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Starbucks and Alibaba join forces as China coffee war brews![]() Shanghai (AFP) Aug 2, 2018 Starbucks coffees will be delivered to Chinese consumers with the help of e-commerce giant Alibaba, the companies said Thursday, as two of the world's biggest names in retail join forces in a China coffee war that is rapidly heating up. The partnership was announced as Seattle-based Starbucks faces an aggressive challenge from Chinese upstart Luckin Coffee, which has expanded rapidly on a strategy based on delivering beverages ordered via mobile apps. "We truly believe that this enduring partner ... read more |
Deadly heatwaves threaten China's northern breadbasketParis (AFP) Aug 1, 2018 The North China Plain, home to nearly 400 million people, could become a life-threatening inferno during future heat waves if climate change continues apace, researchers have warned. ... more
Cuba to study whether climate change is hurting sugar harvestsHavana (AFP) July 28, 2018 Cuba is studying whether to adjust its sugar-harvest calendar in response to damaging changes in the island's climate, an official newspaper reported Saturday. ... more
China could face deadly heat waves due to climate changeBoston MA (SPX) Aug 01, 2018 A region that holds one of the biggest concentrations of people on Earth could be pushing against the boundaries of habitability by the latter part of this century, a new study shows. Research ... more
Record drought grips Germany's breadbasketNiederndodeleben, Germany (AFP) July 29, 2018 Withered sunflowers, scorched wheat fields, stunted cornstalks - the farmlands of northern Germany have borne the brunt of this year's extreme heat and record-low rainfall, triggering an epochal drought. ... 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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| Previous Issues | Aug 03 | Aug 02 | Aug 01 | Jul 31 | Jul 30 |
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Sri Lanka waives debt for 200,000 women in drought areasColombo (AFP) July 25, 2018 Sri Lanka announced Wednesday it would waive debts for 200,000 women unable to repay microfinance loans and cap lending rates after a number of borrowers in drought-hit areas killed themselves. ... more
In Colombia, human rights activists live in constant fearCaloto, Colombia (AFP) July 25, 2018 One day after Luis Dagua last left his farm in Colombia's southwest his body was found, his head shattered with a rock. ... more
Ancient farmers transformed Amazon and left an enduring legacy on the rainforestExeter UK (SPX) Jul 24, 2018 Ancient communities transformed the Amazon thousands of years ago, farming in a way which has had a lasting impact on the rainforest, a major new study shows. Farmers had a more profound effec ... more
China's persistent food and drug safety problemBeijing (AFP) July 24, 2018 Chinese authorities are scrambling to defuse public outrage over a safety scandal involving rabies vaccines, just one of a string of food and drug scares to hit the country in recent years. ... more
We can feed the world if we change our waysLancaster UK (SPX) Jul 24, 2018 Current crop yields could provide nutritious food for the projected 2050 global population, but only if we make radical changes to our dietary choices, a new study shows. Researchers from Lanc ... more |
![]() Japan lifts ban on Canadian wheat imports
China's 'livestock revolution' demands 'new transition'London, UK (SPX) Jul 23, 2018 Demand for animal protein and increasing wealth fuelled a tripling in the domestic production of livestock in China between 1980 and 2010, and the rise, despite some improvements in efficiencies at ... more |
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Dying groundskeeper to testify in Roundup cancer trialSan Francisco (AFP) July 23, 2018 A California groundskeeper dying of cancer is slated to testify Monday before jurors hearing evidence in his lawsuit blaming Monsanto weed killer Roundup for his terminal illness. ... more
HRW urges Brazilian lawmakers to reject new pesticide lawSao Paulo (AFP) July 20, 2018 Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday called on Brazilian lawmakers to reject a proposed law to relax regulations on the use of pesticides as it published a report blaming powerful landowners for the poisoning of rural residents. ... more
Environmental changes in the Mekong Delta spell trouble for farmersUrbana IL (SPX) Jul 24, 2018 The Mekong Delta is home to 15 million people, many of whom rely on the delta's rich soil and water resources for farming and fishing. But their livelihoods are being threatened by rising sea levels ... more
Dying groundskeeper links Monsanto's Roundup to cancerSan Francisco (AFP) July 24, 2018 A California groundskeeper dying of cancer said Monday he would "never" have used Monsanto weed killer Roundup, had he known it could lead to his terminal illness. ... more
Cameroon's anglophone crisis hits palm oil, cocoa productionLibreville (AFP) July 18, 2018 The crisis in anglophone Cameroon is damaging the Southwest Region's economy, with palm oil plantations closing and the cocoa trade tumbling, an NGO report said Wednesday. ... more |
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China launches high-resolution Earth observation satellite Taiyuan, China (SPX) Aug 03, 2018
China on Tuesday launched Gaofen-11, an optical remote sensing satellite, as part of the country's high-resolution Earth observation project.
The Gaofen-11 satellite was launched on a Long March 4B rocket at 11 am Beijing Time from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province. It was the 282nd flight mission by a Long March carrier rocket.
The satellite can be used ... more |
UK could develop independent satellite system after leaving EU London (Sputnik) Aug 03, 2018
The Guardian has reported that the UK law enforcement and military will continue to access the encrypted signal of the Galileo satellite system post-Brexit.
According to the sources, the EU chief Brexit negotiator is contemplating an offer to the UK that will give London an advantage over the use of the encrypted service compared to other third-party nations.
Radio Sputnik has discus ... more |
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Mapping blue carbon in mangroves worldwide Baton Rouge LA (SPX) Aug 06, 2018
Mangroves are tropical forests that thrive in salt water and are found in a variety of coastal settings from deltas to estuaries to weathered reefs and limestone rocks worldwide. Mangroves can store greater amounts of carbon than any other terrestrial ecosystem, which helps reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
When carbon is stored in the ocean or coa ... more |
Soil bugs munch on plastics Zurich, Switzerland (SPX) Aug 02, 2018
Our world is drowning in a flood of plastic. Eight million tons of plastic end up in the oceans every year. Agricultural soils are also threatened by plastic pollution. Farmers around the world apply enormous amounts of polyethylene (PE) mulch films onto soils to combat weeds, increase soil temperature and keep the soil moist, thereby increasing overall crop yields.
After harvest, it often ... more |
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Europe may thrive on renewable energy despite unpredictable weather Washington DC (SPX) Aug 01, 2018
Researchers in Ireland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom have shown how long-term weather patterns affect wind and solar renewable energy technologies across Europe. Using 30 years of meteorological data, the scientists have examined and further modelled the impact of renewable energy on the electricity sector out to the year 2030.
The work suggests that despite the unpredictable nature ... more |
Searching for wind for the future Thuwal, Saudi Arabia (SPX) Jul 19, 2018
Using outputs from a high-resolution regional climate model, KAUST researchers have confirmed the potential for wind as a significant energy resource across the Arabian Peninsula. This is an important first step in developing a strategy for Saudi Arabia's wind energy sector.
As part of an ongoing collaboration with the University of Notre Dame in the United States, Marc Genton's research g ... more |
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Miner Yancoal seeks dual listing in Hong Kong Sydney (AFP) July 2, 2018
Australia's largest pure-play coal producer Yancoal said on Monday it would apply for a dual listing on the Hong Kong stock exchange alongside a capital raising as it looks to increase its shares' liquidity.
China-based Yancoal trades on the Australian Securities Exchange and recently expanded its holdings of local mines by buying most of Rio Tinto's domestic coal assets for US$2.45 billion. ... more |
Broken art: Ai Weiwei's Beijing studio faces wrecking ball Beijing (AFP) Aug 3, 2018
An excavator shattered the windows of Ai Weiwei's largest studio while workers hustled away his art on Friday, preparing to demolish the old Beijing factory three years after the artist and government critic left China.
As dusk descended on the old car parts factory on the outskirts of the capital, shirtless, sweating labourers packed large wooden crates filled with artworks onto a truck be ... more |
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Chip labour: Robots replace waiters in China restaurant Shanghai (AFP) Aug 5, 2018 The little robotic waiter wheels up to the table, raises its glass lid to reveal a steaming plate of local Shanghai-style crayfish and announces in low, mechanical tones, "Enjoy your meal."
The futuristic restaurant concept is the latest initiative in Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba's push to modernise service and retail in a country where robotics and artificial intelligence are increasing ... more |
Chile enacts historic ban on plastic bags Santiago (AFP) Aug 3, 2018
Chile made history on Friday when it became the first country in South America to ban the commercial use of plastic bags.
"I want to share with you the joy that as of today we're enacting the law," said President Sebastian Pinera at a public ceremony in the centre of Santiago, after which he handed out cloth bags to passers-by.
Large businesses have six months to phase out the use of pla ... more |
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Greece to speed up destruction of illegal property after fires Athens (AFP) Aug 1, 2018 Greece vowed Wednesday to bring in a raft of measures following the deadly fires near Athens as the family of an elderly victim filed a complaint of "negligent homicide" against the authorities.
Ten days after wildfires ravaged coastal towns - claiming at least 93 lives - the government announced it would speed up the destruction of 3,000 illegal constructions around the Greek capital as w ... more |
Chile restricts tourists and non-locals on Easter Island Santiago (AFP) Aug 2, 2018 Tourists wishing to travel to Easter Island can now only stay a maximum of 30 days, after local authorities implemented Wednesday a measure to regulate population growth threatening the remote Chilean territory's environmental sustainability.
Despite its isolated location some 3,500 kilometers (2,000 miles) from the coast of mainland Chile the island is a popular tourist destination, not lea ... more |
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Melted asphalt, shoes for dogs: Europe wilts in heat Madrid (AFP) Aug 4, 2018 Europe sweltered Saturday in intense heat with temperatures hitting near-record highs of 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit) in Portugal, while elsewhere the high temperatures, exacerbated fires and melted the asphalt on highways.
Here is a roundup:
- Spain: three dead -
In southern Spain, the heat continued to pound the tourist city of Cordoba reaching 44 C.
In Cataloni ... more |
Are tech titans teetering atop the market? New York (AFP) Aug 5, 2018
Silicon Valley giants have become a gargantuan force on Wall Street, as demonstrated by Apple recently topping $1 trillion in stock-market valuation.
But should we fear that a new tech bubble is ready to burst?
Here are some questions and answers about the sector:
- What does the tech sector represent on Wall Street? -
Apple ended the formal trading week worth a history-making ... more |
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NASA's Parker Solar Probe and the curious case of the hot corona Greenbelt MD (SPX) Jul 30, 2018
Something mysterious is going on at the Sun. In defiance of all logic, its atmosphere gets much, much hotter the farther it stretches from the Sun's blazing surface.
Temperatures in the corona - the tenuous, outermost layer of the solar atmosphere - spike upwards of 2 million degrees Fahrenheit, while just 1,000 miles below, the underlying surface simmers at a balmy 10,000 F. How the Sun m ... more |
Lemurs use toxic millipedes to treat, prevent parasites Washington (UPI) Aug 1, 2018
New research suggests Madagascar's red-fronted lemurs chew on and rub toxic millipedes on their anus and buttocks to both treat and prevent parasite infections.
When an ape or monkey rubs objects or substances on their bodies, it's referred to as self-anointing. Scientists believe some species self-anoint to communicate and to remove toxins from a piece of food before digestion.
... more |
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