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Papa roach: Chinese farmer breeds bugs for the table![]() Yibin, China (AFP) April 19, 2019 As farmer Li Bingcai opened the door to his cockroach farm in southwest China, an insect the size of a dart flew into his face. Picking the critter off his forehead, he tossed it back into the dark room where some 10 million more of its kind scurried around, housed in wooden frames perched on shelves. The six-legged creatures may be a bugbear for most, but Li and other breeders in China are turning them into a niche business. Some sell cockroaches for medicinal purposes, as animal feed or to ... read more |
Ancient Peruvian microbrewery, sour ale helps explain longevity of the Wari empireWashington (UPI) Apr 19, 2019 The study of an ancient microbrewery in Peru and its supply of a sour beer has provided scientists new insights into the stability of the Wari empire. ... more
We now know how insects and bacteria control iceSalt Lake City UT (SPX) Apr 16, 2019 Contrary to what you may have been taught, water doesn't always freeze to ice at 32 degrees F (zero degrees C). Knowing, or controlling, at what temperature water will freeze (starting with a proces ... more
Rapid urbanization increasing pressure on rural water supplies globallyOxford UK (SPX) Apr 17, 2019 An international team of researchers has carried out the first systematic global review of water reallocation from rural to urban regions - the practice of transferring water from rural areas to cit ... more
The scientists are developing a technology for water purification by electric dischargesTallinn, Estonia (SPX) Apr 17, 2019 The environment around us is becoming increasingly polluted. This includes one of our most precious natural resources - water. Clean water is essential to human survival. Due to increased pollution, ... more |
IMF approves $206 mn aid to Sri Lanka after Cyclone Ditwah
Flights cancelled, roads flooded as rare storm soaks UAE Sri Lanka plans $1.6 bn in cyclone recovery spending in 2026 Brazil megacity Sao Paulo struck by fresh water crisis Indonesians reeling from flood devastation plea for global help Levee break near Seattle prompts evacuation order Flash flood kills dozens in Morocco town At least 20 dead in eastern Bolivia floods Press Release from Business Wire: Textron Inc. Flash floods kill 37 in Moroccan coastal town |
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| Previous Issues | Apr 23 | Apr 22 | Apr 19 | Apr 18 | Apr 17 |
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How much nature is lost due to higher yields?Leipzig, Germany (SPX) Apr 15, 2019 Around 80 percent of land area in Europe is used for settlement, agriculture and forestry. In order to increase yields even further than current levels, exploitation is being intensified. Areas are ... more
Historic water levels at Iraq reservoirs and dams: officialsSamarra, Iraq (AFP) April 11, 2019 Water levels in Iraq's reservoirs and dams have reached historic heights, officials have told AFP, with thousands of families facing possible displacement by more flooding. ... more
Farming for natural profits in ChinaStanford CA (SPX) Apr 08, 2019 A new strategy being rolled out in China relies on the idea that farmers can harvest much more than crops. The idea is that well-managed, diverse agricultural lands can provide flood control, water ... more
Scientists prevent supercooled water from freezingWashington (UPI) Apr 10, 2019 Scientists have discovered a way to keep water from freezing, even at extremely cold temperatures. ... more
Genome assembly of pasta wheat leads to new insights for modern wheat breedingLeibniz, Germany (SPX) Apr 10, 2019 Scientists from the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK Gatersleben) participated to perform the assembly of the genome using the method of 3D-Conformation Capture Seque ... more |
![]() Through machine learning, new model holds water
Survival in arid eastern Chad depends on struggle for waterHadjer Hadid, Chad (AFP) April 9, 2019 "I've already earmarked a customer for this drum - I need to get a move on!" ... more |
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Genetic breakthrough on tropical grass could help develop climate-friendly cattle farmsPalmira, Colombia (SPX) Apr 10, 2019 Cattle are a mainstay for many smallholders but their farms are often on degraded lands, which increases cattle's impact on the environment and lowers their production of milk and meat. Researchers ... more
Survival in arid eastern Chad depends on struggle for waterHadjer Hadid, Chad (AFP) April 9, 2019 "I've already earmarked a customer for this drum - I need to get a move on!" ... more
Just how much does enhancing photosynthesis improve crop yield?Brisbane, Australia (SPX) Apr 09, 2019 In the next two decades, crop yields need to increase dramatically to feed the growing global population. Wouldn't it be incredibly useful if we had a crystal ball to show us what are the best strat ... more
New pathways for sustainable agricultureWurzburg, Germany (SPX) Apr 09, 2019 Hedges, flowering strips and other seminatural habitats provide food and nesting places for insects and birds in agricultural landscapes. This also has advantages for agriculture: bees, flies, beetl ... more
The future of agriculture is computerizedBoston MA (SPX) Apr 08, 2019 What goes into making plants taste good? For scientists in MIT's Media Lab, it takes a combination of botany, machine-learning algorithms, and some good old-fashioned chemistry. Using all of t ... more |
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Arianespace to launch "SAR" satellite StriX-a aboard Vega for Japanese startup company Synspective Paris (SPX) Apr 23, 2019
Synspective and Arianespace have signed a contract to launch the satellite StriX-a, Synspective's first SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) demonstrator satellite.
On April 18, 2019, Arianespace announced the signing of a launch service contract with Synspective for the launch of the satellite StriX-a (with a liftoff mass of approximately 150 kg.) into a Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) in 2020.
... more |
China launches new BeiDou satellite Xichang (XNA) Apr 23, 2019
China sent a new satellite of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province at 10:41 p.m. Saturday.
Launched on a Long March-3B carrier rocket, it is the 44th satellite of the BDS satellite family and the first BDS-3 satellite in inclined geosynchronous Earth orbit.
After in-orbit tests, the satellite will work wi ... more |
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Illegal logging in Brazil turns Amazon into a powder keg Altamira, Brazil (AFP) April 24, 2019
A rifle resting on his shoulder, Tatji Arara looks despondent as he steps over the trunks of huge trees felled by timber traffickers in the heart of Brazil's Amazon rainforest, now the scene of numerous land conflicts.
"Every day, we find new trees cut down. I've never seen anything like this," laments the 41-year-old, a leader of the Arara indigenous people in the northern state of Para. ... more |
Researchers create artificial mother-of-pearl using bacteria Rochester NY (SPX) Apr 24, 2019
The strongest synthetic materials are often those that intentionally mimic nature.
One natural substance scientists have looked to in creating synthetic materials is nacre, also known as mother-of-pearl. An exceptionally tough, stiff material produced by some mollusks and serving as their inner shell layer, it also comprises the outer layer of pearls, giving them their lustrous shine.
... more |
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Solar Steel supplies 500 MW of its RackSmarT fixed Tilt structure to the largest PV project in Europe Madrid, Spain (SPX) Apr 23, 2019
Solar Steel, division of Gonvarri Steel Services is supplying 500 MW of its RackSmarT fixed tilt structure to the PV Project named Nunez de Balboa, which will become the largest PV plant installed to date in Europe.
The PV Project is located in the municipality of Usagre (Badajoz) and it is owned by IBERDROLA group, and will have an installed peak power of 500MW, supplying clean energy app ... more |
The complicated future of offshore wind power in the US New Haven CT (SPX) Apr 03, 2019
Over the past decade, wind power production in the U.S. has tripled, becoming the largest source of renewable energy in the country, the American Wind Energy Association has reported. There are more than 56,800 wind turbines in 41 states and territories, generating more than 6 percent of the nation's electricity, supporting more than 105,000 jobs and garnering billions of dollars in private and ... more |
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Contentious India-backed Australia mine clears major hurdle Sydney (AFP) April 9, 2019
A major Australian coal mine project near the Great Barrier Reef was controversially approved by the federal government Tuesday, days before national elections are expected to be called.
The controversial Queensland project backed by India's Adani would significantly boost coal production, but must now get approval from state and local governments.
The project faces fierce opposition and ... more |
China formally arrests ex-Interpol chief Beijing (AFP) April 24, 2019
China has formally arrested former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei on suspicion of accepting bribes, prosecutors announced Wednesday, as he faces possible corruption charges.
In a remarkable fall from grace, Meng - who had also served as vice minister of public security - vanished last September during a visit to China from France, where Interpol is based, and was later accused of accepting br ... more |
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FEDOR Space Rescuer: Roscosmos 'Trains' Anthropomorphic Robot for Manned Mission Moscow (Sputnik) Apr 15, 2019
Russian State Space Corporation Roscosmos and Rocket and Space Corporation Energia have received FEDOR (Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research) anthropomorphic robot for its potential use in manned space missions, Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin said on Thursday.
"FEDOR - anthropomorphic rescue robot developed by the Android Technology R and D Company as well as the Rus ... more |
USAID launches latest clean-up for Vietnam War-era Agent Orange site Hanoi (AFP) April 20, 2019
The US launched on Saturday a $183 million clean-up at a former Vietnam storage site for Agent Orange, a toxic defoliant used in their bitter war which years later is still blamed for severe birth defects, cancers and disabilities.
Located outside Ho Chi Minh City, Bien Hoa airbase - the latest site scheduled for rehabilitation after Danang airbase's clean-up last year - was one of the mai ... more |
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Two students fined 27 million euro for Italy forest fire Rome (AFP) April 17, 2019
Two Italian students have been told to pay a joint fine of 27 million euros ($30 million), Italian media reported Wednesday, after being accused of letting a barbecue start a forest fire.
Prosecutors say the two 22-year-olds, who dispute the case, lit a barbecue with a group of friends near Lake Como in the north of Italy on December 30 to celebrate New Year.
The wildfire was started by ... more |
Soft tissue makes coral tougher in the face of climate change Manoa HI (SPX) Apr 24, 2019
Climate change and ocean warming threaten coral reefs and disrupt the harmonious relationship between corals and their symbiotic algae, a process known as "coral bleaching." However, a new study conducted by scientists at the University of Hawai'i (UH) at Manoa and the California Academy of Sciences revealed soft tissues that cover the rocky coral skeleton promote the recovery of corals followin ... more |
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Storms kill 35 in India New Delhi (AFP) April 17, 2019
Thunderstorms swept across western India killing at least 35 people and leaving widespread damage, officials said Wednesday.
Strong winds barrelled through Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh states felling walls, trees and electricity lines. The storms have also been blamed for at least 25 deaths in Pakistan this week.
At least 10 people were killed in the desert state of Rajasthan, w ... more |
Divided Europe faces China Belt and Road test Brussels (AFP) April 24, 2019 The complicated, hot-and-cold relationship between Europe and China takes another turn this week, as several EU leaders break ranks to attend the Belt and Road summit in Beijing.
The list of European leaders attending the showcase for China's global influence - held Thursday through Saturday - is dominated by eurosceptics and populists eager to vex Brussels, as well as countries hard-up f ... more |
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Indian Scientists Make Deepest Radio Images of the Sun Pune, India (SPX) Apr 16, 2019
The Sun is the brightest object in the sky which is probably the most studied object. Surprisingly, it still hosts mysteries which scientists have been trying to unravel for decades, for example, the origin of coronal mass ejections which can potentially affect the Earth. Led by Dr. Divya Oberoi and his Ph.D. students, Atul Mohan and Surajit Mondal, a team of scientists at the National Centre fo ... more |
Poachers threaten precious Madagascar forest and lemurs Vohibola, Madagascar (AFP) April 22, 2019
Under a leaden sky, six rangers walk silently in single file through Vohibola, one of the last primary forests in eastern Madagascar.
Alert to the slightest movement and sound, Michael Tovolahy's patrol is tracking poachers who are inflicting grievous harm to this jewel of biodiversity.
The poachers are targeting lemurs, primates battling the threat of extinction, and are chopping down t ... more |
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