Biden arrives in Israel following explosion at Gaza hospital; Lonely Planet turns 50; a potential clue in the fight against long COVID; and building homes out of recycled plastic bottles
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U.S. President Joe Biden arrived in Israel amid a rapidly escalating crisis, and just hours after hundreds were killed in a blast at a hospital in Gaza. Matt Galloway talks to Bushra Khalidi, the policy lead for Oxfam in the West Bank, who is in Ramallah; Noga Tarnopolsky, an independent journalist based in Jerusalem; and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.
Then, Lonely Planet guidebooks have been the so-called “backpacker's bible” for 50 years, ever since Tony Wheeler and his wife Maureen self-published a guide based on their own adventure driving across Europe and Asia. Tony tells Matt Galloway about the joys of travelling off the beaten path, and how the name for the iconic books actually comes from a misheard lyric.
Plus, University of Pennsylvania researchers say serotonin levels in long COVID patients may offer a vital clue to understanding the debilitating condition — and perhaps start the process of developing an effective treatment.
And the Canadian company JD Composites is building homes out of recycled plastic bottles — and tests show they’re sturdy enough to withstand hurricane force winds. We hear how that model might help places where the changing climate is making weather more extreme.