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  Blantyre, Malawi (AFP) Dec 7, 2017 Large parts of Malawi have been plunged into darkness as water levels at the country's main hydro power plant fell to critical levels due to a severe drought, the electricity company said Thursday. The impoverished southern African country which relies on hydroelectricity has been hit by intermitted blackouts since last year, but the outages have recently worsened, lasting up to 25 hours. The state-owned Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) said power output had been halved as water ... read more |
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Drought-resistant plant genes could accelerate evolution of water-use efficient cropsOak Ridge TN (SPX) Dec 07, 2017 Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have identified a common set of genes that enable different drought-resistant plants to survive in semi-arid conditions, which ... more 
Perk up, Shanghai: Crowds throng world's biggest StarbucksShanghai (AFP) Dec 6, 2017 Starbucks opened its largest cafe in the world in Shanghai on Wednesday as the US-based beverage giant bets big on the burgeoning coffee culture of a country traditionally known for tea-drinking. ... more 
Light green plants save nitrogen without sacrificing photosynthetic efficiencyChampaign IL (SPX) Dec 06, 2017 The top leaves of crops absorb far more light than they can use, starving lower leaves of light. Scientists designed plants with light green leaves with hopes of allowing more light to penetrate the ... more 
Robotic device tracks plant growth at the cellular levelWashington DC (SPX) Dec 06, 2017 Plant scientists have a new tool in their toolkit. The automated confocal micro-extensometer (ACME) - developed by a team of researchers in Europe and the US - allows scientists to measure spatial v ... more |
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Europe, Mediterranean coast saw record drought in August: AFP analysis of EU data
Philippine lawmaker quits top job as graft probe moves forward Floods devastate India's breadbasket of Punjab Landslides kill 12 after eastern Malaysia deluges Philippines president says corruption scandal protests justified Philippines commission to probe widening flood project scandal Magnitude 7.4 quake strikes off Russian Far East, tsunami warning lifted Magnitude 7.4 quake strikes off Russian Far East, tsunami warning issued S.Sudan flooding displaces 100,000 in matter of weeks: UN Afghan deputy PM visits earthquake hit area |
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| Previous Issues | Dec 07 | Dec 06 | Dec 05 | Dec 04 | Dec 01 |
 
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Research shows drones could help crop management take offJackson TN (SPX) Dec 05, 2017 Unmanned aerial systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones, could help farmers determine if their crop is growing satisfactorily, according to a recent study conducted by University of Tennessee ... more 
Tokyo 2020 to feed IOC food from disaster-hit regionsTokyo (AFP) Dec 4, 2017 International Olympic officials will be fed produce from northern Japan hit by the 2011 tsunami and nuclear disaster, as Tokyo 2020 organisers aim to dispel fears over food from the region. ... more  
The world needs to rethink the value of waterOxford UK (SPX) Nov 30, 2017 Research led by Oxford University highlights the accelerating pressure on measuring, monitoring and managing water locally and globally. A new four-part framework is proposed to value water for sust ... more 
Gene discovery may halt worldwide wheat epidemicDavis CA (SPX) Nov 28, 2017 University of California, Davis, researchers have identified a gene that enables resistance to a new devastating strain of stem rust, a fungal disease that is hampering wheat production throughout A ... more 
UN dishes up prickly pear cactus in answer to food securityRome (AFP) Nov 30, 2017 The prickly pear cactus, considered an essential food in Mexico, could be the answer to much of the world's food security woes, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said Thursday. ... more 
Istanbul anglers keep up tradition despite stocks alarmIstanbul (AFP) Nov 29, 2017 After half a century of fishing, 65-year-old Fuat, a retired Turkish civil servant, is nostalgic for the good old days when the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul teemed with fish. ... more |
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 Japan, China dominate list of world's top restaurants 
Getting a better handle on methane emissions from livestockWashington DC (SPX) Nov 30, 2017 Cattle, swine and poultry contribute a hefty portion to the average American's diet, but raising all this livestock comes at a cost to the environment: The industry produces a lot of methane, a pote ... more 
Genome of wheat ancestor sequencedDavis CA (SPX) Nov 30, 2017 Sequencing the bread wheat genome has long been considered an almost insurmountable task, due to its enormous size and complexity. Yet it is vitally important for the global food supply, providing m ... more 
German judges agree to hear Peruvian's climate case against RWEBerlin (AFP) Nov 30, 2017 A German court ruled Thursday that it would hear a Peruvian farmer's case against energy giant RWE over climate change damage in the Andes, a decision labelled by campaigners as a "historic breakthrough". ... more 
Fighting plant disease at warm temperatures keeps food on the tableEast Lansing (SPX) Nov 29, 2017 An issue of global concern is the anticipated shortage of agricultural output to meet the steady rise in human population. Michigan State University scientists understand that overcoming crop loss d ... more |
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  Paris (ESA) Dec 06, 2017 
Launched on 13 October, the Sentinel-5P satellite has delivered its first images of air pollution. Even though the satellite is still being prepared for service, these first results have been hailed as exceptional and show how this latest Copernicus satellite is set to take the task of monitoring air quality into a new era.
This new mission promises to image air pollutants in more detail t ... more Minneapolis MN (SPX) Dec 08, 2017First global maps of traits that drive vegetation growth  London, UK (SPX) Dec 07, 2017UK-built satellite shines first light on air pollution  Leeds UK (SPX) Dec 07, 2017Understanding the climate impact of natural atmospheric particles |
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 Paris (ESA) Dec 05, 2017 
ESA Director General Jan Worner signed a Memorandum of Intent with Rolls-Royce today, as the two entities agree to investigate how space technology can be used to develop autonomous and remote-controlled ships.
The partners will pool their expertise to analyse and implement space-enabled services for autonomous and remote-controlled shipping, which reduces the opportunity for human error a ... more Denver CO (SPX) Nov 30, 2017Lockheed Martin assembles third US Air Force GPS 3 satellite  Washington (UPI) Dec 5, 2017Air Force tests Raytheon's GPS receiver aboard B-2 bomber  Washington DC (SPX) Nov 29, 2017DARPA digging for ideas to revolutionize subterranean mapping |
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 Washington (AFP) Dec 7, 2017 
A US trade body on Thursday upheld the decision to impose punitive duties on Canadian softwood lumber imports, the latest move in a long-running trade dispute between the neighboring countries.
The US International Trade Commission said it agreed with the Commerce Department's finding last month that the lumber using in homebuilding is being dumped on the US market and harming domestic firm ... more Washington DC (SPX) Dec 07, 2017Flying laboratory reveals crucial tropical forest conservation targets in Borneo  Pasadena CA (JPL) Nov 29, 2017NASA Survey Technique Estimates Congo Forest's Carbon  Jakarta (AFP) Nov 28, 2017Greenpeace slams Indonesia palm oil industry on deforestation |
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 Kanazawa, Japan (SPX) Dec 07, 2017 
The first-generation biofuel, industrialized, ethanol, is produced from foodstuffs like maize, and thus poses great concern about a possible future shortage of food. It is therefore necessary to produce ethanol from non-food biomass like weeds, waste paper, paper cup, etc. (second-generation biofuel ethanol). Solvents needed for the production of second-generation biofuel ethanol known so far ar ... more Limerick, Ireland (SPX) Dec 06, 2017Researchers generate electricity from low-cost biomaterial  Medford MA (SPX) Dec 04, 2017Breakthrough process for directly converting methane to methanol  Surrey UK (SPX) Nov 21, 2017Surrey develops new 'supercatalyst' to recycle carbon dioxide and methane |
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 Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 06, 2017 
The conversion of solar energy into electricity is currently restricted by a concept known as the Shockley-Quesser limit. This limitation allows only photons that have higher energies than those of the bandgap to be used, while those with lower energies are wasted. In an effort to obtain a solution to this problem and make solar energy conversion more efficient, the process of converting photons ... more Albany NY (SPX) Dec 04, 2017Gore Mountain ski resort completes massive solar farm  Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 04, 2017Windows of opportunity: Solar cell with improved transparency  Zagtouli, Burkina Faso (AFP) Nov 29, 2017Burkina, France launch W.Africa's biggest solar plant |
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 Washington (UPI) Nov 30, 2017 
U.S. federal data show installed wind turbines are taller and more efficient than in the past, though hydroelectric power still holds a slight edge.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration found that the average height and power generating capacity for wind turbines installed in the country are taller and more efficient that in years past.
"Since 2012, the average height of wi ... more Washington (UPI) Nov 22, 2017New wind farm in service off the British coast  Washington (UPI) Nov 15, 2017End tax credits for wind energy, Tennessee Republican says  Washington (UPI) Oct 26, 2017New York sets high bar for wind energy |
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 Bonn (AFP) Nov 16, 2017 
A score of mostly wealthy nations banded together at UN climate talks Thursday to swear off coal-fired power, a key driver of global warming and air pollution.
To cap global warming at "well under" two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) - the planet-saving target in the 196-nation Paris Agreement - coal must be phased out in developed countries by 2030, and "by no later than 2050 in ... more Bonn (AFP) Nov 16, 2017Anti-coal drive at UN climate talks stalked by pro-coal White House  Hambach Coal Mine, Near Niederzier, Germany (AFP) Nov 5, 2017Protest at open-pit coal mine near Bonn ahead of UN climate talks Washington (UPI) Oct 17, 2017Coal still holds a slight edge as U.S. power source |
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 Beijing (AFP) Dec 7, 2017 
China touted its political and development model as it hosted an inaugural global human rights forum on Thursday, even as activists slammed the country's own abuses.
President Xi Jinping has overseen a sweeping crackdown on civil society since taking power in 2012, targeting everyone from human rights lawyers to celebrity gossip bloggers.
Hundreds of activists have been detained in the p ... more Beijing (AFP) Dec 4, 2017No class: China halts chauvinist 'female morality lessons'  Beijing (AFP) Nov 29, 2017Chinese teacher used needles to 'discipline' children: police  Beijing (AFP) Dec 1, 2017Tibetan monk self-immolates in China: campaigners |
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 Houston TX (SPX) Dec 06, 2017 
Like toddlers, robots can use a little help as they learn to function in the physical world. That's the purpose of a Rice University program that gently guides robots toward the most helpful, human-like ways to collaborate on tasks.
Rice engineer Marcia O'Malley and graduate student Dylan Losey have refined their method to train robots by applying gentle physical feedback to machines while ... more Chicago IL (SPX) Nov 29, 2017Amputees can learn to control a robotic arm with their minds  Tokyo (AFP) Nov 29, 2017Toyota showcases humanoid robot that mirrors user  San Francisco (AFP) Dec 8, 2017'Grinch bots' may steal Christmas by snatching up prized toys |
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 New Delhi (AFP) Dec 7, 2017 
Cricket organisers must take pollution into account before allowing matches to go ahead, the Indian Medical Association told the country's governing body for the sport Thursday, after a smog-plagued Test match in New Delhi.
The IMA said in a letter to the Indian cricket board it was "greatly troubled" by scenes of players wearing masks to protect themselves from air pollution many times the ... more Nairobi (AFP) Dec 6, 2017World's nations adopt plan 'towards a pollution-free planet'  Nairobi (AFP) Dec 7, 2017UN pledge to tackle lead poisoning too late for some victims  Mesecoy, Philippines (AFP) Dec 6, 2017Confiscation crusaders try to save Philippine paradise |
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 Beijing (AFP) Dec 7, 2017 
Chinese courts on Thursday jailed 21 people including firefighters and government staff over a fire at a nursing home that killed dozens of elderly residents in 2015, the official Xinhua news agency said.
The blaze, which killed 38 people at the privately-owned home in central Henan province, sparked soul-searching in China where enforcement of safety standards is often lax.
Three courts ... more Corvallis OR (SPX) Dec 08, 2017Smaller branches pack the fastest, biggest fire-spreading punch  Beijing (AFP) Dec 1, 2017Ten dead in northern China apartment fire  Lisbon (AFP) Oct 30, 2017EU to re-think civil protection aid after Portugal fires |
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 Washington DC (SPX) Dec 08, 2017 
New research has found that, despite the extensive damage to coral in recent events, there are still 100 reefs on the Great Barrier Reef that are well suited to promoting the regional recovery of the ecosystem after major disturbances.
The results publishing 28 November in the open access journal PLOS Biology by Dr Karlo Hock, Prof Peter Mumby, and colleagues from the University of Queensl ... more Washington (UPI) Dec 5, 2017Native groups fight to save land, culture from rising tides  Pasadena CA (JPL) Dec 07, 2017Take the Driver's Seat on Sea Level Science  Koror, Palau (AFP) Dec 8, 2017Pacific's Palau forces tourists to sign eco-pledge |
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 Jakarta (AFP) Nov 28, 2017 
At least 11 people have died in severe floods and landslides in the east of Indonesia's main island of Java, an official said Tuesday.
A landslide killed nine people at Pacitan in East Java province and two people died in floods triggered by heavy rain in the same area.
Thousands of homes were flooded and 4,000 people forced to evacuate them, said a spokesman for the national disaster ... more London, Canada (SPX) Nov 29, 2017High-altitude turbulence data could add 20-minute warning window to tornados  Los Angeles (AFP) Nov 22, 2017US southwest sizzles as experts predict record Thanksgiving  Honolulu HI (SPX) Nov 14, 2017Heatwaves have at least 27 ways to kill you |
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 Beijing (AFP) Dec 8, 2017 
Chinese exports surged more than twice the expected pace in November, official data showed on Friday, providing some more welcome news pointing to improvement in the world's number-two economy.
The healthy trade data, which also showed imports outstripping forecasts, come as Beijing looks to tackle industrial overcapacity, winter pollution and a ballooning debt pile.
Exports jumped 12.3 ... more Brussels (AFP) Dec 6, 2017EU wins tougher, swifter anti-dumping trade powers  Washington (AFP) Dec 5, 2017US hits Vietnam with huge duties on steel made with Chinese material  Beijing (AFP) Dec 5, 2017Canada and China hail ties as trade talks languish |
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 Greenbelt MD (SPX) Nov 30, 2017 
Scientists have been studying the near-Earth environment for the better part of a century, but many mysteries - like where the energetic particles that pervade the area originate and become energized - still remain.
In a new type of collaborative study, scientists combined data from 16 separate NASA and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) spacecraft to understand how a particle phenomeno ... more Greenbelt MD (SPX) Nov 30, 2017New NASA instrument continues measuring solar energy input to Earth  Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Nov 22, 2017Solar minimum surprisingly constant  Greenbelt MD (SPX) Nov 20, 2017NASA detects solar flare pulses at Sun and Earth |
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 Santa Cruz CA (SPX) Dec 07, 2017 
An international team of researchers has discovered a previously unrecognized genus of extinct horses that roamed North America during the last ice age.
The new findings, published November 28 in the journal eLife, are based on an analysis of ancient DNA from fossils of the enigmatic "New World stilt-legged horse" excavated from sites such as Natural Trap Cave in Wyoming, Gypsum Cave in Ne ... more Paris (AFP) Dec 6, 2017Climate change: can hummingbirds take the heat?  Phnom Penh (AFP) Dec 6, 2017Cambodia seizes shipment of ivory hidden in hollow logs  Paris (AFP) Dec 5, 2017Sumatra's receding forests pushing tigers to the brink |
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