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Hong Kong dim sum favourite faces uncertain future![]() Hong Kong (AFP) Sept 2, 2018 Impatient diners crowd around carts of steaming dim sum steered by fierce "trolley aunties" at Hong Kong's Lin Heung Tea House, one of the city's most famous restaurants, now fearing for its future. Lin Heung's traditional homemade dishes, including cha siu bao (barbecue pork buns), har gow (shrimp dumplings) and ma lai go (Cantonese sponge cake), have earned a loyal following from locals with a taste for nostalgia, as well as inquisitive tourists. The two-storey restaurant in the bustling Centr ... read more |
France's ban on bee-killing pesticides begins SaturdayParis (AFP) Aug 30, 2018 A ban on five neonicotinoid pesticides enters into force in France on Saturday, placing the country at the forefront of a campaign against chemicals blamed for decimating critical populations of crop-pollinating bees. ... more
Brazil court lifts ban on glyphosate weedkillerBrasilia (AFP) Sept 3, 2018 An appellate court on Monday lifted a court-ordered suspension of licenses in Brazil for products containing glyphosate, an industrial weedkiller in common use in Latin America's agricultural powerhouse. ... more
Angry French farmers sow Chinese-owned field in investor protestChatillon-Sur-Indre, France (AFP) Aug 30, 2018 Mounted on tractors and wielding flares, angry farmers came from all corners of France to say to Chinese investors: get off our land. ... more
Bolivia petitions ICJ over Chilean border river sourceLa Paz (AFP) Aug 31, 2018 Bolivia submitted a counterclaim against Chile at the International Court of Justice on Friday regarding a dispute over a border spring between the South American neighbors. ... 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 | Sep 04 | Sep 03 | Aug 31 | Aug 30 | Aug 29 |
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India's devastating rains match climate change forecastsParis (AFP) Aug 24, 2018 Once-a-century rains that have pounded the Indian state of Kerala and displaced 1.3 million people are in line with the predictions of climate scientists, who warn that worse is to come if global warming continues unabated. ... more
Study uses seismic noise to track water levels in underground aquifersBoston MA (SPX) Aug 30, 2018 Seismic noise - the low-level vibrations caused by everything from subway trains to waves crashing on the beach - is most often something seismologists work to avoid. They factor it out of models an ... more
Portable freshwater harvester could draw up to 10 gallons per hour from the airWashington DC (SPX) Aug 29, 2018 For thousands of years, people in the Middle East and South America have extracted water from the air to help sustain their populations. Drawing inspiration from those examples, researchers are now ... more
Plant biodiversity essential to bee healthWashington (UPI) Aug 22, 2018 New research suggests bees can maintain healthy colonies in agricultural regions if provided habitat islands with sufficient plant biodiversity. ... more
Bees get hooked on harmful pesticide: studyParis (AFP) Aug 28, 2018 Bumblebees acquire a taste for food laced with a pesticide known to harm them, according to a study suggesting the chemicals pose an even greater threat to pollinators than previously thought. ... more |
![]() California plain shows surprising winners and losers from prolonged drought
Rain brings relief to drought-stricken Australia farmersSydney (AFP) Aug 26, 2018 Widespread rain fell across drought-affected parts of eastern Australia over the weekend, bringing relief to farmers struggling to cope with the driest conditions in more than half a century. ... more |
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French tomato grower takes on Monsanto over weedkillerCelles-Sur-Aisne, France (AFP) Aug 24, 2018 Weaving through the aisles of his greenhouse in northern France, Jean-Claude Terlet, a retired farmer who grows tomatoes for local markets, seems to be brimming with energy. ... more
'No grass': Europe's livestock sector stricken by droughtParis (AFP) Aug 26, 2018 "Our cows have been living off hay cut in June, there isn't any grass," says Jean-Guillaume Hannequin, a farmer in eastern France, who like his counterparts across much of northern Europe is wondering how he will feed his animals this winter. ... more
French farmers furious as wild boars run amokSaint-Malo, France (AFP) Aug 26, 2018 With a gaping hole in the ground and tangled corn stalks strewn across Yves Rolland's field, it looks as if it has been hit by a tornado. He already knows who the culprits are. ... more
The wheat code is finally crackedWashington DC (SPX) Aug 23, 2018 The International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC) published in the international journal Science a detailed description of the genome of bread wheat, the world's most widely cultivated cr ... more
UConn scientists create reverse osmosis membranes with tunable thicknessStorrs CT (SPX) Aug 23, 2018 Currently, more than 300 million people around the world rely on desalinated water for part or all of their daily needs. That demand will only grow with larger populations and improved standards of ... more |
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UB scientists await launch of NASA ice-monitoring satellite Buffalo NY (SPX) Aug 31, 2018
As the Sept. 15 launch date for NASA's new ice-monitoring satellite approaches, University at Buffalo scientists are among many worldwide who are counting down the days.
They're excited, but nervous, too. That's what happens when your future research is reliant on equipment that's going to be hurled, atop a flaming rocket, into the harsh environs of outer space. Or when - as in the case of ... more |
UK plans own satellite system after Galileo exclusion London (AFP) Aug 29, 2018 Britain will invest in the possible creation of its own satellite-navigation system, the UK government announced Wednesday, after being excluded from the EU's Galileo programme because of Brexit. At the same time, London said it was continuing to negotiate with the European Union about remaining in the Galileo programme. Britain will invest 92 million pounds ($119 million, 102 million euros), ... more |
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Species-rich forests better compensate environmental impacts Zurich, Switzerland (SPX) Aug 31, 2018
Forest ecosystems are elementary for a climatic balance. Countries such as China have recognized this fact; for years, they have been conducting extensive afforestation programs to compensate their rising CO2 emissions.
As part of the global carbon cycle, forests take up about 45 percent of the carbon from the environment and bind it in the soil and as biomass over long periods of time. At ... more |
Biodegradable plastic blends offer new options for disposal Washington DC (SPX) Aug 30, 2018
Imagine throwing your empty plastic water bottle into a household composting bin that breaks down the plastic and produces biogas to help power your home. Now, researchers have taken an early step toward this futuristic scenario by showing that certain blends of bioplastics can decompose under diverse conditions. They report their results in the ACS journal Environmental Science and Technology. ... more |
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Dutch FMO Leads USD 15.5 Million Finance for Kingo's off grid solar services in Guatemala The Hague, Netherlands (SPX) Sep 03, 2018
Dutch development bank FMO is the lead arranger in a total USD 15.5 million financing package that will grow Kingo's services with around 250,000 people that are not connected to the electricity grid in rural parts of Guatemala. These people now get access to clean off-grid energy through the supply of rooftop solar panels. Kingo currently reaches over 300,000 people with their services and FMO' ... more |
DNV GL supports creation of China's first HVDC offshore wind substation Shanghai, China (SPX) Sep 03, 2018
DNV GL, the world's largest resource of independent energy experts and certification body, has announced that it has been contracted to provide technical advisory support on feasibility studies for the first-ever high-voltage direct current (HVDC) offshore wind substation in China.
China has committed heavily to developing its offshore wind power generating capacity. It currently plans to ... more |
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Trump administration moves to relax coal pollution rules Washington (AFP) Aug 22, 2018
President Donald Trump's administration announced a plan Tuesday to weaken regulations on US coal plants, giving a boost to an industry that former leader Barack Obama had hoped to phase out to cut harmful emissions that drive global warming.
The Environmental Protection Agency's new Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule would allow states the flexibility to set their own standards for performa ... more |
Hong Kong ushers mainland workers into new station Hong Kong (AFP) Sept 4, 2018 Staff from mainland China quietly took up their posts at a new high-speed rail station in Hong Kong Tuesday in a move criticised by opponents as giving away the city's territory.
Hong Kong enjoys rights unseen on the mainland - including freedom of speech - as part of a handover deal between Britain and China, but there are fears those liberties are increasingly under threat from Beijing. ... more |
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If military robot falls, it can get itself up Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD (SPX) Sep 04, 2018
Scientists at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory have developed software to ensure that if a robot falls, it can get itself back up, meaning future military robots will be less reliant on their Soldier handlers.
Based on feedback from Soldiers at an Army training course, ARL researcher Dr. Chad Kessens began to develop software to ... more |
'Green hajj' slowly takes root in Mecca Mina , Saudi Arabia (AFP) Aug 23, 2018
Thousands of cleaners are busy separating plastic from other rubbish as more than two million Muslims wrap up a pilgrimage to Mecca that presents a huge environmental challenge for Saudi Arabia.
The Mamuniya camp in Mina near the holy city is dotted with colour-coded barrels - black for organic waste and blue for cans and plastics for recycling.
It's all part of an initiative to reduce ... more |
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NASA assists in efforts to contain California wildfires Edwards AFB CA (SPX) Aug 28, 2018
An effort by multiple NASA centers to assist with the California wildfires included capturing satellite data of the smoke plumes and aircraft flights over burned areas to collect information for recovery planning.
The California Air National Guard asked the NASA Earth Science Disasters Program for support with the wildfires that have destroyed more than 410,000 acres and 11 disaster progra ... more |
Shedding light on shallow waters Paris (ESA) Aug 28, 2018
Keeping an eye on our waters is more important than ever, as widespread drought continues to sweep Europe this summer.
Earth's changing sea levels are crucial indicators of how our environment is fairing, but monitoring it manually can be a labour-intensive, expensive, and at times even dangerous task.
Coastal areas provide additional complications, as shifting seabeds and currents m ... more |
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Nice sunny days can grow into heat waves Potsdam, Germany (SPX) Aug 24, 2018
Be it heavy downpours or super-hot spells, summer weather becomes more persistent in North America, Europe and parts of Asia. When those conditions stall for several days or weeks, they can turn into extremes: heatwaves resulting in droughts, health risks and wildfires; or relentless rainfall resulting in floods.
A team of scientists now presents the first comprehensive review of research ... more |
China's 'Silk Road' project runs into debt jam Beijing (AFP) Sept 2, 2018 China's massive and expanding "Belt and Road" trade infrastructure project is running into speed bumps as some countries begin to grumble about being buried under Chinese debt.
First announced in 2013 by President Xi Jinping, the initiative also known as the "new Silk Road" envisions the construction of railways, roads and ports across the globe, with Beijing providing billions of dollars in ... more |
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Solar eruptions may not have slinky-like shapes after all Durham NH (SPX) Aug 31, 2018
As the saying goes, everything old is new again. While the common phrase often refers to fashion, design, or technology, scientists at the University of New Hampshire have found there is some truth to this mantra even when it comes to research.
Revisiting some older data, the researchers discovered new information about the shape of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) - large-scale eruptions of ... more |
Sri Lanka probes deaths of wild elephants Colombo (AFP) Sept 3, 2018
Sri Lankan authorities on Monday began investigating the deaths of wild elephants in the east of the island after pulling seven carcasses out of a marsh, a minister said.
Wildlife Minister Palitha Thewarapperuma said six out of the seven animals found in the swamp were young - below the age of 12 - and he suspected that many more may have died there.
"We have wildlife experts and vets ... more |
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