North Korea ready for new nuclear test – South Korea

North Korea is ready to carry out another nuclear test at any time, South Korea’s defence ministry said, three days after the North’s fifth such test drew widespread condemnation.
Pyongyang set off its most powerful nuclear blast to date on Friday, saying it had mastered the ability to mount a warhead on a ballistic missile and ratcheting up a threat that its rivals and the United Nations have been powerless to contain.
“Assessment by South Korean and US intelligence is that the North is always ready for an additional nuclear test in the Punggye-ri area,” South Korean defence ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun told a news briefing.
Punggye-ri, near the northeastern coast, is the site of all five of the North’s nuclear explosions.
“North Korea has a tunnel where it can conduct an additional nuclear test,” Moon said.
South Korea’s state news agency, Yonhap, reported earlier that North Korea had completed

Tentative Syria truce to begin after surge in killing

A ceasefire in Syria brokered by Russia and the US is due to begin at sundown, though there are concerns over the its viability and after a weekend of government raids resulted in scores of civilian deaths.
The tentative truce, announced after marathon talks by the Russian and US foreign ministers last week, has cautiously reawakened hopes to end a five-year civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced millions from the country.
The Free Syrian Army rebel group, a leading rebel alliance, said it would observe it from Monday sundown as agreed but with major reservations.
The alliance wrote to Washington on Sunday, saying that while they would “cooperate positively” with the ceasefire, they were concerned it would benefit the government.
Another leading rebel group Ahrar al-Sham, which is seen as a “terrorist group” both by the US and Russia, rejected the deal, saying it would only serve to strengthen the government of

Antibacterial soaps are fueling antibiotic resistance – study

Scientists have warned that superbugs are becoming stronger thanks to anti-bacterial products used in homes and workplaces.
Antibiotic resistant bacteria are usually thought to be the result of over use of antibiotics.
But a new study of dust found a high association between anti-bacterial agents and bacteria, which are resistant to antibiotics.
The dust was studied in a university sports building, which included a pool, laundry, and offices.
It is thought that as bacteria become resistant to the use of anti-bacterial agents, this in turn, increases the ability of bacteria to resist the drugs.
The authors of the paper in Environmental Science and Technology argued that: “Unlike antibiotic drugs, antimicrobials leave long-lasting residues and can accumulate in the environment.

Hillary Clinton cancels campaign trip after pneumonia diagnosis

Hillary Clinton has cancelled a campaign trip to California while she recovers from pneumonia, a campaign official has said.
The diagnosis emerged yesterday after the Democratic presidential candidate stumbled while leaving a ceremony to mark 15 years since the 9/11 terror attacks in New York.
Mrs Clinton’s doctor said she was put on antibiotics and advised to rest following the diagnosis on Friday, but added the politician was “recovering nicely”.
Earlier, Dr Lisa R Bardack said in a statement that Secretary Clinton was being urged to modify her campaign schedule after becoming overheated and dehydrated during the September 11 Commemoration Ceremony.
Footage emerged which showed Mrs Clinton being supported by officials as she got into a black vehicle while leaving the memorial.

Why elderly people should not use electric fans – study

Pensioners who use electric fans to keep cool during hot weather may be doing themselves more harm than good, a new study warns.
For young people, fans help sweat evaporate, driving down core body temperature.
But according to a new study, though elderly people feel the effects of cooler air, the devices are actually increasing their heart rate and core temperature.
Though the research, reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), was small, medical experts warn it has tapped into an important issue that should be monitored as extreme weather becomes more commonplace.
It all boils down to how much we sweat at different points in our life. As we age, we tend to sweat less. This is bad news for our core body temperature: sweating is a natural air conditioner.

Syrian rebel groups cautiously welcome upcoming ceasefire

A rebel fighter walks next to a tank in Jubata al-Khashab, in Quneitra countryside, Syria September 11, 2016. (Reuters)

Some Syrian rebel groups have expressed concern that an upcoming ceasefire in the war-torn country is a “trap” which will largely benefit Bashar al Assad’s government.
A nationwide cessation of hostilities, brokered by the US and Russia, is due to begin at sundown today (about 4.45pm UK time) – yet some rebels claim the deal will only increase the suffering of the Syrian people.
In a letter to the US, the Free Syrian Army said it plans to “co-operate positively” and respect the ceasefire, but wrote that a lack of enforcement mechanisms and a lack of provision for some of the country’s most besieged areas were worrying.
The FSA also claimed that the exclusion of the Jabhat Fateh al Sham group – a former al Qaeda affiliate known as the Nusra Front – could be used by Russia as a pretext to bomb other rebel groups.

Tanzania quake: We’ve never known this in our country – PM

At least 16 people died and 253 were injured in a 5.7-magnitude earthquake that struck northwest Tanzania and was felt throughout the Great Lakes region, local authorities said on Sunday.
As rescuers scrambled to find survivors from Saturday’s quake, Tanzanian premier Kassim Majaliwa headed to the worst-hit city, Bukoba, to attend a ceremony at its stadium.
“This tragic event is unprecedented. We’ve never known this in our country,” he told mourners. “The government is with you. It will not abandon you.”
President John Magufuli, who is from the region, said he was “deeply saddened”.
A group of 15 boys at a secondary boarding school in Bukoba district are believed to be among the 16 dead and 253 injured, according to Salum Kijuu, governor of Kagera province where Bukoba is located.
More than 800 buildings have been destroyed, including 44 public ones, Kijuu told AFP.