
-
Turkey's opposition says Erdogan's canal plan behind latest arrests
-
Maresca hails 'nasty' Chelsea as top five bid stays alive
-
Trump raises Putin doubts after Zelensky talks at pope's funeral
-
Major blast at Iran port kills 4, injures hundreds
-
Napoleon's sword to be sold at auction in Paris
-
Iran, US discuss nuclear deal in third round of talks
-
Buenos Aires farewells native pontiff with call to action
-
Warholm sets hurdles world record at Diamond League, Holloway shocked
-
US students 'race' sperm in reproductive health stunt
-
Wikileaks founder Assange joins crowds for pope funeral
-
Leader Marc Marquez claims Spanish MotoGP sprint victory
-
Celtic win fourth successive Scottish Premiership title
-
Jackson ends drought as Chelsea boost top five push
-
Warholm sets 300m hurdles world record in Diamond League opener
-
Major blast at south Iran port kills 4, injures hundreds
-
Russia says retook Kursk from Ukraine with North Korean help
-
Francis laid to rest as 400,000 mourn pope 'with an open heart'
-
Trump, Zelensky meet on sidelines of pope's funeral
-
'Shared loss': Filipino Catholics bid Pope Francis farewell
-
Families unable to reunite as India-Pakistan border slams shut
-
Major blast at south Iran port injures hundreds
-
Foreign carmakers strive for 'China Speed' to stay in race
-
Pakistan says open to neutral probe into Kashmir attack after India threats
-
Hundreds of thousands at funeral mourn pope 'with an open heart'
-
Quartararo sets Spanish MotoGP record to claim pole
-
Hamas says open to 5-year Gaza truce, one-time hostages release
-
Iran, US hold new round of high-stakes nuclear talks
-
Up at dawn for front-row seat to history at Francis's funeral
-
Pakistan ready to 'defend sovereignty' after India threats
-
Huge crowds flock to Vatican for Pope Francis's funeral
-
Xi says China must 'overcome' AI chip challenges
-
Indian army says new exchange of gunfire with Pakistan
-
Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre takes own life in Australia: family
-
Hundreds of buildings damaged, dozens injured in 6.3 Ecuador quake
-
India and Pakistan's Kashmir fallout hits economy too
-
Francis's funeral to be grand farewell to 'pope of the poor'
-
Pogacar faces defiant Evenepoel at Liege-Bastogne-Liege
-
Chelsea eye great escape against Barcelona in Women's Champions League
-
Iran, US to hold new round of high-level nuclear talks
-
'Energy and effort' pay off for Reds as Blues' woes continue
-
Albatross and closing birdie lift China's Liu to LPGA Chevron lead
-
On the horizon? Wave of momentum for high seas treaty
-
New to The Street Launches For The Causes(TM) Monthly Awareness Segments: Offering Free National Media to Charities and Organizations
-
Top Mistakes to Avoid When Building Credit History
-
Developing countries should fast-track US trade deals: World Bank president
-
Grizzlies' Morant 'doubtful' for must-win game 4 v Thunder
-
Trump in Rome for pope funeral in first foreign trip of new term
-
Trump says Russia-Ukraine deal 'very close' after new Kremlin talks
-
US rookies lead PGA pairs event with McIlroy and Lowry in hunt
-
Trump tariff promises get a reality check

Baghdad zoo animals suffer as mercury hits 50 degrees
A pair of Siberian tigers pant incessantly beside a pond at their zoo enclosure in the scorching summer heat of the Iraqi capital.
Temperatures on Monday breached 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in Baghdad for the second day in a row -- making life outdoors unbearable for both humans and animals.
The orange, striped felines from far-eastern Russia are more suited to living "where temperatures drop to as low as minus 20 degrees" than in one of the hottest cities in the world, said Wassim Sarih, the veterinarian at Baghdad's only zoo.
Underfunded and run down by years of unrest and mismanagement, the zoo's dilapidated facilities make matters worse for its roughly 900 animals, including lions, exotic birds, bears and monkeys.
Most of the enclosures are open air and "suit animals that live in hot climates", said Sarih. "We don't have ones for animals accustomed to the cold."
In an attempt to lower the temperature, air coolers have been installed in front of the lion cages, and pools are provided for the bears and tigers.
Iraq is unable to provide sufficient electricity to meet domestic needs and is consequently plagued by power cuts that can last up to 10 hours a day.
Baghdad Zoo hasn't seen major renovations since the 1970s, said its director Haider al-Zamili, who is forced to make do with the meagre funds the authorities allocate.
Under such conditions, Sarih said "the lifespan of our animals is shorter compared to other zoos".
The zoo's Siberian tigers live for 17 or 18 years while their counterparts in other zoos have a life expectancy of 20 to 25 years, with the heat making the difference, he said.
The veterinarian said the zoo has lost bears, lions and birds in recent years, some of them because of the soaring temperatures caused by climate change.
- Years of drought -
The United Nations says Iraq is one of the five countries in the world most touched by the effects of climate change.
Currently the country is facing its fourth consecutive year of drought.
Not a single visitor was seen at the zoo as it's far too hot to venture outside. Only the cries of monkeys and singing of birds can be heard.
Karrar Jassem, a zoo employee, is one of the few people seen wandering around the garden under the punishing sun as he feeds the animals.
Like the many outdoor workers in Iraq exposed to the heat, the 32-year-old said he must provide for his family.
He earns only 250,000 Iraqi dinars a month (about $165 or 150 euros).
Employees' wages are "very low and don't correspond to the hazards they face, such as potential injuries or joint pains", said Sarih.
The veterinarian said he had contacted the authorities, including the municipality of Baghdad, which is responsible for the zoo, but had yet to come across "any receptive ears".
Sarih predicted the zoo will soon have to close its doors in the absence of an ambitious renovation plan.
"Then the whole community will be a loser," he said.
P.Martin--AMWN