Life & Love

SURVEY: GENERAL CARGO SHIPS LAG FAR BEHIND ON MEASURES OF CREW WELLBEING

20 APR 2024  Seafarers who have spent enough time in international trade are familiar with a general pattern in vessel quality: newer, fancier ships are often more comfortable, better-kept and better for growing a career. Recently-released survey data from vessel inspection agency Idwal confirms this broad impression, plus one more …

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SHIPPING TRADE GROUPS CALL ON UN TO PROTECT SEAFARERS

19 APR 2024  Sixteen commercial maritime industry associations joined together in a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres calling for action while saying the current situation where merchant ships and their crews are being targeted is “intolerable” and “unacceptable.” The groups thanked the Secretary-General and IMO …

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MSC WORKS TO RELEASE CREW AND CARGO FROM SHIP SEIZED BY IRAN

18 APR 2024  Diplomatic and commercial efforts are underway to gain the freedom of the crew from the MSC Aries containership that Iran seized on Saturday, April 13 as it was nearing the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has come under pressure from Portugal where the ship is registered as well …

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IRAN ACCUSES MSC SHIP OF “VIOLATIONS” AS EFFORTS BEGIN TO FREE CREW

17 APR 2024  Two days after seizing the Portuguese-registered containership MSC Aries (158,000 dwt) Iranian officials accused the ship of unspecified violations of maritime law while also repeating their claims associating the ship with Israel. This came as international condemnation continued for the incident which is linked to Iran’s retaliation on …

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PEOPLE WITH PERSISTENT FATIGUE COULD SOON DOUBLE. HERE’S WHY.

17 APR 2024 Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also often known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), already affects tens of millions of people worldwide. But according to new research, we could be facing twice as many cases in the near future. A study from a team in Germany, published in Internal Medicine, …

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INJECTING SULFUR INTO THE ATMOSPHERE COULD POSE DANGEROUS RISKS

16 APRIL 2024 As nearly every climate indicator grows increasingly dire, calls for extreme technological fixes get louder. However, study after study finds that taking a gamble on forced geoengineering comes with its own dangerous risks. New research warns that if we inject sulfate particles into the atmosphere to attempt …

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LIGHTNING REALLY DOES STRIKE TWICE, AND THIS IS WHERE IT HAPPENS MOST

15 APR 2024 We’ve known for some time that the old adage about the repeat performance of lightning is not, in fact, true. The powerful bolts of electricity from the sky can, and frequently do, make contact with Earth in the same place more than once. It would be strange …

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THIS IS THE FIRST TIME”: DRUG SHOWS SIGNS OF SLOWING PARKINSON’S DISEASE

14 APRIL 2024 A drug used to treat diabetes slowed the progression of motor issues associated with Parkinson’s disease, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine said Wednesday. Parkinson’s is a devastating nervous system disorder affecting 10 million people worldwide, with no current cure. Symptoms include rhythmic …

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SCIENTISTS PREDICT PROSTATE CANCER CASES TO DOUBLE WITHIN 20 YEARS

12 APR 2024 The number of new prostate cancer cases around the world will more than double over the next two decades as poorer countries catch up with the aging of richer nations, according to a Lancet report published Thursday. “Our findings suggest that the number of new cases annually …

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POLAR VORTEX HAS SHIFTED INTO REVERSE – AND IS NOW SPINNING BACKWARDS

13 APR 2024 A major current of circulating air called the Arctic polar vortex has completely reversed course and is now spinning ‘backwards’. With winds now blowing easterly, scientists are trying to predict what effect this might have on weather systems in the coming months. Before you start envisioning the …

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