Ebola forces state emergency in Sierra Leone

Ebola forces state emergency in Sierra Leone

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The World Health Organization is launching a $100 million response plan to combat an “unprecendented” outbreak of Ebola in West Africa that has killed 729 people out of 1,323 infected since February, the agency said on Thursday.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan will meet in Conakry, Guinea on Friday with the presidents of affected West African nations, the United Nations health agency said in a statement.
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Severe water pollution in China

Severe water pollution in China

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Growing cities, overuse of fertilizers and factory wastewater have degraded China’s water supplies to the extent that half the nation’s rivers and lakes are severely polluted. China aims to spend $850 billion to improve filthy water supplies over the next decade, but even such huge outlays may do little to reverse damage caused by decades of pollution and overuse in Beijing’s push for rapid economic growth.

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Think your summer getaway spot is crowded? Try this drive-in beach

Think your summer getaway spot is crowded? Try this drive-in beach

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Salinopolis, with a population of 40,000, receives an estimated 280,000 visitors during the month of July, mostly to enjoy the beaches located just southeast of the Amazon river’s mouth where the fresh water mixes with the Atlantic Ocean’s salt water in Brazil.

Officials estimate that close to 50,000 vehicles drive onto the city’s two most popular beaches, Atalaia and Farol Velho, with tons of garbage left.
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Ebola outbreak hits West Africa

Ebola outbreak hits West Africa

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Across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, at least 672 people have died from the worst outbreak yet of the hemorrhagic fever, the World Health Organization said, placing great strain on the health systems of some of Africa’s poorest countries. Sierra Leone now has the highest number of Ebola cases, surpassing neighboring Guinea where the outbreak originated in February. Highly contagious, especially in the late stages, its symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea as well as internal and external bleeding.

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