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Afghan farmers fleeing drought face more hardship in camps![]() Herat, Afghanistan (AFP) Oct 11, 2018 For only the second time in his life, Afghan farmer Murad Khan Ishaqzai has been forced to leave the home where he was born 80 years ago - not by war but the worst drought in living memory. Ishaqzai, wizened and weather-beaten by decades of working in his wheat field, is one of more than 250,000 people in western Afghanistan displaced by the months-long dry spell that has devastated crops, livestock and water supplies. Beaten by the inhospitable conditions, many families in rural areas decided ... read more |
Judge mulls slashing $290 mn award in Roundup cancer caseSan Francisco (AFP) Oct 11, 2018 A judge on Wednesday was mulling whether to gut a jury order that Monsanto pay $290 million in damages for not warning a groundskeeper that its weed killer product Roundup might cause cancer. ... more
Goat brigades help battle Portugal's deadly wildfiresLoriga, Portugal (AFP) Oct 11, 2018 Fernando Moura and his herd may not look like heroes but the Portuguese farmer and his 370 goats are the latest recruits in the country's battle against summer forest fires. ... more
In pre-vote boost for farmers, Trump to ease ethanol fuel rulesWashington (AFP) Oct 10, 2018 The United States will raise the ethanol content level in gasoline that can be sold year round, President Donald Trump confirmed on Tuesday, delivering a win for farmers ahead of hotly contested midterm elections. ... more
When yesterday's agriculture feeds today's water pollutionMontreal, Canada (SPX) Oct 10, 2018 A study led by researchers at Universite de Montreal quantifies for the first time the maximum amount of nutrients - specifically, phosphorus - that can accumulate in a watershed before additional p ... 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 | Oct 11 | Oct 10 | Oct 09 | Oct 08 | Oct 05 |
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Australia farmers welcome rain relief amid severe droughtSydney (AFP) Oct 5, 2018 Farmers in drought-stricken parts of Australia are celebrating after the heavens opened up this week, inundating parched lands with more than a month's rain in one day following the country's driest September on record. ... more
Conflict and drought ravage Iraq's prized date palmsBasra, Iraq (AFP) Oct 05, 2018 Sweet Iraqi dates adorn tables in homes across the country, but the fruit tree and national symbol has come under threat from conflict and crippling drought. ... more
Farmers furious as France helicopters bear into PyreneesSarrance, France (AFP) Oct 4, 2018 French authorities helicoptered a Slovenian she-bear into the Pyrenees mountains on Thursday, despite an all-night protest by furious local farmers who fear she will eat their sheep. ... more
How fungi could help bees fight diseaseTokyo (AFP) Oct 4, 2018 They're far from floral, but fungi could be just what the doctor ordered for bees, according to a study that shows mushroom extracts could protect against viruses decimating bee populations. ... more
Fair-trade deals provide safety net for Ivorian cocoa producersAdzope, Ivory Coast (AFP) Sept 26, 2018 In Ivory Coast, cocoa once guaranteed farmers a sweet life. ... more |
![]() Satellites safeguard Europe's potato industry
Soil holds the secret to mitigating climate changeEast Lansing MI (SPX) Oct 01, 2018 Food production doesn't have to be a victim of climate change. New research from Michigan State University suggests that crop yields and the global food supply chain can be preserved by harnessing t ... more |
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Soil health on the menu with retrieved coffee beansWashington DC (SPX) Oct 01, 2018 Coffee is one of Brazil's biggest crops. Brazil's favorable climate helps coffee beans ripen and be ready for picking during a concentrated period of weeks. This makes mechanical harvesting an econo ... more
How fruits got their eye-catching colorsDurham NC (SPX) Oct 01, 2018 Red plums. Green melons. Purple figs. Ripe fruits come in an array of greens, yellows, oranges, browns, reds and purples. Scientists say they have new evidence that plants owe their rainbow of fruit ... more
Ancient African herders had lasting ecological impact on grazed landsChampaign IL (SPX) Oct 01, 2018 Ancient animal herders added to the ecological richness and diversity of the African savanna thousands of years ago - an effect that persists to the present day, a new study finds. The herders' prac ... more
Down to the Kernel: NASA Space Imaging Helps Predict Crop YieldsGreenbelt MD (SPX) Sep 27, 2018 Farmers have always looked to the weather and the progress of their crops to try to predict how the harvest will go, but a new tool uses NASA satellite imagery to take the predictions to a whole new ... more
Sunflower pollen protects bees from disease, study findsWashington (UPI) Sep 26, 2018 Great access to sunflowers and their pollen could help keep vulnerable bee populations pathogen-free. ... more |
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Scientists develop a new way to remotely measure Earth's magnetic field Vancouver, Canada (SPX) Oct 05, 2018
Researchers in Canada, the United States and Europe have developed a new way to remotely measure Earth's magnetic field - by zapping a layer of sodium atoms floating 100 kilometres above the planet with lasers on the ground.
The technique, documented this week in Nature Communications, fills a gap between measurements made at the Earth's surface and at much higher altitude by orbiting sate ... more |
Army researchers' technique locates robots, soldiers in GPS-challenged areas Adelphi MD (SPX) Oct 10, 2018
Scientists at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory have developed a novel algorithm that enables localization of humans and robots in areas where GPS is unavailable.
According to ARL researchers Gunjan Verma and Dr. Fikadu Dagefu, the Army needs to be able to localize agents operating in physically complex, unknown and infrastructure-poor environments.
"This capability is critical to he ... more |
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Secondary forests have short lifespans St Louis MO (SPX) Oct 08, 2018
Secondary forests, or forests that have regrown after agriculture use, only last an average of 20 years, according to a recently released scientific paper.
The finding presents a major problem for large-scale restoration policy, which often focuses on commitments to restore a certain number of hectares by a given year. But the benefits of restoration depend on those forests persisting. It ... more |
Sebigas Awarded For The Construction Of The Biggest Biogas Plant In The Americas Guariba, Brazil (SPX) Oct 12, 2018
SEBIGAS, Italian leader in the design and construction of biogas plants since 2008, thanks to its Brazilian branch, Sebigas Do Brasil, has been awarded from Raizen-Geo for the construction of a 17.5 MW biogas plant located in the city of Guariba, Sao Paulo State. An important success obtained also thanks to the cooperation with local partner Cotica, important engineering and construction company ... more |
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ASU researcher innovates solar energy technology in space Tempe AZ (SPX) Oct 08, 2018
Experts predict that by 2050 we're going to have global broadband internet satellite networks, in-orbit manufacturing, space tourism, asteroid mining and lunar and Mars bases.
More than a gigawatt of solar energy will be needed to power these activities, or the equivalent of 3.125 million photovoltaic panels. However, because it is currently the most expensive component on a satellite, sci ... more |
Ingeteam opens new high-tech production facility for electrical wind turbine components in India Madrid, Spain (SPX) Oct 12, 2018
Ingeteam reports it has opened a new facility in the vicinity of Chennai to satisfy the demand for wind power converters and control cabinets by both local and international OEMs with operations in India.
Located in the Tamil Nadu region, Ingeteam's new 3,500m2 facility is equipped with state-of-the-art production technology. The production plant in India will manufacture electrical compon ... more |
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Thousands join German forest demo after court reprieve Buir, Germany (AFP) Oct 6, 2018
Thousands of anti-coal demonstrators descended on Germany's Hambach forest Saturday, celebrating an unexpected court victory that suspended an energy company's planned razing of the woodland for a growing open-cast mine.
The ancient forest near Cologne has been occupied by activists for the past six years, becoming a symbol of resistance against coal mining in Germany, a country that despite ... more |
Human rights situation 'dire' in China: US Congress Washington (AFP) Oct 10, 2018
China is undertaking unprecedented repression of its ethnic minorities including Muslim Uighurs, with authoritarian tactics potentially constituting "crimes against humanity" as human rights conditions deteriorate, a damning US congressional report released Wednesday concluded.
The bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China said in its annual report repression has worsened in rec ... more |
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No more Iron Man: submarines now have soft, robotic arms Boston MA (SPX) Oct 10, 2018
The human arm can perform a wide range of extremely delicate and coordinated movements, from turning a key in a lock to gently stroking a puppy's fur. The robotic "arms" on underwater research submarines, however, are hard, jerky, and lack the finesse to be able to reach and interact with creatures like jellyfish or octopuses without damaging them.
Previously, the Wyss Institute for Biolog ... more |
Increase in plastics waste reaching remote South Atlantic islands London, UK (SPX) Oct 11, 2018
The amount of plastic washing up onto the shores of remote South Atlantic islands is 10 times greater than it was a decade ago, according to new research published (8 October) in the journal Current Biology.
Scientists investigating plastics in seas surrounding the remote British Overseas Territories discovered they are invading these unique biologically-rich regions. This includes areas t ... more |
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Goat brigades help battle Portugal's deadly wildfires Loriga, Portugal (AFP) Oct 11, 2018
Fernando Moura and his herd may not look like heroes but the Portuguese farmer and his 370 goats are the latest recruits in the country's battle against summer forest fires.
Hoping to contain wildfires that threaten its mountains each year, Portugal's government has hired goats to munch through undergrowth and create natural, cost-effective fire barriers.
Soaring temperatures often spark ... more |
Larger cities have smaller water footprint than less populated counterparts University Park PA (SPX) Oct 09, 2018
Global sustainability is important now more than ever due to increasing urban populations and the resulting stress it can have on natural resources. But increased populations in cities may lead to greater efficiency, as a team of Penn State researchers discovered when they analyzed the water footprint of 65 mid- to large-sized U.S. cities.
"Human life on the planet has never been more comp ... more |
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Tornado batters area near Canadian capital Ottawa Ottawa (AFP) Sept 22, 2018
More than 200,000 people in Canada's capital region of Ottawa were without power on Saturday and two people were critically injured after a powerful tornado ripped apart dozens of homes and threw cars into the air.
After visiting the hard-hit Dunrobin area, in the city's west, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson likened it to an aerial bombing, adding that Friday's tornado was among "the top two or thre ... more |
Bali batik: IMF meets in Indonesia Nusa Dua, Indonesia (AFP) Oct 11, 2018
The world's financial elite are gathering in the Indonesian holiday island Bali for talks with trade spats and emerging markets crises topping the agenda.
Here are some facts and figures about the high-level gathering:
- Quakes, tsunamis, volcanoes -
Disaster-prone Indonesia is no stranger to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions as the sprawling archipelago sits along the Pacific "Ri ... more |
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Parker Solar Probe Changed the Game Before it Even Launched Greenbelt MD (SPX) Oct 05, 2018
On Oct. 3, 2018, Parker Solar Probe performed the first significant celestial maneuver of its seven-year mission. As the orbits of the spacecraft and Venus converged toward the same point, Parker Solar Probe slipped in front of the planet, allowing Venus' gravity - relatively small by celestial standards - to twist its path and change its speed. This maneuver, called a gravity assist, reduced Pa ... more |
Lizards dream too, study suggests Washington (UPI) Oct 11, 2018 Just like humans, lizards experience two different sleep states, suggesting the cold-blooded creatures dream.
The brains of all animals perform important functions during sleep - memories get processed and organized, the metabolic trash gets taken out, neuronal energy reserves get replenished. But until now, scientists thought only land mammals and some birds experienced two different ... more |
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