| December 19, 2008 |  |
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 Geneva (AFP) Dec 18, 2008 
Catastrophes killed more than 238,000 people this year, with cyclone Nargis which swept through Myanmar accounting for more than half the deaths, a study by reinsurer Swiss Re showed on Thursday. "While the total cost to society was 225 billion dollars (182 billion euros), 50 billion dollars was covered by property insurance, making 2008 the second costliest year ever in terms of insured ... read more 
Calgary, Alberta (UPI) Dec 17, 2008 Canadian researchers say they've determined extinction risks for plants growing in the Earth's tropical regions are higher than previously thought. University of Calgary Assistant Professors Jana and Steven Vamosi studied plant extinction risks in areas close to the equator. "The tropics contain many ancient species of plants, leading many to consider tropical species as less ... more |
COP30 president urges most 'ambitious' emissions targets possible
Fighting global warming in nations' self-interest: UN climate chief CORRECTED: COP30 president urges most ambitious emissions targets possible Amsterdam to ban polluting pleasure boats in April January smashes heat record, surprising scientists COP30 president urges most ambitious emissions targets possible UK to quicken rollout of mini-nuclear reactors Venice sleeper setback indicates EU train troubles January sets 'surprising' heat record: EU monitor Indonesia backs climate deals after envoy's Paris skepticism 
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| Previous Issues | Dec 18 | Dec 17 | Dec 16 | Dec 15 | Dec 12 |
 
London (UPI) Dec 18, 2008 British medical researchers say they're concerned a new human version of mad cow disease has been detected, officials said. While most cases of new variant Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (vCJD) in Britain have occurred in people with a genetic profile carried by 42 percent of the population, the BBC reported that a young man with a different genetic profile appears to have the disabling ... more  
The Hague (AFP) Dec 18, 2008The Dutch government on Thursday unveiled a multi-billion dollar plan to reinforce dykes and the coastline and augment fresh water supplies in the face of rising sea levels due to global warming. Two-thirds of the Netherlands lies below sea-level and the country is increasingly worried about the threat of devastating floods. The government's national water plan proposes strengthening ... more  
Kuala Lumpur (AFP) Dec 18, 2008A Malaysian warship was the vessel that helped Chinese sailors repel Somali pirates who had boarded their ship in a dramatic high-seas battle, a maritime watchdog said Thursday. "A Malaysian military helicopter fired warning shots at the pirates' boat. This forced the sea raiders to abandon their operation to hijack the ship," said Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Board's ... more 
Jakarta (AFP) Dec 18, 2008Reconstruction in areas of Indonesia's coastline devastated by the 2004 Asian tsunami is nearly complete four years after the disaster, a key group of international donors said Thursday. The Multi Donor Fund (MDF) of foreign nations and international financial institutions has paid out 334 million dollars of 692 million pledged since May 2005 to help tsunami-hit Aceh province and Nias ... more |
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Astroscale second generation docking plate gains flight heritageLondon, UK (SPX) Feb 04, 2025 Astroscale Limited has reached a critical threshold with the first in-space deployment of its second-generation (Gen 2) docking plate. This hardware, now traveling aboard SpaceX's Transporter-12 rid ... more  
EdgeCortix unveils SAKURA-I with proven radiation immunity for orbital and lunar venturesLos Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 04, 2025 EdgeCortix(R) Inc., a leading fabless semiconductor provider focused on low-power Artificial Intelligence (AI) computation at the edge, reports that its SAKURA-I AI Accelerator has shown strong radi ... more 
Orbex lands D-Orbit deal prior to first mission this yearLos Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 04, 2025 UK-based launch services provider Orbex has finalized a new commercial agreement with D-Orbit, a leading name in space transportation and logistics. This move highlights Orbex's advancing role in th ... more
  
MIT engineers help multirobot systems stay in the safety zoneBoston MA (SPX) Feb 04, 2025 Drone shows are an increasingly popular form of large-scale light display. These shows incorporate hundreds to thousands of airborne bots, each programmed to fly in paths that together form intricat ... more 
Google pledge against using AI for weapons vanishesSan Francisco (AFP) Feb 5, 2025 Google on Tuesday updated its principles when it comes to artificial intelligence, removing vows not to use the technology for weapons or surveillance. ... more 
EU sets out guidance on banning harmful AI usesBrussels, Belgium (AFP) Feb 4, 2025 Mass surveillance, detecting emotions, social scoring: EU regulators laid out Tuesday what types of artificial intelligence tools are to be outlawed as too dangerous under the bloc's pioneering AI Act. ... more
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Brussels (AFP) Dec 18, 2008European Union fisheries ministers met Thursday to start haggling over fish quotas amid warnings of dwindling stocks and huge waste. In what has become a Brussels tradition, the ministers faced a night of marathon negotiations closely watched by fishermen and environmental groups. One of the main issues facing the ministers concerns discarded catches. Non-governmental organisations ... more  
Beijing (AFP) Dec 18, 2008Leading Chinese rights defender Ni Yulan was sentenced to two years in prison on Thursday for harming public property, after she tried to stop authorities from tearing down her house, her husband said. "The Beijing Xicheng court sentenced her to two years in prison this morning," husband Dong Jiqin told AFP. "They... refused to accept the evidence and arguments that I had prepared." ... more 
Beijing (AFP) Dec 18, 2008China is preparing to send warships to fight rampant piracy off the coast of Somalia, the government said Thursday, a day after one of its commercial vessels foiled an attack near the African state. "We are preparing and making arrangements to send naval ships to the Gulf of Aden to protect the sea lanes there," foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told journalists. "We will make a ... more 
Beijing (AFP) Dec 18, 2008China has banned jailed dissident Hu Jia from receiving family visitors as punishment for winning the European Parliament's prestigious Sakharov human rights prize, his wife said on Thursday. Zeng Jinyan told AFP that authorities informed her on Thursday she would not be allowed her monthly visit to Hu, a day after the European Parliament awarded him the prize in absentia. She said ... more |
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Trump reinstates 'maximum pressure' campaign on IranWashington DC (UPI) Feb 4, 2025 President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a memorandum to restore the so-called maximum pressure campaign on Iran from his first administration, which failed to achieve its goal of bringing about a new deal with Tehran to prevent it from securing a nuclear weapon. Instead, the Middle Eastern country has escalated its nuclear weapons program. ... more 
Ex-UK soldier jailed for 14 years for spying for IranLondon (AFP) Feb 3, 2025 A former British soldier who sparked a manhunt after escaping from prison before his trial was sentenced by a UK court on Monday to 14 years for spying for Iran. ... more 
US Navy awards Lockheed Martin $383M for advanced strategic missile developmentLos Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 03, 2025 Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has secured a $383 million contract modification from the U.S. Navy to advance the next iteration of the Trident II Strategic Weapons System (SWS) D5 missile, reinforcing ... more
  
Trump in 'no rush' to speak with China's Xi despite tariff battleWashington (AFP) Feb 5, 2025 US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he was not in a hurry to speak with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, despite expectations that they would hold talks after announcing tit-for-tat tariffs in a growing trade conflict. ... more 
Trump trade threats overshadow European defence meetBrussels, Belgium (AFP) Feb 3, 2025 The threat of a transatlantic trade war loomed large Monday over a gathering of European leaders aimed at boosting the continent's defences in the face of an aggressive Russia. ... more
Eyeing Trump and Putin, EU, UK, NATO leaders talk defenceBrussels, Belgium (AFP) Feb 3, 2025 EU leaders huddle Monday with Britain's prime minister and the head of NATO to discuss efforts to boost Europe's defences faced with an aggressive Russia - as Donald Trump demands America's allies spend much more. ... more
  
Iraqi archaeologists piece together ancient treasures ravaged by ISNimrud, Iraq (AFP) Jan 9, 2025 A decade after jihadists ransacked Iraq's famed Nimrud site, archaeologists have been painstakingly putting together its ancient treasures, shattered into tens of thousands of tiny fragments. ... more 
Declassified files show UK anger at Chirac over IraqLondon (AFP) Dec 31, 2024 Newly-declassified UK government documents published Tuesday reveal the frustrations of then-prime minister Tony Blair and his government with French leader Jaques Chirac for blocking UN-backed military action in Iraq in 2003. ... more 
Iraq's prohibition zeal threatens Baghdad's boozy subcultureBaghdad (AFP) Dec 22, 2024 The smell of dampness rises through the dust at a private club in central Baghdad, one of many shut in a crackdown on alcohol sales in Iraq. ... more
  
China eases travel curbs on Uyghurs but maintains 'severe' controls: reportBeijing (AFP) Feb 3, 2025 China has eased travel curbs on Uyghurs but maintains "severe restrictions" on those seeking to go abroad or visit family in Xinjiang, a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report said Monday. ... more 
Turkey FM calls for regional cooperation to fight PKKBaghdad (AFP) Jan 26, 2025 Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called for combined regional efforts to combat outlawed Kurdish fighters in Iraq and neighbouring Syria during a visit to Baghdad on Sunday. ... more 
Turkey says will fight terror after death of Iraqi border guardsIstanbul (AFP) Jan 25, 2025 Turkey vowed on Saturday to work closely with Iraq to secure their common frontier after two Iraqi border guards were killed in a shooting blamed on outlawed PKK militants. ... more |
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