK)

Dollar at 2024 low vs euro as traders brace for jobs data, Jackson Hole — 21 August 2024 (LINK)

U.S. jobs report revisions 800,000 down stoke politics around US economy — 21 August 2024 (LINK)

China says it is 'seriously concerned' about report that United Stated approved a nuclear strategic plan to focus on China's rapid expansion in its nuclear arsenal — 21 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 16 media reports (LINK)

Guatemalan police arrest 7 accused of trafficking the 53 migrants who asphyxiated in Texas in 2022 after being abandoned in a tractor trailer — 21 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 45 media reports (LINK)

Switzerland moves towards cashless future with instant payments — 21 August 2024 (LINK)

— The Swiss National Bank said around 60 financial institutions were now able to receive and process instant payments, covering more than 95 percent of Swiss retail payment transactions, following the 20 August market launch.

Swansea, Wales: Postcard dating back 121 years gets delivered in the mail — 21 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 20 media reports (LINK)

— The incident has sparked curiosity about how the postcard managed to remain undelivered for more than a century.

Mpox is 'not the new Covid' and the disease can be stopped, WHO director says — 21 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 94 media reports (LINK)

Iran says it will not take 'hasty action' against Israel for killing of Hamas political leader — 20 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 54 media reports (LINK)

Hamas says it accepts Biden ceasefire deal without 'new' Israel conditions — 20 August 2024 (LINK)

Members of Israel's negotiating team accuse Netanyahu of intentionally sabotaging hostage deal talks — sources — 20 August 2024 (LINK)

Elon Musk sued for $61m by Wiwynn Corporation for alleged unpaid debts by X Corp — 20 August 2024 (LINK)

British tech giant Mike Lynch among those missing after luxury superyacht sinks in storm off Sicily — 20 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 325 media reports (LINK)

US sanctions ex-Haitian president Michel Martelly for drug trafficking — 20 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 34 media reports (LINK)

How they are reporting it: Biden's DNC farewell speech — 20 August 2024 (LINK)

Factcheck: Opening Night of the Democratic National Convention — 20 August 2024 (LINK)

• Biden misleadingly cited "historic joblessness" in talking about his Inauguration Day in 2021.
• Sen. Dick Durbin claimed that former President Trump "lost millions of jobs in America." But that ignores the reason for the job losses: a global pandemic.
• Biden said he created "a record 16 million new jobs." That's a record number increase for any president in their first 43 months. But on a percentage basis, which accounts for population growth, there was a slightly larger increase in employment under President Jimmy Carter.
• and more

A gold bar is now worth $1 million — 20 August 2024 (LINK)

Blinken says Israel agrees to a U.S.-backed proposal for a cease-fire and calls on Hamas to do same — 19 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 233 media reports (LINK)

US approves US$3.5 billion sale of military helicopters to South Korea — 19 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 18 media reports (LINK)

Yunus says Bangladesh will continue to 'support the million-plus Rohingya' refugees — 19 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 14 media reports (LINK)

Congo says it will receive its first mpox vaccines next week to address new global emergency — 19 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 46 media reports (LINK)

Highly contagious and severe strain of mpox on the move across continents following a major outbreak in central Africa, but it hasn't reached the U.S. — yet: a briefing — 19 August 2024 (LINK)

— WHO: First meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the upsurge of mpox 2024 — (LINK)

Ukraine destroys 3rd key bridge, threatening to cut off Russian troops, amid incursion, Russian military bloggers say — 19 August 2024 (LINK)

Russia's prosecutor general said it had banned a foundation started by U.S. film star George Clooney and his human rights lawyer wife Amal — 19 August 2024 (LINK) — ground.news: 78media reports (LINK)

— In July, the Clooney Foundation, along with several other non-governmental organizations, filed a case with the U.N. Human Rights Committee, accusing Russia of violating the human rights of Ukrainians killed in a 2022 missile attack on Vinnytsia. In early August, Russia's prosecutor general banned as "undesirable" German pro-democracy foundation Konrad Adenauer and in July did the same with the Moscow Times news outlet. The "undesirable" status forces organizations to shut down in Russia and means Russians that work for, fund or collaborate with them can also be liable to prosecution

Truth Social parent company DJT stock prices fall to new low after public trading debut on the first day of the Democratic National Convention: down 3.56% from the previous close and the lowest close since the company went public in March — 19 August 2024 (LINK)

— In May, Trump Media reported a net loss of $327.6 million in the first quarter of 2024 and brought in $770,500 in revenue, according to a filing. In August, the company reported more than $16 million in losses and less than $1 million in revenue in the second financial quarter. Regulatory filings show the company was operating at a loss in 2023, making about $4 million in revenue while losing more than $58 million.

Former NY Rep. George Santos pleads guilty to wire fraud, identity theft — 19 August 2024 (LINK)

Investor Carl Icahn charged with hiding billions in loans — 19 August 2024 (LINK)

— Icahn and his firm Icahn Enterprises have settled charges for failing to disclose pledges of the company's securities as collateral for billions of dollars in personal loans, US regulators said.

Why we knock on wood, and the origins of 7 other superstitions — 19 August 2024 (LINK)