A clinical study conducted by Australian scientists demonstrated that a combined approach, including swimming and psychological counseling, provides more reliable protection against disability in people with back pain compared to using psychotherapy alone.
However, the positive effect of this intervention was only recorded at the eighth week of the study and did not persist by the fifty-second week of observation. Furthermore, swimming alone had virtually no effect on the intensity of pain sensations.
The results of this scientific investigation were officially published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
The Food and Drug Administration of Maharashtra (FDA) has suspended the licenses of fourteen food service establishments associated with quick commerce platforms Blinkit, Zepto, and Instamart. This decision was made following a comprehensive inspection that revealed numerous violations of food safety and hygiene regulations.
Inspections uncovered a wide range of violations, including cockroach infestation, presence of expired products, as well as issues with overall hygiene levels and goods storage methods. Furthermore, the regulator noted improper storage conditions, insufficient pest control, and shortcomings in employees' personal hygiene compliance.
The FDA also pointed out that the companies' response during the hearings was unsatisfactory.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has denounced more than 10,000 attacks directed at health centers in various locations. These attacks caused approximately 5,700 deaths and left 8,500 people injured across 29 countries and territories, according to Altaf Musani, WHO's Director of Humanitarian and Disaster Management, during a press conference held in Geneva.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, repeatedly reiterated that health facilities should never be targets of aggression. Musani emphasized that health centers and the entire healthcare system are protected by both international humanitarian law and human rights, being safeguarded by the Geneva Conventions.
However, he expressed regret upon noting that none of the more than 10,000 documented incidents have resulted in legal proceedings. Since the beginning of 2026, the WHO has recorded 914 attacks, resulting in 911 fatalities and 1,486 injuries, with the majority of these events registered in Ukraine, Lebanon, and the Palestinian territories.
Other attacks were recorded in Myanmar (formerly Burma), Iran, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRCongo), South Sudan, Russia, Syria, and Nigeria. Musani reported that attacks using heavy weapons are the most frequent this year, followed by acts of obstruction to healthcare and psychological violence.
Additionally, at least 44 cases involved the kidnapping, detention, or arrest of health professionals and patients, affecting a total of 148 individuals. Musani detailed that an attack on a hospital generates consequences that go beyond the people present, impacting subsequent patient treatment, ambulance evacuation capacity, professional return to work, and the arrival of medical supplies to other units.
The WHO official also pointed out that all 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip suffered damage before the end of 2025. In Ukraine, the WHO has recorded over 3,000 attacks since the Russian invasion in 2022, including an incident against its own depot in Dnipro, which was destroyed the previous week. Regarding the DRCongo, Musani mentioned that there have been 12 attacks on health centers since the start of the Ebola outbreak in May.
Stella Juva, an ambulance created by students from the Eindhoven University of Technology, is designed to serve communities lacking reliable access to fuel, electricity, or charging infrastructure.
The vehicle is equipped with a specialized X-ray system for tuberculosis screening, ultrasound equipment for prenatal care, rapid diagnostic tools for malaria detection, and automatic external defibrillators. A highly efficient cooling system ensures the safe storage of temperature-sensitive vaccines and medications, even in extreme conditions.
This solution potentially reduces the need for vulnerable patients to travel long distances to distant hospitals and enables earlier intervention in emergency medical situations. A substantial battery system provides supplementary power during periods without sunlight, extending the vehicle's utility beyond daylight hours. Under favorable conditions, the ambulance can cover a distance of up to 715 kilometers.
The project was developed in collaboration with the solar technology company AIKO, which provided high-efficiency ABC (All Back Contact) solar cells. Unlike traditional photovoltaic cells, the ABC architecture places electrical contacts on the back side of the cell, eliminating front-side metallization and allowing more light to reach the photovoltaic surface. This technology also uses silver-free metallization, which reduces the likelihood of microcracks and promotes durability.
The project is now moving beyond the university laboratory and is preparing for field trials in Kenya. There, the team will study how solar mobility can support healthcare in communities where traditional energy infrastructure remains inaccessible.
