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Records tumble in Europe as heatwave bites![]() Paris (AFP) July 24, 2019 Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands recorded their highest ever temperatures as a European heatwave soared towards its peak on Wednesday, impacting rail transport and prompting a number of drownings with people taking to the water. Cyclists in the Tour de France in southern France had to puff their way over the course in well over 30 degrees Celsius while in the Netherlands, farmers have been leaving their cows outside to sleep, rather than bringing them in at night. Belgium registered an all-t ... read more |
Swine fever sends China's pork prices, imports soaringBeijing (AFP) July 19, 2019 Pork prices have been sent soaring and herds devastated as African swine fever tears through China's massive pig-farming industry, forcing the country to ramp up imports to satisfy demand - but analysts warn worse is yet to come. ... more
China importers seek to lift tariffs on US farm goods: state mediaShanghai (AFP) July 21, 2019 Chinese importers are applying to their government to lift tariffs on some US agricultural imports, state media reported on Sunday, three weeks after the two sides reached a truce in their trade war. ... more
Lavender back in fashion with French farmersChatuzange-Le-Goubet, France (AFP) July 21, 2019 Working its way across a purple-green field in southern France, a claw-fitted tractor harvests plants of lavender destined to become essential oil as a traditional sector stages a modest comeback. ... more
ORNL scientists make fundamental discovery to creating better cropsOak Ridge TN (SPX) Jul 24, 2019 A team of scientists led by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have discovered the specific gene that controls an important symbiotic relationship between plants and soil fungi ... 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 | Jul 23 | Jul 22 | Jul 19 | Jul 18 |
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US judge slashes jury award in Roundup cancer caseSan Francisco (AFP) July 16, 2019 A US judge on Monday slashed punitive damages a jury ordered Monsanto to pay in a Roundup cancer trial, saying the sum was too high despite the company's "reprehensible" conduct. ... more
Study: Global farming trends threaten food securityHalle, Germany (SPX) Jul 13, 2019 Citrus fruits, coffee and avocados: The food on our tables has become more diverse in recent decades. However, global agriculture does not reflect this trend. Monocultures are increasing worldwide, ... more
Water express delivers emergency supplies to drought-hit Indian cityChennai, India (AFP) July 12, 2019 A special 50-wagon train carrying 2.5 million litres of water arrived in the Indian city of Chennai Friday, as the southern hub reels under one of its worst shortages in decades. ... more
Indonesia president vows to fight EU palm oil rulesJakarta (AFP) July 12, 2019 Indonesia's president promised Friday to fight the European Union over plans to restrict the use of palm oil in biofuels. ... more
New solar panel produces electricity and clean waterWashington (UPI) Jul 10, 2019 Electricity and clean water are two of the world's biggest needs - and scientists in Saudi Arabia may have a solution. ... more |
![]() Sustaining Life on Long-Term Crewed Missions Will Require Planetary Resources
Total starts production at French biofuel refineryParis (AFP) July 10, 2019 Total on Wednesday said it had begun producing biofuel at a refinery in southern France, a project that has sparked an outcry from environmentalists and farmers over its plans to import palm oil. ... more |
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Insecticides that threaten bees also harm damselflies, study findsWashington (UPI) Jul 5, 2019 New research suggests damselflies are being harmed by thiacloprid, a common neonicotinoid insecticide used by farmers to kill aphids and whiteflies. ... more
Lesotho farmers protest against Chinese wool dealMaseru, Lesotho (AFP) June 28, 2019 Several thousand farmers in the mountain kingdom of Lesotho marched to parliament on Friday to protest against regulations forcing them to sell their wool and mohair to a Chinese broker. ... more
Haute couture turns back on fur, both real and fakeParis (AFP) July 3, 2019 Something rather significant was missing from the Paris haute couture shows which wrapped up on Wednesday night - fur. ... more
China says pork production recovering as swine fever cases declineBeijing (AFP) July 4, 2019 New cases of African swine fever have declined and pork production is returning to normal, Chinese officials said Thursday, after millions of pigs were culled because of the deadly disease. ... more
Lithuania declares emergency as drought hits farmersVilnius (AFP) July 3, 2019 Lithuania declared an emergency on Wednesday as a severe drought hit the Baltic EU state, threatening to slash this year's harvest by up to half. ... more |
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Second laser boosts Aeolus power Paris (ESA) Jul 24, 2019
ESA's Aeolus satellite, which carries the world's first space Doppler wind lidar, has been delivering high-quality global measurements of Earth's wind since it was launched almost a year ago. However, part of the instrument, the laser transmitter, has been slowly losing energy. As a result, ESA decided to switch over to the instrument's second laser - and the mission is now back on top form.
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Europe's Galileo GPS system back after six-day outage Paris (AFP) July 18, 2019
Europe's Galileo satellite navigationsystem, a rival of the American GPS network, is back in service after a six-day outage, its oversight agency said on Thursday.
"Commercial users can already see signs of recovery of the Galileo navigation and timing services, although some fluctuations may be experienced until further notice," the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency said i ... more |
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Finland's UPM to go ahead with $3 bn pulp plant in Uruguay Montevideo (AFP) July 23, 2019
Finnish company UPM said Tuesday it will go ahead with plans to invest more than $3 billion to build a pulp plant in Uruguay.
It said construction will start in the second half of 2022.
The company will spend $2.7 billion to set up the plant itself and $350 million on river port and logistical facilities.
The company already operates one such plant in Uruguay. It was highly contentio ... more |
Research shows black plastics could create renewable energy Swansea UK (SPX) Jul 22, 2019
Research from Swansea University has found how plastics commonly found in food packaging can be recycled to create new materials like wires for electricity - and could help to reduce the amount of plastic waste in the future.
While a small proportion of the hundreds of types of plastics can be recycled by conventional technology, researchers found that there are other things that can be do ... more |
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Breakthrough material could lead to cheaper, more widespread solar panels and electronics Lawrence KS (SPX) Jul 22, 2019
Imagine printing electronic devices using a simple inkjet printer - or even painting a solar panel onto the wall of a building.
Such technology would slash the cost of manufacturing electronic devices and enable new ways to integrate them into our everyday lives. Over the last two decades, a type of material called organic semiconductors, made out of molecules or polymers, has been develop ... more |
Kenya launches Africa's biggest wind farm Lake Turkana, Kenya (AFP) July 19, 2019
Kenya on Friday formally launched Africa's biggest wind power plant, a mammoth project in a gusty stretch of wilderness that already provides nearly a fifth of the country's energy needs.
The $680-million (600 million euro) scheme, a sprawling 365-turbine wind farm on the eastern shores of Lake Turkana, is delivering 310 megawatts of renewable power to the national grid of East Africa's most ... more |
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French journalists arrested at Australia anti-coal protest Sydney (AFP) July 22, 2019
A French television crew filming a protest against a newly approved Indian-owned coal mine was arrested by Australian police Monday and charged with trespassing.
Construction of the Adani project near the Great Barrier Reef has been under fierce debate for almost a decade, with environmentalists warning that fossil fuels damage the climate.
France 2 reporter Hugo Clement and three member ... more |
China says army can be deployed at Hong Kong's request Beijing (AFP) July 24, 2019
China issued a stark reminder Wednesday that its army could be deployed in Hong Kong if city authorities requested support in maintaining "public order" after weeks of sometimes violent protests.
Hong Kong has been plunged into its worst crisis in recent history after millions of demonstrators took to the streets - and sporadic violent confrontations between police and pockets of hardcore p ... more |
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In the shoes of a robot: The future approaches Trento, Italy (SPX) Jul 24, 2019
Identifying with someone is an exercise that makes us understand them deeply, empathize with them, and helps us overcome mistrust and prejudice. And this occurs even when that someone is a robot. These interpersonal dynamics were confirmed by an experimental study that was published days ago in Scientific Reports. The study is the result of scientific collaboration between Italian and French sci ... more |
Chile's mining waste poses silent threat to humans on multiple fronts Requinoa, Chile (AFP) July 25, 2019
From the sky, the glistening emerald ponds of northern Chile are almost beautiful, but closer to the ground they harbor an ugly and dangerous secret: the reservoirs, filled with toxic waste from the country's mining industry, are ticking time bombs.
Mines are the pillar of Chile's economy, but their byproducts - which accumulate in ravines, mountain areas, river beds and reservoirs, and whi ... more |
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Portugal wildfires '90 percent' under control Sert�, Portugal (AFP) July 22, 2019
Huge wildfires that have ravaged a mountainous region of central Portugal and left dozens injured have been "90 percent" controlled, firefighters said Monday, but warned that strong winds could cause the flames to spread.
Over 1,700 firefighters were deployed to fight the blazes in the heavily forested Castelo Branco region, 200 kilometres (120 miles) north of Lisbon.
The fires have been ... more |
Navy seeks proposals for unmanned surface vessel Washington (UPI) Jul 17, 2019
A U.S. Navy request for proposals calls for a new class of unmanned surface vessels.
While the Navy floated performance specifications in February for a fleet of "medium unmanned surface vehicles," the request was officially announced Tuesday. It seeks developers for a craft of up to 164 feet long, to function as a sensor and communications relay in part of a family of unmanned surface ... more |
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France sweats in new record-breaking Europe heatwave Paris (AFP) July 23, 2019 Tour de France cyclists competed in scorching temperatures and a French nuclear power plant prepared to shut down Tuesday as western Europe baked in a new heatwave already breaking longstanding records.
Overheating tourists in Paris and Berlin plunged into fountains and ornamental ponds to keep cool while zoo keepers in the Netherlands handed out food caked in ice to look after thirsty anima ... more |
IMF downgrades world growth, warns of 'precarious' 2020 Washington (AFP) July 23, 2019
Global trade tensions, continued uncertainty and rising prospects for a no-deal Brexit are sapping the strength of the world economy, which faces a "precarious" 2020, the International Monetary Fund warned on Tuesday.
Trade conflicts are undercutting investment and weakening manufacturing, and the IMF urged countries to avoid using tariffs to resolve their differences.
In the quarterly u ... more |
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Details of Solar Science Mission Revealed at UK Astronomy Meeting London, UK (SPX) Jul 05, 2019
Named after a Celtic goddess of the Sun, SULIS is a UK-led solar science mission, designed to answer fundamental questions about the physics of solar storms. The mission consists of a cluster of small satellites and will carefully monitor solar storms using state-of-the-art UK technology, as well as demonstrating new technologies in space. Lead Investigator on the project, Dr. Eamon Scullion of ... more |
Different genes control lifespan, healthspan, worm study says Washington (UPI) Jul 17, 2019
Most people don't just want to live a long time, they want to age well. They want to stay healthier for longer. The quality of a person's life as they age is called healthspan, and new research suggests different genes control lifespan and healthspan.
While tracking the healthspan of an aging population, including factors like mobility and immune resistance, is difficult, researchers su ... more |
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