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Drought-hit Iraq suspends farming of key crops![]() Baghdad (AFP) June 18, 2018 An unusually bad drought has forced Iraq to suspend the cultivation of rice, corn and other cereals that demand large amounts of water, the agriculture ministry said Monday. "The agricultural plan for the summer" was modified "because the quantities of water needed for these cereals are not available", spokesman Hamid al-Nayef said. "The ministry does not take this decision light heartedly," he said, adding that cereal crops would no longer be grown without authorisation from the ministry of wat ... read more |
Japan, SKorea ban Canadian wheat imports over bioengineered plantsOttawa (AFP) June 18, 2018 The world's sixth largest wheat producer sought to reassure trading partners on Monday that genetically modified wheat plants discovered on an Alberta farm were few and posed no food safety risks, after Japan and South Korea halted Canadian wheat imports. ... more
Warmer climate will dramatically increase the volatility of global corn cropsSeattle WA (SPX) Jun 19, 2018 Corn, or maize, is the most widely grown crop in the world. Used in food, cooking oil, industrialized foods, livestock feed and even automobile fuel, the crop is one that both rich and poor people r ... more
Fashion retailer ASOS bans silk, cashmere, mohairLondon (AFP) June 18, 2018 ASOS, the British online fashion retailer, announced Monday it was banning the sale of silk, cashmere and mohair products, joining a wave of clothing firms to ditch the products. ... more
RNA changes aided sunflower's rapid evolutionary transformation, domesticationBoulder CO (SPX) Jun 19, 2018 A new University of Colorado Boulder-led study sheds light on the genetic mechanisms that allowed sunflowers to undergo a relatively rapid evolutionary transition from wild to domesticated in just o ... more |
Philippines digs out from Typhoon Fung-wong as death toll climbs
Philippines digs out from Typhoon Fung-wong as death toll climbs to 18 Three Vietnam men survive 40 hours at sea after typhoon Typhoon Fung-wong floods Philippine towns, leaves 5 dead in its wake Typhoon Fung-wong leaves flooded Philippine towns in its wake Typhoon exposes centuries-old shipwreck off Vietnam port Weakening Typhoon Fung-wong exits Philippines after displacing 1.4 million Super Typhoon Fung-wong makes landfall in Philippines Over 1 million evacuate as deadly Super Typhoon Fung-wong nears Philippines Dam reservoir levels drop below 3% in Iran's second city: media |
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3D View of Amazon forests captures effects of El Nino droughtGreenbelt MD (SPX) Jun 15, 2018 Three-dimensional measurements of the central Brazilian Amazon rainforest have given NASA researchers a detailed window into the high number of branch falls and tree mortality that occur in response ... more
Israel's Sea of Galilee to get desalinated seawater top-upJerusalem (AFP) June 11, 2018 The shrinking Sea of Galilee, the inland lake where Christians believe Jesus walked on water, is to be topped up with desalinated seawater, a government official said on Monday. ... more
Complex river networks sustain more resilient, diverse animal populationsWashington (UPI) Jun 13, 2018 River networks are dynamic places where change is a constant, but some networks are more complex and dynamic than others. New research suggests complexity works to the advantage of animal populations. ... more
S.Africa lifts state of disaster over droughtJohannesburg (AFP) June 13, 2018 The South African government said Wednesday that the national state of disaster it declared in March over a drought that ravaged parts of the country had lapsed after significant rainfall. ... more
New type of photosynthesis discoveredLondon, UK (SPX) Jun 15, 2018 The discovery changes our understanding of the basic mechanism of photosynthesis and should rewrite the textbooks. It will also tailor the way we hunt for alien life and provide insights into ... more |
![]() New system recovers fresh water from power plants
Organic insect deterrent for agricultureMunich, Germany (SPX) Jun 12, 2018 Traditional insecticides are killers: they not only kill pests, they also endanger bees and other beneficial insects, as well as affecting biodiversity in soils, lakes, rivers and seas. A team from ... more |
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Unusual Supreme Court tie hands victory to Native Americans, salmonWashington (AFP) June 11, 2018 A rare US Supreme Court deadlock on Monday is being hailed as a victory for the Pacific salmon and Native American fishing rights. ... more
Global warming will make veggies harder to findTampa (AFP) June 11, 2018 Global warming is expected to make vegetables significantly scarcer around the world, unless new growing practices and resilient crop varieties are adopted, researchers warned on Monday. ... more
In desert trials, next-generation water harvester delivers fresh water from airBerkeley CA (SPX) Jun 11, 2018 Last October, a University of California, Berkeley, team headed down to the Arizona desert, plopped their newest prototype water harvester into the backyard of a tract home and started sucking water ... more
On the origins of agriculture, researchers uncover new cluesFort Collins CP (SPX) Jun 11, 2018 The invention of agriculture changed humans and the environment forever, and over several thousand years, the practice originated independently in a least a dozen different places. But why did agric ... more
Five things to know about the Bayer-Monsanto megadealFrankfurt Am Main (AFP) June 7, 2018 Bayer may have finally completed its hard-fought takeover of US seeds and pesticide maker Monsanto, but that is unlikely to silence critics who have dubbed the tie-up a "marriage made in hell". ... more |
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UCI scientists find new teleconnection for early and accurate precipitation prediction Irvine CA (SPX) Jun 15, 2018
El Nino was long considered a reliable tool for predicting future precipitation in the southwestern United States, but its forecasting power has diminished in recent cycles, possibly due to global climate change. In a study published in Nature Communications, scientists and engineers at the University of California, Irvine demonstrate a new method for projecting wet or dry weather in the winter ... more |
China's Beidou system helps livestock water supply in remote pastoral areas Hohhot, China (XNA) Jun 19, 2018
A water supply system for livestock in remote pastoral areas has been trialled in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, local researchers confirmed Sunday.
The trial of the new system, based on the Beidou Navigation Satellite System, was launched in the Kubuqi desert.
"The system can provide water for livestock after receiving a short message sent by users through the Beido ... more |
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'Shocking' die-off of Africa's oldest baobabs Paris (AFP) June 11, 2018
Some of Africa's oldest and biggest baobab trees - a few dating all the way back to the ancient Greeks - have abruptly died, wholly or in part, in the past decade, researchers said Monday.
The trees, aged between 1,100 and 2,500 years and some as wide as a bus is long, may have fallen victim to climate change, the team speculated.
"We report that nine of the 13 oldest... individuals ha ... more |
Orange, tea tree and eucalyptus oils sweeten diesel fumes Brisbane, Australia (SPX) Jun 18, 2018
QUT PhD researcher Ashrafur Rahman tested each of the waste oils for performance and emissions as a 10 per cent oil/90per cent diesel blend in a 6-cylinder, 5.9l diesel engine.
"As only therapeutic grade oil can be used, there is a substantial volume of low-value waste oil that currently is stored, awaiting a use," Mr Rahman said.
"Our tests found essential oil blends produced almost ... more |
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Solar FlexRack completes shipments to 71 MW solar project in North Carolina Youngstown OH (SPX) Jun 19, 2018
Steve Daniel, Executive Vice President of Solar FlexRack said, "We are extremely pleased to have been selected to supply this project. Cypress Creek Renewables has been instrumental in supporting the growth of the solar industry in North Carolina, generating jobs for communities, and providing passive income opportunities for landowners.
"As long-term solar project owners and operators, th ... more |
New wind turbines are even efficient in low winds Helsinki, Finland (SPX) Jun 15, 2018
VTT Research Centre of Technology (VTT) has explored the potential and economic benefits of new wind power technology. The technology would greatly increase the benefits of wind energy and enable the competitive utilisation of wind power in Finland.
Heavy investments are being made in wind power, which highlights the importance of this new and competitive technology. Wind power accounts fo ... more |
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Rescuers save 23 workers trapped in China mine, 11 others dead Beijing (AFP) June 6, 2018
Rescuers pulled 23 workers out of a mine in northeast China on Wednesday, hours after they were trapped underground by an explosion that killed 11 and left two others missing, state media reported.
Nine other workers were injured in Tuesday's blast at the iron ore mine owned by Huamei Group, a subsidiary of China National Coal Group Co, in Benxi, Liaoning province.
The blast took place w ... more |
Malaysia power shift hits China infrastructure drive Kuala Lumpur (AFP) June 17, 2018
Malaysia was once a loyal partner in China's globe-spanning infrastructure drive but a new government is now pledging to review Beijing-backed projects, threatening key links in the much-vaunted initiative.
Kuala Lumpur's previous regime, led by scandal-mired Najib Razak, had warm ties with China and signed a string of deals for Beijing-funded projects, including a major rail link and a deep ... more |
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Robots learn by checking in on team members Thuwal, Saudi Arabia (SPX) Jun 19, 2018
The software and hardware needed to co-ordinate a team of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can communicate and work toward a common goal have recently been developed by KAUST researchers.
"Giving UAVs more autonomy makes them an even more valuable resource," says Mohamed Abdelkader, who worked on the project with his colleagues under the guidance of Jeff Shamma. "Monitoring the progres ... more |
Wastewater treatment plants are key route into UK rivers for microplastics Leeds UK (SPX) Jun 18, 2018
Water samples from UK rivers contained significantly higher concentrations of microplastics downstream from wastewater treatment plants, according to one of the first studies to determine potential sources of microplastics pollution.
Scientists from the University of Leeds measured microplastics concentrations up and downstream of six wastewater treatment plants and found that all of the p ... more |
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Climate change increasing risks of lightning-ignited fires, study finds Portland OR (SPX) Jun 04, 2018
Fires ignited by lightning have and will likely continue to increase across the Mediterranean and temperate regions in the Southern Hemisphere under a warmer climate, according to a new study co-led by a Portland State University researcher.
The study, published online in May in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, examined the observed and forecasted relationship between lightning-ig ... more |
Fueling a deep-sea ecosystem Woods Hole MA (SPX) Jun 18, 2018
Miles beneath the ocean's surface in the dark abyss, vast communities of subseafloor microbes at deep-sea hot springs are converting chemicals into energy that allows deep-sea life to survive - and even thrive - in a world without sunlight. Until now, however, measuring the productivity of subseafloor microbe communities - or how fast they oxidize chemicals and the amount of carbon they produce ... more |
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Landslides, flash floods as monsoon batters southern Myanmar Mawlamyine, Myanmar (AFP) June 18, 2018
Flooding in southern Myanmar has caused a landslide at a famed Buddhist pagoda, submerged homes and displaced hundreds of people as monsoon rains batter the country.
Several parts of Myanmar's southern Mon state are facing flash floods due to heavy rains since the weekend with no relief in sight, according to a report in the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar on Monday.
Rains triggere ... more |
Trump escalates China trade war with extra tariffs Washington (AFP) June 19, 2018
US President Donald Trump escalated a growing trade war with China by unveiling plans Monday to impose 10 percent tariffs on an additional $200 billion worth of Chinese goods.
With the world's two largest economies already engaged in a confrontation long feared by markets and industry, Trump said he was pushing forward with fresh punitive measures over Beijing's "unacceptable" move to raise ... more |
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The true power of the solar wind Vienna, Austria (SPX) Jun 14, 2018
The planets and moons of our solar system are continuously being bombarded by particles hurled away from the sun. On Earth this has hardly any effect, apart from the fascinating northern lights, because the dense atmosphere and the magnetic field of the Earth protect us from these solar wind particles. But on the Moon or on Mercury things are different: There, the uppermost layer of rock is grad ... more |
Making the oxygen we breathe, a photosynthesis mechanism exposed Atlanta GA (SPX) Jun 15, 2018
Arguably, the greatest fueler of life on our planet is photosynthesis, but understanding its labyrinthine chemistry, powered by sunlight, is challenging. Researchers recently illuminated some new steps inside the molecular factory that makes the oxygen we breathe.
Though chlorophyll is the best-known part, for the vivid green it colors nature, many compounds work together in photosynthesis ... more |
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