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The behavior of water: scientists find new properties of H2O![]() New York NY (SPX) Aug 16, 2018 A team of scientists has uncovered new molecular properties of water--a discovery of a phenomenon that had previously gone unnoticed. Liquid water is known to be an excellent transporter of its own autoionization products; that is, the charged species obtained when a water molecule (H2O) is split into protons (H+) and hydroxide ions (OH?). This remarkable property of water makes it a critical component in emerging electrochemical energy production and storage technologies such as fuel cells; indee ... read more |
New research collection targets insect pests of pulse cropsAnnapolis MD (SPX) Aug 10, 2018 Around the world, pulse crops - such as beans, peas, chickpeas, and lentils - are an important staple in the modern food supply, and their cultivation is growing in the United States and many other ... more
Britain's dry summer reveals ancient sitesLondon (AFP) Aug 15, 2018 Previously hidden archaeological sites have emerged in fields across Britain after the hot, dry summer exposed new cropmarks, the Historic England agency said Wednesday. ... more
New pesticide may harm bees as much as those to be replacedParis (AFP) Aug 15, 2018 A new class of pesticides positioned to replace neonicotinoids may be just as harmful to crop-pollinating bees, researchers cautioned Wednesday. ... more
Blocking sunlight to cool Earth won't reduce crop damage from global warmingBerkeley CA (SPX) Aug 10, 2018 Injecting particles into the atmosphere to cool the planet and counter the warming effects of climate change would do nothing to offset the crop damage from rising global temperatures, according to ... 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 15 | Aug 14 | Aug 13 | Aug 11 | Aug 10 |
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US jury orders Monsanto to pay $290mn to cancer patient over weed killerSan Francisco (AFP) Aug 11, 2018 A California jury ordered chemical giant Monsanto to pay nearly $290 million Friday for failing to warn a dying groundskeeper that its weed killer Roundup might cause cancer. ... more
The American diet is unsustainable, study showsWashington (UPI) Aug 9, 2018 Too much food, not enough land - that's the American diet. ... more
Glyphosate under fire from San Francisco to Sri LankaParis (AFP) Aug 11, 2018 Glyphosate, the world's most widely used herbicide and the active ingredient in Monsanto's weedkiller Roundup, is the subject of fierce controversy all across the globe and is classified by the World Health Organization as "probably" being carcinogenic. ... more
Trump's trade beef with China may backfire on meatShanghai (AFP) Aug 12, 2018 A key objective of President Donald Trump's trade war is to pressure Beijing to "buy American", but when it comes to millions of dollars of US meat imports, China may simply take its business elsewhere. ... more
NASA finds Amazon drought leaves long legacy of damagePasadena CA (JPL) Aug 10, 2018 A single season of drought in the Amazon rainforest can reduce the forest's carbon dioxide absorption for years after the rains return, according to a new study published in the journal Nature. This ... more |
![]() Monsanto owners call weed killer 'safe' after jury orders big payout
Brazil wrestles with ban of controversial weed killerBras�lia (AFP) Aug 9, 2018 Brazil's government is contesting a court suspension of licenses for products with glyphosate, one of the most common industrial weedkillers and the subject of a high-profile US case against agrochemical colossus Monsanto. ... more |
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Jurors mull 'day of reckoning' in Roundup cancer trialSan Francisco (AFP) Aug 8, 2018 The lawyer for a California groundskeeper dying of cancer urged jurors Tuesday to make Monsanto pay hundreds of millions of dollars for failing to warn about the health risks of weed killer Roundup. ... more
Monsoon, landslides kill 20 in southern IndiaNew Delhi (AFP) Aug 9, 2018 At least 20 people were killed Thursday in landslides triggered by heavy rains in southern India, an official said, pushing the nationwide monsoon death toll for this year to over 700. ... more
As temperatures rise, Earth's soil is 'breathing' more heavilyRichland, WA (SPX) Aug 09, 2018 The vast reservoir of carbon stored beneath our feet is entering Earth's atmosphere at an increasing rate, most likely as a result of warming temperatures, suggest observations collected from a vari ... more
Heat brings relief for French vineyardsParis (AFP) Aug 7, 2018 Torrid temperatures across much of France have made the past few weeks unbearable for many, but with grape harvests kicking off this week, the country's winemakers say the heat could not have come at a better time. ... more
Half a degree less warming can avoid precipitation extremesBeijing, China (SPX) Aug 09, 2018 Just half a degree Celsius could make a major difference when it comes to global warming, according to a new paper published by a collaborative research team based in China. The study, which a ... more |
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NASA satellites assist states in estimating abundance of key wildlife species Logan UT (SPX) Aug 10, 2018
Climate and land-use change are shrinking natural wildlife habitats around the world. Yet despite their importance to rural economies and natural ecosystems, remarkably little is known about the geographic distribution of most wild species - especially those that migrate seasonally over large areas.
By combining NASA satellite imagery with wildlife surveys conducted by state natural resour ... more |
Envistacom contracted for DAGRS GPS systems Washington (UPI) Aug 7, 2018
Envistacom has announced it has received a contract for the DAGRS handheld GPS navigation system that is used for many military purposes.
The contract, announced Tuesday by the company, is valued at up to $480 million over five years and covers both U.S. Army and Navy customers. The contract will include prototype design and other technical services to update the system.
The AN/P ... more |
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Poplar study shows trees can be genetically engineered not to spread Corvallis OR (SPX) Aug 10, 2018
The largest field-based study of genetically modified forest trees ever conducted has demonstrated that genetic engineering can prevent new seedlings from establishing.
The "containment traits" that Oregon State University researchers engineered in the study are important because of societal concerns over gene flow - the spread of genetically engineered or exotic and invasive trees or thei ... more |
Key gene to accelerate sugarcane growth is identified Sao Paulo, Brazil (SPX) Aug 08, 2018
Despite international breeding efforts, advanced agronomy and effective management of pests and diseases, sugarcane yields have been static for decades owing to constraints on culm development.
The culm's sugar storage capacity is physically limited, restricting the volume of sucrose and biomass that can be obtained from the crop for sugar and second-generation (2G) ethanol production, acc ... more |
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China blasts US solar tariffs, takes WTO action Beijing (AFP) Aug 15, 2018 China has blasted US tariffs on solar panel imports, filing a complaint at the World Trade Organization in the latest salvo of the trade battle between the world's two economic giants.
US President Donald Trump approved steep tariffs on solar panel imports in January to protect US producers, triggering an outcry from China, South Korea and even protests from the US solar industry.
China' ... 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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German insurer Munich Re to curb coal activities Frankfurt Am Main (AFP) Aug 6, 2018
German re-insurance giant Munich Re said Monday it would scale back investments in coal-related businesses and stop insuring new plants and mines extracting the fuel, to help the battle against climate change.
Chief executive Joachim Wenning, writing in the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper, said Munich Re will no longer invest in shares or bonds issued by companies that generate "more than 3 ... more |
Philippines' Duterte slams China over island-building Manila (AFP) Aug 15, 2018
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has urged China to "temper" its behaviour in the South China Sea in a rare criticism of the Asian superpower over its programme of island-building in disputed waters.
China has alarmed and angered its neighbours by claiming dominion over most of the South China Sea and building a string of artificial islands and military airbases.
But the outspoken D ... more |
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UCLA-developed artificial intelligence device identifies objects at the speed of light Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 10, 2018
A team of UCLA electrical and computer engineers has created a physical artificial neural network - a device modeled on how the human brain works - that can analyze large volumes of data and identify objects at the actual speed of light. The device was created using a 3D printer at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering.
Numerous devices in everyday life today use computerized cameras to i ... more |
Tunisia anti-litter activist takes up 300-km, 30-beach challenge Nabeul, Tunisia (AFP) Aug 14, 2018 Bin bags at the ready, "long-distance activist" Mohamed Oussama Houij moves methodically along a beach in Tunisia's Mediterranean town of Nabeul, scooping up all kinds of trash as he goes along.
The 27-year-old sanitary engineer set out in July to walk a 300-kilometre (185-mile) stretch of coastline in northern Tunisia and clean up 30 beaches along the way.
He hopes the two-month trek wi ... more |
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Carbon Monoxide from California Wildfires Drifts East Pasadena CA (JPL) Aug 15, 2018
California is being plagued by massive wildfires, and the effects on air quality from those fires can extend far beyond the state's borders. In addition to ash and smoke, fires release carbon monoxide into the atmosphere. Carbon monoxide is a pollutant that can persist in the atmosphere for about a month and can be transported great distances.
New images made with data acquired by the Atmo ... more |
Tonga PM calls on China to write-off Pacific debt Wellington (AFP) Aug 15, 2018
Tonga Prime Minister Akalisi Pohiva has called for China to write-off debts owed by Pacific island countries, warning that repayments impose a huge burden on the impoverished nations.
Chinese aid in the Pacific has ballooned in recent years with much of the funds coming in the form of loans from Beijing's state-run Exim Bank.
Tonga has run-up enormous debts to China, estimated at more th ... more |
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Shanghai heat turns shopping street into giant slumber party Shanghai (AFP) Aug 9, 2018
As Shanghai swelters under a summer heat wave, it sometimes looks as if people are dropping dead from the torrid temperatures on the city's best-known shopping avenue.
Normally bustling Nanjing East Road has turned into an open-air slumber party on recent nights as local residents try to escape the heat of their cramped nearby homes by sleeping outside on benches or directly on the pavement. ... more |
China, US to resume trade talks in late August Beijing (AFP) Aug 16, 2018
China will send a senior negotiator to the United States in late August to resume trade talks, its commerce ministry said Thursday, the first public meeting on the dispute in weeks as the trade conflict intensifies.
Beijing and Washington have slapped tariffs on tens of billions of dollars worth of each other's goods since they held their last high-level meeting in June, raising fears that t ... more |
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Historic space weather could clarify what's next Warwick UK (SPX) Aug 14, 2018
Historic space weather may help us understand what's coming next, according to new research by the University of Warwick.
Professor Sandra Chapman, from Warwick's Centre for Fusion, Space and Astrophysics, led a project which charted the space weather in previous solar cycles across the last half century, and discovered an underlying repeatable pattern in how space weather activity changes ... more |
Fresh fears over fate of Macau's abandoned greyhounds Macau (AFP) Aug 11, 2018
Fears for more than 500 greyhounds cooped up at a shuttered racetrack in Macau have been reignited after a plan to rehome them hit red tape.
Some 533 greyhounds still live in cell-like kennels at the shabby Canidrome, Asia's only legal dog-racing track until it closed down last month.
Operator Yat Yuen - run by one of Macau's most powerful women - failed to find homes for the dogs desp ... more |
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