Environment

The UN has warned that severe food shortages across Yemen amid relentless Saudi attacks, has bought the war torn country “one step” closer to famine. John Ging, director of operations at the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA),  said that over 10 million Yemenis need basic healthcare and over 7.6 million “are severely food insecure” He added that this is “one step below the level of famine” on the international index of food insecurity.

Mount Sinabung volcano in western Indonesia erupted on Saturday killing at least seven people and critically injuring two others, according to the country’s National Disaster Management Agency. Sinabung is still on the highest alert level and the potential for more eruptions remain high. CNN reports: The seven victims were in Gembar village in the western province of North Sumatra when the eruption occurred at 4:48 p.m. local time (9:48 a.m. GMT). Search teams comprised of police, military, Indonesian Red Cross and volunteers continue to search for other victims.

A little over a year ago, GMO giant Monsanto was furious at the World Health Organization for linking glypshophate, the chief ingredient in weed killer Roundup, to cancer.  As a result Monsanto immediately demanded that WHO retract said report, saying that the report was biased and contradicts regulatory findings that the ingredient, glyphosate, is safe when used as labeled.

New York authorities have decided to launch an all-out war against mosquitoes by spraying the public with a pesticide that has been linked to birth defects.  The NY Department of Health insists that the Zika virus has not spread to the city, but claims mosquitoes are spreading other diseases such as the West Nile Virus. In response to public concern over the Zika virus, health officials are drenching the city in toxic pesticides.

Four elephants, including two calves, were killed by lightning in northern Sri Lanka earlier this month Officials called it one of the worst wildlife tragedies to hit the country in years. The Economic Times reports: A female elephant, aged about 25 years, and two of her calves, aged 10 months and two years, and an eight-year-old female were found dead Sunday just outside the Wilpattu wildlife sanctuary, an official said. “Villagers from neighbouring areas alerted the authorities and we carried out autopsies,” ..