| February 13, 2009 | ![]() |
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Australia blames arsonists for deadly wildfires Alexandra, Australia (AFP) Feb 12, 2009
Arsonists lit a wildfire which killed 21 people and are suspected of starting another that razed a whole town and may have left up to 100 dead, Australian police said Thursday. At least 181 people have died as the worst bushfires in Australian history scorched the southeastern state of Victoria, but the toll is expected to rise beyond 200 as more bodies are found, officials say. Police ... read moreVanishing Philippines wetlands threatens Arctic bird migration
Candaba, Philippines (AFP) Feb 12, 2009Black-crowned night herons take off to roost at sunrise as the day shift arrives for a feeding frenzy at the Candaba marsh in the Philippines. Thirty years ago the marshes covered some 32,000 hectares (79,000 acres) but thanks to the spread of agriculture and urbanisation just 72 hectares remain. Today, ornithologists count some 12,000 birds a day -- a fraction of the number three ... more |
Chile declares emergency as wildfires kill at least 18
Chile declares emergency as wildfires kill at least 15 South Africa declares national disaster as floods batter region Chile declares emergency after wildfires force 20,000 to evacuate Egypt president thanks Trump for offer to mediate on Ethiopia dam US to repeal the basis for its climate rules: What to know China bids to host secretariat of new high seas treaty Trump offers Egypt to mediate on Ethiopia dam South Africa flood toll rises, large parts of Mozambique submerged Two bodies recovered as South Africa flood toll rises
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US Navy arrests suspected pirates in Gulf of Aden
Manama (AFP) Feb 12, 2009The US Navy said it has arrested nine suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday, after the Indian-flagged Motor Vessel Premedivya sent a distress call. "The guided missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) intercepted and apprehended nine suspected pirates today in the Gulf of Aden, after responding to a distress call from a nearby merchant vessel," the US Fifth Fleet said. ... more Dozens injured as major quake hits Indonesia
Jakarta (AFP) Feb 12, 2009At least 42 people were injured and hundreds of homes and buildings damaged when a major earthquake struck off Indonesia's Sulawesi island near the Philippines early Thursday, officials said. The 7.2-magnitude undersea quake struck at 1:34 am local time (1734 GMT Wednesday), prompting Indonesia's geophysics agency to issue a tsunami alert, which was later revoked. "A total of 42 people ... more Sam the koala recovering in Australian wildlife centre
Sydney (AFP) Feb 12, 2009YouTube star Sam the koala was slowly recovering Thursday from severe burns received in Australia's devastating bushfires, thanks to a little tender love and care from her new boyfriend Bob. Animal rescue workers said the two marsupial fire survivors were doing well but it would be four or five months before they would be ready for release back into the mountain ranges of southeastern ... more Big Snake In A Warm Climate
London, UK (SPX) Feb 13, 2009Scientists have recovered fossils of a 60-million-year-old South American snake whose length and weight might make today's anacondas and reticulated pythons seem a bit cuter and more cuddly. Named Titanoboa cerrejonensis by its discoverers, the size of the snake's vertebrae suggest it weighed 1140 kg (2,500 pounds) and measured 13 metres (42.7 feet) nose to tail tip. A report describing ... more |
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Nullspace speeds antenna and radar simulations with new EM software toolsLos Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 14, 2026 Nullspace Inc. has released a new version of its electromagnetic simulation suite that targets large-scale antenna and radar applications with faster frequency analysis and streamlined CAD preparati ... more
Quantum camera startup plans satellite and telescope constellationsLos Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 14, 2026 Diffraqtion, a space startup spun out of MIT and the University of Maryland, has closed a pre-seed funding round to advance satellite constellations and telescope systems powered by a novel quantum ... more
How IVRT Testing Ensures Consistent Product QualityLos Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 13, 2026 Stringent quality control is essential in the pharmaceutical industry, as both cosmetics and pharmaceutical products must maintain a high standard of quality. Any deviation from these standards poses a significant threat to their market survival. ... more
Musk vs OpenAI trial set for April 27San Francisco, United States (AFP) Jan 13, 2026 A trial in the lawsuit brought by Elon Musk against OpenAI CEO Samuel Altman and other defendants - including tech giant Microsoft - is scheduled to begin April 27, according to a federal court order issued Tuesday. ... more
From sci-fi to sidewalk: exoskeletons go mainstreamLas Vegas (AFP) Jan 8, 2026 Exoskeletons are shedding their bulky, sci-fi image to become lightweight, AI-powered consumer devices that manufacturers hope will become as commonplace as smartwatches, targeting everyone from hikers to seniors seeking to stay active. ... more
Brew, smell, and serve: AI steals the show at CES 2026Las Vegas (AFP) Jan 9, 2026 AI took over CES 2026, powering coffee machines to brew the perfect espresso, a device to create your perfect scent, and ball-hitting tennis robots that make you forget it's human against machine. ... more |
Rains bring relief from China drought
Beijing (AFP) Feb 12, 2009Drought-hit regions of northern China enjoyed rare rain on Thursday and more precipitation was expected in coming days, providing relief from a severe drought that threatened vital wheat crops. The parched capital Beijing shivered under a steady cold rain throughout the day, as did several of the important grain-growing provinces in the northern and eastern parts of the country hit hardest ... more French food agency says GM maize safe
Paris (AFP) Feb 12, 2009France's food watchdog said on Thursday it had concluded that genetically-modified maize from US biotech giant Monsanto is safe, contradicting an earlier report that led to a ban on the maize. The AFSSA report, which became public after it was revealed in the daily Le Figaro, angered environmentalists and embarrassed President Nicolas Sarkozy's government which had resorted to a special EU ... more Spanish warship foils pirate attack off Somalia: government
Madrid (AFP) Feb 12, 2009A Spanish warship Thursday foiled an attack by pirates on a merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia, the defence ministry said. It said a helicopter from the frigate Victoria, participating in the European Union's new task force in the region, fired warning shots at the pirate vessel. The Victoria first received an alert from a Cypriot-registered bulk carrier, the Jolbos, on ... more Chinese president starts African tour in Mali
Bamako (AFP) Feb 12, 2009China's President Hu Jintao arrived in Mali Thursday at the start of a whirlwind African tour which Beijing says is focused more on political ties than on his country's hunt for commodities. Hu was greeted by his Malian counterpart Amadou Toumani Toure on his arrival at Bamako airport. The leaders made no statements before moving to the presidential palace for an official welcome ceremony ... more |
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Trump has options on Iran, but first must define goalWashington, United States (AFP) Jan 12, 2026 US President Donald Trump has options to intervene in protest-hit Iran that range from low to high risk, but choosing his course depends on him deciding his ultimate goal. ... more
Fresh from China, South Korea president to visit JapanSeoul (AFP) Jan 9, 2026 South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung will travel to Japan next week for talks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Seoul said Friday, days after meeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. ... more
South Korea's Lee says urged Xi to help curb North's nukesShanghai (AFP) Jan 7, 2026 South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday he had urged Chinese leader Xi Jinping to help him curb Pyongyang's nuclear programme and suggested a freeze in its development of weapons of mass destruction was "feasible" with the right conditions. ... more
Leaders of Japan and South Korea meet as China flexes musclesNara, Japan (AFP) Jan 13, 2026 Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met with South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung for talks on Tuesday aimed at demonstrating their cordial ties as Beijing pressures Tokyo over its stance on Taiwan. ... more
MPs concerned ahead of UK decision on mega Chinese embassyLondon (AFP) Jan 13, 2026 British MPs voiced major security concerns Tuesday over China's proposed new London embassy after a leading daily reported the site would house 208 secret rooms, including a "hidden chamber". ... more
EU should consider forming combined military force: defence chiefBrussels, Belgium (AFP) Jan 11, 2026 EU countries should weigh whether to set up a combined military force that could eventually replace US troops in Europe, the bloc's defence chief said Sunday. ... more
Pro-Iran camp reunites to form majority in Iraq parliamentBaghdad (AFP) Nov 17, 2025 Iraq's pro-Iran Coordination Framework alliance announced on Monday it had formed the majority bloc in the newly elected parliament, and said that it will nominate the next prime minister. ... more
Iraq tribal clashes kill eight: security officialKut, Iraq (AFP) Nov 15, 2025 Tribal clashes over agricultural land in central Iraq have killed eight people and injured another nine, a security official in Wasit province told AFP on Saturday. ... more
What lies ahead in Iraq: the hard task of forming a governmentBaghdad (AFP) Nov 13, 2025 Following Iraq's parliamentary election this week, the complex and often lengthy task of choosing the country's next leader is set to begin. ... more
Turkey will help Syria against Kurdish fighters if asked: defence ministryAnkara (AFP) Jan 8, 2026 Turkey's military is ready to "support" Syria in its battle with Kurdish fighters in the northwestern city of Aleppo if Damascus asks for help, a defence ministry official said Thursday. ... more
Iraq-based Kurdish opposition calls for strike in Iran on ThursdayBaghdad (AFP) Jan 7, 2026 Several Iraq-based Iranian Kurdish opposition parties have called for a general strike on Thursday in Iran in support of the protests in the Islamic republic, one of the exiled parties told AFP. ... more
Casualties in Afghanistan as residents, gold miners clash: TalibanAfghanistan (AFP) Jan 6, 2026 A clash over gold mining in northern Afghanistan has resulted in casualties, a Taliban official told AFP on Tuesday, after a resident said multiple people were killed in the violence. ... more |
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