Latest news with #Ebi
CAF
27-06-2025
- Sport
- CAF
D-8 to the Women's AFCON: Onome Ebi, Record-Breaker and Symbol of Longevity
The countdown to the CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations has officially begun. To mark the occasion, invites you to relive some of the standout moments from the competition, now approaching its 13th edition. Today, we look back at the journey of a woman who has featured in seven editions of the tournament: Onome Ebi. Only 8 days to go until the CAF TotalEnergies Women's Africa Cup of Nations. In the history of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, few players can compete with the longevity and impact of Onome Ebi. An emblematic central defender of Nigeria, she remains the most capped player of the tournament, with seven appearances to her credit. Ebi has played in seven editions of the Women's AFCON: 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2022. Across generations, opponents and styles of play, she has established herself as a central figure in the Super Falcons, an essential defensive pillar and a model of consistency. Her continental record is simply remarkable: four titles won (2010, 2014, 2016, 2018) and a presence in all of Nigeria's major campaigns for more than fifteen years. Each time, Ebi held her ground, solid on her feet, lucid in her reading, sober in her attitude. A natural leader, respected and listened to. "Each African Cup has its own requirements. It's never a formality, even for a team like Nigeria," she said at the 2018 AFCON in Ghana, which ended with a victory over South Africa. If her statistics are impressive — more than 100 international caps, four AFCON wins, five World Cups played — it is above all his consistency at the very highest level that commands respect. On the pitch, as in the locker room, she embodied for more than a decade the high standards and pride of wearing the Super Falcons jersey. "As the oldest member of the group, I had a moral duty: to motivate the young people, to set an example. You don't stay in the national team with your past, you stay there with your rigor," she said in 2022, during her last appearance in the finals. Her last AFCON, in Morocco in 2022, did not lead to a title, but it will remain as the ultimate symbol of his loyalty to Nigeria and his attachment to this competition that has punctuated her career. Today, Onome Ebi occupies a special place in the archives of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, engraved over the editions, the titles and the example she has left.
Scientific American
17-06-2025
- Health
- Scientific American
Hotter Nights, Brought on by Climate Change, Pose More Health Threats
This article was made possible by the support of Yakult and produced independently by Scientific American 's board of editors. If the summer of 2025 is anything like last year's, get ready to sweat. July and August of 2024 were among the hottest months on record in the U.S. Phoenix, Ariz., saw daytime temperatures higher than 100 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 100 days. But now temperatures are staying high at night, too, which increases health dangers. When it stays hot after the sun goes down, more people die than typically would. Emergency room visits and hospital admissions go up. Premature births increase. Sleep and mental health suffer. But there are simple and practical methods you can use to stay cooler and healthier, beyond cranking up your expensive air conditioner. 'Most heat exposure is chronic,' says Ashley Ward, director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub at Duke University's Nicholas Institute. She and others are increasingly focused on the cumulative effect of warmer nights following warmer days. Nighttime temperatures are rising twice as fast as daytime temperatures because i ncreasing cloud cover at night, created by the greenhouse effect, traps heat and sends it back to the ground. In parts of the Southeast, for example, there are now more than 30 days a year when the temperature stays above 75 degrees F at night, Ward says. Urban heat islands, which are parts of cities with lots of concrete and few shade trees, trap warmth and add to the effect, but rural areas are also suffering. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. 'If it doesn't cool down at night, then your core body temperature can't really get back to what is normal for you,' says epidemiologist Kristie Ebi of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at the University of Washington. 'You're starting the next morning with a higher baseline.' That's why death rates start to increase after about 24 hours during heat waves. 'It's not the instantaneous exposure; it's the buildup over the course of a day, not getting relief at night. That starts affecting the cells and organs,' Ebi says. Core body temperature is important because it's the heat of your internal organs rather than your more obvious skin temperature. 'Heat is called a silent killer because humans are not terribly good at determining if their core body temperature is rising,' Ebi says. 'It has to stay within a narrow range to protect us and our organs.' That range is roughly from 97 to 99 degrees F, but it varies throughout the day and from person to person. Bodies are designed to cool down through tricks such as flushing and sweating. When your face turns red in the heat, it's because your body is pushing blood to the surface to cool it. Likewise, when sweat evaporates from the skin, it takes body heat with it. But the body can't always keep up. The process of thermoregulation can strain the heart, which must work harder at pumping blood, and harm the kidneys, which can be injured by dehydration. Sleep habits, critical for overall health, suffer in the heat, too. Recent global studies using survey data and billions of measurements from fitness bands found that people sleep less well as temperatures go up, says Nick Obradovich, chief scientist for environmental mental health at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research in Tulsa, Okla. Heat makes it harder to fall asleep and causes people to wake a little earlier than usual. 'It increases the probability that people have what we define as short sleep, or less than seven hours a night,' Obradovich says. Furthermore, the more hotter nights pile up, the worse people sleep. Inadequate sleep damages the immune system and is linked to higher risk for cancer and Alzheimer's disease. It is also tied to poorer mental health. The emotional and behavioral problems associated with rising temperatures include an increased risk of suicide. Again, the longer those temperatures persist, the stronger the psychological consequences. In general, 'you're much more likely to have a mental health episode by the sixth day [of a heat wave] than you are on the first day,' Obradovich says. To make matters worse, rising temperatures are colliding with poverty, age, and other social determinants of health, Ward says. Many people in the least energy-efficient housing are also least able to afford air-conditioning. Older adults are more likely to have underlying heart or artery diseases, diabetes or respiratory illnesses that make them more susceptible to heat. Prescription drugs, such as those used to treat Parkinson's disease and beta blockers used for hypertension, reduce the body's ability to thermoregulate. Geography matters, too. High humidity, often found in the southeastern U.S., is especially dangerous because it makes it harder for sweat to evaporate. In the dry heat of the Southwest, sweat evaporates fast, dehydrating you before you realize it. Fortunately, people can help their body make the most of its natural cooling strategies with some scientifically proven tactics. Immersing your hands and feet in cool water —not icy cold—triggers a response from special types of blood vessels that release internal heat to the surface, where it can dissipate fast. The method is used regularly by the military. And after a hot day of yard work, Ward says, it's much more effective to take a cool shower than to open a cold beer—the former will lower body temperature, whereas the latter is a diuretic. Staying hydrated (with water!) reduces strain on the kidneys. If access to air-conditioning in your home is limited, concentrate on lowering the bedroom temperature rather than other rooms. That will offer you a better chance to sleep, perchance to dream of cooler nights to come.
The National
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Eid Al Fitr 2025: Eight UAE concerts and events, from Amr Diab to Sting
An eclectic line-up of music events is set to take place across the UAE in the week following Eid Al Fitr, featuring everything from pop concerts and high-profile club performances to children's musicals. While no official date has been confirmed yet, the Emirates Astronomical Society previously stated that Eid Al Fitr is likely to begin on March 31. The official date will be determined by the UAE's moon-sighting committee in the final days of Ramadan. Here are some of the key gigs announced so far for the season. After his sold-out concert at Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Nights in January, Iranian pop star Ebi returns to the stage to perform some of the greatest hits from his illustrious 50-year career. Doors open at 7.30pm; tickets start at Dh595 The ice show features a cast of international competitive skaters as they bring to life the story of newlyweds caught in the grip of a ruthless empress. With a stirring score, the production will transform the arena into a spectacular ice rink. Doors open at 7pm; tickets start at Dh125 Based on the classic fairy tale by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, this ice show follows a young girl's journey to rescue her friend from the clutches of an evil queen. Choreographed by 2022 Olympic silver medallist Ilia Averbukh, the production features a grand set design and costumes that evoke a fantastical, wintry world. Doors open at 7pm; tickets start at Dh125 The South African producer's work, which has him mixing progressive house with African styles and rhythms, transitioned from an underground sensation to an EDM star. His growing list of collaborations includes Beyonce, Drake and Alicia Keys and his latest Dubai set finds him playing at the ritzy club in the Five Luxe JBR resort. Doors open at 7pm; tickets start at Dh450 The Grammy Award winner is bringing his Sting 3.0 world tour to the UAE capital. He'll be joined by virtuoso guitarist and long-time collaborator Dominic Miller and drummer Chris Maas (Mumford & Sons, Maggie Rogers) to perform some of the biggest hits from his discography. Doors open 7pm; sold out Leading musicians from the Gulf unite for separate sets showcasing some of the finest modern Khaleeji music. The latest instalment of the concert series features Emirati-Yemeni singer Balqees, Saudi crooner Abadi Al Johar, and Yemeni singer Fouad Abdul Wahed. Doors open at 7pm; tickets start at Dh195 This ballet performance celebrates beloved fairy tale heroes, from Sleeping Beauty to Aladdin, drawing inspiration from American composer Alexey Shor's piano concert series From My Bookshelf, Childhood Memories and Travel Notebook. Under the direction of choreographer Francesco Ventriglia, principal dancers from European dance theatres will perform on a stage adorned with costumes and set designs by Roberta Guidi di Bagno. Doors open at 7.30pm; tickets start at Dh450 The chart-topping singer has arguably been the reigning pop king in the region since his 1983 debut album Ya Tareea. He also made a mark beyond the Arabic-speaking world, with his 1996 hit Nour El Ain becoming one of the most popular pop songs to come out of the Middle East. Doors open at 6pm; tickets start at Dh326
