Lunda Norte, July 12, 2025 – A new round of the oral vaccination campaign against cholera was officially launched this Saturday in the municipality of Cafunfo, Lunda Norte province, an initiative of the Angolan government, through the Ministry of Health, with the support of GAVI – Global Alliance for Vaccines, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the European Union and other partners in the health sector.
The campaign plans to vaccinate more than 2 million people in the most affected municipalities in the provinces of Cabinda, Kwanza Sul, Huíla, Lunda Norte, Namibe and Zaire – regions where there is currently active transmission of the disease.
The campaign started simultaneously in all the provinces covered, with teams on the ground starting vaccination activities at fixed posts and through door-to-door visits.
At the launch, the Minister of Health, Dr. Sílvia Lutucuta, called on everyone to get involved: “Everyone has to take part in this war against cholera, we’re almost there, there’s just a little bit left and if we all work together we’ll be able to get rid of cholera in Angola.”
The minister also highlighted the strengthening of the response capacity thanks to the support of partners: “Through our partners, we managed to get around 1 million vaccines in the first and second rounds. Now we’ve got 2 million vaccines that will allow us to increase coverage and protect even more people.”
The vaccine used in this round is Euvichol-S, an oral, single-dose vaccine donated by Gavi and distributed via the international mechanism coordinated by the International Coordination Group (ICG). The campaign involves 942 vaccination teams, made up of vaccinators, mobilizers and supervisors, who will work at fixed posts and also through door-to-door visits.
All people aged one year and over will be vaccinated, as part of an integrated response that includes epidemiological surveillance, access to drinking water, sanitation, risk communication and case management.
During the ceremony, the WHO Representative in Angola, Dr. Indrajit Hazarika, highlighted the role of the vaccine in protecting communities, but recalled that it must be complemented by other structural measures: “The oral vaccine is a strong tool in our hands, in each campaign we stop the transmission of cholera by reinforcing the vital shield of protection for communities. But the vaccine alone is not enough, we must remain vigilant. The fight against cholera is also about sustainable investment in water, sanitation and hygiene. Only in this way will we cut cholera in the long term.”
In the beneficiary neighborhoods, the mood is hopeful. After months of fear and uncertainty, the arrival of the vaccine represents a concrete response and essential protection, especially for the most vulnerable families.
Verónica Domingos Ferreira, who lives in the municipality of Kikombo, Kwanza Sul, was one of the people vaccinated. After seeing her neighbors fall ill months ago, she decided to seek information and protect her family. Today, she is relieved: “I’m very grateful. Today I got vaccinated and I vaccinated my children. This vaccine is a blessing. Now I feel that my family is better protected.”
With actions like this, Angola is strengthening its capacity to respond to outbreaks and reaffirming its commitment to the health and dignity of its communities. The campaign will continue in the coming days, with calls for the active participation of the entire population.
Dame Barbara Hepworth, Dame Daphne du Maurier, Dawn French and Olympic rowing champion Helen Glover are among the names added to a list celebrating inspirational women from Cornwall.
Art Centre Penryn said the trio would be among 50 who will feature on a collection of ceramic plates highlighting their achievements.
It follows a call for suggestions in 2024 that led to more than 200 nominations, said bosses.
Organisers said the list included well-known names as well as unsung heroes representing a cross-section of the community.
Also on the list is world para surfing champion Charlotte Banfield, the UK’s first professor of human sexuality, Tamsin Wilton, and headmistress turned suffragette Annie Williams.
Dina Holder, from The Women’s Centre Cornwall, and Joyte Brown, co-founder of Black Voices Cornwall, were also included.
An advisory panel made up of charity representatives helped decide the list, said the art centre.
Katie Bunnell, the ceramic artist who led the Women of Cornwall project, said: “Selecting 50 women from the 234 has been an incredibly challenging task.
“The different perspectives of the advisory group were immensely helpful, enabling us to create what we hope is a broad and inspirational group.”
Getting ready for a vacation can be a fun and busy time — which makes it easy to forget that, much like your houseplants, your smart devices may need a little care before you go. That’s good news, because when they’re properly set up they’ll help take care of your home when you’re away and allow you to make remote changes no matter where you are.
Here’s what I’ve learned about changing settings for my own smart devices when I head out. I’ll go through major devices and the settings I may want to change, as well as how they can help when I won’t be home for a while. The changes and tips I recommend are below. Also, here’s my one vacation trick everyone forgets.
Read more: The best travel gifts | Best DIY home security systems to buy
Thermostats
A Nest thermostat is an easy way to manage home temperature from near or far.
Nest / CNET
If you have a smart thermostat, most types will detect that you’re away and offer a way to change the thermostat remotely. After all, that’s probably why you bought the thing in the first place. It’s a nice perk when you’re out for a few hours or a workday.
For longer periods of time or for thermostats that include a vacation mode, it’s a good idea to check the threshold settings and set them to a bit colder and warmer than you would if you were home. Sure, you can adjust the temperature remotely, but the whole idea here is to set it and go. So before you leave, set the temperature ranges on your thermostat as you would for the middle of the day when no one is home so you can save money while keeping your home safe.
Read more: Make the Most of Your Smart Thermostat to Save Money and Energy This Summer
If you have shades or window coverings, it’s best to lower them in your absence.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
Lights and shades
Ikea smart shades
Ry Crist/CNET
My parents always left the TV on when we were away so people would think we were home. These days, that’s not very effective: Burglars are just as likely to strike in the middle of the day when they won’t notice a TV or when constant lights and noise make it very obvious no one is home. Smart switches and schedules can do much more.
Read more: Ikea Brings Voice-Activated Smart Shades to the Rest of Us
A good rule of thumb is that outdoor lights should be on at night and off during the day, while indoor lights should go on and off in different rooms. If you have smart switches, consider creating a schedule based on time of day that replicates what you’d typically do while home. You can also set smart light bulbs to power on and off intermittently.
If you have automated or smart window shades, consider setting them to stay down while you’re away. Keeping lights on might deter crime but leaving your shades open could turn your living room into a window display for a burglar.
Door locks
Lockly’s new smart locks include a lot of Apple compatibility and an option for face recognition.
Lockly
Locking your door before a vacation is a no-brainer. But what happens if you forgot to lock the door or if you need to let a petsitter or plant caretaker in while you’re gone? Hiding a key is old-fashioned, messy and comes with risks. We highly recommend a smart lock instead.
Smart locks are easy to install and when connected with Wi-Fi allow you to control them from anywhere. You can create a couple of passes for neighbors or petsitters before you go, assigning them digital phone keys or temporary keypad numbers that will expire when you return. Plus, you can check access history to see exactly what’s happening at the front door while you’re away.
Garage doors
Smart garages allow you to secure them from anywhere.
Genie
Your garage is a popular access point for intruders, so keep the side doors and any garage windows secured. However, you can easily go a step further and install a smart garage controller, either a retrofit for your current garage door motor or a new smart motor.
Smart garages let you check their status at any time, get updates if anything changes and remotely open or close the garage if someone really needs access (like for packages that you’re expecting while you’re on vacation).
Cameras, doorbells and security systems
The Ring Alarm Pro is our top pick for DIY smart home security.
Hobie Crase/CNET
You have plenty of choices for DIY smart home security systems and professionally monitored services. While they do most of the work for you once they’re out of the box, it’s important to give them a quick status check before you leave. Security settings will differ depending on what products you have.
Regardless of brand, make sure all the integrated motion sensors, cameras, locks and doorbells have fresh or fully charged batteries and notifications correctly enabled to reach the right emergency contacts.
Read more:Our review of the Ring Video Doorbell 4
For cameras and smart doorbells, be sure the lens is free of dirt, cobwebs or decor that might obstruct the view. If you’ve turned down motion sensitivity or set your camera to ignore motion in some areas around your home, now is a good time to put those features back to maximum vigilance. Finally, ensure all notification settings are set to notify the appropriate people at the appropriate times.
Environment detectors
Kangaroo includes a climate sensor, aka leak detector, in its expanded eight-piece home monitoring kit.
Kangaroo
Leak, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors offer peace of mind every day, and even more so when you’re out of town. Making sure all these have fresh batteries, a solid Wi-Fi connection, updated apps or firmware, and correct notification settings is worth a few minutes of your time before you hit the road.
Read more:Smoke detector placement guide
If your detectors aren’t connected to a live monitoring service, it’s even more important to get a notification sent to the right mobile device. That way, you can ask a friend or neighbor to check out any suspicious alerts. Smart speakers may even be able to send you alerts if they hear the sound of a siren or alarm.
But that’s just the start of what smart home sensors can do. Arlo’s all-in-one security sensors, for example, can monitor ambient light, air temperature (in case it drops unexpectedly) and loud noises like a smoke alarm. And leak detectors from all kinds of systems can watch for pipe leaks in crawl spaces, under sinks and in other vulnerable spots.
Robot vacuums and other small appliances
The iRobot Roomba S9 is our favorite robot helper.
iRobot
There are several robot vacuum cleaners out there with some version of a scheduling option. If that’s a feature you use often, turn it off while you’re away. If no one’s home to make messes, the vacuum doesn’t need to run. Plus, if you’ve enhanced the sensitivity of the motion detector portion of your security system, a robot vacuum could trigger false alarms.
Read more:Our review of the iRobot Roomba S9 Plus vs. Neato Botvac D7 Connected
You’ll save battery life and wear and tear on your vacuum by making sure it isn’t running when it doesn’t need to. The same goes for other small appliances that might run on a smart schedule or with smart switches. Run through your list of managed devices to be sure everything is on or off accordingly.
The human element
Yes, smart homes are cool. They can do a lot for you on a daily basis and they keep you connected to home when you’re hundreds of miles away. Still, smart homes aren’t perfect, and it’s a good idea to have one or two trusted (and tech-savvy) humans keeping an eye on things. Consider hiring a well-rated petsitter in addition to pet tech or finding a reliable plant sitter who can also make sure everything is working properly when they stop by to water your greens.
And for a complete look at how you can improve your home security with a single purchase, take a look at our best indoor security cameras, the top wireless cam for easy placement and the best cameras with lights to help deter trespassers.
GOLDEN, Colorado — There are those who envision big bucks pouring in from the heavens by cashing in on resource-rich asteroids.
In increasing number, probes are being dispatched by multiple countries that can plumb the depths of deliverables from space rocks.
Metallic asteroids are made up mostly of iron and nickel, and also contain platinum group metals, or PGMs for short. Similarly, carbonaceous asteroids are known to contain hydrated minerals.
Tantalizing tastes of asteroids have already been robotically sent back to Earth, by missions such as NASA’s OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer), which delivered pieces of the space rock Bennu in September 2023.
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft is set to arrive at its target asteroid, Psyche, in August 2029. Psyche is thought to sport a metal core that some space miners value at many trillions of dollars. (Image credit: NASA/ASU)
Then there’s NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, which is scheduled to arrive in August 2029 at its target asteroid, Psyche — an object perhaps made of a mixture of rock and metal, with metal composing 30% to 60% of its volume.
Pick-action ready business?
Enter the entrepreneurial work of AstroForge, a company based in Huntington Beach, California. AstroForge sees mining asteroids as the next trillion-dollar industry and is fully engaged in trying to make space mining a real, “pick-action ready” business.
Last February, AstroForge successfully got its $3.5 million Odin spacecraft headed outward to reconnoiter 2022 OB5, a small near-Earth asteroid. But the following month, the firm declared Odin lost in space due to ground station and communication issues.
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“Welcome to the school of Hard Rocks,” said AstroForge CEO and co-founder Matt Gialich, as the company presses forward on a follow-on asteroid mission, Vestri, in 2026.
Asteroid mining is on the mind of AstroForge, a private firm. AstroForge successfully got its Odin spacecraft headed outward to reconnoiter 2022 OB5, a small near-Earth asteroid, but later lost contact with the probe. (Image credit: AstroForge)
AstroForge is a deep-space mining company with the goal of extracting valuable metals from asteroids, starting with PGMs.
“By bringing space resources into Earth’s supply chain,” the company’s website explains, “we’re aiming to reduce the need for traditional terrestrial mining methods and explore a more sustainable future — one mission at a time.”
Moon versus asteroids
Mining asteroids versus mining the moon was recently discussed by Alex Ellery, a research professor at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. His research was detailed at the Space Resources Roundtable, held here last month at the Colorado School of Mines.
“Can humanity enjoy the benefits of both asteroid and lunar mining without compromise,” Ellery asks, “or do we have to choose one at the expense of the other?”
Traditionally, asteroid mining has focused on precious materials like noble metals and PGMs, Ellery said, but only one in 2,000 near-Earth objects (NEOs) is known to have PGMs in economically mineable concentrations. While water has been detected in asteroids, that water in hydrated minerals is also rare, roughly one in a 1,000 NEOs, he adds.
While asteroids have diverse resources, including some not found on the moon, they alone likely cannot support industrial self-sufficiency due to scarcity, dispersion, and technical complexity, Ellery thinks.
“If a lunar industry is able to collect deposits of asteroid-sourced materials, it would have both bulk and rare resources that would enable a closed industry in cislunar space,” Ellery observes.
Could it be more advantageous, and therefore more lucrative, to mine asteroids that have impacted the moon rather than free-floating objects zipping through space? (Image credit: NASA/ISS)
Lucrative lunar resources
According to a recent paper led by Jayanth Chennamangalam, an independent researcher in Vancouver, Canada, it may be more advantageous, and therefore more lucrative, to mine asteroids that have impacted the moon rather than the ones that are zipping through space.
We know that many asteroids have crashed into the moon over its lifetime, as evidenced by the craters left on its surface, Chennamangalam told Space.com.
“Most asteroids vaporize on impact, but some don’t, and leave behind remnants, depending on the impact velocity,” said Chennamangalam.
But how much of these asteroid-derived resources — PGMs and water/hydrated minerals — are still present on the moon?
“The key finding of our research is that there are potentially thousands of craters on the moon that contain PGM ore or hydrated minerals,” said Chennamangalam.
“So what we have found,” the researcher continued, “is that there are potentially a lot more craters on the moon with ore-bearing asteroidal remnants than there are accessible ore-bearing asteroids. Of course, there are several caveats that need to be kept in mind, and these are discussed in the paper.”
That paper, by Chennamangalam and three colleagues, was published in May in the journal Planetary and Space Science.
International body proposed
Meanwhile, the prospect that asteroid orbits may be deliberately changed for research and mining, or in the future, by habitation, has gained the attention of a student team from Imperial College London, the University of Santiago de Compostela and Cairo University.
Jordan Stone of Imperial College London receives the B612 Foundation’s Schweickart Prize from Russell “Rusty” Schweickart, Apollo 9 astronaut, co-founder of the Association of Space Explorers, and co-founder of B612. This annual award fosters a new generation of leaders in planetary defense. (Image credit: B612 Foundation/Abe Snider))
“Mining is especially likely, given sizable investments into long-term plans made by commercial actors,” the student team reports in their proposal, which advocates for the creation of an international body, the Panel on Asteroid Orbit Alteration (PAOA).
That proposal was discussed at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, during a public ceremony on June 30 — Asteroid Day.
Emerging risks
The PAOA idea won the Schweickart Prize, a program of the B612 Foundation. The Schweickart Prize is an annual award designed to foster a new generation of leaders in planetary defense and to encourage ideas to help protect Earth from potential asteroid impacts.
The prize is named after Russell “Rusty” Schweickart, an Apollo 9 astronaut and the co-founder of the Association of Space Explorers and B612.
The PAOA would address emerging risks of unintended asteroid orbit changes from future human space activities.
The orbit of an asteroid may be altered by an accidental collision of a spacecraft with the object, small sustained forces, an alteration to the mass balance between nearby asteroids, or by generation of ejecta. (Image credit: Jordan Stone, et al./Images adapted from NASA)
The proposal “highlights the increasing likelihood of human space activities — including asteroid mining, scientific research missions, and even spacecraft malfunctions — inadvertently altering the orbits of near-Earth objects,” notes the B612 Foundation.
“This international body would be tasked with establishing comprehensive scientific, technical and policy guidelines to manage such risks, ensuring a coordinated and effective planetary defense response as the space industry continues its rapid expansion,” explains the B612 Foundation statement.
UFC returns to Nashville with a clash of heavyweight knockout artists as former world title challenger and current No. 9 ranked contender Derrick Lewisbattles No. 13 Tallison Teixeira. Also, fan favorite No. 14 ranked featherweight contender Calvin Kattartakes on Steve Garcia, who rides a 5-fight finish streak into Saturday.
Don’t miss a moment of UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs Teixeira, live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee on July 12, 2025. Prelims start at 6pm ET/3pm PT, followed by the main card at 9pm ET/6pm PT.
UFC returns to Nashville with a clash of heavyweight knockout artists as former world title challenger and current No. 9 ranked contender Derrick Lewisbattles No. 13 Tallison Teixeira. Also, fan favorite No. 14 ranked featherweight contender Calvin Kattartakes on Steve Garcia, who rides a 5-fight finish streak into Saturday.
Don’t miss a moment of UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs Teixeira, live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee on July 12, 2025. Prelims start at 6pm ET/3pm PT, followed by the main card at 9pm ET/6pm PT.
Brad Pitt has revealed the former driver who inspired his character’s backstory in F1 The Movie, adding he “had the time of my life” working on the project.
Pitt plays Sonny Hayes in the blockbuster film, a former F1 driver who makes his comeback at the fictional APXGP team to partner rookie team mate Joshua Pearce (played by Damson Idris).
Speaking to Beyond The Grid, Pitt confirmed that Martin Donnelly’s near-fatal crash in 1990 during practice for the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez was the inspiration for his character’s backstory.
“We based Sonny’s past on Martin Donnelly’s crash,” said Pitt. “Martin was so gracious to give us his footage and to allow us to build our character around that.
The movie experienced world premieres in both New York and London, as current F1 drivers generally praised the project, with the film available for viewing in cinemas now.
Pitt went on to explain how filming had been achieved, with much of the action captured on real Grand Prix weekends throughout the 2023 and 2024 F1 seasons, while the Hollywood star got behind the wheel at various points.
“We’re coming at it in such awe. My earliest memory is Jackie Stewart in plaid – that’s how far I go back, just being a wee kid,” added Pitt, who was given the chance to drive McLaren’s 2023 car at the Circuit of the Americas last month.
“I miss it. I miss it now. It’s crazy. They let us in, they opened the gates for us. We couldn’t have done it without F1. We couldn’t have done it without the teams and the Team Principals and Lewis [Hamilton], who’s informed so much of our script and really opened the doors for us.”
He added: “We shot in the sim at Mercedes. We shot at Williams. McLaren is our headquarters. Everyone opened the doors for us and in such an amazing way.
“It’s such an audacious idea, and I can’t think of any other film that that’s ever happened. To allow us to embed ourselves into the racing season is something pretty extraordinary. I had the time of my life.”
A 77-year-old endurance sport athlete is spreading the message that it is never too late to try new things.
Anne Dockery, from Southville, Bristol, took up running at the age of 52 and began competing in triathlons in her 60s.
Her next challenge is Sunday’s Cotswold Classic, a triathlon event which involves cycling, swimming and running a total of 70.3 miles (113.1km).
“I want others that are in their 50s, 60s and 70s to know that you are not past it,” said Ms Dockery. “You can still do so much.”
Her journey into endurance sports began at the age of 52, while she was living in the United States, following a diagnosis of bronchiectasis – a lung condition in which the airways become damaged and widened, making it harder to clear mucus.
Mild though the case was, doctors encouraged her to run to strengthen her lungs.
“I did not like [running] at all,” she admitted.” I thought it was really boring.”
But a year later, the social aspect changed everything.
“It was because of the people. The people you meet whilst running are fantastic.
“They support you, they cheer you on,” she said.
It was the sense of community that led her to enter her first race and at 62, she competed in her first triathlon.
“I thought I was too old until a friend in her 70s encouraged me to try. I loved it,” said Ms Dockery.
“The triathlon community is so welcoming. I’d arrive not knowing anyone and leave with a new little family who encouraged me.”
Now, preparing for another major challenge, she admitted “I’m terrified, but I know I’ll enjoy it. I’ve trained hard. The only worry is the heat.”
When she was younger, Ms Dockery said she thought of 40 as old.
“Even now, I meet people in their 40s and 50s who believe it’s too late for them.
“When I tell them I started running at 52 and did my first triathlon in my 60s, they’re encouraged.
“Sometimes I still feel inhibited. But most people are so kind. I’m very lucky,” she added.
