| December 19, 2008 |  |
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 Geneva (AFP) Dec 18, 2008 
Catastrophes killed more than 238,000 people this year, with cyclone Nargis which swept through Myanmar accounting for more than half the deaths, a study by reinsurer Swiss Re showed on Thursday. "While the total cost to society was 225 billion dollars (182 billion euros), 50 billion dollars was covered by property insurance, making 2008 the second costliest year ever in terms of insured ... read more 
Calgary, Alberta (UPI) Dec 17, 2008 Canadian researchers say they've determined extinction risks for plants growing in the Earth's tropical regions are higher than previously thought. University of Calgary Assistant Professors Jana and Steven Vamosi studied plant extinction risks in areas close to the equator. "The tropics contain many ancient species of plants, leading many to consider tropical species as less ... more |
'Significant' acceleration of global warming since 2015: study
Eight dead as tornados surge across central US In Finland, kids take hovercraft to school over frozen Baltic Sea Four dead, at least 12 injured after tornados hit Michigan: US media Italy challenges EU over key climate tool Press Release from Business Wire: Onego Bio Swiss to vote on creating giant 'climate fund' After oil, US moves to secure access to Venezuelan minerals US interior secretary visits Caracas in quest for minerals Denmark inaugurates first flight with sustainable fuel 
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| Previous Issues | Dec 18 | Dec 17 | Dec 16 | Dec 15 | Dec 12 |
 
London (UPI) Dec 18, 2008 British medical researchers say they're concerned a new human version of mad cow disease has been detected, officials said. While most cases of new variant Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (vCJD) in Britain have occurred in people with a genetic profile carried by 42 percent of the population, the BBC reported that a young man with a different genetic profile appears to have the disabling ... more  
The Hague (AFP) Dec 18, 2008The Dutch government on Thursday unveiled a multi-billion dollar plan to reinforce dykes and the coastline and augment fresh water supplies in the face of rising sea levels due to global warming. Two-thirds of the Netherlands lies below sea-level and the country is increasingly worried about the threat of devastating floods. The government's national water plan proposes strengthening ... more  
Kuala Lumpur (AFP) Dec 18, 2008A Malaysian warship was the vessel that helped Chinese sailors repel Somali pirates who had boarded their ship in a dramatic high-seas battle, a maritime watchdog said Thursday. "A Malaysian military helicopter fired warning shots at the pirates' boat. This forced the sea raiders to abandon their operation to hijack the ship," said Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Board's ... more 
Jakarta (AFP) Dec 18, 2008Reconstruction in areas of Indonesia's coastline devastated by the 2004 Asian tsunami is nearly complete four years after the disaster, a key group of international donors said Thursday. The Multi Donor Fund (MDF) of foreign nations and international financial institutions has paid out 334 million dollars of 692 million pledged since May 2005 to help tsunami-hit Aceh province and Nias ... more |
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Launching the idea of data centers in spaceSan Francisco, United States (AFP) Feb 3, 2026 Tech firms are floating the idea of building data centers in space and tapping into the sun's energy to meet out-of-this-world power demands in a fierce artificial intelligence race. ... more  
Anthropic unveils new AI model as OpenAI rivalry heats upSan Francisco, United States (AFP) Feb 5, 2026 Anthropic on Thursday released its latest high-performing artificial intelligence model, escalating its challenge to OpenAI in the intensifying AI race. ... more
Musk merges xAI into SpaceX in bid to build space data centersSan Francisco, United States (AFP) Feb 3, 2026 Elon Musk has announced that his rocket company SpaceX will take over his artificial intelligence outfit xAI, as he seeks to raise billions of dollars for his science fiction-worthy outer space projects. ... more
  
Reprogrammable metal bricks give robots muscle-like adaptabilityLos Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 04, 2026 Mechanical engineers at Duke University have demonstrated a proof-of-concept material system that allows solid Lego-like building blocks to be programmed with different mechanical properties and the ... more 
OpenClaw's AI agent does everything, even social mediaWashington, United States (AFP) Feb 2, 2026 Meet OpenClaw: the AI assistant that promised to be your dream intern, terrified cybersecurity experts, and now thrives on chatbot-only social media - all in just a few weeks. ... more 
Human taught tactile control lets robots grasp diverse objectsTokyo, Japan (SPX) Jan 19, 2026 When humans pick up everyday items such as fragile eggs or slippery metal cups, they instinctively adjust their grip using tactile feedback to avoid breaking or dropping them. In contrast, enabling ... more
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Brussels (AFP) Dec 18, 2008European Union fisheries ministers met Thursday to start haggling over fish quotas amid warnings of dwindling stocks and huge waste. In what has become a Brussels tradition, the ministers faced a night of marathon negotiations closely watched by fishermen and environmental groups. One of the main issues facing the ministers concerns discarded catches. Non-governmental organisations ... more  
Beijing (AFP) Dec 18, 2008Leading Chinese rights defender Ni Yulan was sentenced to two years in prison on Thursday for harming public property, after she tried to stop authorities from tearing down her house, her husband said. "The Beijing Xicheng court sentenced her to two years in prison this morning," husband Dong Jiqin told AFP. "They... refused to accept the evidence and arguments that I had prepared." ... more 
Beijing (AFP) Dec 18, 2008China is preparing to send warships to fight rampant piracy off the coast of Somalia, the government said Thursday, a day after one of its commercial vessels foiled an attack near the African state. "We are preparing and making arrangements to send naval ships to the Gulf of Aden to protect the sea lanes there," foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told journalists. "We will make a ... more 
Beijing (AFP) Dec 18, 2008China has banned jailed dissident Hu Jia from receiving family visitors as punishment for winning the European Parliament's prestigious Sakharov human rights prize, his wife said on Thursday. Zeng Jinyan told AFP that authorities informed her on Thursday she would not be allowed her monthly visit to Hu, a day after the European Parliament awarded him the prize in absentia. She said ... more |
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China shuns calls to enter nuclear talks after US-Russia treaty lapsesBeijing (AFP) Feb 5, 2026 China rejected calls to enter talks on a new nuclear treaty after a US-Russian agreement expired on Thursday, ending decades of restrictions on how many warheads the two powers can deploy. ... more 
Trump urges new nuclear treaty after Russia agreement endsWashington, United States (AFP) Feb 6, 2026 US President Donald Trump on Thursday called for a brand new nuclear treaty after the last agreement with Russia expired, prompting fears of a new global arms race. ... more 
Iran, US prepare for Oman talks after deadly protest crackdownMuscat, Oman (AFP) Feb 6, 2026 Iran and the United States were preparing for talks on Friday in Oman, with Washington looking to see if there was any prospect of diplomatic progress on the Iranian nuclear programme and other issues while refusing to rule out military action. ... more
  
Why did Xi hold back-to-back calls with Putin, Trump?Beijing (AFP) Feb 5, 2026 China's leader Xi Jinping held back-to-back calls with Russia's Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump this week, timing analysts said on Thursday was rare and significant as Beijing positions itself as a stable global power. ... more 
Russia, US agree to resume military contacts at Ukraine talksAbu Dhabi (AFP) Feb 5, 2026 Russia and the United States agreed to resume high-level military contacts, in a major step of rapprochement between the world's top nuclear powers at Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. ... more 
China's Xi calls for 'orderly' world in talks with Uruguay leaderBeijing (AFP) Feb 3, 2026 China's leader Xi Jinping called Tuesday for an "equal and orderly multipolar world" in the face of "unilateral bullying", in an apparent jab at the United States. ... more
  
Iraq starts investigations into IS detainees moved from SyriaBaghdad (AFP) Feb 2, 2026 Iraq's judiciary announced on Monday it has begun its investigations into more than 1,300 Islamic State group detainees who were transferred from Syria as part of a US operation. ... more 
Where does Iraq stand as US turns up heat on Iran?Baghdad (AFP) Jan 29, 2026 Faced with political deadlock, open American meddling and the threat of war across its borders, is Iraq being dragged back to darker times after achieving hard-won stability? ... more 
Rubio warns Iraq on Iran ties as Maliki sets returnWashington, United States (AFP) Jan 26, 2026 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Iraq on Sunday against a pro-Iranian government as the expected return of Nouri al-Maliki as prime minister stirs Washington's concern. ... more
  
Pakistan seeks out perpetrators after deadly separatist attacksQuetta, Pakistan (AFP) Feb 1, 2026 Pakistan forces hunted on Sunday for the separatists behind a string of coordinated attacks in restive Balochistan province, with the government vowing to retaliate after more than 190 people were killed in two days. ... more 
US judge grants asylum to Chinese man who filmed alleged Uyghur campsWashington, United States (AFP) Jan 29, 2026 A US immigration judge on Wednesday granted asylum to a Chinese man who fled his country after documenting sites of alleged human rights abuses against Uyghurs, his mother and lawyer told AFP. ... more 
Kurdish women braid their hair in show of solidarity with Syria KurdsErbil, Iraq (AFP) Jan 23, 2026 Women in Iraqi Kurdistan and beyond have taken to the streets and social media to braid their hair in a show of solidarity after a Syrian soldier bragged in a video about cutting off a Kurdish fighter's braid in Raqa. ... more |
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