Scientists have managed to wipe out a population of mosquitoes in a laboratory using a type of genetic engineering known as a gene drive. The intervention prevented the females from reproducing and caused the entire population to die off. Scientists hope the method can be transferred from the lab to the real world to tackle mosquito populations that spread diseases like malaria, as Henry Ridgwell reports.
As global leaders digest the fallout from a stormy United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, China has strongly denied accusations from U.S. President Donald Trump that Beijing is trying to interfere in the U.S. midterm elections in November. Meanwhile, the diplomatic tussle has intensified between the United States and other signatories over the future of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, as the U.S. prepares to hit Tehran with fresh sanctions. Henry Ridgwell reports.
Pope Francis has acknowledged that the cover-up of clerical sexual abuse is driving people away from the Church. He made the comments during his visit to Estonia Tuesday, just hours before the official release of a devastating report into decades of abuse by Catholic priests in Germany. Henry Ridgwell reports on the latest revelations that have threatened to engulf the papacy.
Francis makes comments on same day a report is released detailing decades of sexual abuse by priests in Germany
The last charity search-and-rescue ship aiding migrants in the central Mediterranean has had its registration revoked. The Aquarius 2, operated by non-governmental organizations Doctors Without Borders and SOS Mediterranean, is currently at sea and heading for the French port of Marseille. As Henry Ridgwell reports, over 1,600 migrants have died this year making the crossing – and the charities say more lives will now be put at risk.
Field testing is five to 10 years away amid worries that intervention could affect other mosquito populations
NGOs accuse Italy of having pressured Panama to suspend registration
The defendant, who threw stones at police, was helping his family flee war in Syria
A Hungarian appeals court will make its final verdict Thursday in the case of a man convicted of terrorism for throwing stones at police and trying to enter the country illegally, at the height of the migrant crisis in 2015. Amnesty International says his actions can in no way be interpreted as terrorism, and says the case is the first big test since the European Parliament voted last week to sanction Hungary over its record on fundamental rights. Henry Ridgwell reports.
Russian president reiterates commitment to $10B nuclear development
Brexit also top of agenda in Salzburg meeting
Aid money urgently needs to be redirected to the poorest countries in order to reach the United Nations' goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030, according to a new report. The Overseas Development Institute says that currently, middle-income countries receive more aid than the 30 poorest nations and warns at least 400 million people will still be living on less than $1.90 a day, despite governments pledging to eliminate all extreme poverty. Henry Ridgwell reports.
The Overseas Development Institute report urges better allocation of aid, better taxation in richer nations
Analysts say Russia remains suspicious of China’s economic clout
Russia is holding its largest military exercises since the Cold War, known as Vostok-18, and for the first time it has invited contingents from China and Mongolia. The war games come as relations between Moscow and the West continue to worsen and the trade war between Beijing and Washington continues to deepen. So is a new alliance emerging to challenge the West? Henry Ridgwell reports.
Third-placed Sweden Democrats Linked to Ne-Nazi Movement
A far-right political party with its roots in the neo-Nazi movement has made significant gains in elections in Sweden, mirroring similar patterns elsewhere in Europe. The party made immigration a central theme of the campaign after Sweden took in thousands of migrants in 2015. However, the share of the far right vote was not as high as many had predicted – and analysts note that leftist parties made similar gains as the electorate appears increasingly polarized. Henry Ridgwell reports.
The leaders of Russia, Turkey and Iran are to meet in Tehran Friday to discuss the fate of the Syrian province of Idlib, the last rebel-held area in the country. There are fears that Syrian and Russian forces are about to launch a big offensive, which would likely trigger a humanitarian catastrophe and set up a confrontation with Turkish-backed rebels. Henry Ridgwell looks at whether the Tehran meeting can avert further slaughter in Syria.
UN warns of possible chemical weapons attack, calls for restraint
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