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Genetically boosting the nutritional value of corn could benefit millions![]() Brunswick NJ (SPX) Oct 10, 2017 Rutgers scientists have found an efficient way to enhance the nutritional value of corn - the world's largest commodity crop - by inserting a bacterial gene that causes it to produce a key nutrient called methionine, according to a new study. The Rutgers University-New Brunswick discovery could benefit millions of people in developing countries, such as in South America and Africa, who depend on corn as a staple. It could also significantly reduce worldwide animal feed costs. "We improved th ... read more |
Sustainable irrigation may harm other development goalsWashington DC (SPX) Oct 10, 2017 Pursuing sustainable irrigation without significant irrigation efficiency gains could negatively impact environmental and development goals in many areas of the world, a new study has found. O ... more
Pesticide poisoning kills 20 farmers in Indian stateMumbai (AFP) Oct 9, 2017 Twenty Indian farmers have died and hundreds of others are in hospital after inhaling poisonous pesticides while spraying crops, officials said Monday, highlighting lax safety standards in the country. ... more
Climate change, population growth may lead to open ocean aquacultureCorvallis OR (SPX) Oct 06, 2017 A new analysis suggests that open-ocean aquaculture for three species of finfish is a viable option for industry expansion under most climate change scenarios - an option that may provide a new sour ... more
Are we at a tipping point with weed control?Urbana IL (SPX) Oct 09, 2017 Imagine walking the cereal aisle at your favorite grocery store. Are you reading labels? Scanning prices? Thinking about weeds? If you're like most American consumers, weeds probably aren't at the f ... more |
Deadly Typhoon Kalmaegi ravages Vietnam, Philippines
Operation Cloudburst: Dutch train for 'water bomb' floods Hurricane left millions of tons of debris in Jamaica: UN Typhoon Kalmaegi hits Vietnam after killing 140 in Philippines Vietnam evacuates thousands from coast ahead of Typhoon Kalmaegi Philippine death toll tops 140 as typhoon heads towards Vietnam CORRECTED: Philippine death toll tops 140 as typhoon heads towards Vietnam Camels replace cows as Kenya battles drought Jamaica still 'digging out' from hurricane, but Red Cross hopes toll stays low Death toll tops 100 as Philippines digs out after typhoon |
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| Previous Issues | Oct 09 | Oct 06 | Oct 05 | Oct 04 | Oct 03 |
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Climate solution in soilStanford CA (SPX) Oct 09, 2017 If you want to do something about global warming, look under your feet. Managed well, soil's ability to trap carbon dioxide is potentially much greater than previously estimated, according to Stanfo ... more
Bee-harming pesticides in 75 percent of honey worldwide: studyMiami (AFP) Oct 5, 2017 Traces of pesticides that act as nerve agents on bees have been found in 75 percent of honey worldwide, raising concern about the survival of these crucial crop pollinators, researchers said Thursday. ... more
Win-win strategies for climate and food securityVienna, Austria (SPX) Oct 05, 2017 Climate policies that target agriculture and forests could lead to increased food prices, but reducing deforestation and increasing soil carbon sequestration in agriculture could significantly reduc ... more
Earliest evidence for a native African cultigen discovered in Eastern SudanChicago IL (SPX) Oct 05, 2017 Archaeologists examining plant impressions within broken pottery have discovered the earliest evidence for domesticated sorghum in Africa. The evidence comes from an archaeological site (known ... more
Setback for EU deal on hormone-disrupting chemicalsStrasbourg, France (AFP) Oct 4, 2017 The EU's efforts to regulate chemicals which can potentially disrupt the body's hormones suffered a setback on Wednesday when MEPs blocked a key proposal. ... more
Biodegradable microsensors for food monitoringZurich, Switzerland (SPX) Oct 05, 2017 Nowadays microsensors are already used in many different applications, such as the detection of poisonous gases. They are also integrated into miniaturised transmitter/receiver systems, such as the ... more |
![]() Land grabs cause lingering SE Asia conflicts: report
Big rainy season leaves dozens dead in Central AmericaGuatemala City (AFP) Oct 3, 2017 An unusually intense rainy season in Central America has left dozens dead and thousands more affected by damaged or destroyed homes and roads. ... more
EU battle heats up over controversial weedkillerBrussels (AFP) Oct 1, 2017 A battle is heating up over whether the European Union will renew at year-end the licence for glyphosate, one of the world's most widely used weedkillers that some fear causes cancer. ... more
First global pact backing indigenous land rights launchedStockholm (AFP) Oct 3, 2017 Indigenous peoples could soon regain some control of their native forests with the creation of a new global institution dedicated to securing their land rights. ... more
Chinese buyers fleeced in Australian wool scamSydney (AFP) Oct 4, 2017 The theft of high-end Australian wool destined for China is under investigation, authorities said Wednesday, as customers end up with lower-grade produce in a scam threatening the industry's reputation. ... more |
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Paris (ESA) Oct 10, 2017
With four days to liftoff, the next Sentinel satellite is now on the launch pad at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia.
The rocket will be fuelled two days before launch, set for Friday at 09:27 GMT (11:27 CEST).
The Sentinel-5P satellite has been at the cosmodrome since early September going through a series of tests and being readied for the big day. After being sealed from ... more Beijing (XNA) Oct 10, 2017China launches remote sensing satellite for Venezuela Schriever AFB CO (SPX) Oct 09, 2017Satellite transmissions cease, no impact to weather mission Pasadena CA (JPL) Oct 06, 2017Satellites See Silicon Valley's Quick Drought Recovery |
Cambridge, Canada (SPX) Sep 26, 2017 Beijing (XNA) Sep 15, 2017BeiDou navigation to cover Belt and Road countries by 2018 Beijing (XNA) Sep 19, 2017China's BeiDou-3 satellites get new chips Denver CO (SPX) Sep 13, 2017US Air Force Awards Lockheed Martin GPS M-Code Early Use Ground System Upgrade Contract |
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Annapolis, MD (SPX) Oct 09, 2017
Like a scene from the movie Alien, insect parasitoids inject their eggs into unsuspecting hosts, their offspring grow and eat from within, eventually bursting out leaving dead, empty host vessels. These tiny predators, many of them wasps, can have major ecological and economic impacts.
For example, wasps in the genus Melittobia attack pollinating bumblebees. Parasitoid wasp larvae feed on ... more Guelph, Canada (SPX) Oct 09, 2017DNA barcoding technology helping monitor health of all-important boreal forest Woods Hole MA (SPX) Oct 09, 2017Carbon feedback from forest soils will accelerate global warming Warsaw (AFP) Sept 29, 2017Poland rejects EU evidence on primeval forest dispute |
Berlin (AFP) Oct 9, 2017
Nearly 100 environmental and poverty fighting groups jointly released a letter Tuesday slamming a UN proposal that backs large-scale use of biofuels in commercial planes.
Extensive burning of biofuels would vastly expand the production of palm oil, which critics say drives deforestation, higher CO2 emissions and conflicts with indigenous peoples displaced from their land.
The UN's Intern ... more Liverpool UK (SPX) Oct 09, 2017Breakthrough in direct activation of CO2 and CH4 into liquid fuels and chemicals Ames IA (SPX) Oct 06, 2017Surrounded by potential: New science in converting biomass Washington DC (SPX) Oct 09, 2017A key step in synthetic fuel production from seawater patented by NRL |
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Riyadh (AFP) Oct 3, 2017
Saudi Arabia invited bids on Tuesday for a "utility-scale" 300-megawatt solar project, a first for the world's top oil exporter.
"Today's bid opening represents a significant milestone for the National Renewable Energy Programme, and an important step on the way to diversifying Saudi Arabia's domestic energy mix and building a cutting edge domestic renewable energy sector," Energy Minister K ... more Moscow, Russia (SPX) Oct 09, 2017Scientists propose new way of increasing the efficiency of solar batteries Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 05, 2017Governor Brown Sends SCE to CEC Investigation and ABC Solar Files CPUC Petition to Censor SCE Upton, NY (SPX) Oct 06, 2017New efficient catalyst for key step in artificial photosynthesis |
Miami (AFP) Oct 9, 2017
Wind farms in the open ocean can generate far more renewable energy than those on land, possibly enough to power the whole world, said a US study on Monday.
Researchers at the Carnegie Institution for Science found that higher wind speeds over the open seas could produce five times as much energy as wind turbines over land.
While no commercial-scale deep water wind farms exist at present ... more Washington (UPI) Sep 22, 2017Germany gets economic lift with wind energy Washington (UPI) Sep 20, 2017French energy company to build wind power sector in India Washington DC (SPX) Sep 19, 2017Finding better wind energy potential with the new European Wind Atlas |
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Sydney (AFP) Sept 22, 2017
Rio Tinto will return $2.5 billion to shareholders in a buyback after selling most of its Australian coal assets to China-backed Yancoal, the mining giant said Friday.
The world's second-largest miner sold Coal & Allied to Yancoal, majority-controlled by China's Yanzhou Coal, earlier this month in a divestment drive analysts expect will lead to a complete exit from the sector.
The buybac ... more Washington (UPI) Sep 15, 2017First-ever U.S. coal shipment arrives in Ukraine Sydney (AFP) Sept 1, 2017Rio completes Australia coal mines sale to China's Yancoal Washington (UPI) Aug 22, 2017In a first, U.S. ships coal to Ukraine |
Hong Kong (AFP) Oct 4, 2017
Unpopular former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying testified Wednesday in a case involving a sandwich thrown at him by a pro-democracy activist.
The sandwich was aimed at Leung, the city's then leader, as he was on his way to vote in the September 2016 legislative election - but it missed and hit a police officer.
In court, a stern-looking Leung occasionally smiled as he was questioned b ... more Hong Kong (AFP) Oct 3, 2017Hong Kong democracy activist in court for throwing 'smelly' sandwich Hong Kong (AFP) Oct 1, 2017Hong Kong migrant mothers sing for their distant children Hong Kong (AFP) Oct 4, 2017The making of Hong Kong's famous 'fire dragon' |
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Raleigh NC (SPX) Oct 09, 2017
A new study from North Carolina State University finds that people who are more sensitive to the passage of time are better at accounting for the latency - or time lag - inherent in remotely controlling robots or other tools.
"There are many situations, from bomb disposal to remote surgeries, in which people want to remotely control devices," says Federico Scholcover, a Ph.D. student at NC ... more Washington (AFP) Oct 5, 2017Mattel scraps plan for digital assistant for kids Hong Kong (SPX) Oct 03, 2017Servosila introduces Mobile Robots equipped with Software Defined Radio payloads Washington (AFP) Oct 4, 2017DeepMind forms ethics unit for AI; Google unveils $49 mini assistant |
Tipitapa, Nicaragua (AFP) Oct 5, 2017
Looking tired and haggard, William Coronado pulls up before dawn with a boat full of fish on the muddy shore of Nicaragua's Lake Managua, a dumping ground for trash and waste.
"The lake is so polluted. They throw all sorts of crap into it," said the 56-year-old. "Containers, old buckets, all sorts of bags - all the junk they throw away in Managua. It's a disgrace."
Coronado spent two da ... more Tokyo (AFP) Oct 4, 2017Olympics: Tokyo 2020 water venue polluted Gonda City, India (AFP) Oct 2, 2017Mountains of garbage and despair in India's dirtiest city Amsterdam (AFP) Sept 27, 2017I.Coast toxic spill victims launch new Dutch court bid |
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Sydney (AFP) Sept 25, 2017 Ten people believed to be Chinese died when a supermarket caught fire in Papua New Guinea while they were sleeping, reports and officials said Monday.
The disaster at the Splendid Star shop was made worse by the lack of any proper fire-fighting equipment in Manus province in the impoverished Pacific nation's north, where the blaze started early Friday.
The dead included six women and fou ... more Lisbon (AFP) Sept 12, 2017Portuguese ex-firefighter jailed for starting 2016 forest fires Washington (UPI) Sep 5, 2017Satellite images show wildfire smoke spreading across United States Marseille (AFP) Sept 3, 2017Arson suspected as fire in southeast France brought under control |
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Oct 06, 2017
Investigations to predict changes in sea levels and their impacts on coastal systems are a step closer, as a result of international collaboration between the University of Sydney and researchers from Japan, Spain, and the United States. Scientists globally are investigating just how quickly sea-level rise can occur as a result of global warming and ice sheets melting.
Recent findings sugg ... more Wellington (AFP) Oct 6, 2017Pacific's Niue creates huge marine sanctuary Ottawa (AFP) Oct 5, 2017Shipping, fishing killed Canada right whales: autopsy Valletta (AFP) Oct 5, 2017Prince Charles warns 'plastic on the menu' in world's fish |
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Beijing (AFP) Oct 9, 2017
Twenty-three people have been killed as rainstorms battered China over the past week, destroying more than 5,200 homes and forcing the evacuation of nearly 34,000 people, authorities said Monday.
Heavy rainfall since October 1 has caused widespread damage in southwestern Sichuan province and Chongqing municipality, the central provinces of Anhui, Henan and Hubei and in northwest Shaanxi prov ... more Berlin (AFP) Oct 6, 2017Germany reels from deadly storm; Severe train disruptions Sydney (AFP) Oct 4, 2017Sydney, Melbourne warned to prepare for 50-degree days Paris (AFP) Sept 27, 2017Searing summers becoming the new normal in Europe: study |
Washington (UPI) Oct 9, 2017
A team of researchers from the University of Toronto are retracing the paths of Bronze Age Mediterranean traders by studying ancient anchorages along the coast of Cyprus.
Over the past summer, U of T archaeologist Carrie Fulton led daily dives to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea in search of insights into the economic and cultural relations among ancient peoples of the Mediterranean. ... more Stockholm (AFP) Oct 9, 2017Outsiders challenge Chicago school for Nobel economics prize Strasbourg, France (AFP) Oct 3, 2017EU targets China with tough rules on cheap imports Beijing (AFP) Sept 30, 2017Chinese manufacturing accelerates for second straight month |
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Washington (UPI) Oct 5, 2017
If governments and their space agencies are serious about protecting Earth from solar storms, one team of researchers argues a giant space shield is the most logical solution.
Much attention is paid to the threat of comets and asteroids. In the past, violent collisions have triggered mass extinctions. Solar storms - intense waves of high energy particles flung into space during coronal ... more Washington (UPI) Oct 3, 2017Scientists model magnetic storm that inspired red aurora over Kyoto Greenbelt MD (SPX) Oct 03, 2017A RAVAN in the sun Greenbelt MD (SPX) Sep 27, 2017Parker Solar Probe Gets Its Revolutionary Heat Shield |
Baghdad (AFP) Oct 9, 2017
The welfare of stray cats and dogs roaming Iraq's capital Baghdad is far from a priority for most residents after years of bloodshed and insecurity.
Homeless animals typically face cruelty or even extermination on the streets of the city, but now some pet lovers are looking to use social media to change attitudes and find loving owners for the four-legged friends.
Agricultural college ... more Newark DE (SPX) Oct 05, 2017Examining the lifestyles of microbes Suiyang, China (AFP) Oct 6, 2017From poacher to ranger: saving China's Siberian tigers York, UK (SPX) Oct 06, 2017Animals that play with objects learn how to use them as tools |
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