24/7 News Coverage
December 19, 2022
EARTH OBSERVATION
NASA launches satellite for landmark study of Earth's water



Washington (AFP) Dec 16, 2022
A satellite lifted off Friday from California on a mission to survey nearly all bodies of water on Earth, offering key insights on how they influence or are impacted by climate change. The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite, a billion-dollar project jointly developed by NASA and France's space agency CNES, took off at 1146 GMT atop a SpaceX rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base. According to a statement from NASA, it will start collecting scientific data in about six month ... read more

EARTH OBSERVATION
NASA sensors to help detect methane emitted by landfills
Pasadena CA (JPL) Dec 18, 2022
Observations from the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) and other NASA science instruments will be part of a global survey of point-source emissions of methane from solid waste ... more
FLORA AND FAUNA
Nature at risk of 'cascading' species extinction: study
Paris (AFP) Dec 16, 2022
Climate change and habitat degradation will cause extinctions that cascade through communities of animals and plants and drive dramatic biodiversity loss, according to new research published on Friday. ... more
WATER WORLD
Shedding light on photosynthesis at sea
Osaka, Japan (SPX) Dec 18, 2022
Plants that live on land, such as spinach, grow by using sunlight to perform photosynthesis. How, then, do algae photosynthesize in the deep sea, an environment where only a little light reaches the ... more
WATER WORLD
SpaceX launches NASA's water topography satellite into orbit
Washington DC (UPI) Dec 16, 2021
The Surface Water and Ocean Topography satellite launched Friday morning from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. ... more
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WATER WORLD
How SERVIR is helping Southeast Asia adapt to variable rainfall
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Dec 18, 2022
In the United States, the agriculture sector is not immune to floods and droughts. But when these disasters hit, the system is designed to be robust enough to bounce back quickly. With an economy th ... more
WATER WORLD
NanoAvionics to supply Constellr with two satellites to help saving 60 billion tons of water globally
Vilnius, Lithuania (SPX) Dec 18, 2022
Kongsberg NanoAvionics has signed a contract with thermal data provider Constellr to supply it with two of its flagship MP42 microsatellite buses. Having recently raised 10 million euros, Germany-ba ... more
FLORA AND FAUNA
Countries agree historic deal to protect nature
Montreal (AFP) Dec 19, 2022
Countries approved a historic deal to reverse decades of environmental destruction threatening the world's species and ecosystems at a marathon UN biodiversity summit early Monday. ... more
EPIDEMICS
China reports first Covid deaths since hardline policy eased
Beijing (AFP) Dec 19, 2022
China on Monday reported its first deaths from Covid-19 since loosening its hardline containment policy, as hospitals and crematoriums struggle with an outbreak authorities say is impossible to track. ... more
EPIDEMICS
China megacity says people with symptomatic Covid can work 'as normal'
Beijing (AFP) Dec 19, 2022
People with Covid-19 symptoms in one of China's largest cities can now go to work "as normal", state media reported Monday, a dramatic reversal in a country where a single case could previously send thousands into lockdown. ... more
SINO DAILY
China recalls six diplomats over Manchester violence: UK
London (AFP) Dec 15, 2022
China has removed six diplomats from the UK, including its consul-general in Manchester, after they were accused of assaulting a Hong Kong protester in the northern English city, Britain said Wednesday. ... more
WATER WORLD
Egypt seeks US help in reviving Ethiopia dam deal
Washington (AFP) Dec 14, 2022
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday sought US help in pressing Ethiopia into an agreement on a mega-dam that the parched Arab country sees as an existential threat. ... more
FIRE STORM
Brazil sees area burned by fire nearly double in November
Brasilia (AFP) Dec 15, 2022
Fires scorched almost two million acres of territory in Brazil in November, according to data released by an NGO group Wednesday, nearly 90 percent more than in the same month last year. ... more



EPIDEMICS
China nursing homes struggle to keep residents safe from Covid wave
Beijing (AFP) Dec 18, 2022
China's nursing homes are fighting an uphill battle to keep their elderly residents safe as a wave of Covid-19 infections sweeps the country following a relaxation of the government's zero-tolerance virus policy. ... more
AFRICA NEWS
Uganda forces kill 11 ADF rebels after incursion
Kampala (AFP) Dec 13, 2022
Ugandan forces killed 11 ADF rebels after they crossed into the country from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the army said Tuesday, in the first known incursion by the group this year. ... more
SINO DAILY
Hong Kong author Xi Xi dies aged 85
Hong Kong (AFP) Dec 18, 2022
Hong Kong author Xi Xi, whose whimsical tales became a defining portrait of a city transitioning away from British rule, died on Sunday, according to a publisher she co-founded. She was 85. ... more
SINO DAILY
Hong Kong police wrong to ban Tiananmen vigil, court rules
Hong Kong (AFP) Dec 14, 2022
Hong Kong police's decision to ban a Tiananmen vigil last year was unlawful, a court ruled on Wednesday, as it overturned the conviction of jailed democracy activist Chow Hang-tung. ... more
WAR REPORT
Almost 10,000 trapped amid Colombia rebel "armed strike"
Bogota (AFP) Dec 17, 2022
Rebels in Colombia who have launched an armed strike have essentially trapped thousands of people in the northwest, authorities said Friday. ... more


Beloved 'Hollywood Cat' mountain lion euthanized in Los Angeles

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ABOUT US
Iraqi conservators strive to preserve ancient manuscripts
Baghdad (AFP) Dec 18, 2022
In an annex of Iraq's national museum, a conservator pores over a 17th-century manuscript, carrying out delicate restoration work as part of efforts to preserve and digitise 47,000 precious texts. ... more
WATER WORLD
Tense Fiji election tied, opposition eyes deal for power
Suva, Fiji (AFP) Dec 18, 2022
Fiji's tumultuous general election ended in a cliffhanger Sunday, with two rival ex-coup leaders failing to win a clear majority and needing to woo a kingmaking minor party to secure power. ... more
WATER WORLD
Dam plans threaten China's migratory bird haven
Poyang, China (AFP) Dec 18, 2022
Spooked by a historic drought, local authorities in China have renewed controversial plans to dam the country's biggest freshwater lake. ... more
WATER WORLD
'Progress destroying nature': Brazil dam fuels fears for river
Altamira, Brazil (AFP) Dec 16, 2022
Holding a dead fish, Junior Pereira looks grimly at a puddle that used to be part of Brazil's Xingu river, a mighty Amazon tributary that has been desiccated here by the massive Belo Monte hydroelectric dam. ... more
EPIDEMICS
Climate change fuelling cholera surge: WHO
Geneva (AFP) Dec 16, 2022
Climate change is fuelling a global cholera upsurge, the WHO said Friday, warning the situation was compounded by vaccine shortages and will only worsen unless it is stamped out soon. ... more
24/7 Nuclear News Coverage
24/7 War News Coverage
24/7 War News Coverage



'Be good ancestors,' youth activists tell ministers at UN nature talks
Montreal (AFP) Dec 18, 2022
As the world's environment ministers try to thrash out a new deal for nature, youth activists gathered at a UN summit in Montreal are making it clear that actions taken today will affect generations to come. Here is what some had to say. - Prisca Daka - Prisca Daka, a 31-year-old from Zimbabwe now based in the US, is regional coordinator for Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) A ... more
+ Fourth boy dies after UK frozen lake tragedy: police
+ UN says funds for flood-hit Pakistan to run out in weeks
+ Three boys die after falling into frozen lake in UK: police
+ ICEYE announces a framework contract with European Maritime Safety Agency
+ The end is nigh? Climate, nuclear crises spark fears of worst
+ 'Humanity has become a weapon of mass extinction,' warns UN chief
+ 2022: a year of living dangerously
AST SpaceMobile and NASA sign agreement to improve spaceflight safety
Midland TX (SPX) Dec 18, 2022
AST SpaceMobile reports that its subsidiary, AST and Science, LLC, and NASA recently signed an agreement to formalize both organizations' dedication to maintaining and improving safety in the shared environment of space. The Space Act Agreement formalizes the prompt, detailed, and open sharing of information between AST SpaceMobile and NASA, enabling a deeper level of coordination, coopera ... more
+ Say hello to the toughest material on Earth
+ Cubic silicon carbide wafers demonstrate high thermal conductivity, second only to diamond
+ Scientist mimic nature to make nano particle metallic snowflakes
+ Radiation shielding: MAPbI3/epoxy composites exhibit superior performance
+ New approaches to the mystery of why ice is slippery
+ Phantoms return from beyond the Moon with valuable data on cosmic radiation doses
+ UAE and AWS sign agreement to support long-term growth in the region's space ecosystem




How SERVIR is helping Southeast Asia adapt to variable rainfall
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Dec 18, 2022
In the United States, the agriculture sector is not immune to floods and droughts. But when these disasters hit, the system is designed to be robust enough to bounce back quickly. With an economy that depends on agriculture, many protections are in place to help farmers stay afloat, even after major disasters. Meanwhile in Southeast Asia, increasingly variable rainfall is making life diffi ... more
+ NanoAvionics to supply Constellr with two satellites to help saving 60 billion tons of water globally
+ Tense Fiji election tied, opposition eyes deal for power
+ Shedding light on photosynthesis at sea
+ Dam plans threaten China's migratory bird haven
+ SpaceX launches NASA's water topography satellite into orbit
+ 'Progress destroying nature': Brazil dam fuels fears for river
+ Egypt seeks US help in reviving Ethiopia dam deal
Lakes on roof of world freeze later and melt earlier under changing climate
Beijing, China (SPX) Dec 13, 2022
The lakes on the roof of the world show a trend of later freezing-up, earlier breaking-up and thus shorten ice-covered duration since late 1970s, researchers report in the 2nd December Nature Scientific Data. The findings explicitly reflect the changes in thermodynamics of lakes under a warmer climate and implicate substantial associated alteration in biogeochemical processes in the region. ... more
+ NOAA report finds climate change making Arctic conditions warmer, wetter
+ Chinese scientists reconstruct Qinghai-Tibet Plateau lake ice phenology
+ The incredible power of the ice that sculpted Europe's landscape
+ Glacier calving and a whole lot of mixing
+ Strongest Arctic cyclone on record led to surprising loss of sea ice
+ Phytoplankton may be abundant under Antarctic sea ice
+ Tibetan bottom ice might be younger than previously believed by two orders of magnitude




France bets on tech and transparency to beat Chinese caviar
Saint-Fort-Sur-Gironde, France (AFP) Dec 12, 2022
At the fish farm near Bordeaux, Christophe Baudon is running an ultrasound device over the belly of a large sturgeon to check its eggs. "Caviar!" he shouts as the monitor shows the right sparkle around each little round ball. "Over-mature!" comes the next shout, indicating the fish's pregnancy cycle has gone too far and the eggs have softened - losing the crucial crunch. It will go back ... more
+ Experts urge caution over biotech that can wipe out insect pests
+ PETA takes UK military to court for rejecting fake fur hats
+ World's first space rice seeds back from orbit
+ Soil in midwestern US is eroding 10 to 1,000 times faster than it forms, study finds
+ Grape expectations: India's biggest winemaker seeks millions
+ 'Keeping it fresh': Greek growers use nature to clean crops
+ Globalstar signs commercial agreement with Wiagro to supply IoT Transmitters for Agtech sector
Flooding kills more than 120 in DR Congo capital
Kinshasa (AFP) Dec 14, 2022
More than 120 people were killed Tuesday as the worst floods in years battered DR Congo's capital Kinshasa following an all-night downpour, authorities said in a provisional assessment. Major roads in the centre of Kinshasa, a city of some 15 million people, were submerged for hours, and a key supply route was cut off. The death toll - which was first estimated in the late afternoon to ... more
+ Indonesia quake death toll jumps to 602 after new count
+ Signals from the ionosphere could improve tsunami forecasts
+ Hawaii volcano goes quiet after spectacular display
+ Guatemala volcano eruption eases after forcing airport closure
+ Let the lava flow! Iceland's volcano show is a hit
+ Lascar volcano in Chile stirs, sending plume skyward
+ 5.8-magnitude earthquake jolts Indonesia's Java island




Rwanda leader says DR Congo bloodshed not his problem
Washington (AFP) Dec 14, 2022
Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Wednesday shrugged off a soaring death toll in the Democratic Republic of Congo's east, distancing his nation from mounting bloodshed on Rwanda's doorstep. "The problem was not created by Rwanda, and it is not Rwanda's problem. It is Congo's problem," Kagame told an audience off-site from the US-Africa Summit in Washington. A preliminary investigation by ... more
+ Uganda forces kill 11 ADF rebels after incursion
+ Rolling red carpet to Africans, US warns of 'destabilizing' China, Russia
+ Youth of African diaspora consider climate solutions at US summit
+ Jihadist-hit Niger brings back former soldiers, police
+ Biden tries to reboot US brand in Africa amid China, Russia inroads
+ Burkina Faso to raise 150 million euros for war fund
+ Outer space talks are a welcome addition to the US-Africa Leaders Summit
Iraqi conservators strive to preserve ancient manuscripts
Baghdad (AFP) Dec 18, 2022
In an annex of Iraq's national museum, a conservator pores over a 17th-century manuscript, carrying out delicate restoration work as part of efforts to preserve and digitise 47,000 precious texts. "Some manuscripts date back almost 1,000 years," said Ahmed al-Alyawi, who heads the House of Manuscripts body. "There are writings in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Hebrew and Kurdish," he added, ... more
+ Humans and nature: The distance is growing
+ Archaeologist claims human relative used controlled fire for light, cooking
+ How touch dampens the brain's response to painful stimuli
+ Silent synapses are abundant in the adult brain
+ Alzheimer's risk gene undermines insulation of brain's "wiring"
+ Wearing a mask can impact ability to recognize others, study says
+ Humanity hits the eight billion mark




Red Cross fears "enormous suffering" in 2023
Geneva (AFP) Dec 14, 2022
The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross warned Wednesday "an enormous level of suffering" awaits the world in 2023 with famine spreading. Mirjana Spoljaric, who took over at the ICRC in October, told a Geneva press conference: "We expect an enormous level of suffering. "As the world is trending at the moment we don't see any easing of the humanitarian pressures, they wil ... more
+ German police target climate activists in raids
+ ZEP-RE and Planet collaborate on drought insurance program in Africa
+ Climate-stressed Iraq must pursue 'green growth': World Bank
+ More financing needed for IMF climate change fund: director
+ Climate activist who blocked Sydney Harbour Bridge freed on bail
+ After year of climate disasters, world off-track to curb warming
+ Kenya drought leaves wildlife gasping for breath
Christmas comes early for Aeolus
Paris (ESA) Dec 18, 2022
ESA's wind mission continues to shine as engineers have worked their Christmas magic. With a switch back to its original laser, Aeolus is now shining more than twice as brightly with its best ever performance - just in time for the holidays. It's another remarkable success for ESA's fifth Earth Explorer. Launched in 2018 after many technical challenges, Aeolus pioneered what none had pione ... more
+ JAXA startup Tenchijin announces funding from JAXA
+ Looking back from beyond the Moon: how views from space have changed the way we see Earth
+ NASA sensors to help detect methane emitted by landfills
+ Earth's inner core may be oxygen-rich
+ NASA launches satellite for landmark study of Earth's water
+ Study explains surprise surge in methane during pandemic lockdown
+ Satellogic signs letter of intent with Mexico for dedicated EO program




Changes in Earth's orbit may have triggered ancient warming event
University Park PA (SPX) Dec 14, 2022
Changes in Earth's orbit that favored hotter conditions may have helped trigger a rapid global warming event 56 million years ago that is considered an analogue for modern climate change, according to an international team of scientists. "The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum is the closest thing we have in the geologic record to anything like what we're experiencing now and may experience ... more
+ Fossil site reveals giant arthropods dominated the seas 470 million years ago
+ Remains of two new marine worms from 455 million years ago discovered in Morocco
+ Meteorites plus gamma rays could have given Earth the building blocks for life
+ Australian researchers find 100 million-year-old fossil in Queensland
+ 525-million-year-old fossil defies textbook explanation for brain evolution
+ FSU researchers find decrease in crucial trace element preceded ancient mass extinction
+ Rapid fluctuations in oxygen levels coincided with Earth's first mass extinction
EU reaches deal on major carbon market reform
Brussels (AFP) Dec 18, 2022
EU member states and parliamentarians on Sunday announced an agreement for a major reform to the bloc's carbon market, the central plank of its ambitions to reduce emissions and invest in climate-friendly technologies. The deal aims to accelerate emissions cuts, phase out free allowances to industries and targets fuel emissions from the building and road transport sectors, according to a Eur ... more
+ Actor James Cromwell bashes world leaders for absence at UN nature summit
+ US green subsidies under fire at WTO review
+ Rich nations target $15bn to help Vietnam 'green transition'
+ At COP15, businesses urged to act for nature
+ S.African army deploys to guard power plants amid energy crisis
+ Energy, war, and the crisis in Ukraine
+ Ukraine races to restore power after Russian missiles batter grid




Country warming up to energy beneath the crust
Beijing, China (SPX) Dec 18, 2022
China Petrochemical Corp, or Sinopec, the world's largest refiner by volume and the country's biggest geothermal developer, vows to further tap geothermal energy sources as part of the widespread adoption of renewable energy nationwide. The geothermal heating service of the oil giant will provide emissions-free heating for residential areas, adding up to nearly 85 million square meters thi ... more
+ Mitigating corrosion by liquid tin could lead to better cooling in fusion reactors
+ US researchers announce historic nuclear fusion breakthrough
+ US researchers announce historic nuclear fusion breakthrough
+ Nuclear fusion: harnessing the power of the stars
+ Britain to build first Americium space battery
+ Lehigh University shares in $47 million DOE push to accelerate fusion energy research
+ Airbus prepares for its first megawatt-class hydrogen fuel-cell engine flight-test demonstrator
Countries agree historic deal to protect nature
Montreal (AFP) Dec 19, 2022
Countries approved a historic deal to reverse decades of environmental destruction threatening the world's species and ecosystems at a marathon UN biodiversity summit early Monday. The chair of the COP15 nature summit, Chinese Environment Minister Huang Runqiu, declared the deal adopted at a late-night plenary session in Montreal and struck his gavel, sparking loud applause from assembled de ... more
+ Nature at risk of 'cascading' species extinction: study
+ Endangered African tortoises make trek home from Monaco
+ Developing nations demand more money at crunch UN biodiversity talks
+ New funding announcements at high-stakes UN nature summit
+ Beloved 'Hollywood Cat' mountain lion euthanized in Los Angeles
+ COP15's key aim: protect 30% of the planet
+ Key figures in UN nature summit
Daily Newsletters - Space - Military - Environment - Energy



Hong Kong author Xi Xi dies aged 85
Hong Kong (AFP) Dec 18, 2022
Hong Kong author Xi Xi, whose whimsical tales became a defining portrait of a city transitioning away from British rule, died on Sunday, according to a publisher she co-founded. She was 85. One of the most beloved names in Sinophone literature, she published more than 30 books of fiction, poetry, non-fiction and screenplays in a career spanning six decades. She was often credited with pu ... more
+ China recalls six diplomats over Manchester violence: UK
+ The art teacher who showed the world China's protests
+ Hong Kong police wrong to ban Tiananmen vigil, court rules
+ Macau casino giants pledge $15 billion for 10-year licences
+ China protester detained for nine days: mother
+ Hong Kong leader says Google has 'moral obligation' to remove wrong anthem
+ China retires major Covid tracking app as virus rules ease
EU agrees ban on imports driving deforestation
Brussels (AFP) Dec 6, 2022
The European Union reached an agreement Tuesday to ban the import of products including coffee, cocoa and soy in cases where they are deemed to contribute to deforestation. The draft law, which aims to ensure "deforestation-free supply chains" for the 27-nation EU, was hailed by environmental groups as "groundbreaking". It requires companies importing into the EU to guarantee products ar ... more
+ Climate change supercharges threat from forest-eating bug
+ Brazilian Amazon deforestation falls, but up 60% under Bolsonaro
+ Climate's toll on trees threatens the sound of music
+ I.Coast launches major drive to reverse deforestation
+ Brazil's Lula, world leaders bolster UN climate talks
+ France backs Lula's proposal to hold climate conference in the Amazon
+ No longer evergreen: Germany eyes diversity to save forests






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