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UN resuming talks on high-seas treaty amid growing concerns![]() United Nations, United States (AFP) Aug 15, 2022 After four inconclusive sessions, UN member states on Monday resume talks aimed at finally completing a treaty to protect the world's high seas, a vital yet fragile resource that covers nearly half the planet. A host of NGOs and affected countries say the pact is urgently needed to improve environmental stewardship over the vast, yet largely unregulated, area as it faces growing challenges. But the Covid-19 pandemic slowed negotiations for two years, and a session in March that was supposed to h ... read more |
Synthetic genetic circuits could help plants adapt to climate changeStanford CA (SPX) Aug 12, 2022 Increasingly, global food production is being threatened by the effects of climate change. As floods, droughts, and extreme heat waves become more common, crops need to be able to adapt faster than ... more
MIT scientists discover new antiviral defense system in bacteriaBoston MA (SPX) Aug 15, 2022 Bacteria use a variety of defense strategies to fight off viral infection, and some of these systems have led to groundbreaking technologies, such as CRISPR-based gene-editing. Scientists predict th ... more
Carbon storage in harvested wood productsAsheville NC (SPX) Aug 12, 2022 Wood is infinitely useful. Critically important for our changing climate, trees store carbon. When trees are harvested for wood products like lumber, some of that carbon continues to be stored. Even ... more
Thawing Arctic hillsides are major climate change contributorsFairbanks AK (SPX) Aug 15, 2022 Thawing Arctic hillsides release a significant amount of organic carbon that has been locked in frozen ground for thousands of years but which now can contribute to an already warming climate, accor ... more |
Floods hit Sri Lanka's capital as cyclone deaths near 200
Floods hit Sri Lanka's capital as cyclone death toll rises to 159 Iran halts power generation at key dam over drought Sri Lanka declares emergency as toll from floods, mudslides hits 153 Thailand, Indonesia begin clean-up after massive floods kill hundreds Sri Lanka declares emergency as cyclone toll hits 132 Greece puts capital Athens on water emergency footing Sri Lanka seeks foreign help as cyclone toll hits 123 Sri Lanka flood, landslides toll rises to 123: official Thailand begins cleanup after worst flooding in decade |
| Previous Issues | Aug 12 | Aug 11 | Aug 10 | Aug 09 | Aug 08 |
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China's ex-Covid patients live under 'dark shadow' of stigmaBeijing (AFP) Aug 14, 2022 When Zou tested positive for Covid-19 while working as a cleaner in one of Shanghai's largest quarantine centres, she hoped it wouldn't be long before she could pick up the mop and start earning again. ... more
Drought declared in several parts of EnglandLondon (AFP) Aug 12, 2022 The UK government on Friday officially declared a drought across swathes of England, following months of record low rainfall and unprecedented high temperatures in recent weeks. ... more
Pope urges help for drought-hit SomaliaVatican City (AFP) Aug 14, 2022 Pope Francis on Sunday called for international help for Somalia to fight a "deadly" drought that the UN says has displaced one million people. ... more
Drought sows doubts over future of traditional English gardensSeal, United Kingdom (AFP) Aug 13, 2022 Gesturing towards her thriving wildflower meadow and still-green tree cover in this otherwise parched corner of countryside in southeast England, Claire Price is adamant gardeners must adapt to the country's evolving climate. ... more |
'Avoid driving': dust alerts as storms return to UAEDubai (AFP) Aug 14, 2022 Large parts of the United Arab Emirates were hit by dust and sandstorms on Sunday as authorities urged caution on the roads and battened down for expected heavy rain. ... more
Premature harvests latest test for French winemakersParis (AFP) Aug 12, 2022 Forced to start picking grapes much earlier than normal because of torrid temperatures, winemakers across France are worrying that grape quality will suffer from the climate-induced stress. ... more
California plans to boost water supply as drought bitesLos Angeles (AFP) Aug 11, 2022 More than two decades of devastating drought worsened by man-made climate change mean California must harvest, recycle and desalinate much more water, the state's governor said Thursday. ... more
Iraq's Garden of Eden now 'like a desert'Huwaizah Marshes, Iraq (AFP) Aug 14, 2022 To feed and cool his buffaloes, Hashem Gassed must cross 10 kilometres (six miles) of sunburnt land in southern Iraq, where drought is devastating swathes of the mythical Mesopotamian Marshes. ... more |
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Four dead in China flash flood; 11 died in Gambia's worst floods in decadesBeijing (AFP) Aug 13, 2022 Four people were killed and nine others injured in a flash flood in southwest China on Saturday, local authorities said. ... more
Germany suspends military operations in MaliBerlin (AFP) Aug 12, 2022 The German defence ministry said Friday it had suspended most of its operations in Mali after the local military-led government denied flyover rights to a UN peacekeeping mission. ... more
Rain brings relief to France fires, but more evacuated in southToulouse, France (AFP) Aug 14, 2022 A forest fire that flared anew in southern France sent 1,000 more people fleeing while overnight rain brought blazes elsewhere in the country under control, officials said on Sunday. ... more
Sadr opponents announce rival Baghdad sit-in as Iraqis tire of fuedingBaghdad (AFP) Aug 12, 2022 Supporters of Iraq's pro-Iran Coordination Framework began their own Baghdad sit-in Friday in riposte to a sit-in outside parliament by the rival Sadrist movement launched two weeks ago. ... more
Hong Kong sees record population drop as emigration risesHong Kong (AFP) Aug 11, 2022 Hong Kong saw a net outflow of 113,200 residents over the past year, census data showed Thursday, setting a new record in population decline as the city maintained strict pandemic curbs. ... more |
![]() Tens of thousands trek rugged trail to glimpse Iceland volcano |
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Iraq to provide Lebanon with fuel for another year: Lebanon PM Beirut (AFP) Aug 11, 2022
Iraq has agreed to renew a one-year deal to provide Lebanon with fuel for its power plants in exchange for in-kind services, Lebanon's Prime Minister said in a statement Thursday.
Iraq signed an agreement in July 2021 to give cash-strapped Lebanon one million tonnes of fuel oil to help keep the lights on as the country grapples with power cuts up to 23 hours a day during an unprecedented eco ... more |
Matter at extreme temperature and pressure turns out to be remarkably simple and universal London, UK (SPX) Aug 15, 2022
Scientists at Queen Mary University of London have made two discoveries about the behaviour of 'supercritical matter' - matter at the critical point where the differences between liquids and gases seemingly disappear.
Previously, while the behaviour of matter at reasonably low temperature and pressure was well understood, the picture of matter at high temperature and pressure was blurred. ... more |
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UN resuming talks on high-seas treaty amid growing concerns United Nations, United States (AFP) Aug 15, 2022
After four inconclusive sessions, UN member states on Monday resume talks aimed at finally completing a treaty to protect the world's high seas, a vital yet fragile resource that covers nearly half the planet.
A host of NGOs and affected countries say the pact is urgently needed to improve environmental stewardship over the vast, yet largely unregulated, area as it faces growing challenges. ... more |
Thawing Arctic hillsides are major climate change contributors Fairbanks AK (SPX) Aug 15, 2022
Thawing Arctic hillsides release a significant amount of organic carbon that has been locked in frozen ground for thousands of years but which now can contribute to an already warming climate, according to new research.
The finding comes from the study of hillsides in a far north region of Russia, where the researchers also found a significant and rapid increase of collapsed hillsides. The ... more |
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Brazil farmers bet on environmentally friendly cotton Cristalina, Brazil (AFP) Aug 11, 2022
The road through Cristalina, Brazil is in the middle of the tropics, but the fields on either side look like they are covered in snow - little white puffs of cotton stretching to the horizon.
The alabaster plants interspersed with the corn and soybean fields outside the central-western town are part of a silent revolution in Brazil: facing negative attention over the agribusiness industry's ... more |
Four dead in China flash flood; 11 died in Gambia's worst floods in decades Beijing (AFP) Aug 13, 2022 Four people were killed and nine others injured in a flash flood in southwest China on Saturday, local authorities said.
Footage published by Chinese media showed water rising rapidly in a river on the outskirts of Sichuan province's Pengzhou city.
Tourists who had been playing in the initially shallow water could be seen running for safety and clambering over rocks as the water rushed t ... more |
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42 Mali soldiers killed in suspected jihadist attacks Bamako (AFP) Aug 11, 2022
Forty-two Malian soldiers died in a sophisticated weekend attack by suspected jihadists using drones and artillery, authorities said Wednesday, the latest violent incident to rock the troubled Sahel country.
The toll is one of the bloodiest in Mali's decade-long insurgency, which has spread from the north of the country to the centre and south and into neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger. ... more |
Why thinking hard makes you tired Washington DC (SPX) Aug 12, 2022
It's no surprise that hard physical labor wears you out, but what about hard mental labor? Sitting around thinking hard for hours makes one feel worn out, too. Now, researchers have new evidence to explain why this is, and, based on their findings, the reason you feel mentally exhausted (as opposed to drowsy) from intense thinking isn't all in your head.
Their studies, reported in Current ... more |
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Pope urges help for drought-hit Somalia Vatican City (AFP) Aug 14, 2022
Pope Francis on Sunday called for international help for Somalia to fight a "deadly" drought that the UN says has displaced one million people.
The 85-year-old pontiff drew attention to what he called the "serious humanitarian crisis" in Somalia and parts of surrounding countries after his weekly Angelus prayer at the Vatican.
"The people of this region, already living in very precariou ... more |
Landsat 9 operations to transition from NASA to US Geological Survey Dulles VA (SPX) Aug 12, 2022
NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) officially marked the handover and commencement of operations of the Landsat 9 Earth observation satellite. Landsat 9 was designed, built and tested by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) at its Gilbert, Arizona satellite facility and was launched into orbit aboard an Atlas V rocket in September 2021. The satellite completed its systems verificatio ... more |
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Sponge 'sneezes' waste Amsterdam, Netherlands (SPX) Aug 11, 2022
Sponges are among the oldest creatures on Earth and play a key role in many underwater ecosystems. A new study by Niklas Kornder of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and colleagues finds that sponges 'sneeze' to clear their water channels. With a sneeze the sponge releases a type of mucus that is eaten by other animals. The results of this study are published in Current Biology on August 10th 20 ... more |
US lawmakers pass landmark climate, health plan in big win for Biden Washington (AFP) Aug 12, 2022 US lawmakers on Friday adopted President Joe Biden's sprawling climate, tax and health care plan - a major win for the veteran Democrat that includes the biggest ever American investment in the battle against global warming.
Passage in the House of Representatives along strict party lines came after approval of the bill in the Senate by a razor-thin margin, with Vice President Kamala Harris ... more |
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Researchers develop new faster charging hydrogen fuel cell Sydney, Australia (SPX) Aug 15, 2022
Researchers from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and Queensland University of Technology (QUT) have developed a new method to improve solid-state hydrogen fuel cell charging times.
Hydrogen is gaining significant attention as an efficient way to store 'green energy' from renewables such as wind and solar. Compressed gas is the most common form of hydrogen storage, however it can ... more |
Pakistan zoo cancels lion auction, plans expansion instead Lahore, Pakistan (AFP) Aug 10, 2022
A Pakistan zoo has called off plans to auction 12 lions from its ever-growing pride to private buyers, saying it would instead create new enclosures for the big cats.
The auction planned for Thursday had drawn condemnation from the WWF, which urged authorities at Lahore Safari Zoo to instead rehome them with other government wildlife facilities.
"The main reason behind the auction was th ... more |
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China and Thailand kick off joint air force drills Bangkok (AFP) Aug 14, 2022
Thailand and China kicked off a joint air force exercise on Sunday, the kingdom's military said, the first such drills in years following a pause forced by Covid-19.
The "Falcon Strike" exercise comes after China's biggest-ever military drills around Taiwan, which were conducted in retaliation to a visit there by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Thai Air Chief Marshall Prapas Sornchaidee s ... more |
Scientists use acoustic soundscapes and EO data to assess health of the Amazon Greenbelt MD (SPX) Aug 12, 2022 |
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